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U.S. Transportation Security Administration: What To Know Before You Go
You made it! Welcome to Italy!
We will have a bus at Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) Airport (FCO) in Rome on Saturday at 3 PM to take you directly to the School on the FIRST DAY of your session:
This will enable people arriving in Rome that morning or prior to that day to meet and travel to Montecastello together. In case you're looking for our bus, the name Provenzani is written on the side. Buses wait outside at the far end of Terminal 3. Follow the sign to Bus Station.
Where to meet us at the airport: When you exit the baggage claims area, go to your left. You will be on the ground floor of Terminal 3 (T3). At 3 PM, meet in the open cafe "Vacanze Romane" on the ground floor of Terminal 3 (T3), just outside the baggage claim area. There are two cafes on this level, this cafe is on the far left of the international arrivals area as you face the exits of the terminal. Next to it are 3 glass elevators which go to the upper levels of the terminal. (Upstairs on the 1st floor is the departures area. On the 2nd floor are shops and restaurants, and some comfortable chairs.) Soon you should see a few other people who look like they're carrying art supplies with their baggage. They'll probably be carrying this booklet, too. Then we will walk you to our bus in the parking lot. If it doesn't take too long to get everyone on the bus, we'll arrive at the School around 5:30 PM, show you your rooms and studios, and have dinner at 7:30 PM. If you miss us, take the SULGA bus from the airport to Todi at and we will come and get you (see Traveling from Rome to Montecastello by bus).
Please let us know your flight number and expected arrival time! If we don't know when to meet you, we may leave the airport without you.
A bus will transport departing students with their baggage to the airport in Rome, to arrive at about 9:30 AM as follows:
Please book your return flight for 11 AM or later, to make sure you have time to arrive at the airport and check in. It takes 2 hours to get to the airport, and 2 hours to pass security for international flights.
Let us know when and how you will arrive in Montecastello. Call or fax the Montecastello office: +39-075-8780072 or or leave a message or fax at the toll-free US voice mail number: (866) 449-3604. You can save yourself time and money if we know where and when to expect you. When traveling in Italy, always carry your passport, even on group trips. The job of the carabinieri (police) is to check things out. It's easier to explain who you are if you have your documents. There is a small airport at Sant'Egidio, Perugia (PEG), with bus connections to the center of Perugia and the main railway station. All the chief national and international car rental companies have offices at the airport. National flights depart from Sant'Egidio for Milan Malpensa airport. International flights also leave from here.
When you arrive at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, there will be two passport control lines, one for members of the European Union, and the other for everybody else. The airport provides free luggage wagons. A portable luggage cart is also handy to have. You can change money for Euro (enough for the weekend and to buy art supplies for class on Monday) CAMBIO counter, which is at the far right end as you face the windows, or use the two ATMs in the arrivals lobby in Terminal 3, both conveniently near the bathrooms. If one ATM does not work for yor card, try the other. The exchange rates at the airport are good. If you have to wait a long time, on the 3rd floor there are fairly comfortable seats, restaurants and stores.
Check the exchange rates at the Oanda Currency Converter.
If you can't find your luggage, check in the piles in the corners of the room, or at the far end of the baggage area, or in Left Luggage, located in Terminal 3, ground floor (international arrivals). Don't worry: if your luggage has been delayed, it will be delivered to you at the school, usually in 2-3 days. Make a report at the airport. You may also be entitled to a reimbursement from the airline. Many airport personnel speak English and can help. Report any lost baggage to the airline’s handling operator indicated on the monitor:
| Alitalia | +39 0665434956 (07,00 - 23,00) |
| A.T.A | +39 06659527712 (08,00 - 20,00) |
| Aviapartner | +39 0665953545-7249 (09,00-17,00) |
| Consulta | +39 06659525660 (08,00-20,00) |
| Flightcare Italia | +39 06 65954252/6777 (24 h) |
| Globeground Italia | +39 06659530964 (07,00-23,00) |
| Aviation Services | +39 06659525591 |
Did you know: Regulation 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the European Council of 11 February 2004 established common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation, and long delay of flights. It sets out the entitlements of air passengers when a flight that they intend to travel on is delayed or cancelled, or when they are denied boarding to such a flight due to overbooking, or when the airline is unable to accommodate them in the class they had booked.
