As we're getting closer to your departures, we've had a couple of folks call & ask about how many Euros they might need for their week in Tuscany... (we always assume that if even one person has a question about the tour, others might possibly be wondering about the same issue - so we post here about it)
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| Tuscany's quaint & charming shops on cute pedestrian streets are hard to resist! |
So, this is always a difficult question to answer, as everyone's lifestyle can vary so dramatically... First off, there are no "optional tours" that we sell... All the tour activities listed on the itinerary are included in the price you've already paid for your Tour! All of your Breakfasts are included, All of your Dinners are included, the unlimited Wine, Beer & Prosecco bars at the Villa are included... The two nice Luncheons at the Wine Estates are included, and one lunch at The Villa... All of these included meals include wines (all you want!). We even take care of your Tourist Taxes... approx 21 Euros /per person - (if you're staying in hotels before or after the Villa, you'll see these tourist taxes tacked on to your hotel bill 3 to 4 euros per person / per day... and they often ask you to pay the tourist taxes in cash).
Of course we can't speak to what you may be doing before or after your Tuscany Tour, but during your week at The Villa, for your Adventures to Tuscany Tour, all of your "hard expenses" on the itinerary are included in your Tour price, with the exception of three lunches, while we give you free time in Siena, San Gimignano and Panzano... You'll be responsible for your own lunches in these 3 villages... Some guests prefer to maximize their time sightseeing & shopping, and forego lunch... some just grab a quick and simple slice of pizza or a Panini and Soda from a corner store or street vendor - usually around 5 - 7 euro per person... Others prefer to relax outside at a table with a view in one of the nicer Trattorias and have the larger traditional Italian lunch (appetizer, salad and pasta) and a glass of wine and do a little people watching... this is likely more in the neighborhood of 25 -35 euro per person depending on location & view! And anyone that's traveled to international tourist meccas understands that if lunch to you means steak or lobster with a bottle wine, that's likely to be more in the neighborhood of 75 euro per person. A relaxed lunch with a glass of wine and a little people watching is always one of our favorite things to do in Italy...
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| grilled & pressed Panini is so savory! |
You will likely of course have small miscellaneous personal expenses throughout the week when we're out touring... a glass of wine, a gelato, a caffe, parking, maybe something from a drug store, etc. Usually nothing big, but you will want to have a little pocket money... We always suggest you budget a minimum of 25 euros per person/per day or 150 euro per person for the week... You'll probably spend less... but again, it varies by your personal choices.
So the answer to the question is of course totally dependent on your personal choices & lifestyles... Over the last 24 years that we've been taking these groups, we've seen some of our guests get by using very little in euros (50 - 100 Euro per person for the week) and other guests splurging in a big way....
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| for those of you interested in pottery, we have a good friend with a studio just on the outskirts of Radda-in-Chianti who makes custom handmade pottery... her prices are very reasonable because she makes it & sells to you.. there's no retailer middle-man & she ships! |
And then of course there's the shopping... These purchases are of course above and beyond anything aforementioned... Tuscany, not unlike most aspirational tourist destinations, has it's fair share of tempting artisan shops & galleries... Among the things that are popular that we've seen our guests buy over the years are; hand-thrown pottery, leather coats, handmade jewelry, leather shoes, purses, belts, wallets, perfumes, paintings, apparel, photography, cutlery, linens, silver, olive-wood cutting-boards, mocha pots, espresso makers, espresso cups, Florentine papers & cards, wines, olive oils, real balsamic vinegars, cheeses, spices, honey... The list goes on & on... We can of course give you pointers on what to look for and where you might buy things... Our personal favorites after all these years: shoes, leather goods, balsamic vinegar and cutlery, and of course, pottery... 
For large, fragile and/or expensive purchases, you probably want to consider having them shipped home... And of course they do accept credit cards in Italy... Mostly Visa, MasterCard... and some take American Express... (note: Discover Card is not taken in Italy). Sometimes in smaller shops, and often for minor purchases, they do not take credit cards... but for more expensive purchases, most stores usually take credit cards.
