a Grand Tour of Europe with Belmond

Belmond La Residencia (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

If you're traveling to Europe in 2020, Belmond's Grand Tour is probably the best combination of luxury and value that you can find. Here are three reasons why this is the promotion to go for...


(1) A selection of the world's finest hotels ...

in Italy

Belmond Hotel Cipriani (Venice)
Belmond Villa San Michele (Florence)
Belmond Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare (Portofino)
Belmond Castello di Casole (Tuscany)
Belmond Hotel Caruso (Ravello)
Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant'Andrea (Sicily)

on Mallorca

Belmond La Residencia (Mallorca)

on Madeira

Belmond Reid's Palace (Madeira)

(2) Seven nights at a flat rate

Low Season (March & April; October to January)

7 nights in a room — 4774€
7 nights in a Junior Suite — 8008€

High Season (May to September)

7 nights in a room — 6699€
7 nights in a Junior Suite — 11,704€

Extra nights are available at a pro-rated price.

(3) Full American Breakfast included daily. You'll receive the Virtuoso amenities and be blocked in the best available room on arrival.

P.S. — I've stayed at La Residencia in Mallorca, an absolutely gorgeous resort (click to read my article) ... and at the iconic Cipriani in Venice where you can wander the winding streets of Venice by day, then escape the crowds to your own private island each night.

Fine print: At least two Belmond properties must be booked, but stays can be non-consecutive within 45 days of first arrival. No deposit required; payment made at check-out. Cancellations within 14 days incur a 50% penalty, within 7 days a 100% penalty; travel insurance is highly recommended. Blackout dates ... Splendido, Caruso, La Residencia - not available July and August. Cipriani - not available June and September. Reid's Palace and Timeo - not available 28DEC-1JAN.

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

getting from the Rome airport to the Amalfi Coast

Costiera Amalfitana — Photo by Paolo Costa Baldi. License: GFDL/CC-BY-SA 3.0

You've landed in Rome, and you need to get to the Amalfi Coast. What's the best way to get to Positano, Amalfi, Sorrento, or Ravello? This was the subject of a recent online discussion among Brownell travel advisors. Here is the gist of their wisdom.

1. Book a private transfer. Your driver will pick you up at FCO and drive you directly to your hotel in Positano (where there are two stunning Virtuoso resorts: Il San Pietro di Positano and Le Sirenuse) or elsewhere. Click the links to see the exclusive amenities your Virtuoso travel consultant can provide.

2. Train to Naples, then transfer. First, you'll have to transfer from FCO to the Termini in Rome. The train to Naples is a 70 minute ride. From the Naples train station, you can get a transfer to Positano. But depending on the number of people in your party, this can be more expensive with two transfers and a train ticket for each person in your group.

3. Rent a car and drive yourself. Is this a good idea? While some tourists think of this as a way to save money, it may not be the best way to go. Inexperienced drivers on incredibly tight mountain roads will find the drive extremely challenging. You risk risk hitting the wall … or people. And consider parking: about 30€ per night to park the car in Positano — and hourly charges before and after the overnight hours can run the cost up to 50€ per day for parking.


So those are your options. Even though the cost of a private transfer from FCO might sound like a lot, you're saving yourself a ton of stress and beginning your Amalfi Coast holiday in style.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.