Travel Tips

Counting Bags

it may seem infantile, but DO take a count of your belongings, to facilitate recounting, both at the airport and later on. "1 big bag, 2 small bags, red purse, brown camera bag." Then always take a quick count. Our most harried clients are those who have been pick-pocketed and lost a passport, but our saddest are those who left their cameras and photos on the last train out. 

Accomodations

A word about "villa renting" - Many Americans (especially surfing Internet sites that have lofty descriptions of villas) have an idea that country homes are MORE elegant than hotels. Rather, Europeans (this is telling) refer to country-rentals as economical, do-it-yourself accommodation. We are very much in favor of country-rentals because they mean you save money, and that you have the intention of exploring an area in depth rather than rushing through it.

Still people should know what they are getting into:

The vast majority are farm-stays - either agriturismo (a working farm which by law must make at least 51% of their income from farming,) or case-vacanze (vacation homes created out of age-old country homesteads.) Few are an actual villa in the Italian sense of the word, as in a palatial noble residence.

You SHOULD spend less on a country-rental than on an average hotel because no one will make breakfast or your bed for you, or clean for you (unless you arrange and pay for maid service), and there is no restaurant. The vast majority of rentals have no phone, at least not for outgoing calls (consider buying a cheap Italian cell phone).

The minimum booking period for many of the high-demand country-rentals is two weeks in high season. Nearly all have a one week minimum. The standard rental period is from Saturday to Saturday.

When might you be better off staying in hotels? If you plan to be on the go every day and travel in many regions of Italy, returning only to sleep in an out-of-the-way farmhouse, you may end up spending in gasoline and frustration what you save on that farm-stay rental cost. In this case you might well be better off taking the train between major cities, instead of using a rental car, and stay in hotels.

On the other hand, you might love a country-rental more than any holiday you've ever had if you instead plan to spend most of your time within a two-hour or so radius of the farmhouse, and take evenings or full days of 'down-time' to relax by the pool or shop locally, or you are reuniting with family.

We work with local agents and local owners to place our package tour clients, and are happy to pass on some names and numbers to you if you contact us. There are lots of villas-to-rent over the Internet but renter beware!

ASK a lot about where you will be staying.

Get a GOOD MAP. Try mapblast.com. or www.expedia.com- maps section.

Get PHOTOS of the house inside and out, and the view

Be sure to ask the DISTANCE in DRIVING TIME and not just in kilometers, preferably from specific areas. Realize that curvy roads mean more driving time.

When calculating COSTS make sure you've added all the extras, such as maid service, final cleaning, etc.  Be honest with yourself about maid service; will you clean up after yourselves?

Hints to help you enjoy a country-rental:

