Useful Information
| General. These notes are intended to help ensure that you have as much information available as possible when booking a property through Italian Encounters. They are designed to make your booking and your stay here as trouble free as possible and are not in any way intended to be too officious or to alarm you! If you make a reservation please read these notes in conjunction with the Booking Conditions and with all the details about each individual property. |  |
Other Properties
In collaboration with another local Italian company we can also offer
a range of other properties covering not only the same area of the Tuscany
Umbria borders in which we specialise, but also the regions of Le Marche,
Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, Apulia, Sardinia and Rome as well.
So, if one of our own properties is not available for the period in which
you are interested then you may like to browse www.villaonline.biz There is no extra charge to you from the prices quoted on this web site.
We can make the reservation for you as if it was one of our own properties.
Our Properties
The Location. Most of our properties are located close to the Upper Tiber Valley near the Tuscany Umbria border, just north of Lago Trasimeno. Many are in the renowned Niccone valley, the valley of castles, centred on Mercatale di Cortona. A few are located further south in Umbria near the historic town of Todi. The towns of Arezzo, Assisi, Citta di Castello, Cortona, Gubbio, Montepulciano, Orvieto, Perugia, Pienza, Siena, Spello, Spoleto, and Todi to name just a few of the local sights, are all a short drive away. Firenze and Roma are also easily accessible as well. To see the general area where all our properties are located within this part of central Italy please click onto the page entitled Map
Rental Periods. The rental periods are listed under the description of each individual property. These highlight the period for which the property is available during the year and also the minimum duration of an individual booking. The changeover day is normally Saturday, though some properties do have a different or flexible changeover day. During the winter months there is sometimes slightly more flexibility with the rental periods and changeover days, so please discuss any special requirements.
Included in the Rental Price. Unless otherwise stated the rental price includes the consumption of electricity, gas and water (for normal general usage), and the use and laundry of bed linen and towels. If your consumption of electricity, gas or water is judged to be excessive the owners may ask you to pay extra.
Not Included in the Rental Price. Unless otherwise stated utilities and items such as central heating, firewood, telephone calls, meals or any other service provided by the landlord are not included in the rental price. Where appropriate the cost of these, or any other such items, must be paid in the local currency to the key holder prior to, or on departure.
Breakage/Cleaning/Security Charges. Some landlords use an agency to administer the rental and maintenance of their property and some of these agencies require a credit card authority to be signed before admittance is allowed. You will be aware from the details about the property if this applies to your property. The appropriate form will be sent to you with the booking conditions.
Some landlords ask for a returnable breakage/cleaning/security cash or cheque deposit on arrival. You will be aware from the details about the property if this applies to your property. Please have the appropriate funds ready to give to the key holder when you arrive.
In other properties, instead of taking such a deposit, we ask you to tell the key holder about any accidents that may have occurred and to replace any breakages before the end of your stay and/or to leave the appropriate payment. This aspect of the booking conditions is made on trust, but any costs incurred to rectify breakages or undue cleaning will be invoiced to the client, who by making a reservation accepts such liability.
Maximum Occupancy. The details of the property show the maximum numbers of people that are allowed to occupy the property. The owners reserve the right to cancel your reservation if you abuse this policy.
A few properties may have the ability to accommodate one or two additional people than the quoted maximum occupancy, but these extra persons will normally only have the use of a sofa bed or equivalent and there will be an additional charge for each extra person. No additional people are allowed without prior permission.
Approach Driveways. The white gravel roads that lead up to many of the properties from the main tarmac/blacktop/asphalt roads are called strada bianca (white road). Some of our guests have found these to be a surprise, but they are quite normal approaches for rural properties in Italy (many of which of course are old farmhouses). So, now that you know, please remember this is not downtown New York or London, and please do not be surprised! They are all quite manageable, (the locals have used them for centuries with horses and more recently with cars) but some of them are quite steep, some have loose gravel, some are rough and some are in better condition than others ~ particularly after any rain storms. None are really suitable for low slung sports cars, so if you are planning to hire such car, or bring your own, then you are strongly advised to ask about the driveway for your property.
Central Heating & Open Fires. Some, but not all, of the properties are available all the year around and for the winter months you will definitely find you need to use the central heating and/or the open fires/wood burning stoves. The cost for usage of the central heating and firewood is high in Italy and as is the custom with most self catering properties throughout the country the owners make an additional charge for their use. This is of course associated with a lower rental price during these colder months. There is no uniform system for calculating this additional charge, and to be fair it is difficult to calculate exactly unless a separate meter system is used solely for the central heating system, something very few properties have installed. You are strongly advised to check the system of charges which each individual property landlord uses. (The description of each property on our website shows what system of charging is used or the price levied.)
Some landlords, having been financially stung by guests who put the central heating on full for 24 hours and then depart for the day with the windows left wide open, are very sensitive to the over zealous use of the central heating. All landlords reserve the right (as the booking conditions spell out) to make additional charges if there is such insensitive and excessive use of the heating system. Do please check on this aspect if you are booking for the winter months.
Arrival & Departure Timings. . To avoid any clashes between arrivals and departures ~ and also to allow the owner of the property to ensure that everything is quite ready for your stay ~ we ask you very kindly not to arrive before 5 pm (unless otherwise advised for some properties) and to depart by 10 am on your last day.
The key holder will know your approximate arrival time from the one you submitted with your booking proforma. If you have not already submitted this then please do let us know well before you set off. Please phone or contact the key holder well in advance if this time changes. (The driving instructions will give you the contact telephone number/email address for the key holder)
Our self catering properties are not hotels and some of the key holders, who may have to drive some distance to meet you at the property, may not be available to give you the key if you arrive too late. (The implication being that you may have to find somewhere else to stay that first night!) There is no specific cut off time which covers all the properties, but if you have not notified us about a late arrival on your booking proforma, then generally speaking it should be not later than 7 pm. So, as a matter of courtesy anyway, do please let the key holders know if you are going to arrive later than the time you have said.
Should it be necessary to alert you to any last minute changes to the arrangements for collecting the key to your property we have found it very useful to have your mobile telephone number. So, you may wish to check that we have this on your completed booking proforma or send it to us before you depart from your home.
The main point about arrival times is to bear in mind that it needs to be well planned and should not be left to chance. We are very aware that your arrival can be a daunting experience ( is the property going to be anything like the web site describes and that sort of thing!) and a hiccup on the timings and meeting up with the key holder can have a dramatic effect on your whole holiday. So, please help us to help you!
Linen & Towels. Linen and towels are provided and these will be changed for clean ones at the end of each week.
Not all properties provide towels for use outdoors or for swimming pools, so please bring your own towels for these activities. Those properties that do provide pool towels will have the fact publicised in the details about the individual property. If in doubt please just ask when you make your reservation.
Linen for any baby cots will not normally be provided.
Water. You may have heard that a plentiful supply of water is a critical aspect of a trouble free life in rural Italy ……. it is! Many of the properties have their own wells and depending upon the time of the year the supply of water can be uncertain. In the unlikely event that you should actually run out of water the owner will make alternative arrangements, but the message is really not to be too surprised if it does, and above all to use water sparingly ~ no car washing, no taps left running etc. The water from most of the wells is drinkable and indeed has a natural taste you may have long forgotten, but if you have any doubts then use the bottled water which is available in all the shops.
The Drains. Nearly all our country properties have their own septic tanks. If you are from the urban jungle this snippet of information may make little sense to you! However, it is very important to realise that if you put anything down the loo that a loo is not designed to receive, it will become blocked and the quality of your stay will deteriorate rapidly! This is really not the place to itemise all those things that are "taboo down a loo" but basically anything that will not disintegrate quickly, like nappies and rubber products, will come back to haunt you! If in any doubt … please just don't, as it will be very difficult to provide anything in lieu of the loo while you are there!
If the septic tank is located close to the house you may occasionally be aware of a smell that only septic tanks can create. This does occur particularly after a rain fall. If the smell becomes overpowering then contact the key holder, but please be aware that this rural life!
