Italy adults only August 2017 trip report

Love Venice!!! After our first exposure on our ABD trip two (?) years ago we went back last year (took a Greek Isles cruise that started and ended there) and are going back next year. Like you, we can't get enough of it.

I don't know when we will make it back but we definitely will!

wow the doors of the Duomo in Florence is amazing and I thought the Duomo in Milan had cool doors....

I know! I was amazed!

Some day I'll make it back to Italy and see Venice. :)

Sayhello

It was wonderful!!!

Love it! There is something magical about Venice.

Yes! I couldn't agree more!
 
We did not feel that there was enough time in Venice on our ABD trip so I have added 2 post cruise days on the Viking cruise around Italy so that we can "leisurely explore".

Chris

Absolutely! If there is any criticism to say about the trip, it would constructively and only to add more time in Venice!
 
Once again it is time to say goodbye to our fantastic guides and a magical adventure. Yesterday, we toured The Doges Palace with Marco, our local Venetian guide. He has the best sense of humor. Afterwards we headed to do our mask making which was lots of fun. Yet again, this was another of those parts of the itinerary I wasn't too jazzed about. Yet again, I loved the unexpected surprise of realizing how much I enjoyed it! I wanted my mask to be a reminder of this ABD trip so I tried my hand at painting the ABD logo and Paddle of Power star. Later in the evening we had the most amazing farewell send off. We boarded a pirate ship, much to the envy of everyone not on the tour and watching. We sailed, ate, drank and danced off into the sunset. Everyone looked like they were having a blast but it was bittersweet as it is always hard to say goodbye to the group and even harder to say goodbye to the guides.

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In conclusion, this was an amazing ABD trip! Our traveling party agreed we could easily book this exact same ABD as is again. I'd suggest adding on a few extra days in Venice and coming into Rome a few days early too just to enjoy the city and enhance the experience. I wish I had known how much I would love Venice. With the exception of my immediate traveling party, the rest of the group were first time ABD guests. Everyone said the trip was far beyond what they expected and really enjoyed it very much. This was our 9th and it definitely met and even exceeded at times, what we have come to expect from ABD.
 


Just wow, amazing on every level. Sorry to see your adventure come to an end.

You and me both! Honestly if I wasn't already planned out on vacations until 2023 and had an ongoing list of ABD trips I wanted to do, I'd book this same exact trip again for next year.
 
I wish I had known how much I would love Venice.

I felt the same way! I'd been told it was dirty and smelly (like NOLA) so wasn't very excited about it. It was a complete shock to me how enchanted I was...made DH promise to return in 5 years so we know where we'll be Christmas 2020!

As always, sad to see your trip report ending...
 
I felt the same way! I'd been told it was dirty and smelly (like NOLA) so wasn't very excited about it. It was a complete shock to me how enchanted I was...made DH promise to return in 5 years so we know where we'll be Christmas 2020!

As always, sad to see your trip report ending...

Yes I heard that too and wondered what they were talking about because I didn't find it smelly or especially dirty. One of the guests in the group had a great idea which I will note in the survey. He thought ABD should do an optional extended Venice add on to the trip like on the cruises. A mini post ABD. I would have booked that or even as a long weekend ABD and maybe a stop to visit Murano too. Oh, I'd so book it in a heartbeat.
 
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Yes I heard that too and wondered what they were talking about because I didn't find it smelly or especially dirty. One of the guests in the group had a great idea which I will note in the survey. He thought ABD should do an optional extended Venice add on to the trip like on the cruises. A mini post ABD. I would have booked that or even as a long weekend ABD and maybe a stop to visit Murano too. Oh, I'd so book it in a heartbeat.

I'd love that too! For some reason I really want to go to Murano and Burano.

I think I could visit Venice annually (sort of like I have Scotland lately) and have new adventures every time
 
I felt the same way! I'd been told it was dirty and smelly (like NOLA) so wasn't very excited about it. It was a complete shock to me how enchanted I was...made DH promise to return in 5 years so we know where we'll be Christmas 2020!

