1. What is Italian Days?
Italian Days wants to give you, your friends and/or family, an authentic and private experience of Italy from within. Let us help you select your villa and apartment rental or your boutique hotel in Italy and take you into the kitchens, the vineyards and olive groves, show you around archeological sites and museums and make you see Italy as only locals know it. We are native Italians and know local Italy!
2. How can I search for villa and apartment rentals?
We selected Top Villa and Apartment rentals all over Italy. Click on any of the destinations on our home page and review the top list of properties. From the list, click on ‘more info’ to review a detailed description of the villa or apartment rental along with pictures and pricing.
In addition, we have a web catalog of more villa and apartment rentals to browse.
Call us at 1-877-796-8586 and ask us for advice if you can’t find what you need.
3. How do I book a villa & apartment rental, a boutique hotel, a cooking class or any other activity from your top lists?
Booking any of our villa & apartment rentals or any activity is very easy. From the description page, click on "Book This" in the price box. This takes you to our booking engine where you will be asked to fill out your booking preferences and personal information. When checking out you will need to set up your personal account with Italian Days. This allows you to check on the status of your order, add to it or change it. Once you submit your order, the reservation team at Italian Days will contact you within 48 hours to confirm it.
4. How can I book a villa or apartment rental from your catalog?
From the scroll down menu, select the region of Italy for your stay. Then within that region select the areas that interest you, the date for your stay and the criteria for your accommodation. A list of properties that meet your criteria will appear after you click search
Our Villa & Apartment rental catalog descriptions: Review the property descriptions carefully - they contain a lot of useful information about the property. Each property is rated on a scale of 1 (superior) to 5 (basic). Also, some property are rated with a crown symbol (Manoirs) which qualifies them as premium properties.
Unless noted differently in the description, all properties provide bed, bath and kitchen linen. Standard kitchen equipment includes refrigerator, stove top burners and sufficient dining and cookware for the number of persons specified in the property description. Any additional appliances such as oven, dishwasher, washing machine, etc. will be mentioned specifically in the description.
Extra costs are described in the "Extra Costs to be paid on site" section of the description. The security deposit is also included in this section.
Reservation Request from our catalog: To reserve a property, just click on the starting date on the calendar and place a Reservation Request. You will be asked to fill out information about your rental on a electronic form. Once you send the completed form, you will receive a confirmation via email and we will get a copy of your reservation request. We will then contact you to confirm the reservation and answer any questions you might have.
Booking Conditions of our catalog: You can review the booking conditions to fully understand the policies and procedures for your rental including the cancellation policy.
Booking process from our catalog: After we contact you about your reservation request, we will send you a booking form to fill out and send back to us before the hold period expires (due date). To confirm the property reservation we request a 30% deposit at the time of booking, along with a tour operator booking fee of $30 and the remaining balance is due 60 days prior to your arrival at the rental.
Travel Documents for bookings from our catalog: Once the rental is paid in full, we will mail you a travel packet containing the documents related to your rental. Please review your travel documents carefully, as it is important that you understand and are comfortable with its contents before your departure. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at info@italiandays.com.
5. What documents do I need to check-in at villa or apartment rentals?
After the booking is confirmed and paid for in full, we will send you your travel documents which include the address of the villa or apartment rental, directions, phone number of the key holder, check-in and check-out times and any other information you might need to find and check in at your villa or apartment rental.
6. What is the check in time at the villa & apartment rentals?
Most of our villa and apartment rentals have a check in time between 4:00 – 8:00 pm. The check-in time is always specified in the property description, booking confirmation and in your travel documents. Make sure to review the travel documents before departure. The owner of the villa or apartment rental or the key holder will meet you at the property and provide you with your set of keys. If you have specific check in needs please make sure to specify this in the comment section of the booking request or call us. We will do our best to accommodate specific needs.
7. What are the steps to check-in at a villa or apartment rental?
The owner or key holder will meet you at the villa or apartment to provide you with the keys. The Anti-terrorism Law in Italy requires owners to register each guest by getting proof of identity. The owner or key holder will ask you to provide the passport of each member of your party. After recording the personal data, the passports will be returned to you.
