Milan Vacations

We were so pleased with the travel company. The hotel they suggested was nicely located in Como, with our rooms having a view of the lake and a small balcony. We were also provided a lovely breakfast in the morning.

They suggested a nice, four-day itinerary: a food tour, with the extra bonus of an orientation to the city the evening of our arrival; a wonderful boat ride for four hours on the next day; a trip to Lugano, Switzerland; and then a private transfer, stopping in Bellagio and Varenna on our way back to Milan.

All of the drivers and guides were excellent, although the driver for Lugano thought he was taking us to Bellagio. This may have been due to a switch of drivers due to a schedule change, as the boat ride and Lugano days were switched to make sure we had a beautiful day on the water, as some rain was threatened on the original day.

The travel company also made a lunch reservation in Bellagio for us based on a recommendation we had gotten from our son. The driver for that long day was great about arranging the travel so we could be on time at the restaurant and was there promptly to pick us up when we were done.

We will definitely utilize Zicasso again and would reach out to the travel company if we travel again to Italy.

Zicasso's travel specialist helped us arrange our ideal itinerary for our trip to Milan, Lake Como, Brusaporto, and Bergamo. He was thoughtful about creating an itinerary that addressed all our interests and was in line with our budget. He arranged all of our transfers and guides for individual tours, as well as hotels and vacation rental reservations, and was mindful of pacing our journey so we also had downtime when we needed it. All of our tour guides were first-class and met our expectations. When unanticipated problems arose, our travel specialist was available and helpful in finding solutions. We were very pleased with his services and highly recommend him.

This was our first time visiting Italy, and we were very excited to experience the country through a thoughtfully planned luxury itinerary. Overall, we had some wonderful experiences, but there were also several disappointments that affected our trip and that we feel are important to share.

Highlights

Venice was a highlight of our trip. We loved the atmosphere, scenery, and overall experience of being there.

The wine tasting experience in Tuscany was another major highlight. Our trip to Chianti from Florence was beautiful, and the Tuscan countryside was exactly the type of experience we had hoped for. Our cooking class with our instructor in Florence was also exceptional. Making fresh pasta and tiramisu while enjoying wine, music, and great conversation made it feel authentic and personal. These are experiences we will truly remember.

Areas That Fell Short

We would have appreciated much more advance guidance about how incredibly hot and crowded Italy would be during peak season in September. We experienced a significant heat wave and extremely limited air conditioning throughout the trip, including in hotels and fine dining restaurants. This made traveling much less comfortable than anticipated, particularly as first-time visitors to Italy.

We also visited four cities in just eight days, which in hindsight felt far too rushed. As first-time visitors, we were relying on the agency’s expertise to help us create a realistic itinerary. We would have appreciated being advised that this pace was too ambitious and that fewer destinations with more time in each would have made for a more relaxing experience.

We also did not particularly enjoy Milan and felt there was not much there that appealed to us. In hindsight, we would have preferred to spend more of our limited vacation time in destinations that were a better fit for us.

The Lake Como boat tour was canceled at the last minute because we were given the wrong pickup location. This was especially disappointing because it was an experience we had been looking forward to and had planned our day around. Having it canceled at the last minute due to incorrect pickup information was frustrating and felt avoidable. For a luxury travel itinerary, we expected a higher level of coordination and attention to detail.

Transportation was another area that fell short. The three-hour private drive from Venice to Milan was exhausting, particularly because the driver was blasting music throughout the journey. We also had a four-hour drive from Lake Como to Florence in cramped transportation with limited air conditioning, which was extremely uncomfortable given the heat. For a luxury itinerary, we expected transportation to be spacious, comfortable, and properly climate-controlled, especially for longer transfers.

The hotel in Florence was particularly disappointing. We found the atmosphere to be creepy and uncomfortable and did not feel that the property matched our preference for modern, understated luxury. The shower would not drain properly, and although maintenance told us they had fixed it, the problem continued. The hotel did have an excellent location, a balcony, and warm, attentive staff, which we appreciated, but the overall property was not a good fit for us.

Communication

One area where the agency excelled was communication. The team was consistently prompt and responsive through WhatsApp, which truly became our lifeline throughout the trip. Whenever we had questions or needed assistance, we were able to reach someone quickly, and we very much appreciated that level of accessibility and support while traveling.

Overall

Italy was beautiful, and we are grateful for the opportunity to experience it. However, the trip did not consistently feel like the luxury experience we had envisioned. For future clients, we would strongly recommend providing more candid guidance around itinerary pacing, September peak-season crowds, heat, limited air conditioning, hotel style, and destination selection, as well as ensuring greater attention to detail with transportation and excursions.

Zicasso's travel specialist organized an amazing 12-day series of private tours, taking us from Milan to the lake regions (Como, Maggiore, and Garda) and down to Bologna. Our days were filled with visiting churches, museums (including the Ferrari and Enzo Ferrari museums), a winery, parmigiano, prosciutto, and traditional balsamic manufacturing, a cooking class, boat tours, and food tours.

Along the way, we saw testing at the Ferrari track and a small portion of the women’s Giro d’Italia. With all that, we still had sufficient downtime to search the streets to find our own gems.

Our trip coordinator checked in with us daily to confirm the daily itinerary and transportation. When we had questions or needed to make a change due to the weather, she was thorough, attentive, and responsive in a way that was reassuring and comforting. She was simply amazing.

I would highly recommend using this travel specialist and team for any of your Italian travel needs.

Overall, the trip was fabulous. From the start, everything worked like clockwork. The drivers were on time and great. Our connections with trains worked perfectly. I had a concern about the noise level in several of the hotels and that was addressed. Thank you.

The Guides: Our guide in Bologna and Modena was extremely knowledgeable and delightful. We loved spending time with her. Our guide in Verona was knowledgeable and entertaining. Our guide in Ortisei was a good guide for the Dolomites. We enjoyed our hikes and lunches. He also made sure we knew where to secure gondola tickets for the third day. Our guide in Stresa was delightful and extremely knowledgeable. Milan was extremely hot and it was difficult for the four of us to keep up with our guide's commentary on the busy streets.

Hotels: Our hotels in Bologna and Verona were great. We loved the balcony and rooftop bar at our hotel in Bologna. Our hotel in Ortisei was wonderful. The service, room, and amenities were all top-notch. I did not care for the town of Torbole. We hiked to Riva del Garda and that would have been a better location for us. Our hotel in Stresa was beautiful and the pool was fantastic. Our hotel in Milan was nice, but nothing fantastic.

Side Trips: We absolutely loved our trip to Modena, learning about Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. We also loved our cooking class. Our host and her mother were fabulous, the lunch was wonderful, and the town of Borghetto was breathtaking.

My favorite hotel was our hotel in Ortisei. It had very good customer service, a lovely pool and sauna, and a delicious restaurant for breakfast. We really enjoyed our stay there.

Verona is lovely: historic and very walkable. I enjoyed our walking tour there.

We enjoyed Lake Garda, but wish we had stayed in the Riva del Garda area, as it is closer to the historic old town and has a lovely hike by the lake. The beaches are nicer there as well.

Our hotel in Lake Maggiore is quite nice, with a gorgeous pool looking over the water.

Our favorite guide was the one who escorted us to the Borromeo Islands. She was lovely!

Unfortunately, the heat wave made Milan miserable. Walking outside was just too hot. I hope to return someday during a different season to enjoy shopping in this fashion-famous city.