BEFORE YOU BOOK
QUESTIONS WORTH
ASKING.
Most people spend weeks quietly wondering before they reach out. These are the things I hear most often — answered the way I’d answer them on the phone.
TRAVEL & SAFETY
What you should know before you go.
I understand the concern — and I’m glad you’re asking rather than quietly closing the tab.
Italy carries the same travel advisory level as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The U.S. State Department rates it Level 2: “Exercise Increased Caution” — which means be aware of your surroundings, not avoid the country. That rating reflects a general European security posture, not anything specific to Italy or to Sicily. The Italian government has explicitly stated that Italy is not involved in the Middle East conflict and has no intention of entering it.
Sicily in October is about as far from a conflict zone as you can be. We are talking about a family farm in the hills above Palermo, a honey producer outside Siracusa, a winery on the slopes of Etna. The places we go are small, quiet, and deeply local.
I also want you to know what traveling with me actually means in practical terms. I am with you for all ten days. I live part of the year in Italy. I speak the language. I know the local contacts, the nearest hospitals, the embassy resources. You are not navigating any of this alone — not the beauty and not the what-ifs.
And I will tell you this honestly: if anything were to change between now and departure that made me feel this trip could not be done safely, I would cancel it myself. I would never take a group somewhere I would not take my own family.
Send me a note if you want to talk this through — I’d rather answer your specific concern directly than have it be the thing that keeps you home.
Yes — and I want to be specific about why. You are with a small, known group for every single day of the tour. You are never navigating a foreign city alone, never figuring out transportation in an unfamiliar place, never sitting in a restaurant not knowing what to do.
I know Italy deeply — I’ve spent years building relationships with the people and places on every itinerary. When you walk through a door with me, you are walking in with someone who has done the work to earn that welcome. That changes everything about how an experience feels.
Me. I am there for every single day of every tour I run. Not an assistant, not a local guide who takes over on day three. Me, personally, the whole time. You have my personal cell number before we leave.
If something comes up — a health question, a logistics change, a moment where you just need someone to talk to — I’m the person. That’s the whole point of keeping the groups small and leading every one myself.
solo travelers
If you’re going alone, start here.
Solo travelers are on every tour I run — and they are not an afterthought. Several people on each tour travel alone, and the group becomes its own thing within the first day or two. By the second evening, nobody is thinking about who came with whom.
This is how these groups come together. The shared meals, the small kitchens, the moments of figuring things out together — that’s what bonds a group, not the travel arrangements people made six months earlier.
Our Solo Traveler Promise covers this directly. We always try to match solo travelers with a compatible same-gender roommate first — when that works out, there’s no supplement at all. If a same-gender match isn’t available, a flat $800 supplement applies for the duration of the tour. That’s the full number — no ambiguity, no surprises. You’ll be notified before your final payment is due.
If you’d prefer a private room from the start regardless of roommate availability, that’s a separate arrangement with its own pricing based on the specific properties on your tour. Pete will confirm availability and the applicable supplement when you book. Private single rooms are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis — worth raising early in the conversation.
Either way, your place in the group and the quality of your experience are identical.
You arrive, you meet the group, and within an hour we’re eating together. I’ve designed the first evening specifically to break the ice — good food, a relaxed table, and enough shared experience that the awkwardness doesn’t last long.
I’m there from the moment you arrive. You’re not navigating anything alone — not the logistics, not the language, and not that first evening of not knowing anyone. That part is my job.
pricing & what’s included
What you’re actually paying for.
Each tour page lists the full inclusions, but as a general rule: accommodations, daily breakfast and most meals throughout the tour (many of them at farms, vineyards, and private homes that don’t serve the public), all scheduled activities and experiences, private ground transportation within Italy, and me — personally — as your host, guide, and logistics handler from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
What’s not included: your international flights to and from Italy, travel insurance (which I strongly recommend), local hotel city taxes paid directly at checkout, and personal spending on free evenings. I’ll give you a clear, itemized breakdown when we talk so there are no surprises.
