A: We pride ourselves on the knowledge we have about each and every property. We personally inspect each property, test out the mattress, use the kitchen, listen for noise, explore the neighborhood, check out the water pressure, try out the home electronics, local restaurants and grocery stores so that we can give you an accurate idea of what to expect. We turn down many properties that don’t meet our standards. We recommend that when you shop for a vacation rental in Italy ask the person you are dealing with if they have personally seen the property you are interested in. Many rental companies are advertising "supermarkets" for large rental wholesalers, with descriptions and photos provided by the owners and managers who often omit information that may be very important to your selection. If the answer you get is that “my colleague” or “our Italy representative” has inspected the property, pay careful attention as this might mean they don't have first-hand experience with the properties they represent. If they are relying on someone else to inspect and evaluate the property for them, they may not have a very accurate idea of the quality of the property.

A: High season typically starts in March and goes through the end of October. Low season is November through mid-to-late March, except holiday weeks. Each year we look at the calendar and determine the seasons based on logical ending points (typically Saturdays) & the dates of the major winter holidays. With some exceptions as noted in the individual property descriptions, the dates are:

High Season: March 1 or mid-March (depending on the property) through October 31 + Holiday Weeks: Christmas, New Year’s

Low Season: November 1 to March 1 or mid-March except Christmas and New Year's weeks

A: Not all vacation rental companies define their seasons in the same way. Country properties sometimes have three, or even four, pricing seasons. In our experience, demand is high for all our properties during periods when the weather is optimal, Spring through Fall as well as the December holidays. In fine properties in some cities the pricing is the same year-round.

A: That is a hard question to answer. For our most popular properties the high season dates in March, April, May, June, early July, September, October tend to fill up six to nine months in advance. For most of our properties you can instantly see the availability online. If your travel dates are rigid (around school holidays for example), it’s best to book early so that you have the broadest selection and availability that meets your needs. Christmas and New Year’s weeks tend to fill up three to six months in advance at the most popular properties. Travelers using airline miles tend to book their accommodations nearly a year in advance.

A: We try to accommodate arrivals any day of the week. Most, but not all, the country or seaside properties have a strict Saturday-to-Saturday schedule which is the most efficient for the busy high season period. With almost all of our other properties we can accept arrivals any day as we know that travel during certain weekday periods is much easier to book then peak weekend travel periods. In some cases there may be a surcharge for a Sunday or holiday arrival, since there is a premium we must pay our cleaners and greeters to work on Sunday. In other cases a holiday arrival, such as Christmas Day, December 26, New Year's Day and Easter might not be possible, please ask us.

A: You will find this with the pricing information for each of our properties. In some cases, there is a one week minimum booking period. With other properties we can accept as few as four consecutive nights. If this information isn’t provided with the property pricing information please ask us. During high demand weeks we often require a one week stay. We typically do not accept shorter then a four-night stay. If you can see on the availability calendar that we have a two or three night gap between bookings that fits your dates, please ask if a short stay is possible. In that case there is usually a short-stay surcharge to cover our cleaning and administrative costs.

A: Sorry but the payment terms do require us to collect full payment prior to your stay. We've found that most guests prefer to avoid the worry of traveling with large sums of cash. The maximum withdrawal is €250/day from most Italian ATM machines (bancomat) so your only option is to arrive with Euros cash, or your native currency and exchange it upon arrival. If you need to exchange to Euros you may have to do your exchange after an overnight flight, which requires you to go immediately to an airport foreign currency kiosk, where you will get the least favorable rate, or to find a bank that offers cash currency conversion, where you will get a slightly better rate, although fewer and fewer banks still offer this service. Italian banks keep 'bankers' hours: M-F 8:30-1:30 and 2:30-3:30 only. All before arriving at your accommodations.

If you exchange the Euros before you leave, again traveling with a lot of cash, you must be very careful making payments in an unfamiliar currency. With credit card payments you have the assurance of the legitimacy of our business operation, which is Better Business Certified and has an Excellent Trip Advisor rating. There are properties that will take cash payments to evade taxes and scrutiny from the authorities. If there is a problem, they can claim you never paid them and there really isn’t a practical way to challenge that.

A: The weekly rate applies only to a continuous seven-night stay at the same property.

A: The price for shorter stays is higher because costs are higher. There are economies of scale with one week or longer bookings. Stays of 7 nights are a better value then 4, 5 or 6 night stays since our fixed expenses are proportionally lower. For short stays there are fewer days over which to spread out cleaning, linen service, greeter and administrative costs.

