Frequently Asked Questions

Will we need to rent a car?
Yes ...Most people will want to rent a car when visiting Tuscany. Castiglion Fiorentino is centrally located in Tuscany and just a few minutes from the house by car. In addition, visitors will find many wonderful places to explore within an hours drive of Castiglion Fiorentino. It would be best to arrange a car rental with your travel agent prior to your departure.

Should we buy travel insurance?
Yes ... This is another subject you should discuss with your travel agent. Travel insurance could cover the cost of your airfare and your rental fee should a last minute cancellation of your travel plans be necessary.

How is the public transportation?
Very good ... The train and bus service is excellent. There is a train stations in Castiglion Fiorentino less than 10 minutes from the house by car. A train ride to Florence isabout an hour and to Rome about 2-1/2 hours. Busses are available that depart from Castiglion Fiorentino to much of the surrounding area.

Do we need a special license to drive in Italy?
Yes ...You need to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive and in most cases to rent a car in Italy. The IDP is a translation of your driver's license so you need to bring your actual drivers license when you go to get your IDP. You can get an IDP at the AAA (Automobile Association of America). It is good for one year.

What kind of clothes should we bring?
Comfortable ...Unless you plan to attend a formal function, it is best to dress comfortably. It has been my experience that Italians are very fashion conscience but non judgmental and besides, they are not traveling. It is probably a good idea to bring clothes that you can layer such as a sweater in the Spring and Fall season, light clothing during the Summer and some worm clothes in the Winter. It's always a good idea to have a compact umbrella on hand just in case of rain. A good comfortable pair of walking shoes are essential.

What will the weather be like?
Seasonal ...Tuscan has four distinct seasons, and in general the weather is delightful, especially in spring, summer, and fall. Expect a certain amount of Mediterranean heat in July and August, sporadic rainfall in October and November, and cold winter nights with an occasional dusting of snow (lasting no more than a day or two on the ground) from January through March. Each season, has its delights: waves of wildflowers all spring, a toasting sun in summer, the olive harvest in autumn, and the silent beauty of winter.

Is it difficult to exchange currency?
No ...This can be done at any bank in Italy or better yet, you can use a 'bank-o-mat' (auto teller... Castiglion Fiorentino has at least 3) to draw money from a credit or debit card. With the change over to the Euro for currency, money transactions are much easier to understand these days. Here is what the currency looks like.
It's a good idea to have some Euro currency with you when you arrive. This will be useful to hold you over until you can get to a bank. Most banks in the US provide a currency exchange service (for a fee) but you might try a local coin shop. Some coin shops have enough foreign currency on hand to meet your needs and often charge a lower transaction fee than the banks.

Are arrival and departure times strict?
Yes ...We need the time from departure of one party at 10:00 AM to the arrival of another party at 4:00 PM to completely clean the house, change and wash all the linens, restock and restore order.
That being said we do understand that problems beyond our control happen all the time and we want to do our best to accommodate you. Please keep us informed of any changes in your schedule as soon as they happen, and we will do everything in our power to help you in any way we can. If you do arrive very early or very late, our best alternative may be to find a hotel room for you until we can get you back on schedule.

Are utilities included in the rental price?
Yes ...Gas and electricity are included in your rental fee but please be aware of some facts. Electricity is very expensive in Europe, even more expensive in Italy where the citizens rejected the use of nuclear power. Each house is allowed 3 or 6 kilowatts (kW) of power. We have 6, however this still isn't much when you consider that a cloths washer uses 2.5 kW, a dishwasher 3 kW and an iron 2 kW, We have done what we can by using energy-saving lighting and making our guests aware but the rest is up to you. All that we ask is that you be thoughtful about your use of electricity. You can do this by staggering your use of electrical appliances and by turning off lights when they are not necessary.
Gas is also very expensive in Italy, and not only for your car - ranging from 2 to 3 times what it cost in America, as does the liquid propane that powers the furnace for heating the house, the hot water, and the stove. Again we simply ask that you be reasonable about use, and try to remember to shut the doors and windows when the heat is on and consider putting on a sweater if a little chilled instead of cranking up the heat in the whole house. We want you to be comfortable but not wasteful.

Is a phone available?
Yes ...There is a telephone in the cottage and we only charge for actual use. At the beginning of your stay we record a message unit reading and again at the end of your stay, subtracting one reading from the other to obtain the number of message units used. This number is then multiplied by the rate to calculate your cost. We will subtract this amount from your security deposit.
You can also buy a phone card at any tobacconists or phone shop. This makes calls to the U.S. very inexpensive.