Standard and Safety of Utility Services. If this is your first visit to rural Italy you may be amazed at how efficient you find your own utility services when you return home! You should not be surprised when the electricity fails because of power cuts or the power supply is not able to support the simultaneous use of more than two or three electrical appliances. This is one of the very sensible reasons why Italians in the countryside use the sun to dry their damp towels, do not have freezers, but buy fresh food every day and why spin-dryers are rarely seen! The safety standards that you will find in the properties are those that apply to Italy and you should not therefore be surprised to discover that they may not be of the same standard as those you would find in your own country.
Air Conditioning. Very few of our properties have air conditioning. We mention this only because some of our guests ask about it in this first place! Along the same theme as the previous paragraph the rural electricity system could not cope with it and of course it has to be the ultimate energy waster. A recent enquiry about the availability of cross ventilation prompts us to say that some properties have fans in the bedrooms for use in the hottest months, but otherwise this can be provided by opening the windows!
Property Styles. Many of the properties are family owned and they reflect their accustomed style and standards. You would not be, or should not be, choosing a holiday here in Italy if you were expecting an identical life style to your own back home, so do not be surprised when you find that it is different here. Some of the lighting, décor, bed sizes, fittings and room layouts might not quite be to your own individual taste, but then it wasn't designed to be!
Fire Safety. You will not find many smoke detectors in the properties (open fires and wood burning stoves play havoc with the system.) You are strongly advised to acquaint yourselves with the location of any fire extinguishers and escape routes on arrival at your property.
In the summer months the countryside can become tinder dry and fires become a prevalent problem. Never underestimate the ferocity and speed with which these fires can spread. If you see one and are able to assist in extinguishing it at an early stage please do so. If you are invited to leave the property because it is judged that there is potential danger, do leave as quickly as possible. Please help to prevent this danger by taking great care with any cigarette stubs and barbecues.
Cleaning. Some of our properties include cleaning in the rental price at some time during your stay. You will be aware from the details about the property if this applies to your property.
Some properties can organise extra cleaning at cost. Please ask at the time that you make a reservation or talk to the key holder on arrival.
For all our properties we ask you to very kindly leave the property in a clean, tidy and safe condition on departure ~ fridge empty, garbage removed, furniture returned to is original location, bathroom & kitchen tidied, doors & windows secured and any other measures requested by the property owner.
Provisions. The properties are rented on a self-catering basis, apart from the hotels and properties which provide bed & breakfast facilities. This means that meals and household provisions are not necessarily provided. You are therefore advised to bring any personal culinary or toilet item with you, or alternatively be prepared to acquire them when you arrive. Please do replace any of the basics that many properties do leave for you.
Some of our guests who are unfamiliar with Italian shop opening times are delighted to discover that all the shops are open in the evening until about 1930 or later, including Saturdays. So, you should have plenty of time to stock up with basics before, or after, your arrival on the first evening. Not many food shops are open on Sundays or national holidays.
A few properties will provide arrival hampers with a selection of the basics to see you through to the next day. The owners of La Palazzina will prepare, for a charge, a meal with wine and leave it in your fridge for you. If you require any of these services please just ask us at the time you make a reservation.
Telephones. Only a few of the properties provide a telephone. The use of mobile phones in Italy is wide spread and the coverage is now fairly good, even in the rural areas. If you deem the need of a phone to be essential we recommend that our guests bring their own GSM type of mobile phone with them. Alternatively, leave it at home and enjoy a really stress free holiday!
To phone the UK from Italy dial 00 44 followed by the number, but omit the first 0. (This includes making a call to a mobile phone in the UK, as well as a UK mobile phone that may currently be travelling in Italy!)
To call Italy from the UK dial 00 39 followed by the number and DO NOT omit the first 0.
To make a call to anywhere within Italy from anywhere within Italy dial the full code and include the first 0. To make a call to an Italian mobile phone omit the first 0 on any number that you might have been given. (All Italian mobile phones dropped the first 0 a while ago).
