“Italy isn’t a destination you conquer. It’s one you’re welcomed into,” says Simone Amorico, co-founder of the Rome-based Access Italy, a destination management company.
“At Access Italy, we’re here to make that welcome feel warm, personal, and unforgettable.”
He must be on to something when you consider that Oprah Winfrey trusts Simone and his brother/co-founder Marco as well as their father Angelo to plan her Italy trips.
So do Sylvester Stallone, Stanley Tucci (Mr. Italy himself), Emily Blunt, Jessica Alba, and several other well-known celebs.
Although Simone discreetly declines to answer questions about his celebrity clients, you can tell they must be happy with the results from the smiling photos these famous folks have posted on social media.
“What we can say is that what people are really searching for is connection: with the place, with the people they meet, and with the moment they’re living,” Simone explains about his company’s clientele.
What Access Italy Offers
For Access Italy and its staff of 40, their sweet spot is an itinerary designed exactly around the client’s wishes.
“Every viaggio (trip) is tailor-made, seamless, and designed around the people traveling, never around a template,” Simone explains.
The company began in 2009 by Angelo Amorico; Simone and Marco now lead the firm along with their father. The 40 team members are destination experts, travel designers, and local insiders.
Simone says that their personal relationships with artisans, historians, winemakers, families, and hotels across the country bridge together thoughtful travelers with these locals.
The vast majority of the guests working with Access Italy are American.
“They share the same mindset. They don’t want to just see Italy, they want to live it,” Simone says. “They travel with intention, preferring quality over quantity and meaningful moments over rushed checklists.”
Team members usually work with 2 to 8 guests when designing a trip and sometimes groups of 10 to 14, including extended family. Travel groups may be couples, families, or small groups of friends.
With a focus on tailored, luxury travel, the travel designers at Access Italy will speak with guests about their exact needs and desires for the trip. This could mean coordinating a completely private visit to a famous museum, choosing upscale Italian hotels and villas, or organizing a Michelin-star dinner with your travel partners.
Of course, don’t forget other classic Italian experiences like:
–Cooking classes or even a home cooking class with the Amorico family
–Early-morning visits to famous sites
–Personalized shopping tours
–Yacht excursions
–Private events
Access Italy also can lead you to fewer crowds at the busiest destinations. Again, just ask Oprah. Here’s a testimonial from her shared on the Access Italy website:
“If you’re ever in Italy, call these guys! Angelo has been showing me the best of Italy for 30 years now. His sons were toddlers and now Simone and Marco have joined the business. We were in and out of the Coliseum in an hour! Same for the Vatican. Their company is aptly named, cause they have real ACCESS!”
(Find pics of Oprah and bestie Gayle King’s time in Italy, along with some pics of Angelo, at the link here from Oprah Daily.)
Another fun way to discover just how a trip with Access Italy might work is a description on the company website of the Anderson family experience. The Andersons collaborated with the company to plan their southern Italian trip in 2023.
The top areas that Access Italy visits with clients include Rome, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast/Capri, Venice, Lake Como, Puglia, and Sicily.
For places a little more off-the-beaten path, their travel designers will direct guests to places like Piedmont (in northeastern Italy), the Dolomites (where the recent Winter Olympics were held), Umbria in central Italy, and the island region of Sardinia.
“We often combine iconic destinations with lesser-known regions to create balance and surprise,” Simone says.
5 Tips to Plan Your Trip to Italy, Courtesy of Access Italy
If you’re dreaming of Prosecco and pasta after reading this article, then Simone has a few tips to help you with your Italy plans:
- Don’t cram everything into one trip. “Italy is about depth, not checklists,” Simone says.
- Balance cities with countryside. “It changes the rhythm of the trip,” he explains.
- Take to heart recommendations on when to go to specific destinations. Timing matters as much as where you’re going.
- Leave room in your trip for the unexpected.
- Contact Access Italy to set up your trip. “Save time and energy. We plan, you Prosecco,” Simone says.
Find Access Italy online here and their contact page here. You can also find them on Instagram here and on Facebook with the name Access Italy.
Buon viaggio!
Italy Dreams 