A: Oftentimes our guests find that even if they pay the four-night price but only stay three nights, particularly for families, it’s cheaper then the alternative of two or more hotels rooms where there is not the convenience of a living room, and the economies of a kitchen for meals at home and a washing machine. The extra night can be convenient for guaranteeing an early check in or late check out.

A: We do provide discounts for stays of a month of more. The discount varies by property and the season. Please request a quote.

A: Sorry no, we do not prorate the rent for nights when there are fewer people. The rent is calculated based on the total number of people in your party.

A: Please see our Reservation page.

A: Please see the Terms page.

A: Our properties are reserved as much as a year in advance from our mostly non-European clientele. A cancellation, even months in advance, usually means that the property goes empty. Cancellations are rare but can be due to many reasons -- illness, a death, a business or a personal crisis, weather or a natural disaster. Italy Perfect is not in a position to cover you for these unfortunate events or to certify the reasons. We cannot credit your payment towards a future stay or rerent for refund. That is why we strongly recommend you purchase inexpensive travel insurance from the experts to cover yourself in case you need to cancel, as you would do to cover your other travel costs such as airfare.

A: Please follow this link for Travelex.

A: We will provide you a 48 hour option from the time we email you the reservation form.

A: Children under 24 months that sleep in a crib are not counted in the guest total. Any child that sleeps in a bed and all children over 24 months, even if they share their parent's bed, are included in the total guest count. Age applies to your dates of stay, not the date your reservation is made.

A: Unfortunately we aren't set up to notify clients when requests come in that might conflict with their desired dates. We hope there will still be availability for your dates once you have your travel dates in place.

A: For payments by credit card we typically do not require a security deposit with some exceptions. We will retain your credit card information on file until after you check out in order to charge any utility, phone expenses or damages. You will be emailed a full accounting. For payments by check or wire transfer there is an additional refundable security deposit required. This refundable security deposit will be refunded after check out, less extra charges, if any. Rate varies by property.

A: We accept payment by VISA or MasterCard.

A: We price our properties in Euros and accept payment in U.S. dollars, too. The exchange rate is based on the daily retail exchange rate, not the wholesale interbank widely quoted on the internet and in the finance pages of the newspaper. We can also accept payment in Euros by Euro check or wire transfer.

A: We use the retail exchange rate provided by our bank at the time payment is made. You can check the exchange rate here. Often our guests have been tracking the interbank rate, widely quoted on the internet and in the news; it is the wholesale rate which is the rate at which financial institutions buy and sell millions of Euros to each other. So, the exchange rate that our bank offers is sometimes a bit of a shock. Just like the price of wholesale oil, gold or pork bellies is lower than the retail products. Please call your bank to get their exchange rate and transaction costs of wiring "all charges to sender" a small Euro transaction.  Normally the cost to you is about the same.

In any case we welcome payments in Euros by wire transfer or check whether it is a matter of your holding Euros, or you can get a better rate or, especially, if your native currency is other than USDollars.

A: We do not recalculate your price with currency fluctuations: if the euro loses value between the time you paid and your stay we don't refund you the difference. Conversely if the euro gains value we don't recalculate and ask you to pay more rent to offset this. We pay our expenses in Euros as payments are received; we don't speculate in currencies nor do we profit from currency exchange.

A: Each property description indicates if utilities are, or are not, included. Italy is completely reliant on other countries for its energy, as it has none of its own sources. As a result, the cost of electricity and gas is the highest in Europe. The exorbitant cost makes Italians very energy conscious and the system of charging for the utilities separately protects property owners from incurring huge utility bills from guests who are not mindful of the expense. The standard process is for the greeter to take a meter reading upon guest arrival and departure and this is charged to your credit card or deducted from your security deposit. For properties where we provide a weekly utility allowance, this is meant to help defray, not eliminate, your utility cost.

A: We are happy to arrange a property viewing as long as no guests are in residence, out of respect for their privacy. There is a $150 USD non-refundable viewing fee which is credited towards your rent when you make a reservation. Viewings can be scheduled only a few days in advance since availability can change up until the last minute. If a property is occupied we can either provide you with the address so that you or your friend can walk by to see the location, however in many cases the owners do not permit us to provide the exact address until a reservation is confirmed, in those cases we can provide the block and nearest cross street information.

