First-Time Travelers to Italy Get the Royal Treatment and the Grand Tour

Marblehead, Mass. (PRWEB) August 13, 2008 -- When summer ends, the luxurious and fabled villas and the spectacular sites of Italy are more readily accessible to travelers looking to explore the dynamic culture of the country at off-season rates.

Homebase Abroad, a firm that has specialized for more than fifteen years in travel to Italy and villa vacation planning, has created fall seasonal packages specifically designed for the first-time visitor. These new packages combine pristine villas in the most desired countryside locations with top-notch hotels near the must-see historic attractions Italy is known for, giving guests private, guided access to the luxury Italian lifestyle without the hassle of planning the itinerary.

"Villa vacations are ideally suited to those who have an active appetite for appreciating other cultures and are looking to truly 'live as the locals live'," says Mara Solomon, a founder and co-director of Homebase Abroad. "This package is designed to appeal to those who have not yet been to Italy and are interested in the relaxing villa lifestyle yet still want to experience the historical sites of Italy's most famous cities."

Ms. Solomon's company creates unique luxury Italian villa vacations for discriminating guests. The professional staff at Homebase Abroad is known for their meticulous attention to detail, crafting very special experiences for guests. The staff is known for going the extra mile to find specific vintage cars for a mountain road trip, creating a fireworks display for a family reunion at a luxury villa in Tuscany and many other captivating and memorable experiences for guests.

Both of the fall package options below have been designed to include unique experiences and private tours that first time travelers to Italy crave, while maintaining the "slow living" European lifestyle that villa vacations exemplify. Rates are for 10 guests and airfare and ground transportation are not included.

Superior Package

Accommodations:

Part 1, Rome -- 3 night stay at the Hotel Majestic.

Part 2, just outside Siena, Florence -- 5 night stay at Casale di Arbia, a superbly renovated

Tuscan farmhouse with 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.

Part 3, Venice -- 3 night stay at the Luna Baglioni.

Experiences:

Part 1, Rome -- Vatican tour, 3 hour walking tour of Ancient Rome.

Part 2, Florence -- Morning Uffizi tour, lunch at typical Florentine Trattoria, tour and tasting at local

vineyard.

Part 3, Venice -- Guided tour on land and canal.

Cost per person per night $381.14 (based on double occupancy)

Classical Package

Accommodations:

Part 1, Rome -- 3 night stay at the Albergo del Sole al Pantheon overlooking the Piazza al Pantheon.

Part 2, just outside Florence -- 5 night stay at Villa La Torre, a private villa nestled in its own

vineyards and olive groves with 7 bedrooms and 6.5 baths.

Part 3, Venice -- 2 night stay in a panoramic room at the Ca' Segrado.

Experiences:

Part 1, Rome -- Vatican tour, 3 hour walking tour of the Spanish Steps.

Part 2, Florence -- Morning Uffizi tour, lunch at typical Florentine Trattoria, tour and tasting at local

vineyard.

Part 3, Venice -- Guided tour on land and canal.

Cost per person per night $271.62 (based on double occupancy)

For more information on travel to Italy and Italian villas, readers can visit www.HomebaseAbroad.com.

About Homebase Abroad, Ltd.

One of the most highly-regarded and experienced luxury villa vacation specialists, Homebase Abroad builds vacations that guidebooks and Internet rental companies cannot provide. Headquartered in picturesque Marblehead, Mass., Homebase Abroad's experts spend up to six months a year visiting villas, working with villa owners, staying in their homes, and, when the villas meet their exacting standards, adding to the firm's impressive portfolio of some of Italy's finest properties. Tailoring each client's specific needs and desires to exceptional luxury villas in the most desirable regions of Italy, Homebase Abroad is the choice of discriminating travelers who want distinctive, memorable villa vacations.

###