WATER AND ELECTRICITY
Water shortages in Tuscany sometimes occur owing to long, dry periods and we ask you to be as sparing as possible. Although the water is drinkable, we advise visitors to drink bottled water. If too many electrical appliances are used at once, some properties will have limitators which can cut off the supply. Should this happen, please contact the key-holder/caretaker for advice. N.B., the voltage for electrical appliances in Italy is 220 volts.

HEATING
The heating (if not differently specified in the description of the house) is offered at additional cost. Heating will be paid on consumption directly to the keyholder along with fireplace wood. The owner, together with you, will read the gas meter on your arrival day and, again, on your departure day, and will calculate the cost of the heating. Italian law states that a house must not be heated for more than 12 hours per day and only from 1st November to mid April. Please be careful in using house heating because it can present you with an unpleasantly expensive surprise at the end of your holiday. Combustible fuels are all imported and, therefore, very expensive.

PETS
PETS are admitted only in the properties where it is expressively allowed. We kindly suggest you to specify, when you make your booking, what kind of pet you will bring with you and - possibly - its size.

BANKING HOURS
BANKS IN ITALY ARE OPEN APPROXIMATELY Mon.-Fri. from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm and from 3 pm to 4:00 pm and closed all day on Sat. and Sun. and on national holidays. Afternoon hours may vary from city to city. Euros can also be obtained through any bank, ATM machine, or exchange office (Ufficio di Cambio), at airports, seaports and railway stations in the main cities.

GASOLINE
ALMOST ALL SERVICE STATIONS in the country are equipped with pumps for lead free (95 octane) and diesel fuel. The fuel distribution network for gas-propelled vehicles is reasonably developed (ask for information at the Automobile Club d’Italia offices). Service stations are open from 7 am to 12:30 pm and from 3 pm to 7:30 pm. Usually credit card is accepted. Service is guaranteed 24 hours a day on the motorways. Automatic pumps function in the evenings and at night with cash banknotes of 5, 10 or 20 euro.

SHOPPING
SHOPS ARE OPEN FROM 9 am to 1 pm and from 3:30/4 pm to 7:30/8 pm Tuesday to Saturday, and Monday afternoon. From the middle of June to the middle of September, the shops are closed on Saturday afternoon but would be open on Monday morning. These times are extremely variable depending on type of the shop and the type of town. Suggestions: Clothes for men and women (dresses, shoes, gloves, silk ties, skirts); lacework, jewelry, leather goods (handbags, cases, boxes, luggage), ceramics, gold and silver items, alabaster; woodwork, straw, embroidery, glass and crystal ware. It is advisable to carry merchandise purchased with you in order to avoid any inconvenience. All major credit cards are honored in Italy. A proof of purchase (receipt) must be kept.

TRAIN
www.trenitalia.com is the official web site of Italian Railways (Ferrovie dello Stato).
Prenotations, tickets and time table are avaible on this site.
In Italy, tickets must be validate before leaving.

DATA PROTECION POLICY
In order to process your booking we need to use the information you provide such as name, address, and special needs requirements.
We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of the accommodation ( except credit card details ), and if required by them or by law, to security or credit checking companies and public authorities such as customs/immigration. We will not pass any information on to any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements.