Travel Review: Italy Family Vacation, Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre, Venice, Pisa, Chianti, Portofino, Pizza & Gelato Making Class

The most memorable parts of our trip were our walking tours throughout the cities (Venice, Florence, Siena and Rome). The guides that were arranged by this travel agency were fantastic. They brought the city to life for us and told us interesting stories and pointed out details and architecture that we might have missed if we were just reading a tour book or looking something up on a phone.

We took a pizza and gelato making class in Florence that was a highlight for all of us. It was great fun and delicious. We had the pleasure of going on a bike tour through Greve in Chianti with and that was an incredible way to see the countryside. Both the cooking class and the bike tour are examples of the people and companies this agent works with -- they added so much to our entire experience.

We also saw many different areas in Italy. I had been to Italy several times but my husband and children had not. We were able to create a trip that allowed us to all be amazed and delighted by the different places, excursions and sights. We started the trip in Venice, went to Florence by train (and a day trip to Pisa). We rented a car and drove to Siena on the way to Castellina in Chianti and then finished the trip in Rome. We stayed in different types of properties in each area -- all recommended by our agent -- and that added to the unique experience as well.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the trip was not worrying about a thing. All the transfers were taken care of as well as tickets to the sites we wanted to see. It made the trip effortless and allowed us to have more free time to wander and explore.