8. When and how do I pay the security deposit?
At the time of check-in, the owner will ask for the security deposit. The security deposit is in Euro cash and needs to be paid directly to the owner or key holder at the time of check-in. The amount of the security deposit is spelled out on the property description, your booking confirmation and travel documents. Some of our apartments in Rome and Florence will hold the security deposit on your credit card.
9. What additional expenses should I expect at the property?
Any additional expenses are spelled out in the property description, booking confirmation and travel documents. They normally include utility costs, air conditioning and heating consumption, logs for fireplace and final cleaning. However, make sure to review the ‘additional expenses’ section within the property description, booking confirmation and travel documents for specific charges related to your rental property. In Italy the cost of utilities is higher than in the US. Some properties will charge you a forfeit price for the rental period, some other by consumption. If that is the case, the owner will record the number on the electric/gas meter at check-in and check out and charge you for your consumption.
10. Is there Air Conditioning at the apartment or villa rental?
Whenever air conditioning is available it is clearly spelled out on the description. Air conditioning in Italy is not as readily available as in the US. Most villas and old farmhouses in Italy have thick stone walls making them cool in the summer and retaining heat in the winter.
11. What kind of activities and services does Italian Days provide?
We provide half or one-day activities that take place many times a week. This gives you and your group more opportunity in planning a more authentic, Italian vacation. Each activity centers around you, your family and/or friends; no outsiders. In addition to all this, we provide our signature product Yoga & Lifestyle Retreats in Italy.
We offer from cooking classes to food & wine tasting, from guided visits to off-the-beaten track tours by boat and many other activities. We also provide and arrange for your car and van rentals at competitive prices and car & vans with drivers all over Italy. We are here to cater to any travel needs you might have related to your vacation. If it is not advertised on the site, just ask. We can always help or refer you to the appropriate entity.
12. What do you mean by group activities?
All of our activities are open only to private groups. You will never find yourself shuffled into a larger group full of strangers. This is your vacation and you have a right to spend it with your family and/or friends.
13. How many people participate in each activity?
This depends a lot on you and the size of your group of family and/or friends. Up to the maximum allowed, you decide how many people join in. Some activities have pre set group sizes with variable price per person, based on the size of the group. In this case, the larger your group, the lower the price per person will be.
14. What is the maximum/minimum size a group can be?
To keep the whole experience private enough most activities accepts up to 12 participants. Some activities offer various group sizes and give you a lower price per person, for larger groups. Check the activity to find out which group configuration best suits you, your friends and family.
15. Can a larger group than the maximum allowed for one activity, go on an activity?
In case you have a larger group than the people allowed and the group does not want to be split up in two or three smaller groups, contact us as soon as possible at info@italiandays.com or by phone at 1-877-796-8586 with the specific name of the activity, the number of confirmed participants, period and location of the stay and we will do our best to organize this.
16. How far in advance do I book an activity?
We recommend to book at least 90 days prior to your trip. This will give us enough time to arrange all the details related to your activity such as booking the entry to specific museums for guided visits. During peak season, most activities sell out quickly so the sooner you can book them the better. However, we always do our best to help you book activities beyond 60 days prior or even last minute.
18. Are wines and alcohol consumed during the cooking classes?
Yes, wine is served with main meals to enhance the enjoyment of food. Note that in Italy there is no age limit to drinking alcoholic beverages, but we do remind you that it's your responsibility to see that all participants in the group are either of correct drinking age and responsible or are restricted to drinking non alcoholic beverages.
For wine tasting activities, we can provide and arrange cars with driver from your villa or apartment rental or boutique hotels to the wine tasting venue. This way, you don’t have to worry about finding your way to or driving back to your accommodation.
