A visit to Italy’s “fab three” has been known as The Grand Tour since as early as the 1600’s. Young men from wealthy families (and some debutantes with the means to do so) flocked to Rome, Venice, and Florence in order to complete their classical education. It was important for the well-to-do to have the experience of actually seeing the remains of the ancient world or the Renaissance period in person, rather than only having read about them in a book. They sought the very roots of Western civilization, and with plenty of money and time at their disposal they would stay for months or years. The Grand Tour provided the only opportunity for those in polite society to experience specific works of art, music, and to practice their language skills. In addition, the tour was always undertaken in the company of a chaperone who doubled as a knowledgeable guide to the art and history.

Now, in regard to your own Grand Tour…  If Rome, Florence, and Venice sound right up your alley this summer, start planning now! Reservations for your accommodations and your preferred restaurants must be done soon (by the end of May for sure) or you could miss out on the places that have limited spots. Speak to your guide/chaperone about which hotels have the best locations and have them pencil an itinerary of the most important sights in Florence and–   What? You don’t have a chaperone?  

No worries, we are here to help you!  Our Clued In Travel eBooks are like those experienced chaperone guides of old, providing all the info you need in order to create a flawless itinerary for these three incredible cities, not to mention the restaurant, hotel, and transportation recommendations that can make or break your trip. As an interactive guide loaded right on your smart device, our eBooks continue to provide assistance to you once you are there, with live links to everything, telephone numbers and location help, and even suggestions for coffee breaks and meals that are walkable from the sight you are visiting. Think of us as the knowledgeable chaperone in your pocket!

Clued In Florence is our newest guide and definitely our best yet with sixty-seven gorgeous and informative photos! Check it out on amazon.com today.  Happy travels, Dean & Andie

A young Brit on his Grand Tour of Rome

Check out our newest offspring on amazon.com now. Get the 411 without the blah, blah, blah.

Hey awesome readers… It’s that midway point in the year for us because our Clued In Travel Books are updated annually around November. That’s why we always check up on things in May and make certain to pass along any pertinent updates here (in our City Extras) so that you can be as clued in as possible. Take a look at our  London, San Francisco, and Miami pages (through the menu above) especially if any of those places are a destination for you this summer.  In addition, we’ve also posted info about Skyline Webcams – a fun company who has live cameras located in Paris, New York, Rome, Venice, Florence, and beyond.  We love checking them out and even know where all of the actual cameras are at the locations we love most and usually give a little wave when passing by.  Rome has the best for sure, with some of the live cams offering sound! Turn up your volume and check out the City Extra page postings now.  Happy travels! Dean and Andie