Television & Video/CD Players. Not all of the properties provide these electrical items. Those that do will have the fact publicised in the details about the individual property. The televisions may only have access to the local Italian terrestrial network.
Swimming Pools. Only a very few of the swimming pools are heated. Generally they will only be open from the beginning of May (some from the beginning of June) until the end of September. If you are booking at either end of this period please check on the availability of the pool.
Pets. Pets may only be brought by guests with the prior permission of the property owner and this may attract a charge to cater for the additional cleaning. The prevalence of a poisonous type of snake in the countryside should be taken into account if you are considering bringing your favourite city pooch that may not be country wise!
Wildlife. Nearly all our properties are located in rural surroundings and like anywhere in the countryside in any country in the world it is inevitable that you will see some wildlife. Lizards, mice, bats, snakes, buzzy flying things all live here.
The small viper snake (similar to the UK adder, but much more venomous) is one to avoid. It is not life threatening for adults, but should you be bitten by such a thing you would be well advised to go straight to the nearest hospital. The other snake you may see is the grass snake ~ quite long and therefore quite a shock, but actually quite harmless. For some of our guests the small scorpion, which is native to Italy and whose sting is no more dangerous than a bee, can be a surprise. If you are lucky you may see porcupine, wild boar and deer. During the hot summer months some of the smaller local wildlife do venture inside to share the cool of the house!
If the prospect of seeing wildlife is alarming to you, then you may wish to consider selecting somewhere in the concrete jungle of the towns instead!
Hunting. Hunting in rural Italy is an ancient tradition and an integral part of country life for the locals which is taken very seriously indeed. If you are more used to that type of hunting which encompasses the downing of the stirrup cup and the meeting of the local hunt on the English village green, then be prepared to be surprised! If you are visiting here from about mid September to mid February you should be aware that on certain days of the week you will inevitably be woken in the early morning by the crash of shot guns and or rifles and the baying of dogs in quite close proximity to your property! This is hunting Italian style and there will be no sign of any riders in pink nor any sound or toot of any tally ho at all. For those not used to rural life this may come as a bit of a shock and like my comments about wildlife above you may wish to retreat to the smog and noise of a town if the prospect of this is all too daunting! The hunting season coincides like a theatrical farce with the funghi hunting season, so there is always a classic dilemma for hunters of both kinds and accidents do happen. Country walking on hunting days is probably better delayed until another day. The culinary upside of all this autumnal and winter activity is that the prey of both types of predators will end up on the table of many restaurants you frequent and you will quickly forget and forgive any early morning rage you may have experienced!
Mosquitoes. It would be silly to say that there are no mossies here in Italy, but although some locations may be worse than others it is not a major issue here in this part of central Italy. As always, preventive action is the best course and if you are susceptible to these little blighters then bring your own remedies with you.
Other Animals. Some of the owners may have domestic pets or farm animals at, or close to, their properties. If you feel that this could cause you any concern then do please enquire when you make your reservation.
House Book. All the properties should have a house book which will tell you how things function in the property. Some books will be more extensive than others. Contact the key holder if you need any further instructions.
Rubbish. There is no rubbish collection in rural Italy. Place your rubbish in plastic bags and take them to the nearest skip that you will see located on the road side. If you leave these bags outside over night do not be surprised to find them open and scattered about after the attentions of some wild animal on their nocturnal passeggiata!
Life Continues as Normal. We hope that you will have all the tranquillity at your property that you have wished for, but in the towns and in the countryside the daily life for the local Italians continues as normal ~ church bells ring, cockerels crow, dogs bark, birds sing, butterflies flap their wings, farmers are early risers, tractors make a noise, the guns from the hunters are not silent and it is not unknown for road works and building construction to occur! While we hope that none of these will disrupt your holiday I know you will understand that we are unable to influence such vagaries of life ~ indeed it is part of life!
Booking Procedures
Making a Reservation. You may make a tentative reservation by telephone, fax, email or letter.