19. Some activities include a light lunch or tasting. What does this mean?
Many of the tasting activities include some food. If you are invited to taste, it means you will be able to sample appetizers made of local product. Most of the times a light lunch consists of an assortment of antipasto accompanied by one main course. Italians are into healthy eating, so never expect American sized portions. Meals normally include bottled water and one glass of wine. Often one can purchase more wine if one wishes.
20. What do I need to bring along on an activity?
Bring your Italian Days activity voucher(s)! Without it you won't be admitted. Check the description of the activity to see if you need bringing some special attire such as walking shoes for a guided city visit or boots for an outdoor trip. Always take a bottle of water with you. In case you are visiting places of worship (churches, chapels, the Vatican Museum.), out of respect for local customs, please avoid sleeveless shirts, shorts and too short skirts. Italians are rather conservative when it comes to clothing inside these places.
21. No one in our group speaks Italian. Is this a problem?
No, your guides or cooking teachers speak English. Sometimes when dealing with local specialists, your group will be accompanied by a bilingual person, to clear up all possible confusion. In this case this will be noted in the activity description.
22. Where do we meet for these activities?
Once you have sent us the payment due for the activities booked, we send you your Italian Days vouchers. The voucher will have the address where the activity takes place specified on it. For some activities (such as guided visits) a meeting point will be specified. In general you are responsible for getting to the address or meeting point (unless transportation is provided). We will send you a map to help out with directions. If transportation is provided (see description of activity), the guide will come and pick you up at your villa, farmhouse, or hotel at the time indicated. We do recommend you purchase a road map, or city map locally. A map with a scale of 1:200,000 is best to find rural villages and hamlets. Arrive a little ahead of the activity's starting time. As a general rule activities start right on time.
23. Can I use public transportation to get to the meeting points or activities?
While a lot of destinations are served by public transportation in Italy, it is recommended to rent a car to get around. Public transportation is difficult to use and understand, unless you are very familiar with the locality (and language) of your stay. When booking your car, make sure to specify you want an automatic gear box car. Contrary to the US, in Italy the shift gear box is the norm in cars.
24. What if I'm a little late getting to the meeting point or activity address? Will the guide, cook or assistant wait for me?
All activities begin on time. In case you know, or feel, you will arrive late, call the guide, cook or local customer service person to inform him/her of your delay (their number is on the voucher). If you don't tell them, they can't help you out. In case you do not show on time, you will lose your right to the activity & the money paid. So better plan a little ahead and give yourself maximum flexibility. There is always a café or local pastry shop where you can enjoy a cappuccino or espresso while waiting to meet up with your guide or to enter the place of activity.
26. Are there any costs, in addition to the published price of the activity?
Generally transportation to and from the activity is not included in the price. In cities and towns you might need to park your vehicles in close by paying parking garages or lots. This is also not included in the price. Unless otherwise specified in the description, entrance fees or tickets to museum, events or monuments are not included in the price. To help you plan, in many activity descriptions we do offer ticket price estimates. Note that many of the producing farms and castles visited have local products available for sale. Such purchases are personal and not included. Italy being more of a cash culture, be prepared to pay smaller amounts in local cash currency.
27. Can I bring my children on an activity?
While our activities are aimed at adults, some activities (such as guided visits, some of our cooking classes or castle and farm trips) can be a great experience for older, responsible children. Check the activity description again to better judge if it's suited for your children or younger adults. Italian Days and the activity organizers cannot take responsibility for unruly and undisciplined minors. Parents are liable for damages caused by their offspring.
To determine the number of persons in one group, any participating person under 21 is counted just as an adult. As some activities include the tasting or drinking of wines, we want to again stress it's your responsibility to see that all participants in the group are either of correct drinking age and responsible, or are restricted to drinking non alcoholic beverages.
29. Should we each go on the site and register separately for one activity or should I register for the group?
Remember that we form the private group based on you, your family and/or friends. As you find out how many people will be traveling with you and want to participate in each activity, it is best one person registers for the group configuration best suited to the whole group. For one person to hold all the vouchers centrally is also better to avoid loss of vouchers or in case of loss, to coordinate replacement.