Is there Internet access?
Yes ...If you bring your laptop with you, in most cases you can set up a normal dial-up connection to the Internet. The only cost is for the local phone call while you are online. You will have to be knowledgeable enough about your computer to setup a dial up icon. We will provide the logon ID, password and phone number when you arrive.

Should we bring any electrical adapters?
No necessary ...We provide all of the necessary U.S to Italian electrical adapters. Unless you have some special needs you should be fine.

Are there screens on the windows?
All of the windows and the most-used doors have screens.

Does the house have air-conditioning?
Yes ... Each room has a combination air conditioner/heater in it.

Are there basic supplies at the house when we arrive?
Yes ...Although we cannot anticipate all our guest's needs, we do supply the basic necessities for your stay, and enough of some items, such as tea, coffee, bottled water (although not necessary), and soft drinks, etc., for a couple of days to give you a chance to shop for your own needs.
For example, the following consumables are provided and you will not need to buy them during your stay: toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, trash bags, hand soap, bath soap, dish washing soap, laundry detergent, general cleaning supplies and basic spices.

Should we bring our own towels?
Not necessary ...We provide you with plenty of clean wash cloths, bath, hand and kitchen towels.Save some room in your suitcase for any purchases you may like to take back with you

How do we deal with our laundry?
Two ways ...There are two ways you can handle your laundry needs: Hire someone or do it yourself. If you don't want to do your laundry, we can arrange for someone to do it for you. The cost will be by the hour and you can pay the person directly. Most people, however, will prefer to do their own laundry. There is a state-of-the-art washer and dryer at the house; just be aware that washing machines in Italy, and Europe in general, take up to 3 hours to do a load.
As part of our fuel and energy-conserving policy, we ask that you use the clothesline whenever possible. On warm days, the sun and fresh air does a faster job and many people prefer the results.

How is handicapped accessibility?
Not so great ...Handicapped accessibility is not as prevalent in Europe as it is in the US. You should be aware that most public buildings such as museums typically do not have wheelchair accessibility. In addition, city centers and train transportation can be extremely difficult. If you must travel with a wheelchair, consider bringing the smallest, narrowest chair possible as doorways often have small openings. In addition we suggest you have someone who can carry you up or down stairs in an emergency. If you have a handicap of any kind please let us know so we can inform you of some of the challenges and do what we can to help you overcome them.

Are the store hours the same as in the US?
No ...This can really get tricky and could make you crazy if you don't pay attention. In general most shops except restaurants close at 1:00 PM every day and reopen between 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM, depending on the shop, the time of year and the whim of the shop owner. There are also seasonal half-day closings on Wednesday, when certain shops stay closed for the rest of the afternoon.
For future reference, it is best to jot down store hours of any shop that interests you as soon as you can. These are typically posted on the door or a window of the shop. However, we suggest you avoid critical planning based on the accuracy of the posted hours, especially with the smaller shops.

Are there tours available?
Absolutely ...Tours and more can be arranged at the time of booking. Be sure to mention anything you are interested in when booking your stay so we have time to get information and make arrangement when possible. Try to make these decisions early, and definitely before your arrival day. The more time you allow, the more likely we will be able to help you.

Are there cooking & cleaning services?
Absolutely ...Be sure to mention anything you are interested in when booking your stay with us and give us time to make arrangements. Arrangements for these kinds of services must be made at least a couple of days in advance. As with the tours, more time is better.

What can we do that doesn't cost much?
A lot ...I'm glad you asked! Of course not everybody will be thrilled with the simple things that entertain me, but if you are interested please check out the "To Do" page on this web site. Here you will find a list of simple, free activities while staying at our cottage. In Cortona or our town of Castilion Fiorentino, for the price of a cappuccino or a glass of wine, you can always just sit and watch the world go by for hours.

Are the local people in are very friendly and patient with foreigners?
Yes ...They will do their best to make themselves understood and to understand you. Actually, many shop owners and younger people understand and speak English quite well. You may want to take an Italian language course while in Italy, for your own pleasure or for more in-depth conversations and ease of reading museum labels, etc. If you are interested, please mention this when you make your reservation so we can arrange for group or hourly private lessons.

Are pets allowed?
No ... Although we have a pet and understand the attachment people have to their pets, we do not allow pets. There are several reasons, ranging from our belief that long-term travel is hard on most animals to the fact that you may be jeopardizing your pets health by bringing it to an area where there are potential health and safety issues (insects, wild animals, etc.).We therefore ask that you leave your pets at home. Send them a post card once in a while and bring them home a souvenir and I'm sure they will forgive you.