So…. last November’s Black Friday Sales on travel pulled me in, and we took advantage of a 60% off deal to book a week in Italy.

After a couple of great destinations (Ireland & Morocco) but “meh” tour experiences last year with Senior Discovery Tours, I was intrigued by Exoticca, who have offices not only in Canada but also in the US, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, and Spain. This semi-escorted tour will give us some basis for comparison as we begin to explore alternate tour companies.

Despite the sale, this trip – with flights, and very limited meals – clocks in at just under $500CAD per person per day and gets to $550CAD when our pay-as-we-go meals and taxis/transit are included. That’s about on par with our all-inclusive Christmas Market cruise, and almost 50% higher than per day cost of our recent transatlantic trip. Episode 448 – Value for Money. There’s no doubt that flying to Europe from the furthest west province in a big country like Canada adds significantly to the transportation portion of our travels, and of course so does the economy of the destination itself.

One of the attractions of Exoticca’s itineraries is that there is more “scheduled” free time, which should mean being able to stroll, take photos at our own pace, and eat gelato at leisure. In fact, several of the optional events they offer consciously involve needing to get ourselves to and from a designated meeting place, which means scenic strolling built in. We’ve been told the maximum group size for Exoticca’s European itineraries is 30; hopefully that turns out to be true.

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The tour company took care of booking our flights, and booked them with Air Canada in their “basic economy” category, which included no free seat selection, and no checked baggage. Fortunately, we’re seasoned packers, but we chose to pay an extra fee to choose our seats (beside each other, near the front of the plane, and with one of us on the aisle).

Our itinerary includes restaurant meals, gallery visits, and touring the Vatican, so while we’re travelling carry-on, it’s not a jeans-and-tees tour.

Here’s what I’ve packed for us:

ROSE: in a palette of navy and yellow, 2 pairs of pants (one slim, one loose), 3 shirts, 5 ankle-length casual dresses, 2 chiffon scarves, 1 pair of sandals (I’ll wear another in transit), 1 pair of running shoes, a pouch of inexpensive jewelry, underthings, socks, and a small makeup/kit bag that will also hold medications.

TED: in blue and beige, 2 pairs of pants (slim-cut jeans + looser khakis), 4 long-sleeved shirts, 3 short-sleeved shirts, 2 tees for travel days, 1 pair of walking shoes, hat, underwear, socks, and a shaving/kit bag which will also hold vitamins.

At the last minute I added bathing suits and umbrellas for both of us. It could be hot in Italy, and at a minimum the Venice hotel will have a pool, but there’s also a chance of rain in the weather predictions. Better safe than sorry.

We’re not even taking the small duffel bag with which we usually supplement our carry-ons, because we won’t need the extra bag for just a week. Ted will, of course, have his small backpack for his camera and tech stuff (our iPads, cords and Euro power adapters).

All’s ready…. Italy’s history, art, pizza, and gelato await in just 7 days!