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Arrivals |
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On the first day of your rental period, a caretaker will be waiting for you at the house between 4:00pm and 7:00pm to give you the key and show you around. If you plan to arrive at the property any later than 7:00pm, please advise us in writing in advance. |
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Booking |
When you've made your final selection, complete a Booking Request form with the details. We accept booking requests by email, fax or telephone and, in the UK only, by post.
Within 24 hours of receiving your request, we’ll send you our Booking Form. If you are booking more than nine weeks in advance, your reservation will be confirmed when we receive the completed form, together with a 30% deposit (if you are booking less than nine weeks in advance, full payment must be received before the reservation can be confirmed). |
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Booking Conditions |
It is very important that you read our Booking Conditions before finalizing your rental.
Caretakers
Owners and caretakers are present at many properties with differing degrees of visibility. Their kindness and hospitality often adds tremendously to our clients’ holidays, and they can be wonderful sources of information and advice about sights and restaurants in the area. |
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Cooks and chefs |
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The services of a cook are included in the rental charge in several locations (see descriptions for details, under the Prices & Availability tab). At most properties we can arrange for the maid or another person to prepare meals and do some or all of your grocery shopping (at local rates). This can be requested upon booking or at the latest 15 days before the first day of your rental and is particularly pleasant to have in place for the day of your arrival at the property. In Tuscany we recommend Mattisse, a professional chef based in Panzano, for superb Tuscan meals prepared at your villa or as a caterer to special events. |
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Departures |
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Check-out time at the conclusion of your stay is 10:00am. The caretaker will arrive at 9:00am to inspect the house with you and present you with your Final Bill. If you are obliged to leave the villa before 9:00am please notify the caretaker ahead of time. |
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Discounts |
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We offer discounts for rentals of three or more consecutive weeks, whether at the same property or different ones. Special Offers are published on this site throughout the year, and new listings are offered at an introductory rate for the first year. |
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Drivers |
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Our charismatic and very reliable driver, Leo Pratelli, is based in Tuscany and will happily chauffeur you and your guests wherever you want to go, be it a simple airport transfer or a day-long private tour. He has a range of vehicles to accommodate four to fifteen passengers. Leo’s services can be arranged through our Booking Form or by contacting him directly at leo@tuscanynow.com. |
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Emergencies |
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Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through a dedicated emergency line. |
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Enquiries |
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Enquiries sent to us through this website, using any of the forms provided, will be answered within 24 hours, seven days a week. However, we also welcome questions and comments by email, telephone, fax or, in the UK only, post. |
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Extra Services |
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Extra Services in the form of maids, local cooks and chefs can be arranged at most locations. These services are payable in euros to the property owner or caretaker at the end of your stay, and are charged at local rates, which can vary dramatically between rural and resorts areas. You can reserve Extra Services on the Booking Form or up to 15 days before your rental. |
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Final Bill |
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A blank copy of the Final Bill form will be included in the Voucher Package. This bill includes any charges that you incur locally in Italy, such as Extra Services, telephone use, utility charges (central heating or hut tub heating) and the cost of repairing any damages to the property caused by you or your party, if any. The amount shown is payable in euros or euro-denominated travellers' cheques to the property owner or caretaker before your departure. It can also be applied to your credit card (an administrative charge applies). |
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Housekeeping |
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Complementary housekeeping is provided on Saturdays at all properties, and more frequently in many cases - a Tuscany Now sales agent can provide the details. The maids’ primary role is to clean and tidy the house; laundry services, such as washing and ironing, are not included. Additional maid service (at local rates) can be requested upon booking (see Extra Services). |
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Local assistance |
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The villa’s caretaker is responsible for making repairs as needed on the property. Let him or her know if anything malfunctions at the house or pool, and the problem will be rectified as quickly as possible. |
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Payment A-Z rental information |
A deposit of 30% of the rental charge reserves your property until nine weeks before the first day of your rental, when the balance becomes due. If you are booking less than nine weeks in advance, full payment must be received before the reservation can be confirmed.
We accept payment by credit or debit card, bank transfer or wire at any time; or, if you are booking more than nine weeks before the beginning of your rental, by cheque or Switch (UK only). A credit card is required as security for all bookings. Charges incurred in Italy - for Extra Services, telephone, etc. - are presented in the Final Bills, which is paid in local currency (euros or euro-denominated travellers' cheques) at the end of your stay. |
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Pets and animals |
The majority of our properties lie within farming or rural areas and livestock or wildlife is frequently present. A number of properties have resident pets, such as dogs, cats or ducks, and while the owners are asked to keep these out of our clients’ sight and hearing, we realize that this is not always the case.
