SOLO/INDEPENDENT WOMEN...
It may seem like a scary concept, but there’s absolutely nothing to stop you from travelling alone. Hitting the button to ‘book’ may feel like a leap of faith, but as our repeat clients would testify, there’s no looking back!
And, as there is no single supplement – you can have a small apartment/ double room for yourself at no extra cost!
If you’re looking to explore the wonders of Tuscany, a treasure trove of beauty and culture, but prefer not to be on your own, then what better than to join a group of gal pals to accompany you along the way.
Cortona, where we will be based, is a small hilltop town in Tuscany and one of the most charming small towns in Italy. Blessed with a hilltop position overlooking the ValdiChiana and Lago Trasimeno, a historical city centre with bustling piazze, shops and eateries, along with museums, churches and cultural secrets, it is a place that seduces anyone who sets foot down its dark main street to reveal its gorgeous main piazza. Furnished with your very own WoW guides, who know the nitty gritty of Cortona, its colourful characters, local hang outs, what to eat and wear and do , where and when, for those truly in the know, you’ll wonder why you didn’t sign up before.
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WHO ARE OUR SOLO TUSCAN HOLIDAYS FOR?
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You’re single?
Looking to avoid single supplement charges?
First time solo traveller?
Frequent independent traveller?
Partner doesn’t want to join?
Regular group can’t make it this year?
Just looking for an excuse for another holiday?
Ready to make some new travelling companions?
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Whether you’re used to travelling alone or simply taking some time out for yourself – the relaxed and friendly atmosphere on all our solo holidays is geared towards allowing you to be part of the group when it suits and having time on your own when you want to.
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In terms of organisation, once you’ve signed up to a WoW Sun Tour, you’ll be delighted to discover that we aren’t just a ‘rep’, but more of a companion/fixer/organiser/ personal guidebook who travels with the group. As your hosts and cicerones, as we say here, we’ll hold your hand from your arrival in Italy to your departure at end. We don’t just aim to be good, we aim to be WoW!!
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Prior to your departure, our WhatsApp group will put you in touch with your fellow Tuscan gal pals, so you can share tips, travel plans, queries, or more simply just get to know each other before meeting. Your transfer taxi will be waiting at a designated point at our selected pick up airport, and we will be waiting to meet you at check in at your accommodation. All our wonderful activities and itineraries will be prearranged to make sure that each day runs smoothly, whilst dinners, lunches and coffees will be seamlessly slotted into our favourite spots to keep each day organised and compact. We will be right by your side with advice, help and translation when needed, suggest the best food and wine of the local area and help you to use those famous Italian hand gestures for added effect!!
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​Of course, you will arrive as a solo but by the end of your tour you will have made lifelong friends and will be part of an exclusive group.
Many clients return to join the same group of solo travellers each year. Indeed, being an independent traveller is only stressful if you aren’t in the right hands, but here at WoW Sun, you’ll find that our experience, enthusiasm and knowledge mean we have got your Under The Tuscan Sun Dream holiday absolutely off pat.
All you need to do is relax, enjoy, and let us lead the way.
SOLO HOLIDAYS - A TYPICAL DAY ON A WOW SUN TOUR
You’ll have been collected from the airport by our lovely Taxi Man, and helped to settle into your private and discreet Tuscan villa nestled at the foot of the hill in Camucia. You’ll have sipped a little Prosecco on arrival and been for a wander round the endlessly charming and quintessentially Italian medieval hilltop town of Cortona, where you’ll also have dinner that evening.
Accommodation
Your tour price includes single use of a double room in your own chic and quirky mini apartment in your Tuscan Villa at the foot of Cortona. You will have access to the kitchen, dining area, living area, garden and swimming pool. The sun is up, as it usually is, you’re in sunny Tuscany. You’re now ready for your first WoW day at large in the Valdichiana.