We will then send you our Booking Conditions which will ask you to complete
and sign a Booking Proforma which forms the contract between you and Italian Encounters. Any tentative reservation you may have
made will not be confirmed until both this proforma and the appropriate
deposit are received by Italian Encounters. We will subsequently ask you
to send the balance of the rent ten weeks before the start of your holiday.
On receipt of this final payment we will send you a sketch map and some
driving instructions so you can find your way to the property, details
of any security deposit that might be payable on arrival, details of where
you can collect the key to your property and the contact details of the
key holder.
Insurance. It is a condition of Italian Encounters accepting a booking that guests are adequately insured against any eventuality and you will be asked on the booking proforma to declare that you are so insured. By making such a declaration it will be assumed that this insurance fully covers all financial aspects associated with medical expenses, personal luggage, personal accident, personal liability, accidental loss or damage of or to property, cancellation of booking, legal expenses and any sort of emergency. You must provide yourselves with adequate insurance that it is appropriate to your own country of residence or domicile and which is effective from the moment you make a booking.
Transport and Travel
Arrangements
Local Airports.
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This map shows you the airports in the local area that provide easy access to our properties. All these airports have car hire facilities.
The following approximate driving timings from these and other airports to the area where most of the Italian Encounters properties are located will help you choose your best destination.
Milano: 4 - 5 hours
Pescara: 3 - 3.5 hours
Roma (Fiumicino & Ciampino), Pisa: 2.5 - 3 hours
Bologna, Rimini: 2.5 hours
Ancona, Forli (Bologna): 2 hours
Firenze: 1 - 1.5 hours
Perugia: 30 - 40 mins
Air Flights to Italy. The new no frills airlines in the UK now make Italy one of the cheapest destinations in Europe. These are some of the airlines that currently fly into Italy from the UK, but do please note that this information is only current at the time of writing and is subject to considerable change, along with the whole of the air industry.
British Airways
- From Heathrow to Milan and Rome
- From Gatwick to Bologna, Genoa, Pisa, Naples, Rome, Venice, Bologna,
Pisa
- From Birmingham to Milan, Venice, Turin, Rome
Alitalia.
- From Gatwick and Heathrow to Rome
- From Heathrow to Milan
- From Dublin to Milan and Rome
- From Milan to Perugia.
Meridiana
- From Gatwick to Catania, Florence, Olbia.
Aer Lingus
- From Dublin to Milan, Rome.
BMI Baby
- From Cardiff and East Midlands to Milan.
BMI
- From Heathrow to Milan.
Easy Jet
- From Stansted to Bologna, Milan, Naples, Rome, Venice
- From Gatwick to Milan
- From Bristol and East Midlands to Venice.
Flybe
- From Birmingham and Southampton to Milan.
Volare Airlines
- From Gatwick to Venice.
MyTravelLite
- From Birmingham to Pisa and Rimini.
Ryanair
- From Stansted to Alghero, Ancona, Brescia (Verona),
Forli (Bologna) Genoa, Milan, Perugia, Trieste and Turin.
- From Bournemout to Pisa
Driving to Italy. The approximate distance from Calais is 990 miles. For the young at heart
this is a 16 hour, or less, non stop doddle. For the less young at heart
and for those that relish the slow lane it is a one night stop somewhere
just north of the French Alps.
By Train to Italy. Regular services depart Waterloo for Milan. The nearest railway station
in our area is Terontola (near Cortona) on the main Firenze - Roma line.
The luxurious Orient Express departs London and reaches Venice in 31 hours.
By Car/Train to Italy. If you compare the price of taking a 2/3 night journey by driving with that of taking the motor rail car train service it works out at about the same and makes it a less stressful and quicker way of bringing your car here. The Belgium motor rail service starts at Denderleeuw and has destinations in Milan & Bologna. The French motor rail service runs from Calais to Nice. At the time of writing there is some debate about whether these services are going to continue.
