Auguri!
Your villa is booked. Here's what comes next.
From your deposit to your first evening on the terrace, here's what happens and when, and the extras we can arrange to make the most of the trip. Please share this page with everyone in your group.
Step by step
From deposit to dolce vita
No need to keep track of dates. We will reach out at each step when something needs doing, so this is just a preview of what's ahead.
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01
Within 21 days of your deposit
Protect your trip
Buy a travel protection plan now. Inside the 21-day window most plans waive the pre-existing conditions clause and offer cancel-for-any-reason cover, which are not available later.
About travel protection → -
02
4 to 6 months before
Book hotels and flights
Book your flights and send us the itinerary so we can plan your check-in. Let us know if you would like a night or two in a city before or after the villa, and we will suggest hotels we know and book them for you.
Hotels before and after → -
03
2 to 3 months before
Final payment
Your final payment is due, along with the security deposit if your villa requires one. Hotels, transfers and tours are best confirmed by now, as the good ones fill early in summer.
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04
30 days before
Your trip documents
We send your villa voucher, directions and the contact details for the person who will meet you at check-in, along with confirmations for any hotels and experiences we have booked.
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05
During your stay
Enjoy, with support close by
Your local concierge or villa manager is your best contact on the ground, for anything from a dinner reservation to a boat day or a leaky faucet. We are always here for support too: if you have any concerns during your trip, please contact us.
Contact us → -
06
About 2 weeks after
We will check in
Once you are home and settled, we will be in touch to hear how it went: what you loved, and anything we could do better. Then start dreaming about next year.
Do this first
Protect your investment
We strongly recommend trip cancellation protection for every booking. It covers you if you have to cancel for a covered reason, and for medical emergencies, lost luggage and missed connections while you travel. US health insurance usually does not cover you in Italy.
You can buy a plan up to 24 hours before you leave, but the best cover is only available within 21 days of your first deposit. Plans usually cost 5 to 8 percent of your trip.
Before & after the villa
A few nights in the city
Most villa weeks run Saturday to Saturday, and international flights rarely land in time for a 4 p.m. check-in. A night or two in a city at either end makes the trip easier and gives you a second Italy to remember. Tell us your dates and style and we will suggest hotels we know, book them for you, and arrange the transfer to the villa.
Staying in Tuscany & Umbria
Florence or Rome
Two nights in Florence before the villa, or end in Rome on the way to your flight home.
Staying in Amalfi Coast
Rome or Naples
Rome on the way in, then a private transfer south with a stop at Pompeii.
Staying in Lake Como
Milan
One night in Milan for the Last Supper and the Duomo rooftops.
Staying in Veneto
Venice
A few nights in Venice, on the canals or across the lagoon.
Staying in Puglia
Rome or Matera
Fly home from Rome, or spend a night in the cave hotels of Matera.
Staying in Sicily
Palermo or Taormina
Start with markets and Baroque churches in Palermo, or finish by the sea in Taormina.
Experiences
Make the week your own
In the cities, with Context Travel B Corp
For tours of museums, ruins and neighborhoods, we work with Context Travel. Their guides are art historians, archaeologists and chefs who lead private and small-group walks, such as the Vatican with a Renaissance specialist or Pompeii with an archaeologist.
Browse their walks, then send us the ones you like and we will book them around your villa week:
At the villa and nearby
Our villa managers and local partners can arrange:
- Private chef for a dinner or the whole week
- Cooking classes in the villa kitchen
- Wine tastings and vineyard lunches
- Boat days on the coast and the lakes
- Airport transfers and drivers for day trips
- Grocery stocking before you arrive
- Massage and wellness at the villa
- Babysitting
If your villa has a concierge, we will introduce you about three months before arrival. See our experiences →
Practical matters
Getting there
Passports
US citizens need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your stay, including infants and children. Renewals can take a while, so check early. Entry rules for Europe are changing, so confirm the latest requirements on the State Department's Italy page before you go.
Flights
We don't issue airline tickets, but each villa page lists the nearest airports. Aim to arrive in the afternoon: check-in is usually 4 to 5 p.m., because the previous guests leave at 10 a.m. and the villa is cleaned in between. Arriving a day early? A hotel night nearby is the easy answer.
Private transfers
The most relaxing way to arrive. A driver meets you at the airport or hotel, knows the way, and is in touch with your key holder. We can also have rental cars delivered to and collected from the villa.
Rental cars
We have special rates with Auto Europe, with full insurance and a zero deductible in Italy. Pick up and return at the airport, rent as small as you can (two small cars beat one van on Italian roads), and remember automatics cost more. You need an International Driving Permit as well as your US license.
Arriving at your villa
Welcome home
Your English-speaking key holder will meet you at the agreed time, show you around, explain how everything works and hand over the keys. Villas don't have a front desk, so please arrive on schedule or call to rearrange. There is an extra fee to meet you after hours, on a Sunday or on a holiday, and the only way to guarantee an early check-in is to book the night before.
Arriving at 4 or 5 p.m. leaves time to see what's in the kitchen before you go shopping. Shops close at lunchtime and reopen until 7 or 8 p.m. Or ask us to stock the fridge before you arrive.
Buon viaggio
Questions? Just ask.
Hotels, drivers, a chef for the big night or a tour of the Uffizi: tell us what you have in mind and we will take care of it.
Start planning with Susan