Tuscany Travel Guide

Ask Before You Go

Before you invest in a package deal or an escorted tour:

• Always ask about the cancellation policy. Can you get your money back? Is there a deposit required?

• Ask about the accommodations choices and prices for each. Then look up the hotels' reviews in a Frommer's guide and check their rates online for your specific dates of travel. Also find out what types of rooms are offered.

• Request a complete schedule (escorted tours only).

• Ask about the size and demographics of the group (escorted tours only).

• Discuss what is included in the price (transportation, meals, tips, airport transfers, and so on; escorted tours only).

• Finally, look for hidden expenses. Ask whether airport departure fees and taxes, for example, are included in the total cost -- they rarely are.

Packages for the Independent Traveler

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including American Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/321-2121; www.aavacations.com), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages.

The single best-priced packager to Europe, though, is Go-Today.com (www.go-today.com), offering packages throughout Italy and Tuscany. Italiatours (tel. 800/845-3365) is the tour-operator branch of Alitalia airlines and offers package and escorted tours at extremely competitive prices. TourCrafters (tel. 800/ITALY-95 or 847/816-6510; www.tourcrafters.com) offers escorted, hosted, and independent tours throughout Italy. They also arrange villa rentals in Tuscany and Umbria.

Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper. Or check ads in national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel + Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Conde Nast Traveler.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours -- whether they're navigated by bus, motorcoach, train, or boat -- let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility and they can be a great way to make new friends. On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals. Look for tours that offer a relaxed but educational sampling of activities throughout your stay. Many operators now offer mixed-bag tours of cooking classes, art tours, and walking excursions. A good example of these is Boston-based Go Ahead Tours (tel. 800/590-1170; www.goaheadtours.com), run by EF, which bills itself as the world's largest private educational organization.