Lake Como ~ The perfect place to just relax, have a glass of wine, and enjoy some of the most incredible views in the world!

The Village of Dervio with Monte Legnone in background
(just up the road from Varenna... click on pic to enlarge)

 A bunch of you have told us you're going to Lake Como before or after Tuscany, and we've been getting a few questions about the region... What is it like, and what is there to do in Lake Como...    We try go to Lake Como for a few days every chance we get... and we'll be going there again in September after our Tour Season ends!  (and no, the lake is not really named after Perry... )  But it is, by almost everyone's opinion, the most beautiful lake in all of Europe!  Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy at over 56 square miles of water surface...    it's huge!   It is the largest lake in Italy by length of shoreline, at over 150 miles...   and man is it deep - over 1350 ft!

But the one thing that makes Lake Como stand out is its beautiful blue waters sitting amidst a backdrop of snow covered Alps!  There's lots to discover around that 150+ mile shoreline including over 30 different lakeside villages... 

There are 3 different transportation systems that work on the lake... The big ferry system that is both passanger and car ferries,  service the most popular mid-lake villages on the "triangle" of the split in the lake;  Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna, and Cadenabbia...  This is what makes the lakeside village of Varenna such a popular home base...  Then there is the "motorships" which run up and down the whole length of the north fork and the south-western branch...  and lastly, there's the "hydro-foils" which are the fast services up and down the lake with fewer stops...   all in all, there's lots of ways to get around the lake and enjoy the incredible views from the water... (ps: if you want a really special experience in Lake Como, ask us about our friend Luca, and his private Venetian Launch Motorboat Tours of the Lake ~ our personal very favorite thing to do in Lake Como! We'll be doing this in September ~ you need to reserve this in advance)

The Magic of Lake Como with The fairytale 
Village of Varenna in the foreground

• Lake Como, or as the Italians say,  Lago di Como, is by most people's opinion, Europe's most beautiful lake
• With over 36,000 acres of surface water, and a 150 mile shoreline, Lake Como is one of Italy's largest and most beautiful lakes, and at 1350 feet,  Europe's very deepest
• The lake sits at the base of the Alps at about 700 ft in elevation, with snow-covered mountaintops jutting almost 12,000 feet into the sky
• Lake Como, because of it's incredible beauty,  has been a popular vacation retreat since Roman times and still a favorite of celebrities and aristocrats around the world
• The Lake is surrounded by many large historic Villas with impressive gardens which now serve as museums, hotels and even as private residences for celebrities (think: George Clooney, Richard Branson, Brad Pitt, George Lucas, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone, Giani Versace, etc)
• Average High temperatures for mid-September are 72 degrees F during the afternoon and average lows overnight are about 60 degrees F
• The entire area is served by The Lake Como Ferry Service which has three mains services:

1. the "Motorships" which run up and down the western branch and northern end of the lake with additional shuttles between the "mid-lake" villages of  Varenna, Mennagio, Bellagio and Cadennabia
2. the "Hydrofoils" or fast service which broadly follows the same route but is a lot faster stops less frequently and costs more
3. the "Ferries" which run only between the popular mid-lake villages, some of which ferry cars as well as passengers 

• Many famous movies have used the dramatic scenery of Lake Como and its incredible Villas as a backdrop including; A Month by The Lake, Star Wars Episode II, Ocean's Twelve, and Casino Royale
  

This short video will give you a feel for the atmosphere, environment  & relaxing culture of Lake Como... and you'll see a good part of this video is about Varenna and our recommended hotel; Albergo Milano

How much money do we need for the Tour?

 As we're getting closer to your departures, we've had a couple of folks call & ask about how many Euros they might need for their week in Tuscany... (we always assume that if even one person has a question about the tour, others might possibly be wondering about the same issue - so we post here about it)

Tuscany's quaint & charming shops on cute 
pedestrian streets are hard to resist!

