FAQ

Our company was founded on personal experience, and each of our trips is artfully curated to offer the best highlights from each location you visit with us. Our expert logistics leaders have cherished connections with ethically-run, local and family-owned businesses, allowing us to give our guests an “insiders only” type of experience. It’s not just a visit to Italy. We curate unique moments that set the stage for truly indulging in the Italian lifestyle.

We craft our itineraries the way a musician might compose a piece, with special attention paid to cadence, flow and overall harmony. A busier morning might be balanced by a free afternoon, during which you can choose to wander, nap, lounge on the beach, shop, or read a book in a cafe. We enjoy some meals together and for others you are free to choose your own option. What you’re left with is a feeling of freedom and flexibility inside the safety and security of a group structure. Your entire stay is expertly arranged into a beautifully balanced and magical week of Italian living. All itineraries are listed on the trip pages, and we can email you detailed itineraries upon request. 

Traditionally, the Cinque Terre has been Italian Fix’s gateway tour. This is where we ourselves started, offering tours in the area we lived and worked in and knew best. Our repeat guests have followed suit, joining us first in these five villages, then later in Sicily, Southern Italy and beyond. This year, we’re also offering a couple of five-day bite-sized trips to Tuscany and the Amalfi Islands for newbies who just want to stick a toe into a first experience with Italian Fix. These can be added onto longer tours as well, for anyone who wants to extend their trip.

Yes! Italian Fix is masterful at intentional trip planning. Our carefully crafted itineraries have been perfected over years of hosting successful trips so they play out like a symphony — with cadence, timing and rhythm. All our trips have up-time and down-time. The introverts who need quiet to recharge can get it, and the extroverts who derive energy from new connections can thrive too. One of our mottos is “Hey, it’s your holiday — opt out of any days you like!” We have lots to see, eat, do and explore whenever you wish to join in. Put on your comfy shoes and andiamo!

We take care of finding and booking your stay, selecting hotels located right in the historical centers of the towns we visit, where you’ll have easy access to restaurants, stores, beaches and cafes. We deliberately avoid sourcing larger chain hotels on the outskirts of town because they are not compatible with the Italian Fix aesthetic and experience we aim to provide for our guests. Hotels on our tours are 3 and 4 stars and they are chosen to balance value with service and location.

Because our guests fly in from all over the world, we keep things flexible by not including international airfare in our packages. We do recommend the best airports to fly into and give you step-by-step instructions on how and where to meet us when you land.

All of our hosts speak Italian — that’s the beauty of going to Italy with us. You won’t ever need a translator to live your dolce vita.

Joining us on a tour is as easy as it is enjoyable — very!

1. Click the “Request the Tour Date You Want Here” button on any of the currently available tours found on our Tours Overview page. You will then be taken to an application form.
2. You will be asked to enter a first and second choice of tour. If you can only travel on a single date, enter that tour as your first and second choice.
3. Pay your $XXX USD deposit. If space is full for the tour of your choice, we will refund 100% of your deposit.
4. You will receive an email within 24 hours confirming your tour placement. 
5. From this point, you have a two-week grace period during which your deposit is 100% refundable should you need to cancel. 
6. After the two-week grace period, your deposit and all remaining installments become non-refundable.
   1. 30% of your remaining balance is collected 120 days prior to the start of your tour.
   2. The remaining 70% of your balance is collected 60 days prior to the start of your tour.
7. While the deposit and installments become non-refundable after the two-week grace period, you may switch to another tour in the same travel season at no extra charge up until 60 days prior to the start of your tour.

Once you receive your confirmation email, you have up to two weeks to cancel your trip for a full refund. After that time frame, your deposit and all installments paid are non-refundable. We do allow you to switch tours within the same travel season at no extra charge up to 60 days prior to the start of your tour. For additional details, see our Terms and Conditions here.

The local currency is Euros. Great news — the exchange rate for USD is the best it’s been in two decades! You can withdraw Euros at the ATM as soon as you land.

We believe bringing a small amount of Euros is the best way to travel. But, don’t worry — we help our guests plan ahead and plan smartly by supplying a packing list that includes tips on what — and how much — to bring on the trip, including money.

Yes, absolutely! We don’t want you to worry about a thing. We supply you with a packing list that includes everything you’ll need to truly enjoy living la dolce vita during your stay. 

Each tour has a unique experience, so we will give you clear instructions for your tailored itinerary. We also have an online portal where you can access information about your tour quickly and easily.

Italian Fix is about curating unique and magical moments that allow  you to take pleasure in living the Italian lifestyle. That means no huge touristy groups. We create experiences that feel like you’re traveling with a small group of friends. We cap our tours at  14 to 16 people based on location. 

Yes, our tours are for adults (19+) only. Over the years, our guests have ranged in age from 20-somethings to 80-somethings and everything in between! The majority of our travelers tend to be between 30-60 years of age.

We do it better — no touristy maps that keep you from enjoying your surroundings. We hook you up with guides and local hosts to show you what it’s really like to live the Italian lifestyle. 

We will be walking around most days and have a couple of flights of stairs to climb as a norm. Elevators tend to be the exception in Italy, not the norm! The Cinque Terre tour includes a lot of steps and inclines, as it is five towns built into the crevices of — and on top of — seaside cliffs. It’s the most physically challenging of our tours. Sicily is the least physically challenging of our tours; so, we recommend it to anyone who prefers a less physically active experience. However, we can tailor your experience so that you avoid the steeper areas if you wish.  

Rare as it may be, emergencies can sometimes occur during travel. This is why you will always travel with an Italian Fix guide on our trips. It is also why we ask for emergency contact information and a copy of your travel medical insurance. Our experts can help handle any issue that may pop up during your trip.

Absolutely — we are happy to accommodate all diets. As we lead up to the trip, you will have the opportunity to share your requirements to ensure seamless support for your dietary needs.

We love single travelers! We do not charge single supplements. We can pair you with another guest in a shared room or provide a private room for an additional charge. Please note private rooms are limited.

Your safety and enjoyment are important to us. We stay informed of and follow all Italian laws and adhere to current health and safety policies in the country. 

While Italy can certainly be crowded, when you travel with us, you’re traveling with “insiders” — experts who know how to explore beyond the beaten path and into areas many tourists may not even know about! We scope out the coolest private experiences through our many contacts in the area to give our guests the very best in local tastes, sights, and sounds. From exclusive and private activities like outdoor dining, visits to private homes and villas, private boat excursions and more, Italian Fix is about curating special moments outside of the crowded tourist traps. 

Current Italian travel regulations allow unvaccinated travelers to enter the country. Therefore, we apply the same policies on our tours. 

Though we arrange for porters where we are able to, remember that you’ll have a lot of traveling to do before you arrive in Italy. We encourage you to pack no more than what you can carry comfortably up a flight of stairs.