How to Find a Reputable Tour Company in Italy

In the puzzle of tour companies in Italy are those to avoid in the black market.

The process of finding a tour company in Italy to help take you around the country sounds like a romantic and easy prospect for most tourists. But you may not know that a serious black market of illegal tour companies exist in Italy that could not only cause a threat to your safety, but also get you into legal trouble. A number of important things need to be scoped out before you decide to dole out money to an Italian tour business that succeeds at looking legit.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Internet
• Receipt from tour company
• Credit card

Scoping Out the Real from Black Market

1. Obtain a receipt from the tour company you take on in Italy. In fact, you need a receipt for everything in Italy. Laws in Italy require all businesses to give customers receipts. If your tour company doesn't give you one, it's a surefire sign of a black market operation.

2. Study the prices of your tour company. If they offer you what seems to be an incredibly cheap deal, avoid them. All tour companies in Italy have set rates and very cheap rates don't happen there.

3. Check to see if the tour company has insurance. All you have to do is ask them, and if you don't believe it when they say "Si", ask to see proof of the insurance. A tour company in Italy without insurance is definitely black market, with a typical scenario of hiring young tour drivers with no experience. Should there be an accident, any injuries you have wouldn't be covered.

4. Ask the tour company if they accept a credit card. If they only handle cash, you'll know instantly that they're black market.

5. Be wary of tour company drivers who drive tourists around in a van without requesting seatbelt use. Don't get on the van if you see this happen since it's illegal for a tour van to do tours throughout all Italian regions without seatbelt use.

Tips & Warnings

• Go to travelersdigest.com and their Italy tour operators section. There, you'll find a long alphabetical list of reputable tour companies located in Italy. These include not only vehicle tours but also walking, biking and horseback tours. This should encourage you in knowing that there's more reputable touring companies in Italy than there are black market ones.

• Be aware of the Incauto Acquisto law or "Careless Purchase" law in Italy. This alludes to it being illegal to not get a receipt for your purchases. In Italy, if you don't have a receipt, you could be found guilty of paying for services from underground sources.

References

• Trip Advisor

Resources

• Traveler's Digest: Reputable tour companies in Italy