Your tour program
Start Packing Stay Connected Make a photocopy of your passport & keep it in a separate pack from your travel docs Don t forget to bring an adaptor, your camera & a lock Check out the optional activities you can add to your booking to do in your free time A nice dress or a shirt for a night out. In many Italian bars the dress code is important. Pack a nice pair of shoes, flip flops are not allowed expecially on guys Print your travel documents, itinerary and contact details of the tour operator Contact Details ITALY ON A BUDGET TOURS info@italyonabudgettours.com Ph. +39 055 0503517 Mob. +39 393 8363746 VISIT OUR FACEBOOK We have a really cool app on our facebook page that allows you to meet the other travellers before the tour. Go to our facebook page " Italy on a Budget tours" and on the left hand side of the page you will find the applications sections. Click on GET CONNECTED. Then you ADD THE TOUR and the DEPARTURE DATE. Then all the participants on that tour can chat and exchange questions. WATCH US ON We have our own YouTube channel where you can watch awesome videos of our tours including the Amalfi coast one. WATCH US youtube.com/italyonabudgettours FOLLOW US ON TWITTER & INSTAGRAM Join the conversation #italyonabudgettours @italyonabudget We are on hand to aswer your questions about our destinations.
WWW.ITALYONABUDGETTOURS.COM How to reach Florence city centre Transportation from/to Pisa airport Transportation from and to the Florence airport BY TRAIN A new fast and fully automatic connection called PISA MOVER will link Pisa Airport to Pisa Centrale train station: it runs every ten minutes, from 6 am to 12 am (midnight), and the trip takes around eight minutes. You can buy the tickets at the train departures. Once in Pisa Centrale station, the train takes around one hour/one hour and a half to arrive in Florence and the ticket costs 8 (second class only). Check out the Trenitalia s website www. trenitalia.com for timetables but keep in mind that the last train from Pisa Central Station to Florence is at 10.30 pm. BY BUS Another possibility is taking a bus: it s not faster than train (the journey takes around 70 minutes, traffic permitting). There are two companies that offer this service. you can buy tickets in the arrivals hall at Pisa Airport. BY BUS If you are traveling alone, bus is probably the best option for you. From 6am to 11.30pm there is a bus departing every half an hour in front of the Airport. The bus drives you directly to the city center for Euro 5,00/person. The final stop is in front of Santa Maria Novella s train station (the main train station of Florence). The name of this airport shuttle service is Vola in bus and you can check for more information at ATAF s website. Special tip: if you buy also the return ticket you spend Euro 8,00 instead of Euro 10,00. BY TAXY If you are in 3 or 4 you d better take a taxi. From Florence Airport Vespucci to the central area of Florence there are established fares that varies from Euro 20,00 to Euro 25.00 according to the day of the week and time (holidays and night time costs more). Normally there is a taxi stands in front of the airport. In any case, I recommend that you save this phone number: 055.4390 (a local number to call cabs). Special tip: there is an extra charge for luggage only of Euro 1,00 each (maximum 5 pieces). 2
MEETING POINT INFO MEETING POINT: MEETING TIME : DIRECTIONS: ITALY ON A BUDGET OFFICE Via Nazionale 149R, Florence Any time from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm As you exit Santa Maria Novella Train Station through the exit next to the pharmacy on the left side, cross at the traffic lights and turn right. Walk towards the McDonald s, turn left at that street with Mcdonalds on the corner, continue up Via Nazionale, straight on up Piazza Indipendenza. Our office is just before Piazza Indipendenza on the left hand side at the number 149R right opposite HOTEL GALILEO. It is only 5 mins walk from the train station. Day 2 Tuscany! The tour departs Florence at 10:00am. The first stop will be at a WINERY AND WINE TASTING SCHOOL where you will taste 4 different type of wines including the famous Chianti Classico, a 30 year-old balsamic vinegar and the delicious truffle extra virgin olive oil. Here you will learn how to recognize the different flavours and develop your taste buds with a passionate wine producer. The second stop will be at a LOCAL WINERY located in a stunning area facing the famous towers of San Gimignano. The wine makers will guide you through the vineyards and the cellars and they will share the secrets of the wine and oil production. At the winery you will enjoy more wine. In the afternoon you will be free to visit and spend time wandering through the narrow streets shopping in the local shops of the most beautiful medieval town of Tuscany, SAN GIMIGNANO and check out the tower filled skyline while eating the ice cream from a worldchampion gelateria. Maps will be provided from your tour leader and tips about the best places to visit in town. Back to Florence at 5:00pm Free Evening Day 3: Day trip to Pisa & Cinque Terre Day 1 Welcome to Florence Meet our team by our office where you will receive a welcome pack with a free city map & information about the city. Today you are free to relax, rest and visit the museums and monuments of this beautiful city in complete freedom. Meet again our team and the other travellers in the afternoon for an original and fun way to experience the city at night with an otientation walk through the city. We will end the tour in one of the busiest streets of Florence. Here we will stop at the bar rated by the locals as the best aperitivo place in town. Seat down, socialize with the rest of the group, enjoy your drink and