Flights are booked independently by each guest. I’ll give you the arrival city, the start date, and what time you need to be there — and I’m happy to answer questions about routing if you’re not sure where to start. Most guests use a travel agent or book directly. I can point you toward resources if that’s helpful.
I built a policy specifically for this. Your deposit is 25% of the tour price. It’s non-refundable, but it’s fully protected under our Reserved Seating Deposit Policy — as long as you cancel more than 90 days before departure, your deposit is transferable to any future Trips2Savor departure within 18 months, or to any person of your choosing. Your reserved seat on a tour doesn’t disappear.
Cancellations received at 90 days or less forfeit the deposit entirely. That’s why I strongly recommend travel insurance, which can cover cancellation for medical emergencies, family situations, and other unexpected events. I’ll point you toward reputable providers when we talk.
Great question—and one we’ve made simple for you.
Gratuities for restaurants, included experiences, local guides, and drivers are already taken care of as part of your trip, so you won’t need to worry about tipping along the way for those services.
The only exception is your tour leader—the person traveling with you throughout the journey. Tipping them is not expected, but if you feel they’ve enhanced your experience, it is always appreciated and completely at your discretion. If you choose to do so, this is typically done at the end of the tour.
Our goal is to keep things as seamless and stress-free as possible, so you can focus on enjoying the experience.
I strongly recommend it — not as a formality, but because it genuinely matters. A trip like this is a significant investment, and the right policy covers cancellation, medical emergencies abroad, and trip interruption. I’ll point you toward reputable providers when we talk. What I won’t do is push you toward any specific policy, because the right coverage depends on your situation.
Most guests book three to six months out, though spots occasionally open closer to departure. With groups capped at twelve, a tour can fill faster than people expect — especially when word gets around from past guests.
Payment is typically a deposit to hold your spot, an interim payment, and the balance due closer to departure. I’ll give you the specifics on our call. You’ll never be asked to pay everything at once upfront.
about the experience
What the days actually look like.
Six to twelve people, always. The mix varies — couples, solo travelers, sometimes a pair of friends. What’s consistent is the type of person: someone who cares genuinely about food and how it’s made, who wants to be somewhere rather than just see it, and who understands that the best experiences happen at a small table, not on a motorcoach.
I’ve found that this kind of tour self-selects for good people. In every group I’ve led, the guests have become part of the story for each other.
We move slowly. That’s intentional. A morning visit to a farm or kitchen, a long lunch, an afternoon that might be a walk, a market, or simply time to sit somewhere beautiful. Most evenings are yours — free to explore on your own, find a restaurant that catches your eye, or simply rest.
There’s always room to breathe. I don’t fill every hour because the best moments on these trips tend to happen in the unscheduled ones — the conversation that goes long, the cheese maker who decides to show you one more thing. And when you do have a free evening, you won’t be guessing — I’ll point you toward places I trust.
Moderate and manageable. You’ll walk — sometimes on cobblestones or uneven terrain at farms — but nothing that requires athletic fitness. If you can spend a day on your feet with some sitting in between, you’re well suited for this.
If you have a specific concern about mobility, please just tell me. I’d rather know upfront so I can be honest with you about what a given day involves.
It’s happened rarely, but I’ll be transparent with you: if a tour doesn’t reach minimum numbers, I’ll let you know as early as possible and give you the option to transfer your deposit to another date or receive a refund. I won’t leave you holding a booking that isn’t going to happen.
Tell me what you need and I’ll tell you honestly what we can do. Many restrictions are straightforward — vegetarian, gluten-free, common allergies. Where it gets harder is with very restrictive diets in a context where we’re eating in private homes and small farms, where the menu isn’t always in our control. I’d rather have that conversation early than have you arrive with unmet expectations.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
I personally read and respond to every message. If something isn’t answered here, reach out. Or if you’d rather just talk, book a free fifteen-minute call — no sales pitch, no pressure.