Peter Greenberg: VisitingTuscan Wine Country

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org

Can you recommend a reputable and reliable travel company that can set up a tour of the Tuscan wine country? There are companies that say they do this type of tour, but they all have complaints lodged against them. How can we avoid being "duped" by disreputable agents or agencies?
–J.F. Rocco, Tampa, Fla.

First off, good for you for researching companies before signing up with them. And you’re right; it is a good idea to avoid companies that have received a lot of complaints via the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org). Also check with the U.S. Tour Operators Association (www.USTOA.com) to see if the company is bonded with them. In the meantime, we’ve come up with several different options for you. You didn’t mention a time frame, but we hope one of the three options listed below will meet your needs.

First, if you’re looking to spend just a day in Chianti, try Viator’s Tuscany Tour. The tour leaves from Florence and takes you on a jaunt through rural wine country before stopping at a castle farm for a wine-tasting and a snack.

If you’re interested in a bicycle trip that offers extended, up-close contact with the region’s countryside, try DuVine Adventures’ six-day Tuscany Bicycle Tour. The tour is physically challenging but rewards you throughout, with several wine tastings.

Finally, the Adventure Center’s Chianti Classico tour, which starts and ends in Pisa, lasts eight days. This tour takes you not only through the countryside, but also to Florence and Siena. Of course, you’ll get a chance to taste the region’s famed wines.