So, this is always a difficult question to answer, as everyone's lifestyle can vary so dramatically... First off, there are no "optional tours" that we sell...   All the tour activities listed on the itinerary are included in the price you've already paid for your Tour! All of your Breakfasts are included,  All of your Dinners are included, the unlimited Wine, Beer & Prosecco bars at the Villa are included... The two nice Luncheons at the Wine Estates are included, and one lunch at The Villa... All of these included meals include wines (all you want!). We even take care of your Tourist Taxes... approx 21 Euros /per person - (if you're staying in hotels before or after the Villa, you'll see these tourist taxes tacked on to your hotel bill  3 to 4 euros per person / per day...  and they often ask you to pay the tourist taxes in cash).

Of course we can't speak to what you may be doing before or after your Tuscany Tour, but during your week at The Villa, for your Adventures to Tuscany Tour, all of your "hard expenses" on the itinerary are included in your Tour price, with the exception of three lunches, while we give you free time in Siena, San Gimignano and Panzano...   You'll be responsible for your own lunches in these 3 villages...  Some guests prefer to maximize their time sightseeing & shopping,  and forego lunch... some just grab a quick and simple slice of pizza or a Panini and Soda from a corner store or street vendor - usually around 5 - 7 euro per person...   Others prefer to relax outside at a table with a view  in one of the nicer Trattorias  and have the larger traditional Italian lunch (appetizer, salad and pasta) and a glass of wine and do a little people watching...  this is likely more in the neighborhood of 25 -35 euro per person depending on location & view!   And anyone that's traveled to international tourist meccas understands that if lunch to you means steak or lobster with a bottle wine, that's likely to be more in the neighborhood of 75 euro per person.   A relaxed lunch with a glass of wine and a little people watching is always one of our favorite things to do in Italy...

grilled & pressed Panini is so savory!

You will likely of course have small miscellaneous personal expenses throughout the week when we're out touring... a glass of wine, a gelato, a caffe, parking, maybe something from a drug store, etc. Usually nothing big, but you will want to have a little pocket money...  We always suggest you budget a minimum of 25 euros per person/per day or 150 euro per person for the week... You'll probably spend less... but again, it varies by your personal choices.

So the answer to the question is of course totally dependent on your personal choices & lifestyles... Over the last 24 years that we've been taking these groups, we've seen some of our guests get by using very little in euros (50 - 100 Euro per person for the week) and other guests splurging in a big way....

for those of you interested in pottery, we have a good friend
with a studio just on the outskirts of Radda-in-Chianti
who makes custom handmade pottery... her prices are very
reasonable because she makes it & sells to you..
 there's no retailer middle-man & she ships!

And then of course there's the shopping... These purchases are of course above and beyond anything aforementioned...  Tuscany, not unlike most aspirational tourist destinations, has it's fair share of tempting artisan shops & galleries... Among the things that are popular that we've seen our guests buy over the years are; hand-thrown pottery, leather coats, handmade jewelry, leather shoes, purses, belts, wallets, perfumes, paintings, apparel, photography, cutlery, linens, silver, olive-wood cutting-boards, mocha pots, espresso makers, espresso cups, Florentine papers & cards, wines, olive oils, real balsamic vinegars, cheeses, spices, honey...  The list goes on & on...  We can of course give you pointers on what to look for and where you might buy things...  Our personal favorites after all these years: shoes, leather goods, balsamic vinegar and cutlery, and of course, pottery... 

For large, fragile and/or expensive purchases, you probably want to consider having them shipped home...   And of course they do accept credit cards in Italy... Mostly Visa, MasterCard...  and some take American Express... (note: Discover Card is not taken in Italy).  Sometimes in smaller shops, and often for minor purchases, they do not take credit cards... but for more expensive purchases, most stores usually take credit cards.

Do we need to have actual Euros. in our pocket or can we just use credit cards? We suggest you do have at least some euros with you...  Credit cards are widely accepted, but you'll find various situations where you'll need cash... Many small shop owners do not take credit cards and they'll point you toward an ATM... Also you'll likely find yourself sitting in a cafe somewhere with another couple having lunch or a glass of wine and needing to split the bill... (many places in Europe will not give separate checks  to people sitting at the same table - it's a cultural thing). Our suggestion;  to be on the safe side; budget to have 150 - 200 euro per person with you for the week... If you have euros left over at the end of the Tour and you're worried about getting stuck with them, we always offer as a courtesy to exchange up to 100 Euros per person for US dollars at the day's official mid-market rate. (the rate on the exchange widget on this Blog ~ this is a rate better than what your bank will give you). But of course we don't carry thousands of dollars in US cash to Europe, so if you're interested in this,  we give you a check.

