TRAVEL TIPS from your host Coleen Kirnan It’s always a good idea to print and carry We hope this information will help answer your complete itinerary with the destina- any questions you may have. If not, feel tion being I Castagni with the address below. Keep a copy in your suitcase as free to email me anytime: well. I Castagni Via Coppoli 11/13/15 Montefollonico [email protected] 54049 Torrita di Siena (SI) Italy Telephone numbers: +44 77 92 59 90 08 Coleen's personal cell phone number +39 33 32 26 45 29 Email: [email protected] 1 (310) 613-1477 Take a tour of I Castagni: http://www.tuscanwomencook.com/ the-setting-2/ Transportation Suggestions TRAIN in from Rome or Florence. Take the train to Chiusi, the closest train station to us. Complete information on the train system in Italy can be found at www.trenitalia.com Outside the Chiusi station, you will find taxis to bring you to our village of Montefollonico. Taxi rates to will run about €70 one way and may be more on Sundays. Be sure to ask you driver about fares before your depart and be prepared to pay your fare in cash. Not all drivers take credit cards. PRIVATE CAR You can also arrange for a private car and driver to pick you up at the airport or your hotel at an additional cost. Our bus driver during the week is potentially available for hire. His name is Fabio and his contact information is: [email protected] Please contact Fabio directly as we do not know his daily schedule. Our other driver contacts are Ilario, email: [email protected] and Paolo, email: [email protected] RENTAL CAR While it is not necessary to have a rental car during the week here in Tuscany, it does make arrival and departure very easy. For those who choose to have a rental car, we usually recommend Auto Europe – a large USA-based consolidator which offers excellent pricing and selection - www.autoeurope.com Welcome to Paradise Check-in to I Castagni is on Sunday – if you need early check-in, you can contact the hotel: [email protected] Check-out is Saturday – again if you need extra time that day, the hotel always does their best to accommodate our guests. Should you desire extra nights before or after the class week, just contact the hotel. We will be at the hotel around 6:30 pm Sunday to check on everyone and have a quick meet and greet (with Prosecco of course!). Our dinner is scheduled at a delightful restaurant in our village at 8:00 pm. For an idea of the week’s activities, please view this page of our website – www.tuscanwomencook.com/weekly-culinary-programs/ Being Italy, things can change from time to time because of holidays, festivals, availability of seasonal products, etc. but we try and stay as close to the schedule as possible. Friday evening’s seven course celebratory dinner is the last actual event of the week. Saturday morning you can sleep in and depart at your leisure. Packing Tips The most important thing to remember is that we are a hilltop village. Please pack good, comfortable walking shoes as we will often be walking on cobblestones in Tuscan villages (and you may have enjoyed a glass of wine or three with your meal). On our day trip to Siena, there are beautiful sights to see and you will not want to be hindered by uncomfortable shoes. Many of the beautiful buildings are quite old, with poorly lit thresholds. Having a small umbrella is helpful. Rain is generally imminent, but does pass through quickly. Having a small flashlight is helpful, too. Please bring bug spray if you are prone to getting bitten. You can buy it here, but it’s quite expensive. And, of course, a camera or phone for pictures. If you wear prescription glasses, please bring an extra pair. A small roll of duct tape comes in very handy. It’s every traveler’s best friend; to repair a broken suitcase, a shoe or use as an emergency giant band aid. Clothespins come in handy to hang hand-washables and to clamp hotel curtains shut. Plastic straws are a great way to keep your packed necklaces from tangling. Unclasp each necklace, slip one end through a straw and resecure the clasp through the other end. TSA won’t permit pointy scissors but small, blunt-nosed scissors, like the ones designed for preschoolers will come in handy for quick snips. Other miscellaneous things you may want to pack in your carry-on for your flight per ourTWC guests who work for The Travel Channel: eye mask , ear plugs, Ziploc baggies, pen and paper, envelope (for receipts), antibacterial wipes, sewing kit, nail file and diarrhea medicine. COUNTDOWN TO PARADISE - Check out this invaluable travel planning link: https://www.businessinsider.com/summer-travel-checklist-2018-7 Money Cash / Credit Cards - Get cash in Montepulciano or Pienza for the outdoor market in Siena on Wednesday. ATM machines are your best source of Euros and normally give a very good rate of exchange. Credit cards are readily acceptable in most all shops and restaurants. It is a good idea to telephone your bank and/or credit card company and inform them that you will be in Italy. U.S. dollars and other foreign currencies are rarely accepted by any merchants here, and even banks do not like to make exchanges. Traveler’s checks are very difficult and expensive to cash – even banks do not like to handle them. We do NOT recommend traveler’s checks. And, no one seems to want American dollars so keep your cash to a minimum. Plan to dress in layers. TuscanMontefollonico is typically Weather mid 70s to mid 80s (21C to 26C) during the days in spring. The evenings have an average temperature of mid 50s to mid 60s (13C to 17C) . During the fall, the average daily temperatures are mid 60s to mid 70s (17C to 22C) during the day and low 50s to high 50s (11C to 14C) at night. Your Wardrobe Dress for the week is casual. We do not have a dress code per se, but you will want a sweater, wrap or jacket for the evenings as the weather cools down. Your own personal style is fine by us and good, comfortable shoes are really the most important item in your suitcase. Many seasoned travelers will bring clothes that they are about to discard, leave the clothes behind (which we donate), replacing them with clothing purchased on the trip. Once you’ve packed your suitcase, remove We are absolutely delighted to spend this 50% of what you have packed (aside from week in paradise with you. We want your our recommendations). You will never use trip, like the trips of so many before you, to be the trip of a lifetime; these memories it all and you will want the extra space for are priceless and will be shared for years to the things you buy in your travels. We all come. know Italian clothing, shoes, handbags reign We truly admire your adventurous spirit, love among the best in the world. of gastronomy and willingness to immerse yourself in the authentic, Tuscan lifestyle with Happy shopping! its rich and timeless treasures. Thank you for saying YES! Travel Suggestions Put a copy of your itinerary in every piece of luggage you check and be sure to carry on a simple change of clothes, ALL medications, and whatever jewelry you choose to bring. Do the same thing for your return flight to the U.S., as luggage gets lost going home too.The airlines tell us if the owner’s information is readily available when they open the bag, it has a far better chance of finding its owner. We always recommend travel insurance; it’s just a good idea. Put your cell phone number on your luggage tag for the airlines to easily communicate with you. Bring color copies of your passport and pack it in a different location than your actual passport. Please bring us a copy of two emergency contacts, and your doctor’s information, especially if you see one regularly. Another good idea is to put your credit card numbers and the issuers number in your phone dis- guised as a contact – i.e., “Aunt Susie” and put the number in as a phone number or address. In case it gets lost, you have it with you. At the airport home from Italy, do not say you were at a “farm” if asked. The airport officials will send you to a separate area in the airport checking shoes and clothing for soil & insects. Here’s an invaluable link for travelers: www.travelandleisure.com/articles/travel-tips-preflight-checklist Laundry & Personal Services Wash cloths are not really used in parts of Italy. Please bring one or two washcloths or facial wipes if you need them. Regarding laundry: If you are on an extended trip, it is best to have your laundry needs addressed in one of the metropolitan cities you may be visiting. You can also pack a small liquid laundry soap and a portable hanging line that attaches to the bathroom wall via a suction cup. Haircut, wash or a blow dry are available in a local resident’s home in the neighborhood on Rotelli Street, near our hotel. Driving Instructions Directions to Montefollonico from the Rome Airport: As you leave the airport, you will see signs for Roma in green.