FAQs

Since 1999. Read more on our history page.

Most clients on our journeys are very experienced independent travelers. “I want to hand over the logistics” is the reason many of them cite for traveling with Adagio. If you have any of those missed-train, couldn’t find the little country road, that-fella-just-couldn’t-understand-English stories, you’ll appreciate what a pleasure it is to offload the details to us.

Likewise, if you crave cultural interactions with the locals, you’re also well suited to an Adagio Travel experience. Most of our small, boutique hotels are located in town, so you have that chance for independent exploration. All of our itineraries offer you options that include chances to spend time on your own.

Our guides get you into small wineries and restaurants, off-the-beaten-path villages, and cultural events that aren’t open or accessible to most travelers. Finally, none of our journeys has more than 12 clients, and many are even smaller. No fear of having to follow the umbrella around with flock of tourists! And all travel is at a leisurely pace, hence our company’s name, Adagio Travel (“adagio” is Italian for slow, with care, gently).

Our goal is for you to create lifelong travel memories in a manner that just happens to be hassle-free.

Adagio Travel presents many extraordinary opportunities to explore and support oft-overlooked sites throughout our destinations. Our local partners and collaborators are devoted to the preservation of each region’s rich cultural heritage and ecology. We’ll eat at restaurants and visit wineries that support local agriculture and products—and many of them are local historical businesses, often in danger due to increasing gentrification. By visiting small museums and meeting with local artists, musicians, and artisans, we’ll be supporting the preservation of local arts that date back centuries.

Many of our guests travel on their own, so you’ll fit right in. In your small group (never more than 12 guests), we typically have a mix of solo travelers, couples, and friends or family members traveling together. If you are like many of our guests traveling solo and prefer a room to yourself, you’ll find our single supplements are reasonable; we only add the extra cost hotels charge us, instead of marking it up to make extra profit from you. Also, whenever possible, we will put you in a double room for single use, so you have plenty of room to stretch out after a full day!

Yes, creating and catering your custom tour of a lifetime is Adagio’s specialty. Our listed itineraries are examples of trips we love to do, and they can be altered to fit your dates and preferences. We are also happy to start from scratch, combining your dreams and our expertise to create your dream journey.

Expert leadership; accommodations in charming hotels and inns in cities and villages; most meals; wine with included meals (except where indicated); sightseeing as noted in the trip itinerary; group transfers and ground transportation from the meeting point to the terminal point; additional guides and porters if needed; entrance fees.

Items that are typically not included in the land cost for our trips: Airfare; certain meals as noted on itinerary; insurance of any kind; visas (if required); excess baggage charges; airport taxes (if any); cost of medical immunizations; items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages except as indicated, laundry, internet/phone/fax use etc.); and optional tipping ground manager, and local guides and staff.

Specific day-by-day itineraries for each departure will give you more complete information on what is included and what isn’t for your trip (please see the “What’s Included” section). Please check your itinerary for more information, email us at claudia@adagiotravel.com or call us at 804-901-9336.

Our trips do not include insurance coverage. We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance, which protects your overall investment in the event that you are forced to cancel your trip, and protects you during the trip in many situations such as lost luggage or illness. We are happy to provide quotes for the many insurance options available through Allianz Travel Insurance.

Our trips feature accommodations in charming city and country lodgings where owners and staff are happy to help you with even the most trivial need. Please contact us to discuss specific amenities at each property.

Since cuisine is such an important part of a country’s culture, we endeavor to expose you to as many of the local specialties as possible. The countries we love are famous for their food, with each region boasting specialties related to climate, history and traditions. Most clients cite our meals, including our selection of small, out-of-the-way dining venues, as high points of our trips.

We will try to accommodate any special dietary requests/restrictions you may have, and ask that you discuss them with us when signing up for a trip.

Yes. Again, we strongly advise the purchase of trip medical insurance to cover unforeseen expenses.

Many different insurance options are available through Allianz Travel Insurance. Please request a quote when you register.

Quite simply, they are the individuals who can make or break your travel experience. We choose people whose passion is to rid you of all worries from Day 1, and to immerse you in a land – and a lifestyle – far from your own. Our guides are experienced and take pride in handling those myriad details that are part and parcel of foreign travel. They are either locals or persons who have lived, studied, worked or all of the above in the countries where they are guiding.

Even our most independent clients, those who hesitated to take a “tour”, consistently comment that the expertise of their leaders allowed them to relax and enjoy their journey in a way that would have been impossible had they traveled on their on.

You should expect to make new friends whose curiosity led them, like yourself, to an Adagio journey. Many of our clients are extremely well-traveled, but some are taking their first trip to Europe. All of them are seeking the opposite of the “mega tour bus”, “10 cities in eight days” trip. Our small-group concept (rarely more than 12 travelers) allows you to genuinely get to know your traveling companions, often discovering friends who will join you on future travel adventures.