Some folks prefer to access some Euro's before they leave the US so they're assured to have them in their pocket when they arrive...  while others use ATM machines to get Euros once they get there... (We personally go online to our bank, order Euros, and they just overnite them in a Fedex envelope and we have them in pocket when we get there.).  Have a question about the Tour?  Feel free to email us... And of course you can always call us!  

Special Note: Terese & I are leaving for France to go on Tour in just a couple days... We have two separate back-to-back Tour Groups on our Beautiful Villages of Provence Expeditions...  We will not be back in our US offices, until Monday morning,  July 1st.  During this time there will be little to no posts on this BLOG as we're typically very busy from 6am - midnight. while we're on Tour.. So if you send us email questions, it may indeed take us 24 - 48 hours to respond... 

Sting in an impromptu performance at a party for friends at his Villa & Wine Estate il Palagio just down the road from our Villa in Tuscany

You don't stop having fun cause you get old... You get old cause you stop having fun! Whatever you do, don't stop having fun!

 You've seen our tag lines; Truly unique, authentic and immersive, escorted and guided, experiential adventure expeditions to Tuscany!  We say:  What makes us different, makes all the difference in the world! So sometimes people ask us, What's all this adventure about... and what makes your Tours any different from all the rest?

Your standard 50 person Italian Tour Bus

Well, first off, we're a very teeny-tiny team that personally designs, curates and operates very specialized Boutique Expeditions... We have to... In the very competitive world of Italian Vacation Tours, there are literally hundreds of companies offering Tours of Italy... Most are just big travel marketing companies that offer a very similar product, a whirlwind 50 person bus tour that's designed specifically to be able to list "sight-seeing attractions" on their brochures... because it's ultimately their brochure that sells the tour... A prospective customer compares various operator's brochures and typically chooses the one with the most destinations/sights listed. (reasoning that they're getting the most for their money). But in most cases, these "Tour Companies"  don't really even operate these tours... Most often, they don't even have any of their employees present... They just hire a DMC (a destination management company). It's a wholesaling Tour company that owns a bunch of buses in the host country, and that wholesaler basically operates pretty much the same tour for all the companies that hire them...  

This is our Tour Bus!  The Fiat 
Cinquecento (500) is an iconic symbol of Italy
it's not just cute; it's fun!

Is this bad?  No, not necessarily... They're local companies with lots of expertise... But the problem is, there's only a few of them, and most all the big tour operators use them... So basically all these tours are pretty much the same...  It's a mass-market product... Even the biggest operators do this... In fact the bigger they are, the more likely that are to use a DMC... We get contacted by DMC's that bid for our business all the time!  Even Perillo, the King of Italy Tours uses them... They don't even do their own tours! Most of the large operator's Italian Tours are designed to show you some sights, but shield you from the local culture... 50 years ago, the thinking was you couldn't, or wouldn't want to handle it... They're just now starting to realize that people want to be exposed & immersed in the culture... But these are big ships, and  as they say; they're slow to turn!

So how does a Boutique company like ours compete?  We counter-program to offer a truly alternative product... We don't use DMC's...  We personally design & curate our Tours to be totally different from "the big guys..."  And then we personally escort each Tour...  Hence, small, intimate 10 guest groups instead of 50 person busloads of strangers ...  an authentic castle-style Villa on a 2200 acre Wine and Olive Oil Estate in the Tuscan countryside, instead of busy Tourist Hotels in the city centers... Private Chefs & Alfresco Dinner Parties instead of banquet halls... An unlimited, OPEN Wine, Beer & Prosecco bar all evening with upscale DOCG wines instead of a single glass of "house" (box) wine with dinner... VIP Wine Estate Tours & Luncheons...   Our own Private local licensed Tour Guides... Drive your own Italian sports car thru quaint & charming Tuscan Hilltowns in our Chianti Classico Road Rally... Nightly Theme Parties...  Interact with our local friends... Live Bands... Pizza Parties... Swim Parties... Outdoor Tuscan Steak & Ribs BBQ Parties... the list goes on & on...

