Frequently Asked Questions

The Italian Concierge- WE ARE specialists in PLANNING LUXURY travel PACKAGES to Italy & France

WHY USE THE ITALIAN CONCIERGE TO PLAN MY VACATION TO ITALY and France ?

The Italian Concierge is a tour operator who designs and creates custom packages for the luxury traveler from individuals to large groups and for Businesses incentive groups.

For twenty Eight years Joyce Falcone has traveled throughout all of Italy. She has explored every corner of the country, and has visited and experienced a variety of hotels, historic sites, dining establishments and general and unique places of interests and she has amassed resources from the Dolomites to Mt Etna and from the Adriatic to the Mediterranean.

During her quest to learn more about each region, Joyce meets and vets each and every collaborator. She visits hotels in 4 and 5 star categories, and roams the country while testing the beds, taking tours, driving the roads, hiking the trails, skiing the slopes and tasting the wines and local cuisine to be able to report to you with the best she has found during her travels.

In 2023 The Italian Concierge began to offer tour operations in France: the Provence Concierge was started, whereby we are also offering luxury vacations to the Cote d' Azur and Provence.

It is our personal connection with our suppliers that translates into a more personal experience for our clientele.

We craft each and every itinerary with our clients desires and budget in mind, and are here for them every step along the process. No two vacations are identical .We are trip building for you, with your preferences in mind.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

We offer customized vacation packages designed and crafted to your specifications in Italy and new in 2024 to France. These vacations are crafted just for you. Our range of services include just about anything else on your wish list. We offer a consultation call of 15 minutes to explain our process of how we craft trips and to learn about your interests. To begin the planning process, we require a signed contract and nonrefundable fee which will be applied 100% to the trip cost.

FULL SERVICE CUSTOMIZED VACATION PLANNING

We are a tour operator who provides all land arrangements and to make your vacation easy and worryfree. From meet and greet services at airports and train stations, to english speaking drivers and licensed historic tour guides, cooking lessons in each and every region, and winery tours, you select the components that you would like to experience and we build a dream trip for you that works with your budget. We will craft a unique itinerary just for you which will be sold on per person or per family, or per group basis. Please take note that our custom vacations are sold in a package format.

Once under contract, we draft a proposal for you to review and continue to modify it until you are pleased. When you have agreed to the itinerary, your only two tasks are to obtain your flights, and choose your hotels and we'll do all the rest. Once full payment has been received and prior to your departure, you will receive an AXUS TRAVEL APP which contains your vacation documents. As you may expect, it takes a lot of time to arrange your activities. This service is available only for our full service clients whose hotel reservations are part of the itinerary.

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH MY AIR RESERVATIONS?

We can make a recommendation as to which airport to arrive and depart from but we do not sell airline tickets

CAN YOU HELP ME PLAN A ONE DAY SIGHTSEEING OR ONE NIGHT ACCOMMODATION OR AN CRUISE SHORE EXCURSION?

As you might imagine, it is not cost effective for us to arrange a one day experience. For cruisers, we will assist you with shore excursions from your ship if it is in conjunction with a pre and or post tour package which includes hotels.

WE ALREADY HAVE OUR HOTELS RESERVED, CAN YOU HELP US WITH THE REMAINDER OF OUR DETAILS?

It takes a lot of work to plan and follow your itinerary. Due to the amount of time involved we prefer to orchestrate the entire itinerary which includes the hotel reservations, and do not accept assignments where only the activities are requested.

DO YOU PLAN WEDDINGS and BIRTHDAY PARTIES and cater to incentive groups?

Absolutely, we can plan any size group celebration in Italy for you such as birthday parties, weddings, and incentive trips and conferences. These exclusive group experiences can be escorted or self directed. It is entirely up to you.

DO YOU RENT VILLAS?

Yes, we have personally visited many villas and apartments in Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, and Lake Como, and can recommend the perfect place for you to have your next reunion. Contact us to discuss what options best suit your group and budget.

DO YOU REQUIRE A DEPOSIT?

Yes, services commence with a signed contract and nonrefundable retainer which will be applied 100% towards your full service itinerary.

WHEN IS FINAL PAYMENT DUE?

There are three payments to our custom vacation design process: 1), first nonrefundable retainer 2), second deposit normally $500 per person and 3) final Payment invoiced 60 days before your departure.

HOW CAN I PAY?

We prefer certified checks and bank wires. However, we do accept all major credit cards.

DO YOU PROVIDE A BREAKDOWN OF COSTS?

Have you ever received a travel brochure in the mail that speaks about a dream trip and then tells you the price per couple.? We are a tour operator, and we craft a custom vacation for you which is priced per persone or per couple or per family. Our custom vacations are sold in a package, we do not provide cost breakdowns.

DO YOU CHARGE A TRIP PLANNING FEE?

In order to take advantage of our expertise we charge a planning fee. The fee is applied towards your total . Fee is based on the needs and number of travelers in your request.

WHAT IS THE COST OF MY TRIP?

There will be three payments to make.

The cost of your vacation is based on the SCOPE OF WORK.

How many days landed in Italy?
What methods of Transportation?
What hotel and room type?
What activities are included?
How many Historic guides?
Which Museums? Other tickets? The Scope of Work needs to be clearly identified in order for us to send you a nonbinding estimate.

Once under contract, we will draft a proposal and will make three modifications until you are happy with the result. Once you agree to the proposal, we send you a hotel list of Url's, and will discuss potential activities with you. We are able to price your itinerary once we have completed this process. We can still make modifications to your vacation plan, and you are not obliged to accept a trip until you agree.

Payment number Two :Once you agree to your vacation, then payment number Two is invoiced and is normally $500 a person.

Payment number three is due sixty days prior to your arrival date we will invoice you the balance subtracting the total you have paid on account and the final payment is due at that time.

A nonbinding example: In 2024, An eight night custom package for two people in one room , mid level quality with some accessories and events ie. four star hotels with delux view rooms, private drivers, some tour guides, can cost approximately EU 18,000+/- . Some locations will cost more ( such as Capri, Amalfi Coast and the center lake of Como)

ARE YOU LICENSED?

We are an accredited Travel Agency of IATA ( International Air Transport Association) and hold all insurances required by law, Errors and Omissions,Liability, Cyber, Workmans Comp etc.

HOWTO START THE PROCESS?

The most time efficient way to "To Start the Process" is return to fill out the online form under "Contact Us". A member of our staff will reach out to you to set up a call to speak with one of our travel planners during a 15 minute consultation call. During the call, we will explain how our process works and will ask about your vacation plan and budget. To progress further and start the designing process with a proposal we require a signed contract and nonrefundable retainer.