We have put together a few FAQs the at we hope you find useful. If your question isn’t listed, please get in touch!

General FAQs

I have arranged aN 8 hour tour with you - can I extend it? 

On our "In Rome" walking tours & experiences it shouldn't be necessary to extend the time. The tour or experience will normally end at the given time.

On our bespoke "Out of Rome" tours, unless otherwise stated, if your Booking Form states 8 hours (for example), the tour must end within the 8 hours. It may be possible to pay a supplement on the day if the agreed hours are going to be exceeded, but this will also depend on how many hours the driver is legally able to do over a certain period (these are time constraints that are out of our hands and must be adhered to).

If you have booked an 8 hour tour (for example) and to wish to extend the timings prior to the tour date, please let us know as soon as possible. We will communicate the revised price to you, which you would need to settle in advance, in order for the extended timings to be confirmed.  

How do I pay for my tour?

We accept payment through PayPal where you can either set up your own PayPal account or use any credit/debit card. Using this payment method we do not see your payment card details and we never store any sensitive information. 

Do you arrange flights or hotels?

No. We are only involved in the tours that you book directly with us. However, from time to time we publish favourite hotels and restaurants on our travel blog, which might be helpful to you. 

What if I forget personal belongings

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for any items that you may forget or lose during your tour/experience. If you accidentally leave items in the vehicle after the tour has ended, we would try to facilitate an arrangement whereby you go by taxi yourself to the location to reclaim the items. If you forget your belongings at any other locations visited during your excursion (such as vineyards, castles, cafés, restaurants, archaeological sites, etc..) then regrettably there is nothing we can do. This is one of the reasons that we strongly advise comprehensive travel insurance.

Best time of year to visit this part of italy

Rome and its surrounding provinces are located in central Italy, approximately half way down the peninsular, so generally avoids weather extremes. However, as a rough guide, please see below:

January & February are the coldest months so waterproof jacket and footwear plus woollens, long trousers, hat, scarf, gloves. 

March, April & May are generally warm and sunny (bring sun-screen but also warm clothing and waterproof footwear). May has been known to qualify as hot some years.

June, the first half of July & September are perfect hot summer days but without the suffocating heat of August, so bring a mix of lightweight clothing, a jumper and long and short trousers, sandals and sneakers.

If you suffer in high temperatures you should definitely avoid the second half of July & August or be prepared to find a cool place to be between 11am and 5pm.

October, November & December are more changeable and definitely crisper so think leggings, ankle boots, jumpers, fleeces and waterproofs but have t-shirts or clothing that layers well too.  

So, for a vacation where you might like to spend a day at the beach or on a leisure boat choose May, June, July, (August - if you like it hot) and September.

If you're thinking of vineyards and wine or olives then March, April, May, June, July, September, October, (November - although we lose daylight at around 5pm).

For the Winter months (December, January, February) we'd propose Rome-based walking tours & experiences or shorter day trips rather than longer full day trips. 

PUBLIC NATIONAL & LOCAL HOLIDAYS

• New Year's Day *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• January 6 - Epiphany *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• March 19 - Father's Day (celebrated on St. Joseph's Day, but not a public holiday)
• April 21 - Easter Sunday (not an official public holiday but places may be closed)
• April 22 - Easter Monday (Pasquetta) *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• April 25 - Liberation Day (end of WWII in Italy 1945) *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• May 1 - Labour Day *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• May 12 - Mother's Day (not a public holiday)
• June 2 - Republic Day (birth of the Republic 1946) *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• June 29 - St. Peter & St. Paul *PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN ROME ONLY
• August 15 - Ferragosto (shops & businesses tend to close for a week or more around this date) *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• November 1 - All Saint's Day *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• December 8 - Immaculate Conception *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• December 25 - Christmas Day *PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• December 26 - St. Stephen's Day *PUBLIC HOLIDAY

KEY EVENTS AROUND THE LAZIO REGION

We have included the most important annual events which are gaining wider international interest.

MARCH

• Carnivals in Ronciglione and Rome are the 2 largest carnival events in Lazio although sadly it seems as though the one for 2018 in Rome didn't go ahead.
• Re-enactment of the Death of Caesar among the ruins at Largo Argentina in the centre of Rome takes place as you'd expect on 15 March (The Ides of March) from 2pm onwards.   
• International Women's Day. Held annually on 8 March. In Italy it's called Festa della Donna and is celebrated with yellow Mimosa flowers, women dining out and free entry to Rome's National museums (for women only).