Travel Within Italy. Whatever your mode of travel to Italy might be you will need a car while staying here. The main reason for this is because none of the properties, with a couple of exceptions, are within comfortable walking distances to the shops. Part of their charm after all is the fact that their location is in secluded and tranquil positions. Public transport here in the countryside is irregular and infrequent and the lack of your own transport will certainly deny you the opportunity to visit all the magical sights that the area has to offer, quite apart from making shopping a chore rather than an exciting adventure.
Trains Within Italy. There are a number of rail lines close by. You may wish to travel to some of the places you want to visit by train, particularly to Florence and Rome. Note that you need to get your ticket stamped before boarding the train in order to validate it for your journey; otherwise you will surely be fined. Look for the small orange/red coloured machines by the ticket office or on the platform and insert your ticket as instructed. The cost of train journeys in Italy is amazingly cheap and it is a really good way of travelling.
Maps. As soon as the final payment has been made we will send you a sketch map with some detailed driving instructions so you can find your way to your property and the key holder. You will find that this sketch map is quite adequate, but the purchase of a map of Umbria or Tuscany will certainly assist. The Touring Club Italia and AGIP publish good maps which are available at the airport, or at larger service stations on the auto strada. The general location of the property can be seen on the page entitled Map on our website.
Passports & Visas. For those travelling from within the European Union it is still necessary
to have a passport, which should be valid for at least three months beyond
your return date, but no visa is required. For those of you coming from
further abroad it is recommended that you check with your appropriate
consulate prior to travelling. For those nationalities without an ID card
your passport will provide a critical document for when you encounter
some of the daily Italian bureaucratic idiosyncrasies. For information
about the UK passport service contact the 24 hour advice line on 0870
521 0410.
British Consular Contacts. Milan. Tel: 02 723001. Florence. Tel: 055 284133. Rome. Tel: 06 4220 0001
Health Requirements. There are no current health requirements for travelling within Italy. If you have personal medication requirements then it would be sensible to bring sufficient supplies for the duration of your stay. However, the chemist/farmacia in Italy will probably be able to provide you with what you need, although it could be marketed under a different trade name.
Medical Treatment. If you are travelling from the UK you should bring your E111 form with you which will cover about 75% of doctors and hospital bills. (The new E111 forms, now a plastic card called the European Health Card, are obtainable from Post Offices) As we have already highlighted it is assumed that you are fully covered for all medical expenses.
Car Hire. We always recommend that our guests make all the arrangements and payment for car hire before they depart. It normally works out to be more economic if this is done. Some airports may have their main depot away from the airport, so it is a good idea to insist that the car is available for you at the airport itself.
Driving Licence. Some local Italian authorities will not recognise the UK's green driving licence issued before 1986, so it would be best to replace it with the latest version. To hire any car you will need to have held a full and valid driving licence for at least 12 months. Other nationalities are advised to check with their appropriate authorities.
For those nationalities without an ID card your driving licence, like your passport, can become a critical document and you are recommended to carry it at all times.
Car Insurance & Car Log Book. If you are driving here you should check that your car insurer provides the same level of protection as at home. The UK's Green Card is officially no longer required, but many local authorities still insist on it. You may therefore like to ask your car insurer to issue you with such a Green Card; despite the fact that they will tell you it is unnecessary! Bring your car log book with you, or if you are using somebody else's car, bring a letter of authorisation from the registered owner.
GB Sticker. If you are driving from the UK it is apparently compulsory to display this sticker at the rear of your car ~ why I do not know!
Driving Hints
Petrol. Unleaded petrol is indicated by the sign "benzina senza piombo" ~ literally "petrol without lead." At the time of writing diesel (gasolio) is still cheaper than petrol.
Autostradas. You will need to pay a toll to use most of the Italian motorways and not all in central Italy will accept credit cards, which is a good reason to have some cash with you from the moment you arrive. You can purchase prepaid Viacards for use on the autostrada, but otherwise head for the manned booths in order to pay. Beware of getting in the wrong queue, as you will receive very little sympathy from the drivers behind you when you ask them to back up!
Around & About
The Local Area. The page entitled Local Area will give you a flavour of some of the delights that await you in the immediate area around property.
