Dobbs Ferry Travel Club
Experiences Tuscany April 7 - April 16, 2017
Itinerary: FRIDAY April 7 SATURDAY April 8
SUNDAY April 9
MONDAY April 10
TUESDAY April 11
Alitalia Flight 603 Depart JFK Arrive Rome
6:05 pm 7:45 am
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JFK Bus departs at 1:30 pm from Irvington Train Station At Rome Airport, greeted by our driver from Limo Service Italia Check in to Hotel Ponte Sisto Afternoon at leisure wandering through Rome Rick Steves’ Rome Walk Optional Vatican Tour can be arranged Welcome dinner at Osteria La Quericia at 7:00 pm Address: Piazza della Quercia, 23 +39 06 6830 0932
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Buffet Breakfast 9:00 am departure for Civita di Bagnoregio Visit the Medieval Jewel of Pienza Tour of wine cellar and tasting at La Crociona Check into La Crociona Vineyard, Piombaia Vineyard, and Le Benducce
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Dinner at La Crociona hosted by Fiorella & Family
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Buffet Breakfast 10:30 am departure for Tour of the Banfi Vineyards followed by tastings of wines, meats, cheeses, and Tuscan bread Visit to Montalcino for shopping
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Dinner at San Giorgio Ristorante
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Buffet Breakfast 9:15 am departure for scenic drive to Chianti region Stop in Monteriggioni 12:00 Noon lunch and wine tasting at Casa Emma – Castellina in Chianti hosted by Alessio Stop in Greve in Chianti Drive to Hotel Club I Pini Welcome Dinner at I Pini
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WEDNESDAY April 12
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THURSDAY April 13
•• Buffet Breakfast •• 7:45 am departure for the Cinque Terre •• Dinner at Hotel Club I Pini
FRIDAY April 14
Buffet Breakfast Morning at leisure Afternoon visit Pietrasanta and Forte Dei Marmi Option by bus or bicycle along path Dinner at local restaurant
•• Buffet Breakfast •• 9:00 am departure •• Cooking in Toscana with Tze’ela and Mauro at Fattoria Colleverde •• •• ••
Hands on cooking course followed by lunch and great wines Visit to wine cellar and olive press Apron for each participant
•• Afternoon visit to Medieval Lucca •• Dinner in Local Restaurant 7:30/8:00 PM
Civita di Bagnoregio
Hotel Club I Pini
SATURDAY April 15
•• Buffet Breakfast •• 7:45 am departure for Excursion to Florence •• 4 Hour walking tour with Paola Miglorini of Florence Tours including visit to Accademia ( Michelangelo’s David) •• Leisure time in Florence •• Dinner at Hotel I Pini
SUNDAY April 16
•• Farewell Colazione di Pasqua (Easter Breakfast) •• 8:30 Departure for Airport
Alitalia Flight 1664 Depart Pisa Arrive Rome Alitalia Flight 610 Depart Rome Arrive JFK
11:55 am 12:55 pm 2:45 pm 6:20 pm
Hotel Information: SATURDAY April 8
Hotel Ponte Sisto Via dei Pettinari, 64, 00186 Roma, Italy Telephone: +39 06 686 3100
Free Wi FI
SUNDAY April 9 MONDAY April 10
Agriturismo La Crociona / Agriturismo Piombaia Agriturismo Le Benducce Tenuta Crocedimezzo Montalcino, Italy Telephone: +39 0577847133
Buffet Breakfast in the vineyards will be all together at La Crociona. In the vineyards, there is Wi Fi access in the office at La Crociona
TUESDAY April 11 SUNDAY April 16
Hotel Club I Pini Via Roma 43 Lido di Camaiore, LU, Italy Telephone: +39 0584 66103
Free Wi FI
Alitalia Airlines www.alitalia.com
What to Know before you go: TRIP PREPARATION A little pre-planning can make your trip go a lot smoother. Several weeks before your trip, make a list of what you will need to take with you. Make sure your personal documents (passports, visas, driver’s license) are in order and that you have enough prescription medications to last through the trip. We suggest that you make photocopies of passports, visas, personal ID and any other important travel documents and pack them separately from the originals. Pack a list of medications including dosage and generic names. If you lose the originals while traveling, you’ll have copies for easier reporting and replacement. It is advisable to pack in your carry-on luggage any valuable items, such as, lap tops, ipads, cameras, etc. PASSPORTS AND VISAS It is each traveler’s responsibility to have a passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel and a visa if required. CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS CELL PHONES Contact your credit and debit card banks to let them know you are traveling to Italy and will be using your cards. If you do not, they may not work. If a shop requires a credit card with a Chip, ask the cashier to enter your card manually. Some cards do not have chips, and they will work if cashier puts your information in manually. Bring some euro with you in case you need some cash when you arrive. There are ATM’s all over Italy; however, there could be a daily limit. You must check your individual banks. Also when using ATM’s, your money is withdrawn from primary accounts, which are checking accounts. Ensure that you have sufficient funds to cover withdrawals, and check the fee associated with your debit card for withdrawals. You should apply for a credit card that has no foreign conversion for your travel. Capitol One and TD bank are two banks that do not charge foreign conversion fees. These cards should be used for hotels, restaurants, store purchases, so that you save the conversion fee. Check with your credit card company about foreign conversions fees.
