New York, April 22, 2010 -- A famous writer once said, “Every time I take a vacation that’s not in Italy, I feel like I’m making a mistake.” You can avoid that misstep and so many others with a quick trip to SelectItaly.com before you set foot in Italy and its incomparable capital. Now that the summer travel season is almost upon us, Rome-n’ time is nigh. From guided city tours to convenient airport shuttle transfers, advance museum tickets, cooking classes and other exclusives, Select Italy proves that now and eternally, there’s no place like Rome:
SISTINE CHAPEL AFTER-HOURS TOURS
Imagine yourself in the Sistine Chapel…solo. No pushy crowds or jostling for a good vantage point from which to admire the masterpiece overhead... just a small group, your guide and a hushed awe in the presence of the great master, Michelangelo. Now this dream can become reality with Select Italy's Exclusive Private Visit, which gives you a rare chance to encounter some of Italy's most famous artistic treasures one-on-one and "for your eyes only." This private visit also includes stops at other impressive exhibits of the Vatican Museums including the Raphael Rooms and the Galleria delle Carte Geografiche (the Hall of Maps).
BORGHESE GALLERY TICKETS
After several years of restoration, the Galleria Borghese is once again inviting visitors to view its collection of masterpieces. Collection highlights include Gianlorenzo Bernini's sculptures of Pluto and Proserpina and Apollo and Daphne. The painting galleries contain Titian's Sacred and Profane Love and other great works by Caravaggio, Rubens, and Correggio. The Villa Borghese is itself noteworthy as a beautifully decorated and frescoed villa. Select Italy’s reservation and ticketing service is a true time-saver.
ROME WHAIWHAI TOURS
The New York Times calls whaiwhai "a high-tech Italian touring game that is part 'Amazing Race' and part treasure hunt, with a bit of DaVinci Code-style storytelling mixed in." Using the whaiwhai book and the texting feature (SMS) of your cell phone, you'll receive clues and will send answers that make you move across the city from location to location, following its most secret history. “I've found that not only is the information valuable, but it is delivered in a flawless and enjoyable way,” says Andrea Sertoli, Select Italy President. The Ruyi Rome finds signs of ancient magical scepter lost somewhere in the Eternal City. Already acclaimed in Italy, the intriguing whaiwhai series of interactive Game Tour books are now on sale for only $33.95 each through Select Italy and its Website, SelectItaly.com.
GLADIATOR ACTION OR, HOW TO WEAR A TOGA
The new Roman 3D-Rewind experience is located in a restored cinema only steps from the Colosseum. This half-hour adventure is based on historically accurate and architecturally accurate renderings of the landscapes and lifestyles of ancient Rome, using the latest digital 3D technology to facilitate the understanding of what it was like to live in Rome 2,000 years ago. Digital animation is used to re-create gladiator fights in the Colosseum. On the premises, you’ll also find activities such as a demonstration of how to wear a toga and dress like a Roman Senator. Tickets are only $20 per person; purchase in advance at Selectitaly.com.
ROME WINE TASTING EVENINGS
Select Italy’s series of six private wine tastings lets travelers revel in the goodness of the grape amidst the chic backdrop of one of the Eternal City’s most sumptuous wine bars. These are carefully curated tasting experiences featuring three different but regionally linked wines paired with antipasti. The exceptional venue is a grand enoteca (Italian wine bar) situated on the ground floor of a restored 16th-century palazzo, replete with recently discovered Roman ruins in the extensive wine cellars. Featuring wines of Friuli, Piemonte, Chianti and more. Hour-long tastings start at 7PM, must be booked in advance and are priced from $142 per person. All prices are guaranteed in U.S. dollars.
ROME AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICE
Navigating Rome’s busy Fiumicino International Airport may never make the list of Italy’s top ten travel experiences, but you can make the connection from terminal to hotel a whole lot easier by booking the Rome Airport Shuttle Service in advance. This is a shared shuttle service from the airport to hotels in the city center: no more jostling the crowds for taxis curbside or at Rome’s chaotic train station. The service operates seven days a week and costs $35 per person. Can be booked in either direction (i.e. from hotel to the airport, too).
Press contact:
Anthony Grant
Tel. (646) 379-0767
tony@selectitaly.com
About Select Italy
Based in Chicago, with branches in New York City and Shanghai and representatives in Italy, Select Italy has been a trusted ambassador of Italian travel expertise since its establishment in 1997 by Italian-born company President, Andrea Sertoli. The ultimate source for travel to Italy, Select Italy offers a wide array of superior Italian products and services, including customized itineraries, state-of-the-art tours and packages, wedding/honeymoon trips, unique culinary classes, a complete pre-departure ticketing service for museums and musical events, private guided services, yacht charters, transportation, hotel reservations, villa bookings and more. Call (800) 877-1755 or visit www.selectitaly.com.
