Custom Italy Vacations | Italy Beyond The Obvious (2024)

What You Can Expect

When you work with Italy Beyond the Obvious to create an Italy custom vacation, “custom” is exactly what you get! We have never created the exact same itinerary twice.

Our Italy Travel Services

We offer three levels of Italy trip planning services;
Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.

Number of TravelersiGroups of more that 6 travelers fall into Diamond travel planning
CloseUp To 6Up To 6Up To 25

Consultation of overall flow, where to go, what to seeiTailored recommendations for you and your travel partners based on your interests.
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Unlimited Travel AdviceiAdvice on logistics and getting from A to B; guide books, phrase books, travel insurance, cell phones and technology, packing tips, driving in Italy, and anything else you can think of.
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Hotel RecommendationsiHotel, B&B, farmhouse, apartment or villa recommendations that work within your budget and are available for your specific dates. We don't work with a limited portfolio of accommodation, rather we find the best fit for you.
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Restaurant RecommendationsiRecommendations for Trattorias, Osterias, restaurants, cafes, gelaterias that fit your style and budget and work logistically for your itinerary. We also provide recommendations for travelers who are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free.
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Activities Recommendations (tours, wineries, hiking, biking, shopping)iSpecific recommendations for guides, tours, classes, and other activities based on your interests.
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Advice for Internal Transfers (limos, rental cars, trains, boats)iDetailed information about the best way, and all the options, for getting from A to B within Italy.
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Written itinerary (pdf and app versions)iOur travelers LOVE our app! The pdf is just a backup. You'll have all the most up to date information at your fingertips via the app.
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Internal Transfer Bookings (land)iWe'll reserve your rental car, book your airport transfer, buy your train tickets ahead of time, make sure you have up to date boat schedules, and give you tips on how to get a taxi.
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Hotel BookingsiWe'll book your hotel, farmhouse, B&B, apartment, villa, or other accommodation.
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Activity BookingsiWe'll book and confirm tour guides, classes, museum tickets and anything else that should be booked ahead of time.. *Gold planning does not include activities on hotel transfer days.
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Flights within ItalyiWe'll book flights within Italy if needed
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Restaurant BookingsiPlatinum & Diamond planning: we'll make restaurant reservations for you so that you only need to show up, sit down, and enjoy your meal.
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Driving and Parking LogisticsiIf you're renting a car, we'll map out your routes and include specific parking instructions
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VIP ToursiThese tours are time-consuming to book therefore are not offered in the Gold package
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Maps (daily maps, hiking maps, road atlas)iAs needed.
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Historical InformationiAs needed.
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Multiple daily itinerariesiWe'll put together a rainy day itinerary if you'd like, or a separate itinerary for others in your party. Maximum one alternate itinerary per day.
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24/7 Concierge SupportiOur team is based in San Francisco, Milan, Rome, Venice, and Florence, so we can support our travelers 24/7 while on the road.
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Last Minute PlanningiIf we have less than 90 days to plan your trip, it is Last Minute Planning. Only the Platinum service is offered here.
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Ready To Move To The Next Step?

Below I’ve started with the most common reasons that a custom vacation may be the right approach for you. Then read about the five-step process we use, over and over, to create highly personalized Italy itineraries.

1. You’re just not a “tour” person

I hear this all the time. There are lots of types of Italy tours: large bus tours, small bus tours, private tours, small group tours with no bus… the list goes on. At Italy Beyond the Obvious, we create your Italy custom vacation, starting from scratch. There are no templates. You can decide what you’d like to do, and what you’d like to skip, and we’ll make it happen.

2. There are specific things you want to see

Sometimes, that’s Rome, Florence, and Venice. Other times, it’s an off the beaten track itinerary. You may know where you want to go, but not how long to spend in each place, or the best way to get from A to B. Tell us what you want to see, give us a budget if you have one, let us know how many days you have, and we’ll do the rest.

3. You just don’t have time to create this trip

We work with lots of people who are well-traveled and have put together their own trips in the past. The amount of information online about Italy is overwhelming. You know how to research, plan, and book, but you don’t have the time to do it.

4. Your group or family has specific needs

Maybe you’re traveling with a two-year-old and not sure how to make the trip toddler-friendly. Or maybe one of the travelers has severe food allergies. Or you have a group with diverse interests that you’re not sure how to incorporate into one trip. Aunt Sally wants to go to the beach, while Dad wants to hike but also not miss main sights. The kids want to go up the Leaning Tower of Pisa and eat gelato.

5. It’s your dream trip and you want it to be perfect

Maybe you’vebeen dreaming about an Italy trip for a long time. You’ve seen photos in magazines, and you want to have an amazing trip and fall in love with Italy. But you aren’t sure where to start, how much time you really need, or even how much it will cost. You don’t want to travel with strangers, and all the tours you read about sound great. Or, maybe you don’t want to be the one responsible for making sure everyone else’s dream trip is perfect.

Ready to Move to the Next Step?

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