As always, sad to see your trip report ending...

This is exactly what I've heard, which actually had turned me off to the whole idea of Venice. It is SO good to hear that there are others who have such a drastically different take on it.
 
Thanks for sharing your trip with us! We did this ABD earlier this summer (our first!) and loved loved loved it. It hooked our family on both ABD and Italy. It was so nice to revisit the trip through your trip report. For our family, our three highlights were the private visit to the Sistine Chapel (we also were allowed to take photos! incredible!), Sarah's farm (I would go back there in a heartbeat), and Venice - we too loved Venice so much more than we expected to. Thanks again for allowing us to relive our memories and for sharing your holiday with us!
 
Ok so I think I'm moving to Tuscany. If DH said, "Hey let's just drop everything and move here, I would." We've already decided we are coming back and staying at Sara's B&B on the farm we visited today. I didn't want to leave.

Ahem, to the corporate ABD peeps that read this board, just in case y'all read this some day ... We also decided ABD should do an adults only small group trip that stays at the B&B farm we visited today and explores the area in more depth. I'll be writing that on my survey after the trip in case they never read this. I'm pretty sure they read those surveys.

Sara was amazing, the farm and the property were spectacular. Today was one of those blissful days you simply can't put into words. Even a picture, cannot express the thousand words you are unable to come up with to describe the absolute serenity that nourishes the soul by simply being here. So, I am not going to try, as I will fail in spectacular fashion to convey what I mean. Suffice to say, the last time I was moved on such a deep level was during our trip to Scotland.

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I want to move there too!!!!
 
Besides beautiful it looks so tranquil and peaceful!
 
Following your trip report. I went to Rome after Italy and Switzerland ABD. Took some advice from @OKW Lover regarding food tour....OMG OMG if you are going back thru Rome checking out eating Italy. So good I plan on a detour prior to Viking cruise.

Speaking of, your photos are amazing and the one thing I didn't get to was the inside of St. Peter's. On the other hand was within 5 feet of Pope in St Peter's Sq instead- well worth giving up the inside. (sorry for the double post, catching up on this thread). Wow you got photos of inside of Sistine chapel- how?
We have a free day in Rome. Is the food tour kid appropriate? How did you book it? Our boys will be 9 and 10. They have done a few ABD with us. The day prior to AbD we wanted to see if we should plan anything and food tour sounds perfect!
 
We have a free day in Rome. Is the food tour kid appropriate? How did you book it? Our boys will be 9 and 10. They have done a few ABD with us. The day prior to AbD we wanted to see if we should plan anything and food tour sounds perfect!

We recently went to Rome with our 10 year old (not through ABD) and did an Eating Italy evening food tour. It was GREAT and our 10 year old loved it. Highly recommend.
 
We have a free day in Rome. Is the food tour kid appropriate? How did you book it? Our boys will be 9 and 10. They have done a few ABD with us. The day prior to AbD we wanted to see if we should plan anything and food tour sounds perfect!
To book it just go to their website, pick the tour you want, and book it through their website.
 
Hellllooooooo ABD peeps! We are on our way and looking forward to a fabulous time. Never been to Italy but am ready with Disney/Italy themed nails LOL I am currently on the flight from LHR to Rome. This will be ABD number 9 for us. My mom is with us this trip and we are also traveling with @DizDragonfly and her DH.

We managed to travel hack our way to first class seats and a travel together ticket too. I think I was playing the role of walking billboard for Disney on the flight. Our flight attendants were asking tons of questions about ABD which they'd never heard of and Disney cruises too. I went a little Disney fan girl but they seemed to enjoy it.

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Calypso, do you happen to be wearing a Sofia Fiori ring from DCL in the second picture? Or am I just imagining it? I have almost the exact same one.
 

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