Hi from Rick: Embracing Italy’s Bella Chaos
Yes, Italy is my favorite country in Europe. It's an inviting piazza of memories waiting to be yours: An intimate moment with a Botticelli, learning how tasty a tomato can be, becoming a regular at the corner bar after your second caffè macchiato, and blushing at how much romance local lovers can pack onto a Vespa. Immersed in such bella chaos, where conversations are issimo (Italian slang for "over-the-top") and any pasta can be a party, you realize there's a good reason for Italy's tourist crowds.
Sure, Italy's greatest cities — Venice, Florence, and Rome — are crowded these days. And Rome will be busier than ever in 2025, as the pope's declared it a Jubilee Year and invited his flock from around the globe to the Vatican on a pilgrimage of peace and hope.
Whenever you go these days, crowds at Europe's greatest sights can be overwhelming for any traveler without guidance. But with a good guidebook you can be your own guide…and on a Rick Steves tour, you'll have the promise of a great guide.
In an age when crowds can mess up your travel dreams, the right guided tour — like the thousand-plus we'll lead in 2025 — can be a godsend: Your hotels are booked, your transportation is set, your entry to the most essential (and crowded) sights is already reserved. And, most important, a great guide who knows both the lay of the land and your name awaits you.
So even though the Eternal City may be extra busy next year, you'll still enjoy its many layers on a Rick Steves tour, from the classy Piazza Navona and splashy Trevi fountain to the ancient Roman Forum and the brilliance of the 2,000-year-old Pantheon. And if you don't mind the crowds, you'll have plenty of free time to make a modern-day pilgrimage to the Vatican.
This month's Tour News is designed to tempt you with some great offerings, starting with a tasty slideshow of our Best of Venice, Florence & Rome in 10 Days tour. You'll join my favorite Roman guide, Francesca Caruso, on a tour of her hometown, read rave reviews about touring Italy's greatest cities, and meet a handful of our talented Italy tour guides.
If you're dreaming of a Roman holiday and embracing that bella chaos, we'd love to help turn that dream into a smooth, smart, and affordable reality in 2025. (I've already got my ticket!)
Keep on travelin',
Rick