Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

Keep in mind that the Assisi train station is in nearby Santa Maria Degli Angeli, a 5 km away from Assisi.
So you would have to use taxis or buses to get to and from the train station. Under normal conditions a trip with a bus from the station up to Assisi takes a 10 -15 min.
Taxi can be quite costy; it will cost about 20 Euros each way.

Among the places you can visit in the surroundings of Assisi, assuming you don’t hire a car, are Spello and Perugia.
They are 10 min. and 20 min. train ride respectively.
 
- See Assisi on the interactive map.
- Browse accommodations in Assisi and Umbria.

Do it on your own vs guided tour (pros and cons).

Going on a tour with a driver could be very expensive ( 500 - 700 Euros a day). If you rent a car and go on your own you have more flexibility.

It would allow you to visit wineries on your own schedule and also touring the Tuscan countryside.

Sometimes tastings are free, sometimes they charge a small amount because they also serve you some food to pair the wine.
If you go on your own you get a better treatment than guided large group tours (i.e larger selection of wines and bigger glass).

From the town of Montalcino, Tuscany, worldwide known for its Brunello wine, we start the first episode of a audio phrase book series targeting travelers willing  to learn basics of Italian for survival.
The series is being podcasted. That means you’ll able to directly download the content and also getting it automatically delivered to your PC and portable audio player.

Montalcino offers more than a chance to admire  the typical Tuscan landscapes and to plan excursions to the several historic towns located in the surroundings. However, the wine is its main attraction, so this episode is centered around it. (See the area on the interactive map).

Below a few photos (more…)

by PrimeItaly.com - On October 27, the sponsored Mini Cooper rally inspired by 1969 film The Italian Job, will start in Venice.
This year the Italian main points of the rally route are Venice, Treviso, Stresa (Lake Maggiore) and Turin. After Turin the rally acrosses the Alps and heads to France; it will close with the heroes celebration dinner in Brighton, UK, on Saturday November 4.

The event attracts participants from Europe, America, New Zealand and even Japan. Anyone over 21 years old can get involved as long as you drive a Mini, but any car which featured in the The Italian Job film can be used.

The event gives the opportunity to visit off the beaten track places in some of the Europe’s most spectacular scenery. And most importantly, the aim of this rally launched in 1990, is raising money for national childrens charities.
Find out more details of the event and registration requirements here.

With “Cantine Aperte” - “Open Cellars“, wine lovers in Italy are being offered the opportunity of free wine tastings across the country, May 27-28.

The Chianti area is one of the ones most appealing for visitors. It’s not only wine to draw visitors there; hills covered by vineyards and olive groves, the typical hill towns and villages, these also are the features that made the area attractive to worldwide tourists.

The Chianti is divided into Chianti classico, area located between Florence and Siena, and Chianti, a large area surrounding the Classico territory, from Pisa to Arezzo and Siena.

Among the typical villages in the area, Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Montespertoli, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Rufina are are the better-known. (See the map)
In any of these towns, it will be possible to locate a farm or winery offering free tasting for the “Open Cellars” event. See the complete list of farms and wineries involved in “Open Cellars”.
- The wines: Chianti Classico and Chianti in any of its varieties.

- Where to stay: Accommodation in Siena and Chianti
- Getting there: Florence airport, is the closest one to the area. The towns of the Chianti area are located within a range of 50-70 km from Florence.