then eat and eat as much as you would like from the buffet of tasty Italian food. You can stay there until the nightlife kicks or return back for an early sleep. The meeting point is at 7:00am. Travel by train to PISA, home of the mustvisit Leaning Tower of Pisa. Here you will be free to walk around the square and enjoy taking as many funny pictures as your imagination can of the leaning tower. After Pisa we will take the local trains to CINQUE TERRE; Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Corniglia and Monterosso famous for their natural beauty, scenic trails, spectacular coast line and sunny beaches. Our first stop will be in Riomaggiore, famous for the Via dell'amore, a romantic and evocative promenade hewn from the rocks falling sheer into the sea. We will continue to the next village filled with boats called Manarola for amazing photos. Our last village will be Vernazza where you will be free to relax before returning back to Florence. We will arrive back to Florence at 8:00pm approx. Day 4: The sad goodbye :-( Check out time is usually at 10:00am but feel free to leave your bags in our office or in your hostel/hotel. The last day we leave the travellers free to leave Florence whenever it is best for them and completely free to visit the museums and monuments in full relax. 3
WWW.ITALYONABUDGETTOURS.COM ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: WHAT S INCLUDED? 3 nights accommodation in Florence in one of our centrally located hostel/hotel Maps and info pack at arrival Night walking tour of the city including a welcome drink Tour to San Gimignano and the Chianti region with wine tasting included. Day trip to Pisa and Cinque Terre Italy on a Budget tour leaders All transports required for the day trips WHAT S NOT INCLUDED? Personal expense money Visas, personal insurance, medical fees Flights Entrance fees other than those specified on the trip page Meals ( Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners ) City Tax of 3 per person to pay at check in. Starting from April 1st 2012 all clients staying in any hotels/ hostels / campsites in Italy have to pay a city tax. The fee is COMPULSORY and MUST be paid DIRECTLY in hotel. WHAT TIME DOES THE TOUR START? We don t have a specific starting time to allow people to arrive at different time of the day however we recommed you to arrive in the morning in order to be able to spend a full day in Florence to check out the main monuments and museums. The tour will officially start in the late afternoon when you will meet with our tour leader for the orientation walk of the city. The check in time to your accommodation is in general around 2:00pm however if you arrive earlier feel free to leave your bags in the luggage deposit of the hostel or in our office. Remember to inform us in advance about the time of your arrival. DO I NEED TO COME TO THE OFFICE FIRST? Yes! Once in Florence come to our office where you will meet up with an official member of our team. At check in we will give you a welcome pack containing a free city map, turist information, a list of places where to grab something to eat or sit down for a proper meal, general tips. We will be happy to answer all your questions WHAT TIME DOES THE TOUR END? Check out time is at 10:00am. On the last day you can either leave your bags by our office and continue checking out the last monuments and places in Florence or continue to your next destination. We leave the last day completely up to you to do what ever you wish. CAN I EXTEND MY STAY IN FLORENCE? If you wish to stay an extra night in Florence and you haven t add it at the time of the booking, get in touch with us and we will be happy to extend your stay. Unfortunately we won t be able to guarantee that the accommodation will be in the same hostel but all our partner hostels are centrally located. HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP? Every country in the world has different tipping policies and in Italy tipping is a common practice. Tipping is totally up to you. Indeed in Italy we do not have a specific rule for tipping however tour drivers and tour leaders will expect a tip from you at the end of the tour. DO I NEED A TRAVEL INSURANCE? Cancellation, unexpected medical expenses, injuries, theft, lost luggage or money can significantly disrupt & ruin your holiday. Italy on a Budget strongly recommends that you take out comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, medical expenses, evacuation & repatriation expenses, personal accident, personal baggage, money & public liability before you travel HOW DO I GET AN ITALIAN SIM CARD? We HIGHLY recommend you to get an Italian sim card once you arrive to Italy. The main Italian networks are TIM, VODAFONE and TRE. The cost for a sim card is only 10 but it would be useful to have a phone number in the event you need to get in contact with us during your stay in Italy. Please inform your tour leader about your phone number. Also keep in mind that free wi fi is hard to find sometimes especially in the South of Italy so having an Italian sim card will allow you to always be in contact. HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED? You will be able to use debit & credit cards for most items however in the South of Italy they many bars and places do not take cards. You will need to allow enough money to cover meals where not included ( breakfast, lunch & dinner), souvenirs, shopping, drinks, optional excursions and activities, entrance fees to attactions & evening entertainment. The local currency is EURO. You won t spend lot of money especially for food. A list of recommended places will be given at check in on the first day. We have estimated 15/ 25 for meals a day, 20 for sightseeing. Consider a total of 25/ 40 daily. 4