Clients’ pets are not accepted at any property unless noted in the description. Where accepted, pets are restricted to a single non-aggressive dog and the property owner’s permission must be obtained in writing before the booking can be confirmed. |
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Rental period |
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Our rental period is one week, from Saturday to Saturday.
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Rental charge |
The rental charge includes: housekeeping/cook services as indicated (see descriptions for details, under the Prices & Availability tab); a weekly change of bedlinens, bath towels and swimming towels on Saturdays; house wares such as linens, cooking utensils and china; children’s cribs and high chairs at most locations, upon request; electricity up to 330 kilowatts; water and hot water from taps; garden and pool maintenance; credit card service charges and all local taxes.
It does not include: outgoing telephone calls; Extra Services as requested; central heating or hot tub heating; repairs for damages to the property caused by your party; food, travel, car rental, transfers and travel insurance; staff gratuities.
Please read our Booking Conditions for further details. |
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Road access |
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The type of road leading to each property is specified in the description. This is important because Italian roads tend to be narrower with sharper turns than most, and consequently cars that are unusually wide or low slung simply will not get through without damage. Most of our properties sit at the end of private white (gravel) or tarmac roads. |
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Security |
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Please be sure to lock your villa when you leave it, and ensure that all valuables left in your car are kept out of sight in the boot. |
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Security card |
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A credit card is required as security for all bookings, regardless of the intended form of payment. |
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Surcharges |
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2004 was an eventful year in terms of currency fluctuations. Should equally drastic shifts occur, we will with regret be required to impose a surcharge on our US$ prices to a maximum of 10% of the published amount. |
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Swimming pools and hot tubs |
The swimming pools at all our properties are open from mid-May to the end of September, although the property owner may choose to lengthen this period - and in the areas south of Rome, they very often do. If this is a determining factor in your choice of properties, please check with our staff. The pools are generally not heated. Please ensure that children and weak swimmers are supervised at all times around the pool.
A number of our properties have hot tubs in addition to the pool. These are typically only heated during colder months or at the occupant’s request; an extra charge for heating may apply.
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Telephones |
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With very few exceptions, all our properties have telephones; where no fixed line exists, a mobile phone is provided (although there is currently one property where no telephone is available at all). Telephone usage in Italy is very expensive and all outgoing calls, whether local or international, are charged. Many properties have meters which track usage during your stay on a per unit basis. We recommend purchasing a telephone card (available at most newsstands) rather than applying the charges to your bill. If you are planning to use email from a laptop, please check with our office to ensure that the phone line at the property is suitable, and ensure that you have the appropriate adapters and server codes for the area before leaving home. |
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Tennis courts |
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Tennis courts are private unless otherwise indicated; racquets or balls are generally not provided.
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Transportation |
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The majority of our clients rent a car for the duration of their stay. The major international car rental agencies have outlets at all the Italian airports, and many have smaller branches at the more important railway stations. If you do not wish to drive, consider a property located in or near a village and note that Italy has excellent bus services in many areas, as well as a sophisticated railway network. |
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Travel and tour services |
International travel services are offered to Tuscany Now clients by our affiliate, Italian Journeys. This London-based agency specializes in travel to Italy and can take care of your flights, stopovers, car rentals and transfers. If you have a few extra days before or after your rental, they will organize your travel to a different part of Italy or design a package centered on special events, such as the Carnevale in Venice and the opera in Verona.
Italian Journeys also operates winery tours and cooking classes for small or private groups in Tuscany and Umbria. |
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Utility charges |
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The amount of electricity included in the rental charge is generally more than enough for a week. Extra usage is charged according to consumption. Heating is normally only needed between September and May, during which time charges are according to consumption.
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Unhappy
choices |
Although we do our best to describe our properties accurately and in detail on this site,
we still highly recommend speaking to one of our sales staff before you finalize your
booking. They know the houses and their settings first-hand and have a great deal of
experience in guiding clients towards the right choice. If, when you arrive at the
property, you find that the facilities or services described are unavailable or
malfunctioning and no immediate repair is possible, we will do our utmost to find a
suitable alternative property for you in the same area. If none is available we will refund
the full rental charge. |
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Voucher package |
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The Voucher Package is sent to you upon receipt of your final payment, or six weeks before your rental. It contains a final detailed confirmation of your rental and the Extra Services requested, as well as directions to the property, its address and telephone number, and that of the caretaker. You must bring the Voucher with you to Italy, as the caretakers at the villas have strict instructions not to release the key to the villa until it is presented. |
