What is important to you before you pack your bags for Italy , book your flight and get ready to go on to your holiday?

Budget aside, there should be a plan of some sort and how you go about executing your plan and make your trip not only a reality but also a memorable experience.

Before starting a travel blog on Italy, I took the liberty to interview dozens of clients that I had helped in their travels as well as many more that were/are regular travellers and asked them a simple question.

What are your concerns, needs and interests when you travel?

Interestingly enough, the average person was more concerned about wasting time than wasting money, but the two go hand in hand. When you are not getting the most of your time, you end up wasting money along the way.

Travellers put a lot of emphasis on seeing and doing as much as possible in the short span of time. Often when they try to do too much they return home with a wrong sense of where they were, what they did and what they saw.

As far as I’m concerned, there are two types of holidays.

The first is a “relax and do-nothing holiday”.

You sit on a beach or in a cabin in the wilderness and just re-energize and leave all your stress behind.

The second is an adventure-type.

When I say adventure, I don’t necessarily mean climbing mountain peaks or swimming with sharks. Adventure could also mean learning about history, doing cooking classes, biking or hiking and any other interests that call for some planning and organizing. Even a certain level of “relaxing stress.” You may be on the go but in a relaxing manner.

For the most part, traveling to Italy is an adventure holiday.

So, aside from the obvious concerns such as and feeling safe and secure while traveling, when I asked the question, these were the answers I received.

Survey Says

1-They want  itineraries that are off the beaten path. Identify the “must see” that may not be part of the usual tourist brochures. Quaint spots that would not be in tourism guides.

2-They like to connect with someone or, perhaps a website that can  recommend based on their needs and not the masses. As well , the ability to be in touch with local people or someone that can be a liaison between locals and them via email, texting or by phone.

3-They would like to enrich their experience, since many have no concept of travel in Italy. To receive the knowledge to help experience the true flavour of Italy, people and places that otherwise they may have missed.

4-They want to feel that they can lose the anxieties about planning the trip by being reassured about the country and their travel plans. Having options about where to start and finish, and what type of accommodations.

5-Travellers want someone with knowledge of the land so they are able to be recommended on the routes to take. As well, they want a good understanding about traffic, parking costs and hotel room sizes as well as the best airport to utilize to avoid delays and traffic in larger and busier airports.

Read my post on Italian culture habits  since the more you know about their culture the more fun you’ll have travelling through their country

Food, Wine, Food, Wine

6-They want food, food and food!  Wine, wine and wine! But also an understanding of Italy’s obsession with both.

7-Travellers want someone with a deep understanding of the culture. Being able to receive valuable tips so they feel less like a tourist, or at least feel more like a savvy tourist.

8-They want help in managing, and organizing their trip. To get the most of their time as well as avoiding over spending due to poor planning, lack of knowledge or limited research.

9-They want someone to recommend niche things that can get them off the beaten track and away from tourist crowds, and how to avoid pitfalls and time wasters.

Bonus!

10-And finally. Travellers that were surveyed want to enjoy a true experience of the culture and feel immersed in it. And of course, have a memorable trip.

Often when I asked  more detailed questions such as “food” for instance, all of the surveyors wanted to experience Italian food at its best, but were not aware of that particular country’s obsession with it. Many were not aware of the difference in regional dishes. Often, there are rivalries between towns and their dishes or wines. Italians are passionate about everything. From politics, sports, art and especially food, they are passionate about it all.

Another concern was getting around the country, in a car, due to their lack of knowledge of the Italian language. This should not be a deterrent, as Italy is very organized for tourists. Driving there should be positive addition to the trip. English is spoken throughout the country and for sure in all of the airports, car rentals, museums and hotels.

So…pack your bags and let’s go to Italy… together!

Are  you travelling to Italy and are interested in my assistance, or would like to comment on my post?  Just drop a line below or contact me privately at info@italiabound.com.