APRIL

• The Birth of Rome 21 April, Rome. Natale di Roma. See centurions, gladiators, barbarians and dancers parade and combat around the Colosseum and Circus Maximus in celebration of the birth of Rome 753 BC.
• Gaeta Yacht Med Festival (next year's takes place 20-30 April 2019)
• Artichoke Festival, Ladispoli - this is the largest of several artichoke-themed events. The whole of Ladispoli town is overrun by artichokes and artichoke-based cuisine. The event takes place early April over 3 days but during artichoke season you will see them everywhere including Rome's Jewish quarter. 
• San Pellegrino in Fiore, Viterbo. This annual flower festival takes place in the medieval quarter of Viterbo end April/beg May over a long weekend. In 2017 it celebrated 30 years.  

MAY

• Tarquinia Country Fair (Giostre delle Contrade - Jousting between Districts) takes place end May / beg June. 
• The Mille Miglia (1000 Mile) historic vintage car race takes place over 3 days starting and ending in Brescia with check points in Rome centre and Ronciglione. The route also passes through Sutri and Viterbo old town. 2019 dates tbc but arriving in Rome at the end of the 2nd leg and through Ronciglione early morning of the 3rd leg passing through Viterbo, Montefiascone and Bolsena, which are some of Latium's most picturesque lake towns.  
• Tennis. International BNL d'Italia, Foro Italico Rome. Almost 2 weeks of tennis action in the heart of Rome close to the main football stadium and the Tiber. Tickets on sale [link]
• Piazza di Siena Horse Trials, Villa Borghese Park, Rome. Always an exciting 4-day event to attend towards the end of May. Tickets online [link]
• Palio dei Borgia, Nepi is a traditional re-enactment with Lucrezia Borgia as the star. Events take place over several weekends from late May to mid-June. There is no entrance fee since the various spectacles take place around the town. The best day/night is where Lucrezia is given the keys to the city where there is a long procession in costume that winds its way through the old streets, ending with a theatrical display in the main square with drummers and flag-throwers which are impressive. [link]

JUNE

• ​Infiorata Flower Festival (also known as Corpus Christi flower carpets), which takes place in Genzano, a town in the Castelli Romani . This has to be the most impressive flower carpet of the whole region. Thousands of plant and flower petals are laboriously laid in exquisite patterns throughout the old town. It takes place on the Sunday of Corpus Domini.
• Strawberry Festival, in Nemi takes place either end May or early June. Nemi is one of the prettiest towns of the Castelli Romani and has wonderful views of the lake of the same name, also sometimes referred to as the Mirror of Diana, who was a local mythical goddess.
• Beethoven Festival takes place in Sutri and runs from the end of June to the beginning of August.

JULY

• Atina Jazz Festival takes place the last week of July in the hill town of Atina in the Ciociaria territory. You can either purchase a ticket that covers the entire festival for about €70 or a single event ticket on the day of your choice for about €20. Tickets available online but website only in Italian. [link]

AUGUST

• Rieti International Chilli Festival (Rieti Cuore Piccante) takes place end Aug / beg Sept. (the 2018 event was 29.08 - 02-09). With more than 100 gastronomic stalls and over 800 varieties of chilli, this is sure to be a memorable day! Website only in Italian but you get the idea [link]
• Night of Candles, Vallerano (Notte delle Candele) is a wonderful event held towards the end of August (2018's was held on 25th) starting at 6pm until the small hours of the morning where all electric lights are switched off and the entire old part of the town is lit by 100.000 candles. The event includes street theatre, music and various stalls, plus you get to enter the photography contest for best photo of the night. [link]

SEPTEMBER

• La Macchina di Santa Rosa is an incredible event that takes place on the 3rd of September, where 100 men carry an enormous structure several metres high through the Medieval centre of Viterbo arriving at the Sanctuary of Saint Rose.

 OCTOBER

• Cesanese del Piglio Wine Fest, in Piglio old town early October. The 2018 event takes place 5-7 October. For a small entrance fee you get to sample the famous Cesanese wine from many of the local producers.
• Potato Festival in Leonessa (Rieti province) takes place early or mid-October. It's a very fun event with, as you imagine, all kinds of potato, plus other food & beer stalls. Leonessa is very quaint and is shadowed on one side by mountains.