Yes, for groups of at least 6 (and fewer under certain circumstances). Please contact us for more details.

Check availability for the journey and dates you are interested in on our website. If it is available, you can complete the reservation form, then send a signed Release and Assumption of Risk along with your deposit to hold the reservation.

Our pricing is based on double occupancy. If you prefer a single room, you must pay a single supplement fee, which is listed in the Trip Itinerary. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to assign you a same-gender roommate. If there is no one with whom you can share, you are required to pay the single supplement fee.

Most of our trips have 8-12 participants. Adagio’s specialty is creating and catering custom tours, especially to less-traveled corners of Italy, Slovenia and France where our expertise lies. Our listed itineraries are great starting points for such trips.

You are typically responsible for transportation to the starting point and from the terminal point of your journey, although some trips do include these group transfers. Details are found in the individual tour descriptions. Please contact us for these details.

• For excursions, dress comfortably, but not too casually in case you end up in a nice restaurant (slacks, pant suits, skirts)
• For last night dinners and visits to private villas, castles, etc, dress is not formal, but a little more dressy than for excursions (sport coats, dresses, ties are optional)
• For hiking and walking, bring comfortable hiking boots and clothing, including rain gear and a small backpack
• For cooking classes, dress casually (jeans, pants, comfortable shirts, etc…)
• Comfortable shoes are a must. Most lessons and excursions will require some time on your feet.
• Also, check with the weather forecasts before you pack. It’s best to bring a light jacket for the excursions and always pack an umbrella.
• Pack light! We include porterage for two bags (a carry-on and one large bag) per person; extra bags will incur extra charges.

We pride ourselves in the small size of our journeys, and recommend that you book as far in advance as possible. Most of our clients book six months to one year in advance.

We accept payment by check, money order, wire transfer, or credit card payments via PayPal. A small additional fee is assessed for payments made through PayPal. All bank charges must be included in your payment if you use wire transfer.

We do not issue plane tickets, but are happy to help with other pre- and post-tour arrangements and to refer you to our trusted airline ticket specialists.

Yes. If you would like information on bookings and commissions for your travel agency, please email us with your agency information and we will contact you.

These questions are addressed in the Terms and Conditions and Release and Assumption of Risk.

The cost of delays is not included if any trip must be delayed due to bad weather, road conditions, transportation delays, government intervention, sickness or other contingencies for which Adagio Travel or its agents cannot make provision. Tour Costs and/or Land Costs are subject to increase without prior notice, even after you have signed up on the trip. We often publish our prices more than a year in advance. Between that time and the time of the trip’s actual departure, we are occasionally faced with significant cost increases that we cannot absorb (most commonly, international currency fluctuations or increases in cost of services). We will do our best to limit such increases and will notify you at least two months before departure, if they do occur.

Everything you need to know about passports, plus a list of embassies worldwide.

The US State Department
The US State Department site with everything you need to know about passports, current travel warning, public announcements and consular information sheets, and the overseas services this agency offers travelers.

Embassies
A list of all embassies in Washington D.C.

The World Factbook

The World Factbook is an encyclopedic summary of every country’s key statistics and details (geography, politics, climate, economy, demographics, communications, etc.)

Country Watch

Country Watch is an information provider for individuals who need up-to-date information and news on the countries of the world.

World Time Server

Find out what time it is, just about anywhere!

Preparing for your journey is enriching and is bound to make your precious time abroad more valuable.

Longitude Books

Longitude books has expert book and map recommendations, featuring hard-to-find maps, field guides, classic accounts of exploration, travel narratives, books on art and archaeology, novels, and essays.

Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet’s site is much more than just their terrific guidebooks.

Maps

An online World Atlas which covers 7 continents, 12 regions, 190 countries, and 50 US States. Maps, flags, statistics, and more.

Information on vaccines and advice on how to stay healthy while traveling.

Center for Disease Control: Travel health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Includes reference material, recommendations by geographic region, and much more.

Travel Health Online: This site will help you have a safe, healthy adventure. Loads of useful information organized into three categories: Destination Information; Traveler Information; and Travel Medicine Providers.

Sites to help you convert currencies and locate automated teller machines (ATM’s) worldwide.

Currency Converter: Universal Currency Converter for just about every currency in the world.

How to locate ATM machines: http://www.ehow.com/how_6785769_place-locate-atm-machines.html

The latest world and national news plus weather conditions worldwide

CNN World News: CNN’s portal with world news, travel, health, etc.

BBC World News: BBC’s portal with world news, travel, health, etc.

The Weather Channel: The Weather Channel’s site has forecasts and maps galore.