Left baggage room: You can leave your luggage here if you want to travel into Rome before you meet our bus. The baggage deposit is in terminal 3, (ground floor of the international arrivals) and it is open every day from 06.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. (tel. 06 65953541). Fees: € 6 per item up to 24 hours.
The easiest and fastest way to get to our area is by bus. There is an express bus to Todi Pian di Porto (15 minutes drive to Montecastello) from the airport. Follow signs to the right out of the arrivals area for Bus Station: go past the taxi drivers (who are kind of aggressive), to the bus parking lot. This bus also stops at Stazione Tiburtina in the center of Rome, if you want to catch it there. The airport is 45 minutes from the center of Rome. If you miss the bus at the airport, you can also get to Stazione Tiburtina by train: take the elevator upstairs to the train station. Trains leave every 15 minutes, the cost is € 8. Otherwise, a taxi to the center of Rome costs about € 40.
The bus pulls in at the curb, just in front of the "Bus Station" outside of Terminal 3, about 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. It says Todi on the destination sign in front, and has SULGA written on the side. The driver will help you to put your luggage under the bus. Take the bus to Pian di Porto. That is the stop closest to the school. You'll buy your ticket from the conductor on the bus during the trip. The bus costs about € 18, and an extra € 7 per bag if you have more than two. Now, relax! You're in Italy!
| From Fiumicino | Monday - Saturday | Sundays & Holidays | ||||||
| Fiumicino Terminal 3 (Tourist Bus Parking) | ---- | 12.30 | 14.30 | ---- | 17.00 | ---- | 12.30 | 16.30 |
| Roma - Stazione Tiburtina | 7.15 | 14.00 | 16.00 | 16.00 | 18.30 | 8.15 | 14.00 | 18.00 |
| Todi - Bivio Cappuccini | 8.55 | 15.45 | ---- | ---- | ---- | 10.00 | 15.45 | ---- |
| Todi - Pian di Porto Service station API | 8.45 | 15.30 | ---- | 18.10 | 20.00 | ---- | ---- | 19.30 |
| From Todi | Monday - Saturday | Sundays & Holidays | ||||||
| Todi - Pian di Porto Service station API | 7.20 | 8.40 | 9.40 | 15.00* | 8.10 | 9.10 | 15.00* | |
| Todi - Bivio Cappuccini | ---- | ---- | ---- | 14.55* | ---- | ---- | 15.10* | |
| Roma - Stazione Tiburtina | 9.45 | 10.30 | 11.30 | 16.55 | 10.00 | 11.00 | 16.55 | |
| Fiumicino Departures Terminal 3 | ---- | 11.10 | 12.10 | 18.00 | 10.40 | 11.40 | ||
* On request: call 335 7490410 or toll-free 800 099 661.
The bus brings you to the IP gas station/cafe in nearby Pian di Porto. If you find yourself at Todi - Bivio Cappuccini ask the driver to take you to Pian di Porto. It's not out of his way. You
can call us in Montecastello (075 878 0072)
from Rome to tell us where and when you will arrive by bus, and someone will
meet you when you arrive and take you to the School. (See TELEPHONE.) Or call when you
get off the bus.
Todi taxi points:
If you fly on a European airline like KLM, Air Iberia, or British Airways, you will stop in Amsterdam, Madrid or London on your way to or from Rome. These are usually discounted flights. There are 2-3 flights out of these cities every day. You can arrange your ticket so you leave on a later flight, at no extra cost. Instead of hanging around the airport, spend a few hours at the Rijskmuseum, National Gallery or Prado and see the city.
For discount airfares online, try these travel sites: CheapOair | Kayak | Orbitz | STA Travel | Travelocity | Expedia | Cheaptickets.com
Track your flight on flightwise.com
If you can't make the bus or if you miss it, you can get a train to Fratta Todina-Montecastellofrom Termini Station in Rome. The trip may take anywhere from three to four hours, but if you relax it's not bad.