DECEMBER  

• Living Nativities (Presepe Viventi) are held in many villages over the Christmas period but especially interesting and the largest of these are held in Civita Bagnoregio (in the Viterbo province) and Greccio (in the Sacred Valley of St. Francis in the Rieti province). These events normally start after dark, and are candlelit or have special lighting effects. Locals dress in ancient costume often with sheep and a Baby Jesus doll. ​

Dates may be subject to change.

DO YOU PROVIDE DAY TOURS FOR FAMILIES WITH BABIES / TODDLERS?

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept bookings for wine tours or other excursions outside of Rome for families travelling with babies or young children as we cannot provide car seats/carriers, as required by Italian law, so, for the moment we are happy to arrange walking tours/experiences for you in Rome where no vehicle is required or where the family could hop into a taxi and be met at the other end.  

Do you work with third party Travel/Booking agents?

No. We did consider working with third party agents early on, but quickly decided against it. We realised that part of what we love is to really get to know our customers right from the start - often before they even arrive in Italy. We are also able to keep our prices fairer by not having agencies adding their percentages on top. We may consider working with one or two high-end concierges at some point in the future but for the moment we prefer direct personal connections.  

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Wine FAQs

do you run wine tours to Tuscany?

No. We only cover the Latium (Lazio) region, which includes the famous 'Castelli Romani' wine territoty producing Frascati white wine, the ancient 'Ciociaria' territory which produces Cesanese del Piglio red wine, the Latina province, which produces the Nero Buono di Cori, and delicious wines of the Tuscia territory which is close to the Tuscany border. Lazio has many worthy rivals to Tuscan reds.  

Are there age limits for wine tours?

There is no specific upper age limit, 18 is the minimum legal drinking age in Italy. There can be quite a lot of walking and standing so it is up to each individual to decide whether or not they are fit enough for these tours. Families with children might find that their offspring get bored or that having children to look after means that one parent refrains from consuming alcohol. There is also a safety factor as on some of our wine tours you may be standing close to working machinery, and unlike certain wineries, none of the vineyards in our portfolio have kid-friendly zones. Regarding baby/toddler car seats/carriers, these are items that we do not provide, as mentioned in our General FAQs*

Are wine tours suitable for single travellers?

Absolutely. Most vineyards have a minimum requirement but if you're happy to cover the cost we will happily satisfy your request.

Are your wine tours suitable for people with physical disabilities? 

This would depend on the disability. Some of the vineyards in our portfolio do have wheelchair access so a partial visit may be possible, however arranging transport with wheelchair lift could prove more difficult, not to mention the extra cost. ​Where there are mobility limitations, please ensure that you book with a travelling companion who is willing and able to assist you on tour as, regrettably, our tour team will be unable to offer individual assistance in such cases.

Do I have to be a wine expert to enjoy these tours?

Not at all. All you need to enjoy one of our wine tours is passion and curiosity about wine! All sorts of people book with us – from amateurs to experts and groups of family or friends wanting a fun experience or a way to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. If all you want to do is taste rather than have a full tour of the vineyard, please let us know when you inquire.

How much wine can I bring back from Italy?

Different rules apply according to country, so it is advisable that you check beforehand. The general rule seems to be 1 litre of wine per person is duty-free and should go in the hold (checked luggage). Anything over this amount should be declared and will probably have a small amount in duty to pay. Currently you can bring 2 litres of wine back to the UK duty-free but that may change after March 2019.

For this reason you might like to book your wine tour at the start of your vacation so that you can enjoy any purchases before you return home. Remember to ask at the vineyard if they export to your country and take photos of the bottles you enjoyed.

What size are the tastings?

Tasting sizes are generous. Usually 1/3 of a glass per each wine, with most wineries allowing you to go back to re-taste and some leaving bottles on the tasting table for you to revisit as you wish. You are not allowed to take any of these bottles home, however. 

Is it possible to purchase wines at the wineries & vineyards?

Of course. You may purchase wines at all of the wineries & vineyards we visit but you are not obliged to do so. It gives us immense pleasure when we know that you have enjoyed the wines and wish to take some back home.