Custom Italy Itineraries and Trip Planning

Hi guys! I wanted to share this post today about a new service I've added to my blog, a personal travel planning package that includes my recommendations for what to do, eat and see in Rome and Italy. I'll get into why I've decided to start offering this service, how I think it can help anyone looking to make the most out of their Italian experience and the logistics behind these packages in the blog post today.

Why did I decide to start a "travel planning" service?

To give some background, I get so many emails, direct messages on Instagram and Facebook and general questions about helping people plan their trip to Rome and Italy. People constantly want to know the best, most local places to eat in Rome, how to get around Italy with public transportation, what I think about day trips to remote areas of the country and general information to help them make the best decisions possible about their Italian trip. I totally get and support this way of doing research, and try to share as much as possible on my blog about what I'm loving in the city and my favorite things to do and see in Italy.

I think it's a natural step to move to offering a customized, highly personal service where I can more directly help people with their travel planning and can be compensated for the time that it takes to effectively offer recommendations on sometimes difficult subjects. This by no means is me saying I don't want to get questions about Italy anymore (please feel free to contact me here or on Instagram!) but I think so many people would enjoy having this option to remove the stress and hassle of planning a vacation while also ensuring they're having the best experience possible.

Why should I opt for a professionally planned vacation?

Like most people, before a trip to a new location I'll do a frantic Google/Instagram/blog search for what are the best things to do, where do I *need* to eat and how to allocate my time on a limited vacation schedule. This works to some extent but it doesn't take the place of having first hand knowledge of a location, the various "hidden gems" of a city and the valuable knowledge that locals have to offer for tourists.

After 3 years of living in Rome and with countless vacations, weekend journeys and day trips from this city, I've gathered so much information about living it up in Rome and Italy. While the true highlights usually make it to my blog (here's my sample itinerary for a weekend in Rome), there are many other activities, restaurants and things to see that I don't have the time to share here. Things like walking food tours in Rome's colorful neighborhoods, bike rides through ancient parks, personalized cooking lessons, restaurants that are family owned and run by a nonna in the kitchen, hostels that offer family-style dinner and happy hours, or Vespa rides around neighborhoods full of street art.

Passing off the responsibility of planning your trip leaves you more time to enjoy it stress free and ensure you have the vacation of a lifetime.

How is this service structured?

In terms of charging for this trip planning service, I've broken it down by week-long and extended trips because the require different length itineraries. Included in this are reservations for restaurants and tours, recommendations for hotels and transportation and the ability to work around specific requests (accomodating food allergies and mobility issues). Additionally I'll also offer individual pre-trip Skype calls to answer any and all questions you might have.

You can check out more info on these services at this page here and contact me to start planning your next trip to Italy!

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