Florence still has her sweet spots, as any Florence UnTour guest knows well. Though the historic center can feel overrun with tourists and students on a busy day in June, there are plenty of back streets and hidden churches to lure you in. Here are a few of my favorite alternatives to the tried and…
Our Tuscany UnTour is a perennial favorite, and ranks among our most popular UnTour destinations. It is hard to beat the views here in the Orcia Valley, south of Siena. With its stark rolling green hills, cypress trees, and vineyards, its landscape is so distinctive that the area was named a UNESCO World Heritage site…
Our Greek UnTour is not one of our biggest programs, but it is consistently one of our best reviewed. There is something magical about our hometown of Nafplio: the atmosphere of its charming pedestrian Old Town, its sea views and beaches, and the access it offers to the whole of the Peloponnese and some of…
Happy Earth Day! Anyone who follows UnTours knows that we are more than simple tree huggers around here. We are a B Corp, undergoing a regular certification that verifies our ecological business practices. We run on solar power, compost lunch scraps, print double-sided to save paper, and buy carbon offsets for staff travel and commutes….
A month into the new year, we at UnTours are tracking trends in travel. Here are some exciting things happening in global travel, evolving trends that are shaping our programs and opening a new world of possibilities to savvy travelers. None of these are new, but they are growing and shifting in ways that we…
Love photography? Have a smartphone? Why not sign up for Instagram? It’s super easy to share photos from your trip to Europe in real time with family and friends back home. Instagram allows you to share publicly or only with those who follow you, and you can adjust settings so that you must approve any…
At UnTours we are big boosters of thoughtful, responsible, and sustainable travel. We love the lessons Europe has to teach us about environmental conservation and stewardship. We have learned a lot over our decades of European travel and progressive business. Here are some eco travel tips for travel in Europe, the UnTours guide to green…
In the days of globalism, there are very few American things you cannot get in Europe. We live on a rapidly shrinking planet where influences and cultures mix, and we all buy our couches from Ikea. What is distinctly American, anyway? I asked these questions before heading to Europe, wanting to bring thoughtful gifts…
Are you a packing ninja? Around the UnTours office, we like to geek out about packing. We all have tips to share and oddball habits. But on the essentials of the all-important carry-on bag, we largely agree. 1. First things first: Are you checking a bag? The less you pack, the better. If you can…
Paolo Conte’s song Max makes me cry. Its undulating melody echoes the Tuscan hills. I played his greatest hits often on a family trip to Tuscany nine summers ago. I close my eyes when I hear it now and see the sun setting on lush green hillsides. Travel is sensual. We readily think of…