For stays of several weeks or months previewing is helpful, but for short stays we hope you feel that you can rely on our guidance, detailed description, maps, reviews, ample photos and even videos in some instances. It is for our guests that we carefully choose apartments and do the legwork. We only offer properties that have passed our 50+ point inspection inside and out...you can imagine the trouble we go through to inspect thoroughly on your behalf. If you are looking at properties and are not comfortable that the information is adequate and that there is full disclosure, then don’t reserve it.

A: We carefully inspect and stay in every property we represent so that we can accurately address your questions and give you a candid opinion. We believe that our extensive experience evaluating and comparing properties may be more useful than a single guest's experience potentially colored by their overall travel experience and events such as weather or travel situation and companions. (Example: Honeymooners: "Everything was fabulous!" vs. August guests: "Italy was hot and crowded."). For that reason we will track down guest references upon request only for stays at a single property of 3 or more weeks or for properties that are a minimum of €4500/week. Contacting and obtaining permission from past guests to provide you with their contact information is a laborious process; many past guests don't respond, they don't have the time or it's not worth their effort. We encourage you to read our own and our guests' reviews for the each property under the green Reviews tab.

A: This is slowly changing but many have neither. As remodeling occurs some properties are being retrofitted with screens but it is still relatively uncommon. In the guest confirmation documentation we provide practical advice on mosquito abatement since this an annoying aspect of warm weather in Italy. Air conditioning is becoming more common but due to the high cost of energy Italians use A/C sparingly and only during the hottest months, July and August. When clients plan their trips for April, May and June, bear in mind that the weather is pretty balmy and few if any Italians will use their air conditioning during these months. Chances are you won’t need it either as the thickness of the walls of the ancient buildings, high ceilings, tile floors, and wooden shutters to keep out the midday sun helps to keep homes remarkably cool naturally.

A: In most properties you can control the thermostat. Please ask if you need more information. However, Italian law regulates heat usage in order to control national energy consumption. The heat cannot be turned on, by law, before November 1 or after March 31, unless an emergency law is passed to address a cold snap. Also, some buildings turn down the heat in the middle of the night, so beds are furnished with fluffy comforters. The same law prohibits setting the thermostat over 21°C or 70°F. When we are chilly at home we are accustomed to turning up the thermostat. Italians put on a sweater and slippers. We recommend you come prepared with extra layers and slippers in the event of a cold snap during spring and fall, and to help control your expenses in winter if utilities are charged separately. If a property has A/C it will typically be individual units in the main rooms of the house, not in the kitchen, hallways or bathrooms. This is so that you only use what you need, when you need it, in order to control energy costs.

A: There are attempts to throttle electrical consumption in Italy so homeowners face a variety of surcharges and limitations on their usage. For example, the electric company imposes surcharges on all electrical use where the electrical capacity in the entire domicile exceeds three kilowatts (16 amps). Most U.S. households have six or more circuits each with 16 amps! Three kilowatts is not enough to run two power hungry electrical appliances at the same time, such as the dishwasher and a hairdryer. Even if you are careful to switch off lights and, say, not run the washing machine simultaneous with the oven, it is still very easy to trip the circuit breaker when appliances on thermostats or timers, such as heaters, air conditioners or hot water heaters start up automatically and overload the circuit. This is a very common occurrence. The best way to prepare is to limit your electrical usage as much a possible and to ask at check-in where to find a flashlight, the electrical panel and how to reset it.

We once stayed in a beautiful villa to be greeted by the distraught owner who informed us that the entire electrical panel had blown out that morning; the combination of previous guests operating multiple appliances combined with a repairman operating a power tool fried the electrical system. And at the start of a long holiday weekend with not an electrician in sight for at least four days. No lights, no refrigerator, no hot water, no oven, no hairdryers!

A: Each guest has their own usage patterns and habits so its hard to give a precise quote but we can usually give you a perspective based on previous guests who have stayed at the property during the same season.

A: You’ll get to learn a lot about your Italian neighbors by observing the laundry on their lines. First you’ll notice that this is a morning routine: wash clothes early in the day so you can get them out to dry before heading out for the day. Many Italians often employee a cleaning lady who spends much of her time doing “laundry management”: washing, drying and ironing. Given the high cost of energy, dryers are expensive to run and Italians believe they damage clothes, so they are just not commonly used. The cost for dryers themselves is high as well. When you do find dryers, they can be finicky. Properties with washing machines usually have a collapsible drying rack. Heated towel racks in the bathroom are a convenient way to speed up the drying process in winter when the central heat is on since the towel racks are usually tied into the heating system.

