ITALY

PASSPORT/VISA: (It is recommended that your passport have at least six months of validity whenever you travel abroad to avoid unintended travel disruptions. Because rules and regulations frequently change, please inquire about passports validity and visas from the consulate of the foreign country you will visit. It is recommended that your passport have at least six months of validity whenever you travel abroad to avoid unintended travel disruptions. Participants that hold a valid U.S. passport do not require visas. If you hold a passport of a foreign country, contact the Italian Consulate in your area for information on whether or not you need a visa.) 
CURRENCY: (The unit of currency is the Euro. Coinage is available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents with 1 and 2 Euros. Bank notes come in units of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. We suggest you exchange your money in a bank, as opposed to the hotel, in order to get the best exchange rate. Banks are open from 8am to 1:30pm and 3:00-4:00pm from Monday to Friday.) 
ELECTRICAL CURRENT: (The voltage may vary from 125 to 220 in the cities. It is best to travel with dual current appliances with plug adapters.) 
TIME: (Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time is in effect from the end of March to the end of September.) 
TELEPHONES: (Public telephones are plentiful and are considerably less costly than hotel telephones. They use coins or a phone card purchasable in values of 5,000 or 10,000 lire at the post office, bars, tobacco shops and some kiosks. Direct dialing is also possible for continental and intercontinental communications. You may also access AT&T by dialing 721011, MCI by dialing 1721022 or US Sprint by dialing 1721877.) 
MUSEUMS: (Museums are generally open 9am-1:00-2:00pm and closed on Mondays, although hours vary.) 
TIPPING: (A service charge of 15% is added to all restaurant bills. It is customary to leave a small tip for good service as follows: Waiters: 5-10% of check; Cafes/Bars: 15% at a table, if not included on bill; 200 Lire at a counter or espresso bar; 500 Lire at a counter or alcoholic bar; Taxis: 10%; Guides/Drivers: 15% of cost of tour.)

• Hotels featured above may be substituted according to the availability.
• Additional nights in Rome & Sorrento are available upon request.
• Homeric Tours can provide competitive airfares from USA in conjuction with your tour request.
• Package prices do not include international air travel.
• Prices are per person based on double/triple occupancy.
• Hotel city tax is not included and must be paid locally to the hotel.

ITALIAN JEWELS   starts in Rome on Fridays. 
All departures are operated within a maximum of 16 participants.

Rome city tax is not included and must be paid locally to the hotel.

Extensions to Milan, Palermo, Athens, Mykonos, Paris, Dubrovnik, Jerusalem, Cairo & Istanbul on pages 22 - 24.
Homeric Tours will provide affordable airfare from USA in conjuction with the tour upon request.

Prepare for the Unexpected

Homeric Tours highly recommends that all our passengers purchase travel insurance. We offer a cost-effective, comprehensive insurance plan that protects you in cases such as having to cancel your trip for medical reasons, leaving your trip early due to an emergency, getting reimbursed in case your baggage arrives late, and so on.

We offer two separate plans: one for passengers who purchase only air tickets from us and the other for passengers who purchase land-only services (hotels, cruises, transfers, etc.) or land-and-air packages.