• Grocery shop on the day of arrival. This is inevitably a Saturday, and though you are tired, DO it, because Sunday everything will be closed. Don't go hog wild, though, as fruit and veggies spoil quickly, and bread goes stale the day after it is made. 
• If you plan to do laundry, look for small boxes of detergent in tabs on that first grocery run so you can do this annoying chore in the least amount of time. But don't delay in getting started as Italian washers take 2 hours to do a load. You will almost never see a dryer. Plan to leave time for clothes to drip dry on racks (always supplied).  
• On your first or second day the owners, by law, will want to register you for the police. If they "forget" to do it, though, don't worry; you're not in trouble. If you're stopped by the police (highly unlikely,) be vague about your arrival time and tell the owners (immediately) that you've been stopped so they can get that paperwork done! It's a simple form to fill it out, or give your passport to the owners for them to do it.
  • Write the required details, usually on the line below.
  • Note last name is COGNOME; first name is NOME; date of birth, written as dd/mm/yy, is NASCITA; etc. English translations are usually next to the Italian word. ONE person in each family fills it out, and then on the right side lists all the other family members.
• Summer renters, learn to use window shutters.  Americans love to throw open windows for the morning sun but shutters serve the important purpose of keeping the room cool, especially for the night. At least make sure you CLOSE the shutters when you leave in the morning.
• Another Italian trick is JUST AFTER YOU TURN OFF THE LIGHT at night to sleep, only then open the WINDOW, and keep SHUTTERS closed. The fresh evening breeze will cool your room, no one will see in, and the mosquitoes won't bother you if you open up in the dark!
• Fall renters, learn to be frugal with the thermostat. Lower it or turn heating off when you're out, unless you're happy to pay. You will be shocked at its cost in Italy. Make sure you thoroughly understand how you'll be charged; by the hour?, cubic meter? Ask about firewood, generally a cheaper way to heat as you hang out in the evenings. 
• Italian bathrooms sometimes contain the boiler (your source of hot water.) So, be suspicious of light switches that do not turn on lights; you might have just turned off your hot water!  Hang out your towels to dry right after you use them (outside, even) so you won't be disappointed the next day that they are damp.  
• Gas cook tops, and electric ovens, are the norm. Please learn where is the source of gas, a tap usually, and know how to turn it off when you leave the apartment.  
• If your hosts are around, get friendly to the extent you can. It will make your experience much more memorable. Try their wine or oil; agriturismi are working farms. See if they sell fresh eggs. If it's harvest season maybe they will show you the process up close. Some places do a meal once a week with guests, and the food is almost certain to be terrific and reasonably priced, as well as an opportunity to socialize with Italians.

For more accommodations suggestions, see the Resources page.

 

Packing Tips

Here are some things which clients have found important and useful to have -- or sorely regretted having:

Money belt:

Put cash not in an easily-pickpocketed place, either a money belt or around the neck compartment. 

Cell phone:

You may prefer to buy one here instead of renting. A cell phone can come in handy, especially if you are renting a car, or if you are with a large group that, say, might split up while touring. However, as you check out GSM rentals (usually from UK) keep in mind two cost factors.  

A NEW gsm here can cost as little as $100 total (including several euros worth of phone calls), and you'll have it for all your future travels in Europe;

To receive calls costs nothing, while outgoing calls will be pretty reasonable.

Unless you need fancy services (internet for example) you might well save money by purchasing a phone at a shop on your first stop in Italy. The phone will be activated after about 24 hours; the time taken to register your name and number.

If you are touring with us, we can sometimes rent you one of our limited number of Nokia phones, no bells and whistles, just good simple phones but reasonable price and delivered to your hotel, with the added benefit that you know your number ahead of time. ASK.

Note: You may only use cell phones while driving with a hands-free headset. If you need one, it's an "auricolare" in Italian. Otherwise, stop the car if your phone rings, or face big fines.

Photocopy of passport , kept with numbers to cancel credit cards if your wallet is stolen.

Keep a copy separate from your passport, in case its lost or stolen. If you lose your passport you must get a replacement (no matter what the Italian police may tell you) in order to return to the USA. Having a photocopy of the original greatly simplifies the process.

The U.S. consulate in Florence can get a duplicate in about two hours time for $60, plus the cost of passport photos. You can have new photos suitable for American passports done at Photo 90, Via del Prato 1, Firenze, close to the American Consulate. Tel: 055-2657719.

Opera Glasses:

Bring them if you have them. You'll find them a tiny addition to your suitcase and an invaluable tool for better appreciating ceiling frescoes and other far-away or detailed objects of art (and, of course, the opera if you plan to attend!). 

Light Rainproof Jacket : Useful if traveling in spring.

Stroller:

Yes, if travelling with children who can fit in it and if you normally are big stroller-users. Roll it right up to the plane and let the hostesses stow it. Fight with the people at the Paris airport if they seem not to let you through. (looking desperate generally comes easily to traveling parents in this kind of situation). If space is a concern, bring a cheap umbrella stroller that's light. Use it to schlep bags if child is walking. Changing your mind in Italy can be expensive; you CANNOT buy one here for less than $80!

