SINGING IN SIENA 2017

Transcription

1 - The Create Escape Presents - SINGING IN SIENA 2017 Pre-event information

2 SINGING IN SIENA,17 PICK UP, DROP OFF & MEETING PLACE Pick Up Point Where: Siena - Piazza Antonio Gramsci Time: 5.00pm on Saturday the 16th September Please see location on the map below. We meet outside Hotel NH Excelsior near the bus station. From here, it s an approximately 20-minute drive to our villas at Montestigliano. Drop Off Point Where: Siena - Piazza Antonio Gramsci Time: 11.00am on Saturday the 23rd September. Drop off will be in same spot as pick up and from here you can make your way on to your next destination. our meeting place Piazza Gramsci our meeting place. This bus stop is used by buses coming from Pisa, Florence and Rome and others cites. If you are running late or have missed a connection or have some other problem making it to our pick up point on time, please call Montestigliano and speak with Francesco on Tel:

3 PRIVATE TRANSFERS TO SIENA BY CAR A private shuttle or transfer can be arranged by our transport hire service. This option is ideal for more than 1 or 2 people, would generally cost close to what you d pay using trains and buses. Please contact Tomas at and get a quote. Do mention you will also be joining the Singing in Siena group going to Montestigliano on 16 September. GETTING TO SIENA FROM PISA HOW TO GET TO SIENA FROM PISA BY CAR : From the airport take the main road towards Florence (Firenze). When you get near Florence you should follow signs for Rome / the A1 motorway towards South (try to avoid the centre of Florence). The motorway takes you around Florence and you will get to the exit Firenze Certosa. Leave the motorway here and take the dual carriageway to Siena. BY TRAIN : From Pisa to Siena the train costs approximately 9 one way. You must stamp your ticket in the machine on the platform for it to be valid. Some trains leave from Pisa Airport, others leave from Pisa central station. (For more information about timetable and price of trains please see it ) Please note that the train station is quite a distance from Piazza Gramsci so you will need a taxi or public bus to get you to our meeting place at Piazza Gramsci. BY BUS : The bus leaves directly from the airport, with a stop and bus change in Florence. The trip takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes between Pisa and Florence, and then about the fast buses from Florence to Siena about another 1 hour and 15 minutes to make the trip be about 2.5 hours. Timetable: The service was boosted to offer up buses per day from Pisa airport passing through and changing bus in Florence (whereas it used to be just 1 bus per day before, so this is an improvement). Cost: 15 one way, 28 round trip. Check this link for the updated timetable. Aeroporto

4 GETTING TO SIENA FROM FLORENCE HOW TO GET TO SIENA FROM FLORENCE BY BUS BY BUS. Siena is not on a major train line so if you re coming from Florence the bus is your best option. Florence bus station is across the road from the train station, at Santa Maria Novella. Tra-in or Sita buses leave for Siena half-hourly (approx and 1.15 hours). Departing from bus station across the road from Santa Maria Novella station. Sita or Tra-in buses will arrive into Siena at Piazzo Gramsci. Go to for timetable and further information. Note! Buy your bus tickets before you board and validate once on board. Otherwise you risk a fine. GETTING TO SIENA FROM ROME Train from Rome airport (Fiumincino) Trenitalia has a direct fast train from the airport station to Florence and from Florence you can take a bus directly to our pick-up place. This train runs only a few times a day but is a great option if your flight aligns with the timetable it s fast and comfortable with very few stops. If your flight does not align with the times of the direct train you ll need to change trains at Termini Station in Rome. Please note: Siena is not on a major train line. So coming from Rome you will need to change at Chiusi OR take the train to Florence, as suggested earlier. Timetables and e-tickets: You may buy an e-ticket online through Otherwise trains leave hourly and you can buy your ticket at Stazione Termini (the main train station in Rome). It is generally cheaper to buy all local train tickets in Italy or online a few days in advance via Trenitalia. There is an information desk at Termini Station where the assistants speak English and are very helpful. Trains take approx 3.15 hours.

5 NB: If you take the train all the way to Siena you will have to catch a bus or taxi from Siena station to Piazza Gramsci. Bus Buses are a good alternative. The main bus station in Rome is on Piazzale Tiburtina, in front of Stazione Tiburtina. Sena ( or Tra-in (Tel ) buses leave for Siena. There are about 10 buses daily (approx 16 euro, 3 hours). The Sena & Tra-in ticket offices or agents are next to the bus terminus. ACCOMMODATION SUGGESTIONS IN ITALY There is plenty of choice so take a minute to think about what you want to do there and google the area that suits you. and The Create Escape has partnered with Booking.com, we found they have good options for reasonable prices. You can grab a quote from them through our site at - Monastery Stays are a great and affordable options for both men and women. Go to Hotel NH Excelsior in Siena is a great location for our pick up and city access although a little expensive. Great for older clients; Discounts to people over 65 years. BUDGET Monastery Stays are a great and affordable options for both men and women. Go to Hostel Archi Rossi. A good Hostel in a very central location. I have stayed here a few times and it has become my preferred option because of the location and cost. I usually take a single room or a twin share if I have a friend with me.