A: If you are coming from Tuscany and your flight is in the morning out of Rome, we recommend staying in a hotel near the Rome airport since it can be risky to get to Rome in time for a morning flight. With your confirmation we can recommend some hotels near the airport.

A: Our regular arrival time is in the early evening, usually between 5 and 8 pm by appointment. The only way to guarantee an early check-in is to reserve the apartment for the night before. By reserving the night before it will be ready for check in as early as 9 am. If the property is not booked the night before your arrival please check with us a few days before you arrive to see if an early check in is possible. If so, we are happy to accommodate this since we know how tiring international travel can be. For families with children or seniors who might need a rest after a long flight, we strongly recommend booking the night before so that you can settle in right away if you arrive in the morning. You will gain most of a day by being able to arrive, unpack, shower and then get out for lunch and enjoy the afternoon in your destination.

A: Only a few of the properties have a greeter available to let you in midday to drop your luggage. If a greeter is not available before 5 pm, we recommend checking your luggage at the train station’s luggage check facility until your check in appointment. Your confirmation will usually indicate if early luggage drop off is possible at a given property.

A: For greetings between 8 and 10 pm there is a €75 late greeting fee. There are no check in’s after 10 pm so please plan your travel carefully. Keep in mind the additional amount of time required for obtaining baggage, clearing customs and transportation into the city which can easily add up to two or more hours to your arrival time. The confirmation contains instructions on what to do in the event of travel delays or flight cancellations.

A: No there are not. We recommend connecting through Rome, Milan, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam or London. Our favorite connections are through Frankfurt and Munich. Our least favorite connection is through Paris since you need at least a two hour connection time to make your connecting flight to Italy. If you manage to make a tighter connection, chances are high that your luggage will not. There are some non-stops to Pisa; from the Pisa airport you can easily take the train to Florence.

A: If your travel plans are flexible or uncertain we will advise you what time in the late afternoon or early evening to be at the property for check in so that you can tailor your travel plans to arrive in time for your check in appointment. Unlike a hotel, there is no one on duty throughout the day to admit you if you show up without an appointment or call that day on short notice and request to be admitted. Our greeter's often have multiple check in's and check out's each day in several locations which is why scheduling a check in appointment well in advance of your stay will benefit you so that you don't have to wait until the greeter becomes available. This will save you time waiting around until the greeter can finish other business and head over to the property to admit you.

A: One of our local English-speaking Italy Perfect colleagues will personally greet you at the property, familiarize you with the home, provide you with they keys and answer any questions you might have since coordinating a smooth arrival is one of the most important aspects of a comfortable stay for our guests. We don’t mail the keys to you or leave them at a nearby restaurant or shop for you to pick up. The greeter will arrange to meet you the morning of your departure to obtain the keys. Special arrangements can be made in the case of a very early morning departure. During your stay the greeter is available by phone to address any property-related questions or issues.

A: In all cases the final cleaning, which takes place after you check out, is included. Many other rental agencies do not include this cost in their price to you and require you pay in cash on departure. Mid-stay cleanings for stays of longer then a week are included with some, but not all, properties. In a few cases, daily maid service is provided as indicated in the property description. Please ask and we can advise you if a cleaning or linen change is included. If it is not we can advise you of the supplemental cost.

A: One set of sheets per bed, one set of towels per guest. Please see each property for information about the final cleaning and tax, in a few cases it is paid separated. Utilities or a utility allowance is included as stated in the property description. If you would like additional maid service or linens please ask if this is available so that we can advise you of the fee and make arrangements in advance of your stay.

A: There is a legal requirement for registering your presence in Italy. Of the many Italy properties we represent about half of the greeters/owners request the passport copy in order to register you with the police. Should a major problem arise requiring police involvement, you or the property owner, must provide proof that you have registered with the local police. We recommend bringing along a copy of the photo page of each guest's passport so that if the owner/greeter complies with the law, you don't have to surrender your passport to them overnight so that they can make a photocopy, returning it to you the next day. This information can be found on the Italian Tourism Board website, quoted below.

What documents are required to enter Italy?

European Citizens whose country is under the authority of the Schengen Treaty may enter Italy with nothing more than a valid identity card or passport. Citizens from all other countries must show their passport on the border; where a visa is required, this must also be presented to the border authorities and must indicate the length of the holder's stay and his or her destination. Visa applications - specifying the reason for the trip -  must be made to the Italian Consulate in the applicant's country of residence, and are generally issued 90 days after the application was been made.