Driving in Italy

For very useful links on driving go to resources/transportation. 

Even if you have driven in Italy before you will want to note these recent laws, both for your safety and to avoid huge fines:

• The blood-alcohol limit is now .05. The equivalent of two glasses of wine is enough for an Italian to lose their license. Take care when out wine-tasting to stop and eat, wait between wineries, or nominate a non-drinking driver.
• You MUST drive with lights on except on minor town roads. Remember to turn them on (and off when you park!!)
• You must NOT use cell phones behind the wheel, unless with a headset ("auricolare" in Italian.) Stop the car to respond if your phone rings.

Considering renting a car and driving along the winding, romantic roads of Tuscany? Take a few minutes to glance down the list below.

Should I be doing this? If you want to visit less-touristy areas alone, or stay in a farmhouse in the countryside, yes. If you plan on visiting city centers and staying in hotels, probably not. Trains are well connected between city centers and in some cities (e.g. Venice) you cannot drive at all. 

Where should I arrange to rent the car? You will find a better deal in the USA arranged through your travel agent. See a guide book like Rick Steve's Italy for suggestions about the insurance you may want. For comparison's sake, in Siena a small car costs about €65 per day or €290 per week with a 100 km per day limit, and a van for 9 costs about €145 per day or €660 per week. 

What about licensing? According to the Carabinieri (one of Italy's police forces) you only need your own driver's license and passport. Their numbers ought to be recorded on the rental agreement.

What kind of expenses will this add to my budget? In addition to the cost of the car itself:

• Gas costs about $6.00 per gallon.
• The highway (autostrada) costs something like €5.00 per hour of driving. You can avoid this cost by taking superstradas, if you are comfortable driving on two-lane highways.
• Parking costs from about 65c (street parking) to €1.30 (public car parks) per hour. In big city centers and garages it can be quite a bit more. Hotel garages tend to cost around €15.50 a night. There is, of course, free parking if it can be found. Tourists ought not to expect to find it very often!

Will it be easy to navigate? Will I get lost?

The road system is pretty logical but different than in the USA. You may never easily see the ROAD NUMBER as marked on the map. Therefore, keep the map handy, note the road number, but more importantly note the CITY NAMES en route to your journey's end. These are what will guide you at intersections; eg, Milan vs. Florence or Florence vs. Rome. Directions North or South won't be given.

You might try to buy a good (detailed) map before you leave. If you cannot find one, in Italy try Touring Club Italia maps (AAA equivalent.) A good internet site for mapping seems to be www.expedia.com - go to "maps". Useful for finding a specific town or farmhouse, but not for maps of the entire nation!

All kilometers are not equal! That road that looks like spaghetti winding through the Chianti countryside is sure to be spectacularly scenic, and equally sure to take a VERY long time to drive! So, plan your time accordingly (and take Dramamine if you are a passenger.)

What areas do I want to avoid when driving? In order of insanity: Naples, Palermo, Rome, Milan, Florence. Remember, stop signs and speed limits are "suggestions"  in much of Italy; Naples and south they are completely ignored! Risk of car theft or belongings in a car is also highest in these areas.

What about parking?

FREE parking is indicated by white lines, though you must also carefully read the nearest parking SIGN for applicable restrictions; eg, before or after a certain hour, one hour only, not on Tuesdays for street cleaning, etc. In many cases you must use the "disco orario", the little clock on your windscreen, to set your time of arrival. If there's a one-hour limit, say, and you set the clock at 10 am, you'll be finable after 11 am.

Many PAID-parking areas have self-service meters where you insert coins and receive a little time-stamped ticket to put on your dashboard. Garages generally supply you with such a ticket to take with you and then to pay the cashier before withdrawing your car. 

I can't read Italian, what about the road signs?

Road signs in Europe generally have only pictures and not words. An interesting site for road sign graphics and safety tips in Europe is http://www.travlang.com/signs/.

