3 THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND

And a FREE e-book for your children.

As this 2020 virus is relenting the grasp on Europe and Asia you are thinking that it is not a bad idea to dream and make plans - at least – about leaving on holidays as soon as you can. So keep in mind these THREE IMPORTANT THINGS:

Photo by Explorica

General sentiment

As you can see in this article from Forbes, there is today  in Europe a sense of normalcy and perspective that seems to be lacking in the United States. "Despite the challenges, it won’t be this way forever," says John Lovell, president of leisure travel and supplier relations and networks at Travel Leaders Group. "Travel and tourism is a highly resilient industry that has come back again and again from diseases and natural disasters."

Industry watchers like Lovell predict a quick bounce back for tourism, despite the current doom-and-gloom headlines. They point out that travel rebounded quickly after other pandemics and disasters, including 9/11.

"You have to assess your own risk tolerance, take reasonable and prudent precautions, and make smart decisions about your travel," he adds. "Right now, there are amazing travel deals to destinations all over the world."

Health

At the same time, the official Schengen website you are remembered to consider two important points. These are completely appealing to common sense, and do not sound like ominous or discouraging: these are facts.

Your age. The elderly, especially those over the age of 80, are the ones most endangered for complications of the coronavirus disease, whereas ages 10 – 39 have shown relatively low fatality rates (approximately 0.2%). That does not mean that you have a lower chance of infection if you are younger, only that you have a lower chance of the disease becoming fatal. You can still become infected and spread the disease around.

Your medical history. People with pre-existing conditions are also more susceptible to become seriously ill from the coronavirus than those who were previously healthy. If you suffer from any respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc., you should reconsider traveling.

Family

Of course in RHI we understand that you are concerned about your children during your  “family time”. So we would like to share – as promised – this little FREE E-BOOK

to talk and explain to your children about this peculiar and demanding stage in their lives.

The book – aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years old – is a project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, a unique collaboration of United Nations agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and international agencies providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings.

Google Images

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT.

And the Marathon begins!

We are back to starting blocks, taking deep breaths and looking ahead.

As in every true sporting competition we are ready and looking forward to the effort, for we know that this is going to be a long endurance test. Not just a sprint but a true performance.

For many people these have been days of isolation and discomfort; for us they have been a moment to prepare, to train, to seek for our weak spots and perfect them, to improve and to develop.

The track field is beautiful, running through amazing landscapes and beautiful art cities; the air is crisp-clean and our friends and families are ready to give it all they can to support.

We have positively profited the available time to personally improve their professional knowledge, to enhance their relationship with our suppliers, to give a more personal touch with our partners,  strengthen knots and consolidating some lose ends.

We are today as prepared as we could be and more than enthusiastic to start over again.

Join us, it is going to be a lot of fun!

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
We are soon coming to celebrate with you!

Rome celebrates today the 2.773rd birthday since her fundation.

Rome's birthday celebrations for Natale di Roma include usually the historical re-enactments featuring costumed parades and gladiator fights.

This day, known as Natale di Roma, is the annual birthday celebration and it is based on the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC.

Events are usually centred in the Circus Maximus and include gladiator fights, the traditional founding of ancient the Roman towns when a trench or "mundus" was dug and offerings were thrown into it to encourage the gods to watch over its citizens and the final parade, that usually takes place along Via dei Fori Imperiali, with more than 1,500 costumed participants.

This year the celebrations will be online only; who would have ever thougt that such and Old Lady could be so social!

Soon we will be on the streets again; these days of lockdown will remain a distant memory and Rome will again open her motherly arms to welcome and embrace us all again; just like motehrs do to long gone cildren, gently whispering "you are finally back to Italy, I missed you".

See you soon!

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

3 TIMES: YOU WERE WRONG.

There’s something closer, bigger and cheaper.

Following our previous post on places around Rome, not far from it and accessible to everyone, today we propose Ostia Antica.

@ Livioandronico2013

You certainly know Pompeii, the city destroyed by the Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 79 a.C.

There actually 2 kind of tourists coming to Italy: the ones who already visited Pompeii and the ones that haven’t yet.

Any well lectured blogger or travel agent will no doubt confirm to you that, leaving from Rome, it will take you almost a whole day travelling to Pompeii, visiting, and returning to Rome. Sad, but true: a whole day of your holiday only to visit 3 or 4 hours and walking around in a really crowded place.

Here’s our tip:

OSTIA ANTICA, so you can stay in Rome and go to Ostia Antica: closer, bigger, cheaper.

