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?
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| 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...
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| 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...
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| Our large Road Rally Decals on your car help bring out some of the fun, camaraderie & excitement! |
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...
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| You'll each get a two-way radio! |
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! |
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!
