Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Italy has long held a place in my heart. Not because I have travelled the country extensively — quite the opposite actually, I’d only been to Rome before this trip. Rather, Italy was a highly romanticized destination in my household when I was growing up. My mother spoke of its domed cathedrals, ancient ruins, coastal towns and rolling mountains like some kind of heaven, having never been there herself. She dreamed of a villa in Tuscany and we spoke often of travelling the region together.
Sadly, we never got that chance and following my mother’s passing in 2017, I felt determined to explore Northern Italy no matter what. As I get older, it’s difficult to find willing travel buddies as kids, careers and life get in the way.
I’m no stranger to solo travel, but again, as I age, I find comfort and pleasure in a shared experience which led me to consider group travel. I had a wonderful experience on a group safari trip to Kenya through Contiki Tours. I’d heard a lot about Contiki’s sister brand, Trafalgar Tours, from other travellers on that experience.
What: Trafalgar Tours: Northern Italy Including Cinque Terre Includes: Local transportation, accommodations, tour director, complete itinerary, a portion of your meals, experiences each day Not included: Flights, additional “optional” experiences Cost: From $2,700 Where to book: Trafalgar Tours
It’s important to find the right tour group as there are many fantastic options available. The first step is determining what matters most to you on a trip. My priorities for this particular experience:
The Northern Italy Including Cinque Terre trip met all my needs, though I’d like to return to a villa in Tuscany one day, as this particular tour didn’t venture that far south.
Going solo into a group travel experience comes with some concerns: Will I like my group? Will I like my trip director? Will I form connections? Will I be exhausted from all of the socializing? Will I get to do and see everything I want to? Will I feel restricted?
Thankfully, I’m happy to report that I did indeed like my group, trip director — Rebecca Dinwiddle is a wealth of Italian knowledge and funny, too! — and managed to see everything I’d hoped for. I even survived (dare I say, thrived?) the daily socializing, in large part due to the allotted free time we had each day. Read on for the pros and cons of travelling Trafalgar and why I would book again, plus a window into the beauty of my Northern Italy experience.
Trusted, respected company: In operation since 1947, Trafalgar Tours has hosted over five million guests and has an average rating of 4.6/5 stars from over 113,000 reviews. These statistics gave me the confidence I needed to join a group trip. Through conversations with my tour director, I learned Trafalgar is considered the “golden goose” in the industry — the company travel guides aspire to work for. It’s required for the guides to have previous tour leadership experience before joining Trafalgar — this expertise was evident during my trip.
Shared experience: I find joy in all kinds of travel, but there is something special about sharing the wonders and excitement of exploring a new or favourite place with others. Ideally, you have time to reconnect with yourself, while forming new connections as you go. The people often make the place — the locals who educate you on their culture and the travellers who revel in each new experience alongside you.
Meeting like-minded travellers: There were at least seven or eight solo travellers in my group, which made it easy to form connections — particularly on the bus journeys or during meals. Others were travelling as a family or in couples. Ages ranged from 25-75, with most hovering between 35-65.
Gorgeous locations with accommodations close to town centres: I heard a lot of feedback from other travellers about tour companies that stick you on the outskirts of town, making it difficult to explore during your free time. I liked this trip because we were always close to the town centres or bustling areas (other than our hotel in Milan, which was in a strange location).
Well-thought itineraries: The Northern Italy trip was expertly planned, with every detail considered. Almost every stop included a local expert who guided us through their town (with audio headsets which allowed flexibility), a professional driver on a well air-conditioned coach (a must in late August), lots of exciting optional experiences (that come at an additional price, a nice way to keep costs down or splurge, depending on your budget). We explored all of the most popular sightseeing spots and got off the beaten track.
Extreme convenience: The daily itinerary was posted in a group chat the night before and I didn’t have to plan or think about anything, beyond what I wanted to eat for breakfast each morning. My luggage was picked up in the morning and placed on the coach, porterage and restaurant gratuities paid, even the bus seating was planned out to ensure every guest had a great view of the winding hills and coastal towns. I call it extreme because I have never travelled in this way — it felt foreign at first!
Amount of places visited: The trip was seven days, yet we managed to visit 10 different places. It was a whirlwind adventure yet I felt I was able to really explore each place and gain a solid understanding of the history and culture thanks to the local guides.
History and education: If I’d travelled on my own or with friends, I never would’ve learned so much about each town, sight or landmark. I left Italy with a lot of knowledge on top of some great memories.