Please do STUDY them. Driving is such a fact of life in the U.S. that it is easy to take for granted, but your safety and that of others on the road is a serious matter. To not understand a road sign (no entry, no passing for example) or to not know the rules (no right on red) can turn a delightful holiday into a terribly dangerous one.

Money

Changing Money

Get a few euros from your bank before you leave. Have about 100 euros AND SOME COINS. You will want 1 euro coins to operate the luggage carts at the airport, to buy a drink at the bar, etc.

Plan  to use your ATM card or VISA where you can. Cards offer a good exchange rate, and avoid lines and closed banks. Ideally bring more than one ATM card if you can. Occasionally a card simply won't work at all. Cirrus is more commonly found than Plus. See credit card warning below!!

For locations of ATM machines, please see the Resources page.

CREDIT CARD WARNING: Tell your credit card company in writing that you are going to Italy. Otherwise, they may block your card once foreign purchases start to add up, for your own protection. Also, if you plan to make ATM withdrawals, change your password to NUMBERS (not letters). Finally, bring along those all important numbers for cancelling your cards (and keep them separate from the wallet)  in case you lose or have your wallet stolen. 

Shopping

Opening and Closing hours

This is something that will drive the traveler nuts. There IS regularity (though less than a few years ago) about when things close, and it changes according to season. Gradually the laws are softening, beginning to allow individual shop owners to decide on opening hours. However many families dread the change.

If you find a place closed, jot down the hours for your next stop. In the summer, expect: 

• Shopping hours in the morning are usually from 8.00 or 9.00 am till 1.00 pm and in the afternoon from 3:30, 4.00 or perhaps 5.00 pm till about 8 pm.
• The work week for general shops includes one day and/or an afternoon off. The period depends on the type of business.
  • Shops in general close all day Sunday and on Monday mornings.
  • Grocery stores close all day Sunday and often also at least Monday morning though in the Siena province its Wednesday afternoon they have off.
  • Hardware stores close all day Sunday and in the Siena province have Saturday afternoon off.
  • Hairdressers are closed both Sundays and Mondays.
• Post Offices in small towns normally do not reopen after lunch. Buy stamps at Tobacco shops.
• Banks have good morning hours (8.30 am to 1.30 pm) but VERY brief afternoon hours, often something like 2.30-3.30 pm. They close all day Saturdays and Sundays.
• Restaurants post their closure day, usually one per week. For many its Monday evenings so call ahead before driving far to that special little place out in the countryside!  Ask at a local bar which restaurant is open if you visit a town on Monday.
• Business offices usually close both Saturdays and Sundays.

Many shops and businesses close for up to three weeks holiday, often in AUGUST. The reason is simple. Most businesses are family-owned and operated, and the only way for the family to have time off is to close.

Phones

There is probably no MORE expensive way to call home than by using the many American-operator calling-card services.  If your mobile company gives you a good rate, and you have a GSM card, that might work well. Or, see "cell phones" above. 

If you do not bring or buy a cell phone, by using Italian pre-paid international or local (national) phone cards and public phones you will save lots of money. It is a little harder than in the past to find these public phones but in places like train stations you will see them. 

These cards can be bought in most tobacco shops and some bars. They are called "scheda telefonica", pronounced "sceydah telehfohnicah", and are available as either "internazionale" or "nazionale". They cost €5, €10 or €20.

Remember, with the national public phone cards, you have to TEAR OFF THE UPPER CORNER before inserting it into the phone. To dial the USA simply dial 001+areacode+ number. To dial Italian home phones dial 0+city+number. To dial mobile phones drop that zero.

Also, if you see a bar or tobacco shop with a phone sign outside, there is probably a phone with a counter "scatti" on it. You ask "telefono??" and they point. You call, then pay according to the "scatti" on the meter. 

Cell phones are cheap and another attractive option if you are on the road. See Packing Tips above.

 

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