Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

On August 2, The Washington Post, in its “Designs on Italy” — Travel Q&A section, referred to PrimeItaly.com as an authoritative source where to get information and advice on shopping designer clothing in Italy.
We are pleased to see our efforts in providing travelers with accurated information get noticed by mainstream Media.

“Primeitaly.com ( http://www.primeitaly.com/ ), a travel site about all things Italian, offers lists of outlets throughout the country, plus information on contacting personal shoppers who might have an insider scoop.” The Washington Post reported.

Just to complete the description provided by The Washington Post about our services, we’d like to add as follows.
 PrimeItaly.com provides assistance to travelers, both individual and groups, to meet their specific shopping needs in Italy.

Travelers who plan a shopping travel in Italy, can browse the various sections of our website to find information they need, first. Then, they can also directly ask us for free advice or assistance in planning customized tours.
Personal shoppers, tour operators, and seasoned travel professionals, associated to PrimeItaly.com, will take care of specific requests.

To semplify, we are used to summarize in two categories the shopping travelers’ needs.
1. Shoppers asking us to suggest them designer outlets to save up on shopping designer brand items.
2. More sophisticated shoppers asking for off-the-beaten path shopping experiences, by visiting factories, designer and artisans’ studios etc…

See details in our Fashion Tours in Italy section.

With September approaching, the season of the historic festivals in Italy is entering in what traditionally is its more active period. Medieval hilltop towns in Umbria and Tuscany, offer a perfect setting for these events.

The historic festivals not included among the most featured in the travel guides, often offer a chance to discover unique itineraries and towns which are hidden historic gems.
The historic festival ‘Festa d’Autunno‘ — the Fall Festival, taking place in Valfabbrica, Umbria, late Aug./early Sept., is one of the finest examples.

Valfabbrica is a small medieval town, situated along the Franciscan Peace Trail, away 15 km from Assisi, 20 km from Perugia and within close range to the several other medieval centers of Umbria.
Festa d’Autunno is a week-long festival including 13th century costume parades, a Palio race, and various cultural and gastronomic events.

The festival’s climax will be on Sunday, September 3 (usually the first Sunday of September) when the major medieval costume parade and the Palio race will be taking place.
The Palio resembles a medieval heraldic ritual dating from the 13th century. The town is divided into three competing neighborhoods known as ‘Rioni’ — Badia, Osteria, Pedicino, which form the basis for the parades and for the competition.

A visit to Valfabbrica offers you a chance to better know the medieval towns and green hills of Umbria and to enjoy of a great off-the-beaten path Italy experience.

Travel Brief

- Getting there -
- By plane: Perugia airport 15 km away. Rome airports 200/220 km away.
- By train: stop at Perugia station and then 45 min. bus ride to Valfabbrica.
- By car: from Milan or Florence: Motorway A1, take Valdichiana exit, then follow directions to Perugia-Cesena and then take Valfabbrica exit;
from Rome: Motorway A1, take Orte exit, then follow directions to Perugia-Cesena and then take Valfabbrica exit.
- Locate Valfabbrica on the interactive map

- Where to stay -
Browse (more…)

With the temperatures going down below 30°C, which makes it easier traveling and visiting art cities, the end of August and early September would be the perfect time to travel to Rome.

Below a few last minute packages including flight + hotel, New York - Rome, enabling you to save up to 70% from airlines and hotels.

The packages include: flight, hotel, taxes and fees. All prices are per person, double occupancy including tax.

- Departing Sat, Aug 26
Returning Mon, Aug 28 * from $1,191 per person
Returning Tue, Aug 29 * from $1,238 per person
Returning Wed, Aug 30 * from $1,290 per person

- Departing Wed, Aug 30
Returning Sun, Sep 3 * from $1,427 per person
Returning Mon, Sep 4 * from $1,480 per person
Returning Tue, Sep 5 * from $1,458 per person
Returning Wed, Sep 6 * from $1,432 per person

- Departing Sat, Sep 2
Returning Mon, Sep 4 * from $1,327 per person
Returning Tue, Sep 5 * from $1,302 per person
Returning Wed, Sep 6 * from $1,367 per person

- Departing Wed, Sep 6 (more…)

Not only quality of the water, beaches and environment, but also lively nights in Apulia during the Summer-holidays. Apulia provides vacationers with a large offer of night entertainment.

According to a survey about night entertainment in summer-holiday, Apulia is second in Italy, after Emilia Romagna, for the number of nightspots.
Another study found this region is third ranked as summer-holiday tourist presences, following Sicily and Tuscany.

And no doubts about the quality of water and beaches in Apulia. Several places were awarded with the 2006 Blue Flag, including Tremiti Islands , Peschici, Vieste, Scalette, Salsello di Bisceglie, Ginosa, and Otranto.

See Apulia on the map.

Travel Brief

- Getting there -
- By plane: Bari and Brindisi airports. Among the cities connected: London Stansed (RyanAir), London Gatwick (British Airways), Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Milan and Rome.

- Accommodation -
Accommodations in Apulia

“Per un mare piu’ sicuro” — “For safer beaches“, is a publication intended to prevent accidents and to guarantee safety on Italian beaches.
More than 300,000 copies of this booklet are currently being distributed throughout Italy’s coasts,

“Spiagge libere e sicure” — “Free and Safe Beaches“, is an initiative underway on the Argentario coast, Tuscany.
The program, which runs through August 31, intends to guarantee safety to vacationers, involving many volunteers in activities of surveillance, assistance and accident prevention.