6 Budget Hotels - Hotel Orchidea (close to station) > hotelorchidea@yahoo.it MID RANGE Pensione Bellavista - I have stayed here and found it very pleasant, especially if you get the room looking over the duomo..wow! > bellavistahotel@iol.it tel WEATHER, CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR We will be arriving when the dry scorching summer heat subsides and autumn cool evenings begin. So what can you expect in way of temperature? Average temperature during the week of our event is around 23 to a low of 16 give or take 5 s or more. It could still be warm enough to swim in one of the gorgeous pools on the estate and it could also be cool enough to need logs on the fireplace in the evening. Temperatures can drop as much as 20 in a day. So what does that mean in the way of clothing for you? We suggest a mix of lightweight clothing including a swimsuit and a jumper and jacket. FOOTWEAR You will often be walking on pebbles on paths and old roadways around the estate and even through a forest at times, so good walking shoes or runners will be practical. PHRASES FOR TRAVELLERS Below are several phrases may come in handy during your stay in Italy. Mi scusi. (Excuse me. [Formal]) Non parlo bene l italiano. (I don t speak Italian well.) Parla inglese? (Do you speak English? [Formal]) Parlo inglese. (I speak English.) Mi sono perso. [M]; Mi sono persa. [F] (I m lost.) Sto cercando il mio albergo. (I m looking for my hotel.) Sì, lo so. (Yes, I know.)

7 Non lo so. (I don t know.) Non so dove sia. (I don t know where it is.) Non capisco. (I don t understand.) Capisco, grazie. (I understand, thanks.) Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you repeat, please? [Formal]) È bello. (It s beautiful.) Meeting people - Conoscere gente Ciao, come ti chiami? Hi, what s your name? Mi chiamo Marco.My name is Marco. Piacere! Pleased to meet you! Come va? How re you doing? Come stai? How are you? Bene grazie e tu? Well thanks and you? Di dove sei? Where are you from? Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per cinque persone. I would like to reserve a table for five people. Scusi, ci può portare il menù? Excuse me, can we have the menu? Per me spaghetti al pomodoro. I ll have spaghetti with tomato sauce. E da bere? And what would you like to drink? Un bicchiere di vino rosso. A glass of red wine. Che cosa avete come dessert? What kind of desserts do you have? Ci può portare il conto per favore? Can we have the bill please? Tenga pure il resto.you can keep the change. Grazie, arrivederci! Thank you, goodbye! Dove abiti? Where do you live? Abito vicino a piazza Garibaldi? I live near Garibaldi square. Scusa, non ho capito I m sorry, I didn t quite catch that. Che lavoro fai? What do you do? Faccio l insegnante. I m a teacher. Quanti anni hai? How old are you?

8 Ho trentadue anni. I m 32. Hai il ragazzo / la ragazza? Do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend? Hai amici italiani? Do you have Italian friends? Parli inglese / spagnolo / francese / tedesco? Do you speak English / Spanish / French / German? Un po. A little bit. Ti piace la birra? Do you like beer? Si, mi piace moltissimo. Yes, I like it very much. Ciao. Goodbye. Here are some useful phrases for eating out in Italy. Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per cinque persone. I would like to reserve a table for five people. Un tavolo per tre, per cortesia. A table for three please. Scusi, ci può portare il menù? Excuse me, can we have the menu? Per me spaghetti al pomodoro. I ll have spaghetti with tomato sauce. E da bere? And what would you like to drink? Un bicchiere di vino rosso. A glass of red wine. Che cosa avete come dessert? What kind of desserts do you have? Ci può portare il conto per favore? Can we have the bill please? Offro io! It s on me! Tenga pure il resto.you can keep the change. Grazie, arrivederci! Thank you, goodbye!

9 YOUR LIST q Passport q Air ticket q Travel insurance q Earplugs q Toiletries q Basic First Aid Kit q Medications q Good walking shoes q Flashlight q Batteries q Recorder (or smart phone) q Paper and Pen q Camera q Video q Swimmers q A desire to have fun! The Create Escape PO Box 532, Potts Point NSW, Australia 1335 Telephone Mobile AUST: +61 (0) info@thecreateescape.com.au Website