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A typical Day
If you have opted for a Live Like A Local Experience, we will ask you to be ready, usually around 9 o’clock, to take you on that day’s chosen itinerary. Using our trusty WoW Sun Van, or sometimes departing on foot from the Villa, we’ll whisk you into the sunkissed countryside for a new Tuscan Adventure every day. With us as your hosts and the best of Tuscany at your disposal, you’re spoilt for choice! To give you an idea of what’s on offer at WoW Sun, take a peek at the itineraries section to see what we get up to. Some of our day trips are standard stalwarts and always there in our weekly programme, whilst others may be added to take account of What’s On locally that week ( think local Sagra or jazz festival), or equally to take account of seasonal events such as olive or grape picking.
After a morning’s exploring, we’ll stop for lunch. This could be true local fare, informal and rustic, or a discerning and elegant stop at some of the finest gastronomic spots in the region, Wherever it is, the food will be fresh, the company good, and the scenery spectacular.
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Afternoons may involve another activity, such as a soak in the local spa baths, situated in rock pools in the forest ( it’s where the locals go!!) or a relax back at the Villa, before we pick you up for apero and dinner, or arrive to organise a pizza night or BBQ round the pool. Each day is different, and aims to take in the best of local Italian life and Italian traditions. We’re even including a few Italian lessons for you to practise on the locals!!!
If you’ve opted for a Book Club Adventure, your morning routine will be a little different. After the same luscious breakfast, we’ll meet in the shade of one of the group’s terraces, to have a very informal discussion of a few chapters of the novel. Before you arrive in Cortona, we’ll have sent you a complementary copy, and have asked you to have read the first three or four chapters. Each day too, we hope that someone different will kick start the discussion and present their thoughts on interesting aspects of the text. We’ll spend roughly an hour every morning on this, followed by a description of the day’s itinerary, which will always be based around an event or character or setting in the book.
Built into the day’s itinerary, whether it’s sitting in the Rose Gardens in Florence, or relaxing in that woozy state after a splendid lunch, or round the pool in the afternoon, we’ll give you an opportunity to read on for a few more chapters, so that you are ready for the next morning’s discussion.
Mostly though, the pace of your week will be largely in the same vein as the Live Like A Local Experience; breakfast, long lunches, a book related day’s itinerary, apero’ and another long eating fest of fabulous local fare.
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I’m travelling solo – who will I be touring with? You’ll be with other independent travellers in a small but exclusive group of no more than 8, plus your dedicated guide/host for the week.
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How will I know where I am going? Trust us, we’ll take you to all the places that are worth going to. Whether it’s towns, rural beauty spots, restaurants or just small cafés, we’ve got them all up our sleeves.
We’ll have done all the planning and assessed the weather and conditions prior to heading out each day. We’ll continue to assess the day as it progresses to ensure your enjoyment and entertainment.
Unlike some tour companies, we do not assign you a different ‘rep’ each day, we assign you a dedicated guide who will be escorting you all day, every day. *excl. self-guide day.
We have roughly 20 years of accumulated local knowledge and will mix it up from the more well-known surroundings to places you would never have found out about without us taking you there.
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How will I know the best places to stop? We will have pre-selected the best cafés for morning coffee and cappuccinos, we’ll already have pre-booked lunch – to avoid queues or not enough spaces. We’ll also be able advise you on the best spots for those enviable photos, freshly brewed coffee, or if you’re feeling particularly jolly, prosecco and aperol spritz stops, the best places to stop for a tad of retail soul soothing or perhaps someone might fancy a small trip to the hairdressers or fancy a pamper at the local beauty salon- we can organise it all.
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Do I dine with the group? Yes. We encourage our guests to dine together to share the day’s experiences. This helps create an empathetic group dynamic.
Dinner will be either in one of our selected local restaurants serving the finest of local specialities and gastronomic goodies and is included in the price. Lunches, coffees, ice creams and extra snacks are not included and are at the guest’s expense.
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There will also be a complementary aperitivo on the evening you arrive, where you will be welcomed with a glass or two to get that ‘house party vibe’ going, and there will always be red and white wine and prosecco available at the Villa should you require a relaxing top up after a busy Tuscan Day.
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We aim to add a true personal touch to your WoW Sun Week. Not only will you have experienced a side to Italian life that few people get to be part of, but you’ll have arrived as a client, and left as a friend.
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Solo. TUSCANY. WoW!