An honest comparison from a team that plans private trips, including when a private tour is not the right choice.
Quick answerChoose a group tour if you want the lowest cost per day and are happy with a fixed schedule. Choose DIY if you enjoy planning and are comfortable with trains, timed tickets and driving rules. Choose a private tour if you want your own pace, door-to-door transport and someone on call when plans change.
By the Thrill of Italy team · Updated October 2026
| Private tour | Group tour | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Yours, day by day | Fixed for the whole group | Yours |
| Pace | As busy or relaxed as you like | Set for the average traveller | As you like |
| Transport | Private driver, door to door | Coach between stops | Trains, buses or a rental car |
| Hotels | Chosen for you | Chosen for the group | You research and book |
| Planning effort | Low: one conversation | Low | High |
| Help while travelling | A person to call 24/7 | The tour leader | You solve it |
| Who you travel with | Only your own group | Other travellers | Only your own group |
A private tour is an itinerary planned only for you and the people you choose. You have your own driver and guides, your own schedule and hotels picked around your style. There are no other travellers on your trip.
At Thrill of Italy every trip works this way: you can follow one of our sample itineraries or have one built from scratch.
Group tours work well if keeping cost per day low matters most, you are travelling solo and want company, or you are happy with a fixed route. The trade-off is pace: the schedule is set for the whole coach, and early starts and long days are common.
Planning Italy yourself is rewarding if you enjoy research and you are comfortable with high-speed trains, booking timed entry to the big sites and, if you drive, the restricted traffic zones (ZTL) in historic centres. Read our guide to driving in Italy before renting a car.
Yes, and many travellers do. A common mix is a private driver for the countryside and the coast, high-speed trains between big cities and a few free days with no plans at all. We build our itineraries that way.
Flights are not included; we can advise on routing.
More detail in how we operate.
Tell us your dates and what you love. A member of the team replies personally.
12 days · Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence, Venice
Capri by boat, Pompeii, the Vatican, a Tuscan countryside day and a private boat in the Venice lagoon.
8 days · Florence, Pisa, Siena
Florence Highlights Tour, Wine Tasting and Cooking Class in Tuscany, Boat Tour Of Cinque Terre.
8 days · Palermo, Siracusa, Taormina
Palermo street food, Cefalù and Monreale, Ortigia and Noto, then Taormina, Etna wineries and the Godfather villages.
Something else on your mind? A member of the team replies personally.
No. Private means the trip is yours alone; the hotels and experiences are matched to your style and budget.
Guides are included where they add the most, such as the Vatican, Pompeii or Florence, with free time elsewhere. Every itinerary can be adjusted.
For peak months on the coast, the earlier the better, because the best-located hotels fill first.
Tell us your dates and what you love. Your trip designer will reply with ideas and a first proposal.
12-Day Best of Italy