16 November 2009 x Close
According to reports there has been an increase in the number of unlicensed tour operators in Florence advertising their services on TripAdvisor. Apparently the user review website has no problem promoting operators that are unlicensed and lack insurance. Police reportedly acted against two questionable operators in Tuscany in September after complaints from licensed tour operators, confiscating their vehicles and fining them for trading illegally. TripAdvisor had even put together a downloadable Florence: Fall and Winter Guide 2009/10 which it claimed is "the most trusted source [of advice on] where to eat, sleep and play". This includes the two businesses raided by the Tuscan police. Travellers are urged to book only through licensed tour operators.
Read More at UK Telegraph
Italy, the best of both worlds © PhotoLab XL
Italy dips down out of Europe and into the Mediterranean like a
women's leg firmly planted in a sleek stiletto, so it's hardly
surprising that Italians are known for their impeccable style and
fashionable dress sense. They're also known for once having an
empire that stretched across the globe, and for having the most
spectacular churches, frescos, sculptures and Renaissance paintings
in all of Europe.
The Italy of today is littered with the relics of more than
3,000 years of history, and an atmosphere that ranges from the
Armani-wearing-scooter-driving-espresso-drinking buzz of its cities
to the quiet, pastoral existence of its hillside olive farms and
seaside fishing villages.
From the depths of the canals in Venice, which floats on a
series of islands in an Adriatic lagoon, and the bleached sands of
San Remo on the Riviera, to the rocky crags of the Alps, Dolomites
and Apennines, Italy has everything from beach holidays to luxury
mountain ski resorts.
Italy's cities reveal awe-inspiring architecture from the curved
arches of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence to the crumbling
magnificence of the Colosseum in Rome. Home of da Vinci,
Michelangelo, Carvaggio and Botticelli, its artworks are a visual
delight to all visitors.
Nestled into the outskirts of Rome is the independent Vatican
City, the seat of the Pope and home to the famous St Peter's
Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. The influence of the Holy Catholic
Church on the people of Italy is still evident today in a series of
holy festivals, carnivals, and parades involving young and old
alike in almost every city, town and village.
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