Currency. Like the rest of Europe, well most of it, Italy has launched itself into the Euro and after some misgivings is slowly coming to terms with the serious lack of 000,000s on all their bank notes! In rural Italy cash is still king and you are advised to bring some with you to cope with your first few hours ~ not least for that airport trolley, that cup of coffee after a turbulent flight, that autostrada ticket and that telephone call to check that the cat is still being fed!
ATMs are now much more common than a few years ago and you should have no difficulty in obtaining money from these holes in the wall if you have a VISA/MASTERCARD type plastic. Similarly, many more restaurants and petrol stations now accept plastic.
Some financial advice would have you believe that traveller's cheques bring peace of mind. After you have experienced an hours queue at the wrong counter in a bank to obtain some Euros you may find that a few seconds at an ATM is less stressful!
Shop Opening Times. Opening times for nearly all the shops are from 9 am to 1 pm and then from 4.30 pm to 8 pm ~ the afternoon riposo is an essential part of the Italian lifestyle! Some shops will be closed for their holidays (chiuso per ferie) during the summer. Not many food shops are open on Sundays. A lot of shops, restaurants and particularly galleries and museums are also closed on Mondays.
Restaurants. The local restaurants reflect the passion that Italians have for their food! The house books in your properties should indicate the location of the nearest eating places, but you will soon discover them anyway ~ there is no shortage!
Their specialities will reflect the cuisine of the local area and the season. The opening timings, indeed meal times in general, have sometimes confused those of our guests from non European destinations! Breakfast in Italy is a cup of coffee and maybe a pastry and unless you are staying in one of our hotels do not expect to find anywhere that provides any more than this. Lunch (Il Pranzo) is the big meal and restaurants will start serving at about 12.30 pm and stay open until about 4.00 pm, although many will cater for longer feasts! Dinner (La Cena) for an Italian in his home is normally a much more subdued affair. However, restaurants will of course cater for the insatiable evening appetite of visitors, but will not open until about 8 pm. So, if you are used to supper at 5 pm do not be surprised to find guests leaving restaurants after a long LUNCH at this sort of time and being told to come back in another 3 or 4 hours for your supper
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Meals and Cooking Instruction. As an alternative to visiting a local restaurant Italian Encounters can introduce you to a choice of chefs that will provide a memorable treat on your Italian holiday with us. We can provide chefs that will captivate you with their hands on cooking demonstrations and instruction. Alternatively, or as well as cooking classes, our chefs will come and cook for you in your own holiday home so you can really indulge yourself with carefree meals. Please just ask and we will provide details. |
Alimentari. These are the small corner shop equivalents and stock a collection of all the basics. One of their greatest assets is the fact that they open all hours and very often seven days a week. Some are easy to identify, others are disguised as tabacchi (see below) or simply as bars and may have little more than a shelf or two of food products
Butcher (Macelleria). Nearly every village has a butcher ~ this is a serious meat eating area! You will also find a butcher's department in all the supermarkets
Tobacconist (Tabacchi). All villages have a tobacconist ~ this is a serious smoking country! These shops, which have a licence to sell cigarettes (and historically salt!), in fact nearly always sell a whole range of items including stamps and very often wine and grocery staples as well. They are normally open all day and everyday except maybe Wednesdays. Look for the blue sign with a white T.
Chemist (Farmacia). They will sell you many items you would need a prescription for at home. Take your old packet or bottle of medicine and they will most probably give you more of the same, albeit with a different trade name.
Baker (Paneteria). If you hanker for good bread seek out the local Paneteria.
Bank (Banca). Only open from 8.30 am to 1.0 pm on Monday to Friday. Take your passport and be prepared to wait! Most have cash dispensers (ATMs) located close by.
Trains. The cost of train journeys in Italy is amazingly cheap and it is a really good way of travelling. Note that you need to get your ticket stamped before boarding the train in order to validate it for your journey; otherwise you will surely be fined. Look for the small (normally yellow coloured) machines by the ticket office or on the platform and insert your ticket as instructed.