Ostia Antica is a large archaeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia, that is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, 15 miles (25 kilometres) southwest of Rome. "Ostia" (plur. of "ostium") is a derivation of "os", the Latin word for "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but due to silting the site now lies 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the sea.[2] The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics.

The most ancient buildings currently visible are from the 3rd century BC, notably the Castrum (military camp); of a slightly later date is the Capitolium (temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva).

Ostia itself was provided with all the services a town of the time could require; in particular, a famous lighthouse. The popularity of the Cult of Mithras is evident in the discovery of eighteen mithraea. Archaeologists have also discovered the public latrinae, organised for collective use as a series of seats that allow us to imagine today that their function was also a social one. Ostia had a large theatre, many public baths (such as the Thermae Gavii Maximi, or Baths at Ostia), numerous taverns and inns and a firefighting service. Ostia also contained the Ostia Synagogue, the earliest synagogue yet identified in Europe; it created a stir when it was unearthed in 1960-61.

So: why going to Ostia Antica?

1-            It’s closer to Rome: just 15 miles.

You’ll have a lot of spare time for more activities.

2-            It’s larger that Pompeii and just as well preserved.

Pompeii was buried in ashes and mud. Ostia was only abandoned.

3-            It’s cheaper.

No need to book a 3-hours-per-way expensive day-tour. Do you take kids with you?

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

1 FREE ITALIAN LESSON.

It's about time to give you the upgrade and 10 minutes of FUN!

You have been out and about in Italy; so it's time to give a small rewarding upgrade in recognition for all your efforts in communicating with locals and surviving even as you had no knowledge of the language.

A new emoji on the rise

We will leave this task to Mr. Aurucci, a seasoned, through and true Neapolitan gentleman, who will introduce you to our extensive world of sign language.

After some minutes in his video, you will be naturally able to use complete sentences and make yourself understood.

Whithout even speaking.

Daydreaming about your next trip to Italy? Start learning, and you will bring joy and enthusiasm with your new skills also to us Italians.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

3 GOOD REASONS TO STAY OUT OF ROME (?!)
And you'll love it!

Continuing with our show of palces to stay avoiding crowded cities (you are here to relax, don't you?) we wil introduce today the magnificent Tarquinia.

A view of Tarquinia, idillic place outside Rome.

Tarquinia, once called Corneto, is a very old city in the area of Viterbo,  mainly known for the ancient Etruscan tombs located in the vast necropoleis (cemeteries) were it is buld upon. It is a place awarded by UNESCO with the World Heritage status. In 1922 it was renamed after the Tarquinii (in Roman) or Tarch(u)na (or as it was by the original inhabitants: the Etruscan).

The main necropoleis of Tarchuna, that you can partially visit, is Monterozzi; with approximately 6,000 tombs, 200 of which include amazing and very detailed frescoes, even if they are actually tumulus tombs with chambers carved in the rock below.

Tumulus tombs of Tarquinia

The paintings are of a quality unrivalled anywhere else in the Etruscan world and give us an amazing insight into the secretive world of the Etruscans which is scarcely documented.

There are depictions of banquets with dancers and musicians, sporting events, occasional erotic and mythical scenes. In the late period underworld demons escorting the dead on their journey to the beyond including scenes in the nether world were depicted, and also processions of magistrates and other symbols of the rank of the eminent members of the families buried there.

Frescoes in the Etruscan style

Famous tombs to visit are – among others – the one of the Bulls, the Tomb of the Augurs and the Tomb of the Leopards.

But you would prefer some activity, maybe, while your kids are visiting somewhere else?

Some more fresh air, some quietness and relax?

Well, Tarquinia can easily be your perfect spot! There is a beautiful Golf Club with a very friendly fly! What about it?

Non-surprisingly it's called Tarquinia Country Club and it is a very interesting and relaxing Executive golf course, with no great difficulties; sounds just like what you needed to take a break while keeping your score.

So now you know:

1 - Tarquinia is not far from Rome.

It's just one hour drive!

2 - Tarquinia is a must to visit.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site

3 - You can practice a lot of open air activities.

And golfing too!

More to come in our next blog; we like to know you travel prepared and have it planned ahed to maximize your fun, enjoy your holiday, and make all your family happy.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

1 PLACE YOU MUST VISIT OUTSIDE ROME
There are actualy more...!

We continue with a selection of places that are worth visiting for their culture and history; where family can be entertained, need for knowledge satisfied and, most important, children can get some fresh air and run around.