30. What's the next step once I book my group's activities?
Once you have booked your group's activities, we inform you of the activities' availability within 48 hours. Together with the Booking Confirmation you will receive an invoice for the total amount due. Once you have reviewed the Booking Confirmation and send us the corresponding payment back, you will receive all the activity vouchers ordered, your receipt, a copy of the conditions, instructions and more activity & meeting point information. Keep all this in a safe place and bring it with you. The vouchers are required to participate in the activities.
31 How do I change plans and cancel my activity?
You can always cancel an activity. In this case you need to write us with the cancellation request (see Contact). Depending on the date we receive the cancellation, cancellation charges may apply (see Cancellation Policy within our Terms & Conditions).
32. If I cancel my activity, do I obtain a refund?
Cancellations made up to 60 days prior to the date of the first activity booked, result in loss of the 30% pre payment. Cancellations after this date will incur higher cancellation charges (see Terms & Conditions for more details). Your cancellation charge will depend upon the date that we are notified in writing of the cancellation.
34. What happens if it's raining?
This depends on the activity you choose to do. A lot of activities take place indoors and are not cancelled in case of rain. In case your activity is outdoors, please present yourself at the meeting point. The guide will be at hand to judge if circumstances are as such that it is better to postpone it and to plan with you, when to best do it.
35. Can an activity be cancelled for a reason other than weather or nonparticipation?
Emergencies and unforeseen circumstances do arise. Your guide, cook or activity person might have a personal emergency and be forced to cancel the day activity. If such cancellations occur after 4.00 pm on the day before the activity takes place, you will be notified that same day. A full refund will be issued.
36. What are the Yoga & Lifestyle Retreats?
Yoga & Lifestyle Retreats are packages inclusive of Yoga classes, accommodations, meals and activities designed to offer you a healthy vacation where you can fully enjoy the Italian lifestyle. Most of our Yoga & Lifestyle retreats offer daily Yoga classes open to students of all levels, accommodations in restored farmhouses, villa rentals or boutique hotels, meals prepared with the utmost care using traditional Italian recipes according to the seasons and area and activities such as hands-on cooking classes, guided visits in cities of art, olive oil seminars, food & wine tasting. The idea is to restore and reenergize body and mind with a vacation filled with good food, healthy exercise, entertaining activities and learning experiences.
39. What if my group has special needs such as traveling with children or with eldery people?
We travel to Italy several times a year to review villa and apartment rental properties, boutique hotels and select activities. We know our properties and activities and can help you select the one more suitable for your party. Please include any special needs in the comment area within the booking form or call us at 1-877-796-8586. We will be happy to assist you.
41. If I cancel my activity, do I obtain a refund?
Cancellations made up to 60 days prior to the date of the first activity booked, result in loss of the 30% pre payment. Cancellations after this date will incur higher cancellation charges (see Terms & Conditions for more details). Your cancellation charge will depend upon the date that we are notified in writing of the cancellation.
43. What happens if it's raining?
This depends on the activity you choose to do. A lot of activities take place indoors and are not cancelled in case of rain. In case your activity is outdoors, please present yourself at the meeting point. The guide will be at hand to judge if circumstances are as such that it is better to postpone it and to plan with you, when to best do it.
44. Can an activity be cancelled for a reason other than weather or nonparticipation?
Emergencies and unforeseen circumstances do arise. Your guide, cook or activity person might have a personal emergency and be forced to cancel the day activity. If such cancellations occur after 4.00 pm on the day before the activity takes place, you will be notified that same day. A full refund will be issued.
45. How do you rate your villa rentals and activities?
The rating is the result of our clients' feedbacks. Upon their return, we send a survey to our customers to rate their experience with our villa & apartment rentals and various activities. Our rating system is from 1 - 5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest rating in terms of appreciation. The feedback we receive from our customers is then reflected into the final rating of the villa, apartment or activity. In our survey, there is also room to provide comments, which some of our clients are happy to share. When we post their comments, to protect the privacy of our clients, we only post on our site their initials along with the city and state of residence.
