Every experience page on Italy2Love compares bookable tours sold on Viator, and every one follows the same method. This page explains how we choose experiences, what the labels on our pages mean, and how we earn money. In short, we read, compare and explain. We do not sell tours, and no tour operator pays us to be listed.
Last updated: September 27, 2026
How we choose experiences in five steps
- We start from a real trip question. For example, “shared or private boat on Lake Como?” or “which Trastevere food tour?”. Each page answers one choice a traveler actually faces.
- We shortlist tours on Viator. We look at tours that match that question and that run in the place and season the page covers.
- We read the numbers on the partner page. For each option we record the Viator rating, the number of reviews, the duration, the group size and the “from” price shown that day. We write the month we read them, for example “checked September 2026”, because these numbers change.
- We read the conditions. We note what is included, where the tour starts, and the cancellation policy as shown on Viator. If something is unclear on the partner page, we say so or leave it out.
- We compare and explain. Most pages set two options side by side and say who each one suits, and who should skip it. Where there is no clear winner, we say that too.
What the labels on our pages mean
- “Italy2Love selection” means the tour passed the steps above: it answers the page’s question, it is bookable on Viator, and its rating, reviews and conditions were read on the partner page on the date shown.
- “Independent assessment” means the comparison and the advice are written by Italy2Love. Tour operators do not write, review or approve our pages.
- “Top-rated” on our lists means the tours are ordered by the Viator rating and the number of reviews, as read on the date shown. It is not a paid position.
- Prices appear only as “from about $X” with the month we read them. The live price, availability and final conditions are always the ones on Viator.
How we choose experiences we do not include
We leave a tour out when:
- its rating or number of reviews is too thin to say anything useful;
- its conditions on the partner page are unclear or contradictory;
- it does not answer the question the page is about, even if it is popular;
- it would repeat another option on the same page without adding a real choice.
Also, we do not describe experiences as if we had taken them ourselves unless that is true. Our pages say what the partner page and the reviews report, and they say so openly.
How we earn money
Italy2Love is a Viator affiliate. When you book through a link on our site, Viator pays us a commission, at no extra cost to you. Bookings are completed on Viator, not on this site. The commission does not depend on which tour you pick, so we have no reason to push one option over another.
Affiliate links carry a disclosure above the first link on each page, and they are marked as sponsored in the code. We do not accept payment from tour operators for placement, and we do not publish paid reviews.
How we keep pages up to date
- Every page shows a “Last updated” date.
- Ratings, review counts and “from” prices are rechecked on a rolling basis, and the month of the check is shown next to them.
- Rules that change often, such as city tourist taxes, the Venice access fee or museum booking rules, are linked to the official source and rechecked when those sources change.
- If you spot something out of date, you can tell us through our contact page.
Who writes these pages
Pages are written and checked by the Italy2Love editorial team, with Tony, a Rome-based guide who travels across Italy. You can read more about us on our About page.
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