Tour guides and tour leaders in Italy have a pretty sweet deal. They spend their time surrounded by Italian art, history, and food, and they get to share it with others (sign us up, please!).
Tour guides and tour leaders in Italy also have the scoop on best ways to prep for your Italian adventure. Italy Dreams interviewed Tuscany-based tour leader Renata De Masi, and we definitely learned a lot based on her experiences. If you’re with a tourism agency and you’d like to work with her, you can find her contact information at the end of this article.
Italy Dreams: So, how did you become a tour leader?
Renata D.: I think I was born a traveller! Since I was a teenager, when my parents said that we were to take a trip, I was filled with joy! Packing, visiting new places, meeting new people, new foods…everything seemed fascinating.
Growing up I continued to travel in Brazil (I was born in Brazil from an Italian family) and abroad but strangely enough, I did not decide to work in the tourism industry.
I was working in an office for years and years. Then, I decided to change everything and take a sabbatical from work and move to Italy. My life changed for real—I married a Florentine and got into the Italian mindset of tourism!
In this wonderful country where art and beauty are everywhere, it enticed me to become a tour leader. And I’m so glad I did. It’s just the job for me, both the beauty and being in contact with people.
I love seeing the joyful faces of my tourists when we arrive in Tuscan cities!
Florence, Italy, where you can see part of the Duomo (cathedral).
Italy Dreams: For how long have you been a tour guide in Tuscany?
Renata D.: I’d like to specify that I’m a tour leader. In Italy, there are differences between a tour leader and a tour guide, and we must respect the differences.
To become a tour leader, you have to pass a licensing exam at a regional or provincial office to obtain a license. After that, you also have to obtain a license issued by your municipality of residence, and then you’ll be registered in the regional register of tour leaders.
To become a tour guide, you must take a National Licensing Examination for the profession. After passing the Licensing Examination, candidates will be enrolled in the National List of Tourist Guides established at the Ministry of Tourism.
So, back to me. I have been a tour leader since 2016 after passing the licensing exam. I started the Tour Leader course in 2015 and it took almost 9 months of study. I did 450 hours of practice with an agency. When I got my license, I started to work for that agency.
Italy Dreams: Where are some of the places that you take tour groups? Which places are most popular?
Renata D.: Tuscany is a wonderful region of Italy and even if you live here, there is always a place to discover. Sunday is the famous day for the ‘giratina fuori porta‘ (Sunday outside tour). Every Italian likes to do that.
Florence is an open-air museum and should be visited with a tour guide who will tell the story of the Medici family and how they loved this city.
Basically, we do daily tours from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, the Chianti area, Pisa, Lucca, Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano.
Every day we take tourists to these cities, and people end the day with so much beauty inside that no photo can ever express the reality!
As a first approach, these tours are very good for those who do not want to plan the trip themselves and don’t want to worry about transportation and various logistics.
One special city I’d like to mention is Volterra. Volterra is a city founded by the Etruscans and is famous for alabaster working. There is so much to see in this town and its historic center is very beautiful! (Note from Italy Dreams: Volterra is the city that appears in the movie “Twilight: New Moon.” )
Certaldo, the upper part of Volterra, is a walled Medieval Village and the lower part is modern. It is famous in the summer for its Mercantia Festival where you will find art, dance, theater, music and juggling throughout the streets of the town.
There is so much to see and so many other cities to discover!
Italy Dreams: What are some questions you commonly get from visitors about places you visit?
Renata D.: Some tourists are very interested in Italian art and history. For example, there are unique places in Italy, such as the towers of San Gimignano or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so these places normally have a lot of curiosity.
People also ask a lot about the food and wine of each Italian region. They ask me about when it’s OK to drink a cappuccino. Let’s dispel the myth: It is not forbidden to drink a cappuccino after 12 o’clock. Sometimes, you can even snack on a cappuccino. But we don’t drink cappuccino with pasta. Noooooo! Pasta should be paired with a nice wine.
Italy Dreams: What are a couple of things that you think visitors should know before visiting Tuscany or Florence?
Renata D.: A lot of the cities in Tuscany are UNESCO Heritage Sites, and the buses can’t enter inside the city center. They have a parking lot made especially for them, and we walk with the group to the destination.
My advice is to wear comfortable shoes in order to enjoy the tour.
Prepare your trip in advance and obtain information about the cities you want to visit.
Know that most of the sites in Tuscany were populated by the Etruscans and they began their settlement high in the hills as a matter of defense.
Italy Dreams: What advice do you have for someone visiting Italy for the first time?
Renata D.: Here are a few suggestions:
1. Book tickets in advance. Italy is sought after, and tickets for attractions run out quickly. To avoid being disappointed, it is best to book tickets in advance.
2. Carry some cash. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
3. On regional and local trains throughout Italy, it’s important to validate your ticket before getting on board. Once you’re at the rail station, look for a green machine in which you can place your ticket to have the date and time stamped. Anyone who forgets is liable to pay a fine, which ranges depending on if you pay the controller on the spot.
4. If you go on a tour with a tour guide or tour leader, they should have a license prominently displayed, so you are sure it is a professional in good standing and not a bogus one.
5. In Italy, food is serious business, and table etiquette is always highly valued. Dress appropriately and be patient if the service is slower than you are used to. A few words in Italian like grazie and prego are very welcome!
6. Pay attention to the calendar of village festivals where you are visiting. It is a lot of fun to be able to participate in events with Italians!
7. Prior to booking a tour, read carefully all the activities that are included or if something is optional. Sometimes, you can lose a good chance to do a guided tour or enter inside a wonderful cathredal.
8. A large number of artworks and tours are done inside the churches. Dress appropriately or otherwise, you will not be able to enter.
Italy Dreams: How can people get in touch with you for tours?
Renata D.: Certainly. We tour leaders are freelancers, and we can work with any travel agency in the world; we cannot work with individuals. If any tourism agency is interested in my work, please email me at demasire@hotmail.com.
We will wait for you here in Italy!
Italy Dreams 