TIVOLI.
Located east of Rome, at less than 1 hour drive from the city center of Rome, it is a small town on thop of a hill.
The main attractions are (if you do not have the whole day to visit) Villa Adriana (Hadrian's Villa) and Villa D'Este. There is also Villa Gregoriana, a park developing into a gorge with a beautiful natural waterfall. A really tempting walk, as it is all downhill, but when you are looking back to return, it is a steep way up; you must consider it.
You can find some nice organized tours here, for Tivoli. You can arrange them on your own, or leave it to us. We suggest you have a look, however.

VILLA ADRIANA

The villa was constructed at Tibur (modern-day Tivoli) as a retreat from Rome for Roman Emperor Hadrian during the second and third decades of the 2nd century AD. Hadrian is said to have disliked the palace on the Palatine Hill in Rome, leading to the construction of the retreat. It was traditional that the Roman emperor had constructed a villa as a place to relax from everyday life. Previous emperors and Romans with wealth, such as Trajan, had also constructed villas. Many villas were also self-sustaining with small farms and did not need to import food.

The complex contains over 30 buildings, covering at least a square kilometre (250 acres, an area larger than the city of Pompeii), of which much is still unexcavated.

The complex of the villa contains many structures from different cultures. For example, the villa has a small Nile river running through it that relates back to the Egyptian Nile river. Also, the villa had Poikilos, which are Greek figures that were seen in ancient Greece. Within all the structures in the villa, there is also a grotto called Hades. All these structures relate back to where Emperor Hadrian visited during his reign.

VILLA D'ESTE

The Villa d'Este is a 16th-century villa in Tivoli, near Rome, famous for its terraced hillside Italian Renaissance garden and especially for its profusion of fountains. It is now an Italian state museum, and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

The fame and glory of the Villa d'Este was above all established by its extraordinary system of fountains; fifty-one fountains and nymphaeums, 398 spouts, 364 water jets, 64 waterfalls, and 220 basins, fed by 875 meters of canals, channels and cascades, and all working entirely by the force of gravity, without pumps.

The result is one of the finest gardens of the Renaissance, rivaled only by the Villa Lante, the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Villas Aldobrandini and Torlonia in Frascati. The garden and water features were admired and imitated over the centuries in gardens from Portugal to Saint Petersburg.

More to come in our next blog; we like to know you travel prepared and have it planned ahed to maximize your fun, enjoy your holiday, and make all your family happy.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

GET BETTER SOON!
We'll see you soon around, or a Wishing Well postcard from Italy.

As we wait for the results for the race to the cure of this contemporary virus and as we rediscover the beauty of spending more time at home while silencing the monitors with all their bad news, we think of you.
We think of all your dreams undone because of a cancelled trip, of your expecations for visiting the many treasures of our country, of your desire to make an even better trip as soon as you can.

So here, in RHI, we are preparing more and better, to be ready when you will be.
We are selecting our guides, our suppliers, our hotels and are really looking forwad to proving that we have not been sitting idle all this time.

Gest well soon, to all our friends around the world; see you soon!

Oh, the picture is not still from a movie. It's a statue carved in 1621 by a 23 years old guy, by the name of Bernini. One of the many, yes 😊

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

BREAKING NEWS! NO SANITARY EMERGENCY.

We just learn from this article in Cope.es that a group of 61 students has left Spain towards Italy some days ago.

The happy teacher explains in the available audio that after talking with Health Spanish Authorities, the health committee of Andalucia and the Spanish Consulate in Italy, he has been told that there is NO sanitary emergency.

Keep your thoughts clear from fear, check facts, keep calm and ... travel to Italy!

We are RHI and we care about your time in our country: let's make it worth and pleasurable.

INDIANS AND ITALIANS DO LOOK ALIKE!

Gruppo Zenit - text: Brothers!

As you can see in the blog of Gruppo Zenit, we do share dark hair, olive skin (And we do everything to resemble each other more: Italians spend hours in the sun or make lamps to tan, and Indians use every type of cosmetic cream to whiten, even the most hidden corners of the body); we like to talk, not necessarily just with the people we know; we like to discuss politics, sports (soccer or cricket) and scandals that never fail; we speak with the mouth as much as with the body (Italians use their shoulders as much, Indians use their heads); in Italy we have an elaborate system of gestures, in India of mudras; Mum is always mum, and don't touch the family!

In this video from comedian Russel Peters you can also see some funny points that makes us look alike.

Considering this and you personal experience you could as well think about travel to Italy for your next holiday; so come see you "cousins" and discover our hospitality and traditions!

We are R.H.I. ad organize family and groups travels to Italy.