Smaller rooms for solo travellers: Near the end of the trip, I’d had a few conversations with other travellers and learned that solo travellers tend to get smaller rooms. It makes sense, yet it’s still frustrating when you happen to be one of those people. The bigger rooms often have the bigger views, so if you’re travelling solo this is something to keep in mind. Most rooms in Europe are smaller and built for sleeping and getting ready.
Large group (slow pace): This particular group was large, with 40+ guests. I gather this is pretty typical for this style of trip in this particular region. Group sizes vary based on destination, and it is worth enquiring with the company before you sign up if this is important to you. Due to the size of the group and varying ages, the pace was quite slow to ensure everyone was comfortable. If you like fast-paced, this type of trip may not be for you.
Air conditioning issues: Late August in Northern Italy is extremely humid. Like, three showers a day humid. The bus was beautifully air conditioned but I heard talks of a couple of hotel rooms with broken AC. I luckily did not experience this, but it can happen. It’s not necessarily a Trafalgar issue, but an Italian hotel issue.
Gluten-free issues: I’m not gluten-free, and I’m sure Italy — the holy land of pizza and pasta — is one of the most difficult places to travel as someone with wheat intolerance. My bus buddy was unable to indulge in the gluten feast and found her meal choices lacking. Breakfast and quite a few dinners are included in the trip, but she found herself longing for the food the rest of us were enjoying. Something to note if you’re travelling with Trafalgar or planning a trip to Italy with this particular dietary restriction.
What we did: This trip was a blend of culture, history, tradition and of course, food. Our group met in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, and worked our way southeast before looping back up north. We explored Milan’s gothic cathedrals, glass-domed Galleria and the famous La Scala Opera House before setting off for a boat cruise around Lake Como — to my dismay, I did not meet George Clooney.
The next day we drove through beautiful countryside to a local prosciutto factory near Langhirano followed by a stop at a family-run caseificio to learn all about Parmigiano Reggiano cheese making in Parma. With full bellies, we carried on to watch fresh pasta making and more eating at a castle in the countryside while drinking and dancing under moonlight.
We woke up in Parma and enjoyed a local tour of the area then carried onto the Italian Riviera, getting comfortable in our hotel at the seaside town of Santa Margherita Ligure. We ventured five kilometres south by boat to Portofino, a quaint fishing village and a highlight of the trip.
The next morning we departed bright and early to explore the renowned Cinque Terre or “Five Lands” denoting five picturesque seaside villages perched atop dramatic cliffs. We toured three of five, with views of the other two by ferry. This UNESCO site is not to be missed.
The following day was spent exploring Renaissance and Baroque architecture of maritime Genoa with a local walking tour followed by a bus trip to our Northernmost destination, Lake Maggiore. With the Alps as our backdrop, we travelled to neighbouring Lake Orta and explored the island of San Giulio, known for its charming basilica built in the 1840s.
The final day saw us relaxing by the lake, taking the Centovalli Panoramic Train to a traditional Italian alpine village, and having our final farewell dinner before heading back to Milan in the morning.
Where we stayed: The hotels were all four stars or more and my favourite of the bunch was our final stop in Lake Maggiore, at the beautiful lakeside Hotel Splendid.
What we ate: Fresh pasta, pizza, gelato and countless glasses of Aperol Spritz, as you’d expect, but also many delicious local specialties. I loved the prosciutto factory and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese caseificio tours (and subsequent tastings), the focaccia and pestos in Genoa and the seafood and Farinata (a pancake made of chickpea flour) in the many coastal stops.
I had a really incredible Trafalgar experience. I felt very safe and secure travelling by myself with a well-respected company. I loved not having to think about a thing — the ease I felt allowed me to truly relax and enjoy the experience. Every detail of the trip was well planned and I was able to explore so much more within a limited timeframe than I would have been able to on my own.
The group was quite large and the rooms were at times quite small, but overall the entire trip felt just as magical as I’d imagined Northern Italy to be. I was very well fed and met many wonderful people from the coach driver to the tour director to my fellow travellers. I’ll certainly be a returning guest.
What: Trafalgar Tours: Northern Italy Including Cinque Terre Includes: Local transportation, accommodations, tour director, complete itinerary, a portion of your meals, experiences each day Not included: Flights, additional “optional” experiences Cost: From $2,700 Where to book: Trafalgar Tours
Shopping Essentials is a category written by research-obsessed shopping experts. Explore product reviews, recommendations and launches — plus behind-the-scenes info on your favourite brands and hidden gems — learn more here or sign up for our newsletter.
instagram.com/leightav
English