We don't cut you loose at 4pm to fend for yourself; we're just getting started!  A regionally focused, immersive,  experiential itinerary instead of trying to shuttle you from one end of the country to the other... What has come to be known in the industry as "Slow Travel"...  We stay in one central location all week (our magnificent Villa) and use a "hub & spoke" strategy for our expedition activities throughout the week... and ultimately the fun, adventure & independence of private cars instead of 50 person buses...   There's a whole lot more differences than this, but you get the idea...

Our large Road Rally Decals on your car help bring out 
some of the fun, camaraderie & excitement!

You've heard it before... If you truly want to experience a place, you need to get off the beaten path and experience it like a local! Tourists go to Italy, get on a Tour bus with 50 strangers, and go to see just the major sights... checking in & out of at least five  to seven different hotels on a whirlwind bus tour... but truly adventurous travelers want more... They want to see the sights, but they want to slow down... They don't want to see the Tourist version of Italy... They want to slow down and see the REAL Italy... FEEL the real Italy... the back streets... the real culture... the real foods... the better wines... the people... and the magic!

Want to get off the beaten path? We'll not only show you the magical parts of Italy that no one else does, we'll put you behind the steering wheel in our Chianti Classico Road Rally! This is way more than a vacation... This is an adventure that will change the way you think about vacations forever!

Our Chianti Classico Road Rally is a (non-competitive) FUN RALLY specifically laid out for exploration, discovery and tons of fun throughout the amazing backroads, hamlets, wineries and quaint villages of The Chianti Hills... We'll follow each other caravan style thru these winding back roads, through vineyards and olive orchards keeping in constant touch on our two-way radios... We'll stop for great vistas...  to walk through charming villages... enjoy a casual lunch,   perhaps a little shopping... maybe an occasional espresso or gelato... 

You'll each get a two-way radio!

So when we're talking "adventure," we're not talking staring out the window of a Tour Bus... We're putting you behind the steering wheel of your own Italian car outfitted with our large Road Rally Decals on each side, with a map, and a two-way radio... following us Road Rally Style through the hills of Chianti, stopping in the tiny quaint & charming little villages, trattorias and shops along the way... We always tell our guests; "Real Adventure begins at the end of your comfort zone!"   This day long adventure always ends up being one of our guests very favorite memories! And when we get back to the Villa for Happy Hour, the night is always filled with really great stories!   You don't stop having fun cause you get old...  You get old cause you stop having fun!   Whatever you do, don't stop having fun!

Adventure... In Tuscany, it comes in so many wonderful ways... The Chianti region of Tuscany is jammed packed with what is called the "Strade Bianche" or White Roads... These unpaved rural back roads that the locals use...   over the mountains and throughout the 1000's of vineyards, olive orchards and magical forests of the Chianti Hills are called Strade Bianche because of the color of the limestone gravel...   Our Chianti Classico Road Rally gets you out on The Strade Bianche for an incredible adventure you'll never forget... It's when we get you off the beaten path and away from the throngs of tourists that you'll not only see the real Italy, you'll live the real Italy... all week long!

we're truly talking "off the beaten path" ~ 
you'll go where the locals go!

Click on this picture and take a really close look...   You'll be RIGHT HERE in just 3 months! Adventures to Tuscany... the real Italian Villa experience! The Best of Tuscany in 8 Days - Friends Food & Fun Under The Tuscan Sun! Our Tours are designed to immerse you into the magic of our local Tuscan Culture... Our Tours are for people with an adventurous spirit who want more FUN, RELAXATION and INSPIRATION from their vacation... We're passionate about Tuscany, and we specialize in Adventure!

Our trips aren't for everyone... They're for people who have a burning desire in their soul to experience something truly different... Something authentic... This is the real deal... Truly unique, authentic & immersive, escorted & guided, experiential adventure expeditions to Tuscany!    IT'S WHERE THE MAGIC IS!  We hope you're getting excited... We won't let you grow old; cause we're gonna have a blast! and the FUN is right around the corner!

As always, if we can help you with any planning, give us a call!  we're happy to help!