Once visitors arrive in Italy, those who will not be staying in a hotel or similar accommodation facility must register with the local police headquarters within 8 days of their arrival in the country. Visitors staying in hotels or other tourist accommodation facilities will automatically be registered upon reception there.

A: We prefer to represent non-smoking and no-pets properties for the comfort of our guests but we can't guarantee that our properties are allergen free. There are a wide array of factors out of our control that can be allergen or asthma triggers: laundry soap, fragrances, cooking smells, nearby pets, mildew in ancient buildings, or a neighbor who smokes for which we cannot be responsible. In a few cases, we do represent properties that will allow a small pet, subject to an extra security deposit. Please ask about the policy if it’s not stated on the property description. In the case of smoking, it’s still very popular in Italy! So even if the apartment or villa itself is designated non-smoking it’s possible that you’ll find yourself at a cafe, in a building lobby or on the street with many smokers near you.

A: All the properties come with one hairdryer. If you need additional hairdryers please advise us at least two weeks in advance of your stay and we can arrange this for a fee. We don’t provide curling irons, hot rollers for hygiene reasons.

A: There is usually toilet paper to last a day, a bar of soap, salt & pepper and that’s about it. Since Italy vacation rentals presume a fair degree of independence you’ll need to plan a shopping excursion fairly quickly to purchase essentials such as paper products, dish and laundry soap, condiments.

A: This is becoming increasingly available at most city properties. See the property descriptions for more information and if a fee applies. In country villas it’s still pretty rare, but we can advise you of the nearest internet check point. If you have a Blackberry-type device or iPhone with international phone service, if your phone will work abroad chances are you’ll also have email access on this device.

A: The website property description indicates what personal electronics are available. For marketing purposes DVD players are programmed for certain geographic zones. A North American zone DVD player will not play a DVD from Europe and vice versa. A multi-standard or dual zone DVD player has been “dezoned” to play DVD’s from throughout the world. An Italian DVD player will play DVD’s purchased or rented in Europe but will not play DVD’s from North America. If a property listing says "multi-standard DVD player" it will usually work with any DVD. If it just says "DVD Player" it is an Italian DVD player and will work with European zone DVDs.

A: If the property description indicates satellite [SAT] TV, it will receive some English language news channels. Depending on the subscription, it may or may not include CNN, BBC, MSNBC, SkyNews. This does not mean you necessarily will get English language entertainment such as ESPN, Disney, Cartoon Network, VH1 or MTV since these are premium channels not included with basic satellite service.

A: The guest confirmation includes a wealth of tourism information for such services. At the bottom of this web page (and every page) on this website are links to know, good providers of services including train, hotel and tour services providers. Some are affiliate links so we get a minuscule commission if you use their service by clicking through, but we never present vendors for revenue (we'd starve!) but only to give you good information. We believe through experience and recommendations that you can trust these vendors. If you need help in finding and choosing services such as these, please understand that it is time-consuming and detailed work for which experience really helps, so we suggest you pay a travel agent or concierge service for their time. One such good service is run by Kathy McCabe of Dream of Italy.

A: Most restaurants have staff that speak enough English to take your reservation over the phone so that you can do it yourself. If you need help with restaurant reservations we can refer you to a concierge service since the greeters don't provide concierge services.

A: Since we personally inspect each property we can advise you on which properties are best suited for guests with issues of mobility or ample proportions. This includes information on interior steps, elevator size, beds, as well as access to transportation in the general area.

A: European beds are different dimensions then what you might be accustomed to. King size beds rarely exist, replaced instead by the more versatile “dual king or queen” or "convertible king or queen" which are two twins that can be pushed together to make a large bed. Queen and double (full) beds are also known as “matrimonial” style beds and are shorter than American equivalents. Italian Queen sized beds are three inches wider than US Queens and may, sometimes, be described as a King. Twin or single beds are slightly narrower then U.S. twins. Few Italian beds have box springs. Most have a wood slat, webbed or wire mesh platform with a thick mattress on top.

