Client Beware of Property Rentals and other Tours in Italy

I just read an article yesterday on the New York Times webpage regarding property rentals and how clients have to be careful of what they rent. I have written a post on Property Rentals in Italy and I cannot stress enough how important it is to do your homework ahead of time. As the article states as well, nowadays it is so easy for any property owner to rent property and you do not always get what you are promised or think you will be getting. There is nothing worse than arriving at what is supposed to be this perfect villa in Tuscany and it turns out to be a nightmare. Unfortunately anyone can pretty much rent anything and the same is true for Italy.

The article goes on and states that renting a property where a third party is involved like a property management company is a good idea but I have to say that the use of these companies in Italy is still not so widespread. In fact I welcome readers to let me know of any good companies they know of in Italy and I am going to do my own research as well.

Also you really need to have referrals of others who have stayed at the property. Better if these are through people you know but this of course is not always possible. I am not saying that all properties are going to have problems but being careful and prudent is never a bad thing.

The same holds true for tours in Italy you sign up for. Again through the internet any Gianni or Sophia can host a specialty tour. Again get referrals from others who have done that cooking school, language school or bike tour. Be weary of activities that promise too much. In other words you cannot learn the Italian language through a four day course or become a culinary expert in a three day stint in Umbria!

As an American living in Italy I am very protective of my fellow American visitors. I always stop and try to help them out if they are having difficulty and if I hear of anyone being taken advantage of, I try to step in. I have been there and in the early days here I was ripped off a couple of times too. Italy can be a wonderful place to visit and it is up to you to come prepared and be prudent. I also welcome readers to tell me about any great or unfortunate experience they have had in the Bel Paese. Buon viaggio!

Specialty- Vacation Tours -In Italy

Once you have done the usual Italy vacation itinerary with tourist stops of Rome, Florence, Venice etc- the following visits to Italy could be spending more time in one particular area and doing a specialty tour.

Let's explore these. Specialty tours are short vacations based around a paticular hobby or activity. These can be formal as taking a course in cooking, jewelry making, ceramics/pottery or more informal as doing an outdoor/adventure tour like biking, walking, or farming. Other tours are wine tours and shopping tours. The tours nowadays can be as personalized as one wants with only a small group of friends, a couple or total strangers sharing a common hobby.
What better way to spend your time then in a beautiful country, studying or doing what you like best or doing something you have never done before but always wanted to??

For cooking courses see http://www.cooking-vacations.com/ and http://www.tastytuscany.com/

For wine tours check out http://www.chianticlassico.com/ for a list of cantine in the Chianti area (Tuscany)

For walking tours- http://www.walkingvacations.com/ and http://www.clubtoscana.com/

For biking- http://www.clubtoscana.com/

If a school or a program does not already exist, why not put together a program yourself?! In other words get a group of friends together who share a love for the outdoors and organize a walking tour in Umbria for instance. You can rent a villa as a group and contact the Umbria tourist board for walking / hiking itineraries. The possibilities are endless.



There are so many different types of vacations offered nowadays in Italy. Why not do a shopping vacation and outlet shop? There is nothing better than going home with an original Armani suit or Prada bag that you picked up at a designer outlet. Some great outlets to try are in the Incisa area of Tuscany. Here you can find all the major designer brands at discounted prices. Look out for a future post on bargain shopping!


Why not do a pamper yourself vacation and spend a week at a luxury spa in the beautiful Tuscan hills? Fonteverde in San Casciano (http://www.fonteverdespa.com/) or Bagni di Ripoli in Ripoli are good chocies. I have been to both and while Fonteverde is definitely more luxury oriented, I liked the rustic atmosphere of Bagni di Ripoli. A great list of spas in Tuscany can be seen on http://www.termeditoscana.com/


I believe these types of vacations are great for couples, families, singles and seniors. They allow you to do what you want to do in the incredible surroundings of Italy. You are learning, meeting new people, soaking up the local environment. You really do go home energized, stimulated by all you have seen and done.You are ready to face the world, prepare for your next off the beaten path vacation!