Great tips from an author who lives in Italy You checked your passport three times. You remembered the good shoes. You still forgot these. I live in Italy. I know exactly what is missing from your suitcase right now — because I watch tourists discover it the hard way every single week. THE ITALY-SPECIFIC ADAPTER […]
Do’s but mostly Don’ts for Italy Travel
From an Italian source that I follow on Facebook. I removed her advice on driving into historic city centers, because that does not apply to my guests (I am the driver, and I know the rules and follow them) and some other pieces of advice which just don’t apply to my custom-designed tours. I’m Italian. […]
Trip Opportunities for 2026 Season
As the calendar page turns to 2026, it’s natural that people start to dream about their next Big Trip to Europe. European Focus Private Tours is ready to design, plan, reserve and best of all – personally take care of you – on your Trip of a Lifetime to any of the 15 countries where […]
It’s all about the food
One of the major stress points of travel is where to eat. There can be so many choices, it’s dizzying. What if you only have two nights in Florence? Ideally, those two nights should include some memorable dinners, right? With experience verging on four decades, European Focus Private Tours’ owner James Derheim can provide tips, […]
Aiding a Genealogist who is more than serious in England
As I work to prepare the digital uploading of more than 100,000 images from my vast archive (work performed all over Europe from 1989-present) I come across these small vignettes that I would like to share with you. My client Margie Weiler is not just a family history enthusiast. She is a family history maniac, […]
A visit to Siena, Tuscany
Visiting one of Tuscany’s most beautiful places on a hot day in June requires some creativity and planning. First – find a place to park that is not too far of a walk from the city center. With help from the hosts at our luxury villa hotel outside of Montepulciano, check. On this visit I […]
Last Minute to Portugal – Let’s Go!
Lance, Jan, Steve and Pat will join me in Lisbon for a jaunt around #Portugal to include #Porto, the #Duoro Valley and its rich wine regions, ancient #Evora with its thousands of cork trees and the beautiful southern region of the #Algarve from September 24 to October 5, 2025. The two couples are direct referrals […]
Traveling to Italy – Good to Know
The Social Rule Italians Never Break That Americans Don’t Even Know Exists (And How Ignoring It Instantly Marks You as a Foreigner) Italy is known for many things—its food, architecture, fashion, and pace of life. But ask anyone who has spent real time in the country, and they’ll tell you that what truly defines Italian […]