Contact us:

Mail: sales@rhigroup.it

WhatsApp: +39 329 919 32 95

Facebook: facebook.com/reservationhotelsitaly

Twitter: twitter.com/GroupRhi

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/rhidmc

FINALLY: Italy is a safe country!

For additional information click here.

It is safe to live in Italy and it is safe to travel to Italy.

Only 12 out of 7904 Italian cities are affected by such measures:

•             Lombardy: Bertonico, Casalpusterlengo, Castelgerundo, Castiglione D'Adda, Codogno, Fombio, Maleo, San Fiorano, Somaglia, Terranova dei Passerini.

•             Veneto: Vo’ Euganeo

The remainder of the country, including the Italian regions where the cities in temporary isolation are located, is safe and accessible. All services and activities for citizens and tourists are normally provided and the quality of life, for which Italy is famous world-wide, remains high.

For additional information, please consult the following links:

•             Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

•             Ministry of Health

•             National Institute of Health

•             EpiCentro, portal of epidemiology for public health

•             World Health Organization

The Italian National Health System, among the most efficient in the world, immediately implemented procedures directed at safeguarding citizens and tourists. Intense controls made it possible for the Italian Government to monitor and contain the spreading of Covid-19 from the earliest diffusion outside the Chinese borders.

The adoption of extraordinary preventive actions, such as the temporary closure of several sites or the suspension of several events, represents cautionary measures which have nothing to do with the spreading of the virus throughout the Italian territory. All services and activities for citizens and tourists are normally provided and the quality of life, for which Italy is famous world-wide, remains high.

MiBACT - Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale

Ministero della Salute

3 TIPS FOR TRAVELLING TO ITALY WITH KIDS

Italy has a name for being a "family" country; and we are not talking Godfather, here...

We italians adore our family and the most important part of it is the children. They are our future, our legacy and our pride and joy.

But when it comes to travelling with kids we also have questions and perplexities: too many museums? Will they like to spend time in an art city?

We propose you a reading in the website https://ournextadventure.co quoting: who needs to visit the Uffizi when the entire city of Florence is a walking museum? A favorite family-friendly sites included Boboli Gardens, Mercato Centrale, the carousel at Piazza della Republica, and Piazzale Michelangelo.

Italy offers will offer in many of its cities, if not all, big squares and large gardens; as Katherine Edwards points out in her blog: https://www.thelocal.it/20170322/parks-gardens-to-visit-in-italy-spring-nature-flowers-travel there is plently of spaces where to reconnect and bond with your loved ones in a magnificent display of nature.

So, when planning your trip to Italy with kids, remember:

1 - LEAVE THE STROLLER AT HOME.

Narrow streets and bumpy roads only make it a seldom used burden.

2 - PACK LIGHT

Those cobblestone streets and busy trains don’t have room for your gigantic luggage.

3 - GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH FOR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD
With pizza or pasta on nearly every menu, you’ll have little to worry about with picky eaters: the food in Italy is extremely kid-friendly.

See you soon around our beloved Italy!

RHI - Reservation Hotels Italy

3 GOOD REASONS TO USE R.H.I. ...or more!

R.H.I. is a consolidated and thriving DMC (Destination Management Company), serving the B2B segment of the tourism industry. We put our 35 years of experience at Your service: we respect You as a Partner, we  value You as our Client.

You are at the center of our attitude and endeavor. We bring You our industry experience, business knowledge and detailed territory expertise.

We suggest a vast portfolio of hotels; we have large allotment agreements in many of them.

We propose restaurants - from Gourmet to the local Trattoria or farmhouse- we organize minivan and bus transfers and any other service You may require so that your Clients can discover – hassle free - the extremely varied landscape of our beautiful country.

Staff:

The experience achieved by our qualified staff, speaking 8 languages, allowed us to understand the mentality and the various needs of different markets in the world today.

That is why we are able to offer you All the services in all the major Italian cities like Roma, at Your expected standard of  cultural, traditional and customization level.

Commitment:

We commit to be your DMC by giving you:

·        quotations and services in a timely fashion;

·        the best experience for Your Customers in each occasion;

·        all necessary insights and updates through our website so that You can make the best use;

·        the flexibility in following up Your needs that only a experienced DMC can bring;

·        a capillary availability of services in Italy;

·        courtesy and professionalism at any level, from the request till departure of the Group from Italy;

·        assistance by our Operators reachable on Mobile or WhatsApp 24 hours a day, 24/7, all year round.

What we do:

We are big enough to take care of your requests quickly and in a convenient economical format; but we still behave like a small unit focusing and verifying each single step; making Your tour a tailor-made experience.

No request is “business as usual”: they are all different, because they are Yours.