Little known fact: Aeroporto Fiumicino is also a train station. Take your airport luggage cart up the elevator to the second floor of the airport and go to the train station. Leonardo Express is a direct train to Termini Station (every 30 minutes, € 14) and the Metropolitana also goes to Termini and to Stazione Tiburtina (5 stops, € 8), if you want to get the Todi bus. Or take the Terravision bus to Termini Station, €4 one-way, with departures every 30 minutes. Get your boarding pass at Terravision Desk inside Terminal 3.
Pay attention to your belongings! Termini station, unfortunately, is a notorious spot for thieves, pickpockets and derelicts. Be especially alert for groups of poor Gypsy children (sometimes with a mother and baby) begging--while several try to confuse and distract you, sometimes with a card or piece of paper in your face, one can grab your wallet out of your bag or pocket before you realize it. Make sure your money and valuables are not visible or accessible. If you find yourself being robbed, shout for help (Aiuto! Ah-YOO-toh)--the Romans don't like thieves anymore than you do; civilians and police may run to help you.
Find the ticket office at Termini, get a one-way ticket to Fratta Todina-Montecastello. There is no phone at Montecastello station so you should call us first with your arrival time. You'll change at Terni for the local to Montecastello. Ask or look for Platform #2 (Binario Due). Get your ticket before you get on the train: otherwise there's a penalty. You may pay extra if there is an express, called rapido. Before you get on the train, notice whether the number on the side of the car is a 1 or a 2, which tells you for which class that car is designated; be sure to stamp your ticket in the yellow machines on the platform to avoid a stiff penalty. Get on the train early to get a seat. Within Stazione Termini, luggage carts are free to use. Find them near the station entrances at either end of the huge open corridor. You can check your baggage at Platform #1 (Binario Uno). It will be safe there. This helps if you have to wait and want some freedom to walk around.
There is a lot to see in the area surrounding Termini. If you have a map and a destination, you should be fine. You can rest in the waiting room near Binario Uno (#1) or at the opposite end of the station, or in the cafe in the center of the station. Or mornings, you can see the Museo Nazionale Romano in Piazza Cinquecento, with a great collection of Greek and Roman antique sculpture. It's straight across the piazza of the entrance to the station. The 5C church, Santa Maria Maggiore, is four blocks out of the station to the left (see Rome trip guide), and is open all day.
When you get to Terni, change for Fratta Todina-Montecastello. Ask at the ticket window what time the train leaves. Walk through the underpass and up the stairs to Platform 5. If there's a wait for the train, you can go into the cafe and have a coffee or a drink. The ride from Terni to Todi, a beautiful trip through the country, takes 40 minutes. They don't announce the stops on the train; if you can't see the station signs from your window, ask the nice people around you to tell you when you reach Todi. Call us in Montecastello (075 8780072) from Terni, and we may be able to meet you when you arrive.
From the north, take Firenze > Perugia Ponte San Giovanni for the local train (Ferovia Centrale Umbra) > Fratta Todina-Montecastello.
Termini Baggage consignment: € 3.80 for the first 5 hours, underground of the Termini wing.
You can ride in a limo from the airport to Montecastello for about € 250. There are also taxis aggressively waiting for passengers at the arrivals area. For about € 160, you can take our local car service. Call us to arrange an appointment for you. A taxi from Todi to Montecastello is about € 15.
Driving from the airport to Montecastello is an easy, 2 ½ hour drive:
From the north, take A1 towards Roma, exit at VALDICHIANA, follow signs for PERUGIA > TERNI > ROMA (E45), exit Montecastello.
Google map of Montecastello di Vibio
Foreigners from outside of the European Community are expected to have International Driving Permits to drive in Italy. You can buy one at an Automobile Club, or in the US at AAA. All you need is a driver's license and 2 photos.
You can drive securely in Italy, we have the best mechanics anywhere. But sometimes, at the gas station on the autostrada, the attendant may try to take advantage of you.
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