	USA	Australia	UK	Italy
Twin / Single	39 × 75 in 0.99 × 1.90 m	36 × 75 in 0.92 × 1.90 m		35 × 79 in 0.9 × 2 m
Double / Full	54 × 75 in 1.38 × 1.90 m			55 × 79 in 1.4 × 2 m
Queen (UK King)	60 × 80 in 1.53 × 2.03 m		60 × 78 in 1.53 × 1.98 m	63 × 79 in 1.6 × 2 m
King (UK Super King)	76 × 80 in 1.93 × 2.03 m	72 × 80 in 1.84 × 2.03 m	72 × 78 in 1.84 × 1.98 m	71 × 79 in 1.8 × 2 m

A: That is a tough question; everyone has their own opinion on this topic! Here are some facts to help you evaluate. Few Italian beds have box springs, most have a thick mattress on top of a webbed, wood slat or wire mesh platform. The mattresses will be not be a plush pillow top style nor memory foam. If the description reads "convertible" or "dual" king or queen it is two twins pushed together, see dimensions in the question above. King size beds are very rare: tiny elevators, narrow staircases and doorways in ancient buildings presents delivery logistics and obstacles. We test the mattresses of all our properties, if a property has an extra firm mattress, which has been popular in Italy in recent years, we'll typically state this in the description. Can we switch out mattresses for your stay, substituting two twins for a queen or vice versa? Sorry, no. Unlike a hotel we don't have an inventory of beds available. As far as sofa beds, any mattress that folds in the middle has limitations as far as comfort. Day beds usually have solid platforms, again, comfort limitations. In our opinion, sofa beds and day beds are suitable for youthful travelers or children who can sleep through anything. A double size sofa bed is best for one adult or one teen or two young children. If you are eyeing the budget price of a studio apartment with only a sofa bed for sleeping and you ask how comfortable it is, we can honestly tell you that a sofa bed is not going to offer the same comfort as a standard, non-folding mattress, please factor this into your decision since it might be worth stretching your budget to afford an apartment with a standard bed.

A: All of our greeters speak English. Some speak it fluently; others have enough of an capability that with some patience on both sides you’ll be able to communicate!

A: In most cases, renting a property in Italy presumes a fair degree of independence on your part. This is the time to be adventuresome since you will not have a concierge to help you plan your trip or make arrangements for you. We can offer some tips on which order and how many nights to help you plan your time in our properties; for more advice we can provide a trip planner reference with your reservation confirmation. In the case of luxury (5 star) properties extra services can usually be arranged (except for private drivers), but for the other properties we don’t have staff on hand to make restaurant reservations, organize tours or museum reservations, do laundry, grocery shop or cooking. The guest confirmation provides the name of concierge resources, tour guides and driving services if you would like to arrange extra services.

A: We try to be as forthcoming as possible in the property descriptions about any noise issues. That said, staying in the center of any ancient city presumes there will be some noise from motor scooters, cars, delivery trucks, buses, pedestrians. We can express our own experience, but each person has their own threshold when it comes to noise. Even at country properties in bucolic settings a rooster’s crow or tractor plowing fields can make for an early wake up call. If an apartment’s bedrooms face an inner courtyard or light well, it usually means those rooms will be quieter for sleeping, although a deaf neighbor with the TV blaring on a hot summer night midnight can certainly prove otherwise! Bedroom windows that overlook the street mean you will hear the ever-present motor scooter buzzing by, or you might hear the sound of happy diners returning from a night at the local trattoria or the garbage truck making its rounds in the wee hours of the morning. We are happy to advise you on what to expect at each property when it comes to noise. Please also remember that you may not sleep as well when you are jet lagged and in a strange bed and prepare for that.

A: If we are notified in advance of major construction work, such as scaffolding or roof replacement, we will inform you and will work to come up with a solution if we anticipate that it will impact their stay. Periodic maintenance work to common areas such as painting an apartment building lobby and stairwells is not something that would be considered significant. Remodeling and construction work to other apartments in the same building or in adjoining or facing buildings does not require notice to neighbors and is impossible to predict and is not a situation for which we or the property owner can take any responsibility.

A: Your confirmation provides the name of a local English-speaking contact for you to contact in the event of a problem or a needed repair.

A: Yes, a car is essential when staying in the Tuscan countryside. Even if there is a small village within walking distance, public transportation in the countryside can be infrequent. Without a car you will be somewhat stranded at your country property, spending much of your day walking to remote bus stops and at at the mercy of potentially infrequent busses. You will not be able to easily get to grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, let alone the cultural highlights. If you are fearful of driving we recommend you stay instead in Florence where the city sites are walkable and you can easily catch busses or train to the other Tuscan towns and cities.

A: We work with and welcome bookings from travel agents. Regretfully, our margins in this competitive business do not permit us to pay commissions or fees to agents. Travel agents are valuable, experienced resources to travelers and should be compensated for their efforts by their clients. Agents are welcome to add their service fee on top of the rent which will be added to the amount billed to the guest and will be itemized in the client's receipt as the “Service Fee” which will be sent by us to the agent when the rent is paid in full.