Buses. Tickets must be purchased in advance as they cannot be bought on the buses themselves. They can be bought at most tobacconists, newspaper stalls, and most coffee bars. As on the trains, always validate the ticket by getting it stamped by the automatic time puncher which you will find on the bus itself.
Carabiniere. New laws recently introduced allow the Carabiniere to make on the spot fines for not wearing seat belts and for not having your headlights on during the day ~ and night!
Internet. Many of the local towns and villages now have internet shops/bars.
National Holidays. Nearly every town and village has their own local holidays in honour of their Patron Saint. On the following national holidays you will find all the shops, banks and schools closed, though many restaurants and bars will remain open:
Holiday Notices. These can sometimes for confusing!
Chuiso per ferie (closed for the holidays)
Orario feriale (weekday timetable)
Orario festivo (Sunday or holiday timetable)
Giorni festivi are public holidays, giorni feriale are working days or
weekdays and le ferie are holidays. Now you know!
Markets. Always good value and an Italian way of life. Stalls are set up in the streets and squares and will sell fruit and vegetables and everything else imaginable. Each village and town normally holds one every week starting early morning and finishing about lunchtime, which of course is another very important aspect of Italian life! The larger ones are in the following local towns:
Antique Markets/Fairs. The local area has plenty of antique shops in which to browse and many towns have regular fairs which can provide real entertainment, though you may not find any true bargains.
Climate. Any comment on the climate will produce as many contradictions as agreement, so this has to be an unscientific and personal view. However, it is a common misperception that Italy is warm the whole year around! We light our wood burning stoves for the chillier evenings sometime during the end of October and generally keep them burning until the beginning of following April. January and February can be very cold with frosts most nights. Local folklore would have you believe that the last frost of the year occurs on St Mark's day sometime in April and that is usually fairly accurate. However, most of the winter days are also clear with bright blue skies and any of the infrequent snowfalls melt within a few days or even hours. A lack of queues for the art galleries, crisp and clear weather for walking and cosy open fires in your house to return to in the evening makes the winter a great time to visit. From the beginning of May until the end of September it is warm. June, July and August are definitely hot with temperatures rising to the high 90s F/mid 30s C and the evenings are warm enough for you to eat outside. Rain is not common during these summer months and generally occurs more in late October and November than in the other months. The one comment about the weather which always generates mutual agreement is that there are seldom those grey and dank days associated with some prominent islands across the Channel in more northern European climes!
Best Time Of The Year. This has to be another personal view as everybody has their own opinion on this vexed question! Some relate it to the weather ~ sun or snow, some for the culture, some for the opera and concerts, some for the olives, wine, flowers, fungi, game or specific vegetables, some for the lack of queues at the art galleries, some for the light for painting, some for the rugby, football, grandprix, skiing, sailing, some because it is just, ……….. Italy. There is something here to delight some people all the time, all people some of the time, some people some of the time. We love it here all the time! Italy is one of the few destinations in the world that everybody seems determined to experience at least once in their life time. Those that do come here regret that they never came earlier and then keep returning!
Finally, The Italian Life Style
This green heart of Italy that surrounds the properties managed by Italian Encounters always has an enchanting surprise around the next corner. You will stumble upon fascinating hill top towns, local markets, restaurants, frescoes and festivals, all offering their own special delights and all helping to make your holiday truly memorable
The Italians living here in this delightful part of the country lead a lifestyle that most of us clamour for. Revel in their approach to life and be inspired, as countless of people from all over the world have been for centuries, and as those who have also booked through Italian Encounters have in more recent times!
Above all else, remember that life meanders at a gentle and leisurely pace here. So, do not try to rush anywhere or expect things to move at the frenetic pace you are used to ~ be Italian and just enjoy one of the few remaining civilised corners of this busy, busy world!
We hope you really enjoy your holiday here in Italy and like many of our guests keep returning year after year. We look forward to welcoming you to this amazingly beautiful country.
Buon Viaggio!
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