France & Italy Tours

When we started planning our trip to Italy, I knew I wanted to work with a travel agent—specifically, someone who specialized in Italy and was based there. After reaching out to several agencies and reviewing their responses, we chose Zicasso and, more specifically, our travel agent. She is based in Milan and from my very first interaction with her, I knew we had made the right choice.

Our trip could not have been more perfect. Our agent put a lot of thought into every location and planned activity. At the outset, we had a few discussions with her about what we wanted from the trip and, after that, we were happy to leave most of the details in her capable hands. Our goal was to explore mid-to-northern Italy and everything—from the hotels and tours to the free time and transportation—was beautifully organized.

Our 11-night trip started in Milan and ended in Florence, with overnight stays in Milan (one night), Lake Como (three nights), Venice (three nights), and Florence (four nights). Initially, I was hesitant about staying at Lake Como for three nights, but our agent encouraged me to do a little research. I’m so glad she did, as it turned out to be incredible. We had more self-guided time at Lake Como, which was perfect as we adjusted to the time change. In Venice, our itinerary became more structured, but we still had plenty of time for our own explorations. By the time we reached Florence, we had activities and tours planned for every day, which was just what we wanted.

A highlight for my family was a full-day trip into Tuscany, where we visited San Gimignano, an organic vineyard in Chianti, and finished with a tour of Siena. Our day trip to Rome allowed us to see the main attractions and we concluded the journey with a tour of Florence and the Accademia Gallery. Every tour our agent arranged was spot on.

Throughout our trip, she was wonderfully communicative—always available when we had questions, but never intrusive. She even helped us with a couple of last-minute requests: booking a hotel in Milan for one night and arranging train tickets to Verona for an impromptu visit to Juliet’s balcony. Whenever we needed something, she was there.

When we return to explore the mid-to-southern part of Italy, there’s no question that we’ll be asking her to plan our trip again. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a seamless, thoughtfully curated Italian adventure.

Our trip to Italy was amazing! The tours that were organized for us were all excellent and engaging. 

The Vespa sidecar tour was an incredible way to kickstart the trip and our two teenage boys really enjoyed it. Our walking tours of the Vatican museums and the Colosseum and Roman Forum tours with our guide were excellent. We loved her. She was fantastic. Our tour of the crypts and catacombs was very interesting and the guide was very good.

The hotels were very nice and accommodating, especially in Rome and Venice. The car rental in Rome was good and the car was the perfect size for what we needed. It was just big enough to fit our luggage. 

The hotel in Orvieto was a bit spartan and had plumbing issues. Our tour guide in Orvieto was also great. The hotel in Siena was very nice. Our tour guide in Siena was very nice, but we had some difficulty hearing her. She did explain things nicely and took us to some interesting locations around the city, but not being able to hear her was a little challenging. The e-bike tour in Montepulciano was incredible. The scenic landscapes and the visit to Pienza was a nice surprise. 

Returning the car in Florence was very difficult and our only suggestion is that on the travel documents, the return address be included on the page of the event. We did not think to look back at the rental agreement. Driving in Florence is very difficult and can be overwhelming for some people. 

The train station was organized and it was easy to locate the train. The train ride itself was very easy and fast. 

Venice was outstanding. Our hotel was beautiful and comfortable, and the breakfast was incredible. Due to the difficulty we had in returning the car in Florence, our travel company was kind enough to buy us dinner at an wonderful restaurant in Venice, which was one of the highlights of the trip. 

Our family had a wonderful experience and the trip was so well planned and organized. I will be using our travel company for future trips and, on behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for the time of our lives!

Zicasso’s travel company and every single guide and driver were stellar. All four hotels were good or excellent. There was one error on the schedule for the day outside of Florence when we had a driver to take us to the Siena region. The schedule stated three hours, so we paid for tickets to the Pitti Palace/garden, which turned out to be wasted money as the driving tour was actually nine hours. It was a beautiful day, though.

We had a fantastic experience for a first-time trip to Italy. I wasn't sure how this would be, considering I learned about Zicasso while trying to plan the trip myself. Zicasso put me in touch with a travel specialist and the whole team was incredibly responsive to my many, many questions. If they were ever annoyed, it didn’t show.

I really wanted a smooth experience for my family of five, including three teens, one of whom has Celiac. Our agent was great in helping plan out the experience we wanted. As you may know, it is challenging to find rooms for five in Europe, but the travel company found apartments (usually two bedrooms with a pull-out couch) in the heart of town. You can really customize what you do, but we elected to plan our own meals and handle some of our own transport. We did have one issue where the van driver taking us to the train failed to show. I got one with Uber and the travel company quickly (I mean before we got home quickly!) refunded that amount.

Our contact in Italy was amazing and patient. I can’t give her enough credit. Any time I was unsure of something, she was there. The tours were great, especially Florence and Rome. You may be able to find the companies online, but ours seems to have the connections to get the best guides.

As for meals, we didn’t have any issues. We used an app and got a few recommendations from the travel company and local guides. Even our wine-tasting tour out in Tuscany was accommodating.

I would use our travel company and Zicasso again. I think the only downside is we tried to cram a lot in and it was hot. I probably should have asked for one to two fewer or shorter walking tours, especially on days we switched cities. Otherwise, it was excellent.

We did a custom trip with Zicasso’s tour operator. We visited Normandy and Paris, France, and Florence and Rome, Italy. Every tour was fantastic, planning was super-simple, and our travel agent was very responsive! We would absolutely plan another trip with this travel company.

Zicasso’s tour operator planned the most amazing trip to Italy for us! My requirements were culture, romance, and relaxation. She delivered on every aspect. Although we missed our tour of the Vatican due to the Pope's funeral, my husband and I actually attended his funeral!! Our hotel, though planned many months before, was next to the basilica where Pope Francis was laid to rest. Talk about being a part of history!

We stayed in a beautiful converted villa to boutique hotel in Florence; got whisked away through the Tuscan countryside in a vintage Fiat 500; took cooking classes; sipped lovely wine, accompanied by excellent lunches on our winery tours; soaked in Italy's rich culture and museum scene; and even ticked the relaxation box by spending time by the pool, in the spa, and resting on our large deck overlooking the Amalfi coastline.

Every tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and personable, and it was evident they loved their jobs. Between memories of the boat ride along the Amalfi Coast, tips from the cooking classes I have already started using at home, and the cases of wine we are eagerly awaiting delivery of, my husband and I will forever hold Italy in our hearts and la dolce vita it provided us. 

Talk with our tour operator; you will be glad you did!