LOCAL EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS Italy • Ambulance/Medical: 118 • Fire: 115 • Police: 112 CLIMATE & CLOTHING Italy - Spring: 57 to 70°F. Bring comfortable walking shoes, a sweater, clothes you can layer and an allweather jacket. Weather is unpredictable, so it is advisable to pack a small umbrella. ELECTRICITY Please note: The U.S. uses 120 volts and you can purchase a converter and transformer at most hardware stores for your 120V appliances. Italy - The voltage used is 220 volts. Make sure you bring adapters for your electrical devices that need to be charged. The adapters for Italy have 2 prongs. They vary by country. GRATUITIES Are appreciated and expected for good service in restaurants and other places that cater to tourists. Restaurant bills often include a service charge (servizo incluso). Look for this. If it is not included, 5-10% is customary for good service. LOCAL TAXES Hotels are required by law to charge a city tax to all guests. The cost of the tax varies from city to city.
Medieval Lucca
CELL PHONES Contact your service provider. You can get an international plan just during the dates you travel. It is good to have in an emergency. You can keep Cellular Data on Off until you are in Wifi free zones. It is good to have should you get lost driving or walking. You can also use the app, Whats App for free in Wifi free zones for texting. If you are calling the United States during your trip, you would put 001 in front of your area code and number. If you are calling a number in Italy you put 011 in front of their country code and number. We still use pay phones in Italy, and you can purchase a 5 euro telecom card at Tabacchi stand to use for the public phones. You can also insert 50 euro cent into public phone for a local call. ABOUT YOUR FLIGHT Prior to departure go to your air carrier website to read about their luggage and liquid restrictions. If you have a connecting flight, you may need to pass through multiple security check points; therefore, you should proceed immediately to the gate area for your connecting flight.
La Crociona Vineyard
Versilia Seaside
Escorted Package Includes: •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
Transportation to and from JFK Airport Round trip flights from New York 1 Night Ponte Sisto Hotel, Rome 2 Nights La Crociona/Le Benducce Vineyard, Montalcino, Tuscany 5 Nights Hotel Club I Pini, Lido di Camaiore, Tuscany Meals: 8 Breakfasts, and 8 Dinners with wine Sightseeing per itinerary with modern motor coach
Special Features: •• Leisure day in Rome •• Visit the Hill Top and Medieval Towns of Pienza, Civita di Bagnoregio, Montalcino •• A private tour of wine production and wine tasting and sample Tuscan foods at the Banfi Vineyards, La Crociona Vineyards, Casa Emma Vineyards •• Excursion to Cinque Terre, UNESCO World Heritage Site •• Walking Tour with Paola of Florence Tours in Florence with Accademia Galleria •• Cooking Lessons with Chefs Tze’ela and Maura of Cooking in Toscana
Meet the Team in Italy
The Nanetti Family – Our Hosts at La Crociona Vineyard
The Salvini Family – Our Hosts at Hotel Club I Pini
Our Tuscan Guides Paola and Giuseppe with Rick Steves
Our Chefs Mauro and Tze’ela