Frequently Asked Questions

We take great care in constructing our tours to coincide with the best time of year for travel and activity in the specific area. In Italy, the best times to visit are Spring and Fall. The weather is generally around 70°F (plus or minus a few degrees). Always check your specific location and dates before you go. 

Each type of trip will have a different level of activity, but all of our trips include a lot of walking tours and standing for extended periods of time. The trip descriptions will have levels of activity to help you decide if the trip is right for you, but you can always contact us to get even more information.

Each trips group will be comprised of people, who like you, are adventurous and love to travel. You will quickly make new lifelong friends who share your interests.

No. For the lengths of our tours you do not need a visa. If you plan to be in the country more than 90 days you will then need a visa and can find all the information you need by going to http://italy.visahq.com/. Some additional information about travel in Italy can be found at www.travel.state.gov

You can get your passport by going to the U.S. Post Office or at www.usps.com/passport. You simply fill out the required paperwork and bring the requested identification and fees and you can have your passport in as little as 2 weeks. I would suggest giving yourself at least 4-6 weeks to be sure you have your passport on time.

Yes. I suggest getting travel insurance that covers trip cancellation and interruption, medical (including ambulance transport), baggage, and flight insurance. To get more information or purchase travel insurance go with a big-name company (avoid buying insurance from a no-name company you found online). Consider the package deals sold by Betins www.betins.com (tel. 866-552-8834 or 253/238-6374), Allianz www.allianztravelinsurance.com (tel. 800-284-8300), Travelex www.travelexinsurance.com (tel. 800-228-9792), Travel Guard www.travelguard.com (tel. 800-826-4919), and Travel Insured International www.travelinsured.com (tel. 800-243-3174). Also, www.insuremytrip.com allows you to compare insurance policies and costs among various providers (they also sell insurance, tel. 800-487-4722). For bare minimum travel insurance you can also purchase trip insurance with your airline ticket.

Yes. You can bring your phone. It will be good for making calls while you are still in the United States (on layovers) or when you get back to call your ride home. To use your phone in Italy, you can either get an international plan from your carrier or buy a sim card in Italy to use in your phone (these include data plans, minutes for calling and even included minutes for calling the US). You will need to find out if you can access the sim card in your phone, as each phone is different. You can use your phone over wifi in your hotel, at restaurants and on some city wifi networks for using maps or wifi calling and messaging anywhere in the world.

It's getting easier and easier to stay in contact with family and friends back home. You can easily use apps like skype, facetime, whatsapp, messenger and so many more, for free, over wifi.

This link has all the information you will need about what you can and can’t bring back with you from an international trip. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

No. You do not need to know Italian. We will be able to communicate and help you with conversations while on the trip. If you wish to learn some basic Italian before you go, your public library should have plenty of great cds and books to help you. Although, the more Italian you know the more you will be able to communicate with the locals. If you are interested in learning more, check out italki, Fluent in 3 months and fluent forever.

Rome Embassy: via Vittorio Veneto 119/A, tel. 064-6741, fax. 064-674-2244, http://italy.usembassy.gov

Remember that an important part of traveling and having a true Italian experience is getting around the towns, activities and hotels. On this trip you will need to be able to handle the following things, with a smile.

• Attend to your own luggage in all aspects of the trip. For example, lifting your suitcase onto trains, buses or boats, carrying it up stairs in hotels, and pulling it down streets, sometimes on uneven ground for several blocks at a time. (Hint: Pack light with a small suitcase)
• Be able to be on your feet for hours at a time. This can mean walking through towns or museums, both moving and standing still. There will, of course, be breaks, but there is a lot of walking in Italy.
• Sleeping accommodations will always be clean and comfortable with appropriate amenities. Some places will have no (or weak) air conditioning as well as street noise since we are centrally located in each town. Be prepared for shared room accommodations. Earplugs may prove to be helpful.
• For each tour we will be giving a transportation and town orientation after which is it expected you will be able to navigate the city on your own.

For specific refund and payment policy go to www.ultimateitalytours.com/pages/payment-policy

For most tours we will cover the cost and set up of the airport transfer. If the specific tour does not include a transfer we will give you the information to set up transfers to and from the tour.

Many people joining our tours prefer to arrive in the country or city before the tour starts and leave after the tour is over. We can not cover airport transfers for people traveling outside of the tour dates, but we will provide the information to set it up.

All group transportation is covered during the tour. During the times when the group is not together, transportation is covered by the tour participant. In some locations there will be a transportation pass that is good for specific time period (i.e. 3 days, 7 days etc.). These passes do cover transportation during non-group times of the tour.

As an optional extra, a person traveling solo on most tours may reserve a room for his or her exclusive use. This will guarantee you a private room and private bath every night. The cost for this option will be different for each tour and you will need to email us to find out your individual tour price. If you’re willing to share a room, there is no extra charge for coming solo, no matter when you sign up for the tour — even if you wind up with a private room by default. Please note not all trips will have single room accommodations.

On almost all of our trips it is possible to join us a day or two after we depart or leave a day or two early. If your schedule doesn’t mesh with ours, give us a call and see how our in-depth knowledge of the area will make it work for you. We prorate your trip fee based on the time you’re on the trip.

Also, For many of our tours, there are several hosted back to back with only a day or two in between. If you choose to take part in two back to back trips, we will give you a discount on your second trip. To find out more about which trips have this, please email us.

We're still working out the details, which will be made clear to anyone who travels with us. But, of course, we'll strictly adhere to all COVID-19 health guidelines (including vaccination requirements) i Italy and the US.

We strongly recommend travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19 (and up to date with regular immunizations including the annual flu shot) before joining a tour. You'll need to be able to present one of the following: an authentic COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing date(s) and time(s) of vaccination(s) with the final dose having been given at least 14 days prior to your tour departure date, OR a verifiable negative PCR test result for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of your tour departure date. However, our tours visit a wide variety of destinations where the governments, local authorities, and other entities (hotels, restaurants, sites) may require proof of vaccination. We'll do our best to keep our tour members informed of any requirements prior to traveling with us.

You'll need to be able to present either an authentic COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a verifiable negative PCR test result for COVID-19 taken within 72 hours of your tour departure date. Your airline and/or the countries you're visiting may have other requirements. It's up to you to be aware of the rules where you'll be traveling.

We expect tour members to monitor their health and only travel if they're feeling well. However, getting sick while on tour can happen to anyone — and it can affect not just your trip, but your fellow tour members' trip, too. If you start to feel sick during your tour, notify your guide right away, so they can direct you to a local clinic or pharmacy for diagnosis and treatment. If anyone has a confirmed case of COVID-19, we'll follow the requirements of the local health authorities.