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A-Z rental
information |
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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. |
