Seven couples from around the US recently returned from a gathering in Italy.  This group of longtime college friends and friends of friends spent a week exploring Rome, Amalfi, and Tuscany.  We curated this custom getaway based on their needs and interests (history, art, religion, food, and wine) that included three nights in Rome and four nights at a private Tuscan villa.  While in Rome, most of the group stayed at the Hotel Stendhal close to the Piazza Barberini.  Their rates included free airport pick-ups…a rare perk for Rome. They found the rooms on the small side but appreciated the wine gift.  On arrival, the entire crew headed out on a golf cart tour, our favorite way to get oriented after an overnight flight.  They said the tour was “spot on” and was “the best thing ever” as they zipped around the city to see all the highlights!  They did comment on how crazy busy Rome still was with tourists.  The following day they took the train round-trip to Naples where we arranged a privately guided bus tour for the day to Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii.  They found our Amalfi guide Vincenzo to be energetic, informative, and professional and said his knowledge of Pompeii was wonderful.  The following day we arranged private tours of the Vatican complex and the Colosseum.  They loved our Vatican guide Patrizia and said she was amazing and found our archeologist Colosseum guide Valentia lovely and energetic albeit a bit redundant.  To get to Tuscany, the group rented one minivan and hired a van service for the rest of the group. They said that their villa just outside of Monteriggioni was awesome!  They stayed at the Borgo Gallinaio, a former hotel that is now rented out as a villa with up to 10 bedrooms.  It was simple and rustic, but with all the necessities (although bring your own toiletries).  They said that the manager was a gem.  One night he cooked them a steak dinner that they enjoyed outdoors and also gave them a ride into town for dinner as taxi service can be spotty.  We booked two full day tours for the group with our guide Tuscan guide, Giancarlo.  The first tour was to Florence with a packed itinerary that included a slightly rushed guided tour of the Accademia and Michaelangelo’s David, visits to the Medici Mausoleum and the Basilica of Santa Croce as well as prebooked entries to climb the Duomo.  They had lunch at the Central Market and finished off the day at a delicious restaurant full of locals, Alla Vecchia Bettola. The other guided Tuscan tour was their wine themed day.  They began the day with a vineyard wine tasting and lunch, a visit to Pienza and the Val d’Orca, another wine Brunello tasting in Montalcino and ended with a nice dinner.  They also traveled on their own to Siena one day with a prebooked city tour with our guide Sylvia.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t feeling great, which affected the tour some.  But she did use quiet streets to get around the city, found them great views and avoided the crowds.  The group dispersed around Italy on their last day at the villa as some planned additional travel adventures while others headed home after an overnight at the Rome airport.  Overall, they said that the trip was awesome. They said it was perfect for those who had visited previously and for those who have never been to Italy and provided lifetime memories! Such a trip can easily be created for families and multi-generational groups.