Two months after a quiet launch in June, Alitalia Airlines and Gate 1 Travel have announced a partnership to create a new packaged travel division of the Italian airline brand, Alitalia Vacations.
Alitalia Vacations includes packages to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Israel, Egypt, as well as Danube River cruises with a total of 57 different itineraries.
Independent and escorted tours include air service from Alitalia's seven North American gateways: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, and Toronto, from which Alitalia has nonstop service to Italy. Service from other North American cities is available with a gateway connection.
Rates for the new packages, operated by Fort Washington, Pa.-based Gate 1 Travel, are priced from $1,749 per person, air-inclusive, for eight days .
Using Alitalia Vacations' "Vacation Builder," travel agents and consumers can design a custom vacation using any combination of destinations and accommodations. Clients can choose additional city-to-city transportation options, including air, rail, car or bus, as well as optional sightseeing, excursions and tours.
Destinations include Rome, Venice, and Florence as well as combination tours that package Rome with Amsterdam; Vienna; Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest; London; Cairo; Barcelona; Jerusalem; or Tel Aviv. There are also some escorted tour programs available.
The vacations are available on the Web site, Alitaliavacations.com, and in the new brochure.