Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

With the multitude of events in the parks, squares, art galleries and around monuments, scheduled for summer in Rome, you can combine sightseeing with many leisure or cultural activities during your stay in the Eternal city.

We have selected a few concerts, live music, festivals, theater, nightlife, and other events more suited for the entire family, that could make your Roman summer holiday more enjoyable.

- FestiVAl:  international art event including music, dance and theatre performances held in the archaeological surroundings of Hadrian’s Villa.
When: Jun 17 - Jul 16, 2009
Where: Hadrian’s Villa
Details of the programme at http://www.auditorium.com/villaadriana.

- Rome’s Festa de’ Noantri: a two weeks festival in Trastevere, the district of Rome famous for its traditional restaurants and trendy nightlife.
When: Jul 15 - 30, 2009 (annual)
Where: Rome Trastevere

- International Chamber Ensemble: 15 evenings of classical music concerts held in the courtyard of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza.
When: Jul 4 - Aug 11, 2009 (annual)
Where: Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza
Details and programme at International Chamber Ensemble Website.

- Gran Ballo di Ferragosto: on August 15 various squares throughout Rome host dance shows with professional dancers performing the “Gran Ballo di Ferragosto” also inviting the audience to join in. A different dance is being staged in each square.
When: Aug 15, 2009

- Lungo er Tevere: a bizarre mixture of things to see, buy and do along the banks of Rome’s River Tiber. A large arts and crafts fair set up between Garibaldi and Cestio bridges, a film festival, photography, special exhibitions and much more.
When: Jun 12 - Aug 31, 2009
Where: Tiber Embankment

- English Theatre in Rome: an English speaking theatre troupe, “The Miracle Players“, based in Rome, performs original texts and comic adaptations of classics at the Roman Forum.
When: every Friday evening at 19:30, from Jun 19 through Aug 7
Where: Roman Forum

- July Sounds Good: evening concerts held in the splendid open-air setting of the Cavea, within Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica.
When: Jun 25 through Jul 31, 2009
Where: Auditorium Parco della Musica
You can find full details of the programme on the Parco della Musica website.

- Classical Concert Under the Stars: music by Bach, Mozart, Rossini and Verdi with the impressive gardens of Villa Torlonia as venue.
When: Jul 7 - Aug 9, 2009
Where: Villa Torlonia
Full details and programme on the Estate Romana website.

- RomaFictionFest: international fiction festival including from popular TV series to docudramas and blockbusters.
When: Jul 6 through 11, 2009
Where: Auditorium Conciliazione
Details at http://www.romafictionfest.it.

- Feast of San Lorenzo: fireworks and public celebrations on August 10, in the area surrounding the crypt of San Lorenzo — where the saint was killed in 258 AD — on the Via Tiburtina.
When: Aug 10, 2009
Where: Via Tiburtina.

If you want to plan short trips from Assisi to towns in the surroundings, you have several options.

You’ll enjoy not touristy, not expensive peaceful places offering a lot of sightseeing.

- A few suggestions

The hill-town of Spello is a magical place offering a lot of Medieval and Roman sights as well as incredible views. If you like hiking you can enjoy a spectacular trail running from Assisi to Spello.

Bevagna — a Roman town; recommended is a visit to Roman baths — , and Montefalco — the capital of Sagrantino wine –, both the towns situated along one of most famous wine roads of Italy.
A trip there will offer the chance to visit the several wineries located in the surroundings of Montefalco.

Just a few km further, another magical hill-top town waits you: Trevi.
(See map of Umbria)

If you are not driving, Perugia is the best choice to base your stay in Umbria. It is the major center and is also the main hub for trains and bus linking the towns of Umbria that worth to visit.

Also, Perugia offers lively night-life as well as good eating and lodging options. In summer you can enjoy excursions to Lake Trasimeno, just a 15 minutes train ride from Perugia.

Another good choice is Assisi. Even tough the train station is a couple of km from the town center, it is well served from an excellent bus service.

Choosing Perugia or Assisi gives you the easiest way to plan trips to the other historic centers of Umbria.
And if you get tired to travel, Assisi and Perugia, offer plenty of sightseeing activities to fill your stay. (See map of Umbria)

When you need to take a break from your Rome’s sightseeing tour to get away from crowds and queues a day trip to Umbria is what you should consider first.

A day trip from Rome to the Umbrian towns Orvieto and Assisi, not only offers the chance to visit two of the major historic towns in Italy, but also could include excursions to Tuscany’s countryside as well as tasting of wine and local specialties.

To be able to complete this program in one day, you definitely need of a guided tour.

This tour takes you from Rome to medieval hilltop town of Orvieto, 90 km away from the Eternal city, offering the famous 14th-century cathedral and a lot of major historic sites.

Then it continues into Tuscany’s green hills covered in olive groves and vineyards, a land of some of Italy’s best known wines. You’ll stop to taste some local wines and other typical Umbrian and Tuscan produce.

After a lunch of traditional local dishes, you’ll drive along the shores of Lake Trasimeno to arrive in Assisi. There you’ll visit the St Francis’ Basilica and some of the most impressive churches in the St Francis’ town.
Here’s details of this one day tour from Rome to Umbria.

If you are planning day trips from Siena to the hill towns in the surroundings, renting a car is the way to go.

The other option you have, transfer by bus, will limit the number of towns or places a day you can visit.

If you are not afraid of driving there — driving there is easy if you use common sense driving habits — in a couple of days you could visit the major places in the surroundings.

Strongly suggested the following hill towns: San Gimignano, Colle Val d’Elsa, Volterra, Certaldo, and towns located along major wine roads such as Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano or in the Chianti area: Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti. (See map of Chianti area and countryside of Tuscany).