Frequently asked questions
- To whom should I direct my comment?
- We welcome and appreciate all feedback and constructive criticism. Please direct emails to Claudio, Bianca or Nicola at acasa5terre[at]gmail.com.
- Can I change my reservation?
- Yes, but new room reservations are contingent on room availibility. No additional charge will be applied. The room price will change accordingly.
- How far in advance is it necessary to request the organization of a special activity (cooking class, fishing, watercolor instruction, etc.)?
- Activities should be requested as far in advance as possible. This will ensure that there is ample time to organize and your chosen date will be reserved for that activity. If you are more flexible with dates then we can let you know activity availability even a week in advance.
- What is my telephone country code?
- The prices seem too good to be true, is that what we pay?
- Yes, the stated prices for rooms are all-inclusive of taxes, all kinds of consumables, heating, air conditioning (if any), room cleaning after your departure and a fresh set of linens and bath towels upon arrival. For special circumstances, you may request a cleaning of linens at no extra cost.
- I made a reservation for 05/09/07, but you confirmed for September 5th. Why is that?
- In the USA, it is common to write a date as month/day/year where as in
Europe day/month/year is most common. We try to write the complete date using words to avoid confusion.
- What time is check-in/check-out?
- Check-in begins at 3:00 PM. Check-out must be by 11:00 AM on the day of departure.
- I got an error message from your online form, what do I do?
- Alas, even computers make mistakes. In the unlikely case that you receive an error from the form, try to submit it again. If it works the second time, it may be that a momentary glitch at first made something between your computer and our computer go on the fritz. If you get the same error twice, feel free to send a regular email, call on the phone, or send a fax with your name, email, contact info, rooms and/or activties you may be interested in and dates of arrival and departure. If possible, send a description of the error you received so we can see if there is something we can fix.
- We have a car, please advise.
- If you are driving to the Cinque Terre you can be reassured that there is parking at the top of the villages. Because of the small size of each town, however, cars are not allowed to park inside the village. Certain times during the day cars may be allowed to drop bags and luggage in a designated spot on the main street. Ask the parking lot attendants for permission. The parking area closest to the entrance of the village is subject to a fee. Free parking is offered farther away.
- What is the best time to call?
- When making a telephone call, please be mindful of possible
differences in time zone. The Cinque Terre is on Central Euopean Time (CET), or UTC +1:00. During summer season, UTC +2:00. For more
information on your local time zone, please reference www.timezonecheck.com, or, if your browser is not flash enabled, www.timeanddate.com/time.
- Do you require a credit card to make a reservation?
- In
certain situations, such as for large groups and long room rental, we
may ask that clients make a deposit. Situations will be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis. For you security, DO NOT submit credit card
information with the online form. As payment is made directly to the house supplier each supplier can choose their method of payment. However, we are a team of house owners, not a hotel, so some suppliers do not have credit card payment available.
- We don't speak Italian, is this a problem?
- Between all of us at "A Casa" we are able to communicate in English, Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Our cooking classes, and wine tastings are offered in these same languages. As for the rest, we are glad to act as linguistic intermediaries between you and our suppliers.
- What time is the class/course?
- The cooking class/workshop usually takes place between 4:00 pm and 7pm. We have an hour pause to prepare for dinner with all the
participants at 8pm. There is an optional morning excursion (10:30-12:00 noon) to visit the open-air markets, or local specialty stores. Participants are encouraged to attend the morning excursion, as this greatly enriches the students with knowledge for the afternoon workshops. Watercolor class begins at 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm (depeding on the heat in the summer). Wine tastings take place at 6:00 pm. If these hours seem late to you remember that in the summer months it is quite hot at midday and there is light until 8-9:00 PM.
- We do not know the time of day we will be arriving, may we communicate it later?
- Yes please keep us informed. Make sure we have your contact information and arrival plan at least one week before your arrival so we can prepare for your reception. If your miss a train, or encounter a delay please call and let the us and the house supplier know because we are probably wondering what happened to you and wondering if you will stand us up. We wouldn't say that if it had not happened before! We
provide you with cell phone numbers for emergencies and last minute
changes. In general many guests arrive by train so you might find the English Trenitalia page helpful.
- Can you reccommend lodging and/or activites outside of the Cinque Terre?
- Yes, we are happy to share and exchange travel reccomendations. Contact us directly or take a look at our links page.
- How do we arrive from the airport?
- Train from Genoa Airport: Take a bus or taxi to Genova Brignole train station. This is an 11km tranfer. At the Genova Brignole train station you must take a regional (regionale) train to the Cinque Terre village where you are staying. The trains are referred to by their final destination so trains that stop in Cinque Terre are labelled for La Spezia, S. Stefano di Magra, Pisa, or Livorno. Consult schedules on the Trenitalia website.
- Train from Pisa Airport: Take a train or taxi to Pisa Centrale train station. This is a 3km transfer approximately. From Pisa Centrale you can board a regional (regionale) train that makes all the local stops with final destination Sestri Levante, Genova, Savona, or Ventimiglia. If the train's final destination is La Spezia this means you will have to stop there and change trains to another regionale in the same directions as listed above. Consult schedules on the English Trenitalia website.
- If you arrive by car refer to Michelinguide.com or Google Maps for directions.
- Will we have to share our lodging with other people?
- No, each accomodation we arrange is private. Each room or apartment has a private bath and private entrance.
- We will be arriving by car and will need directions to the location of parking.
- If you arrive by car refer to Michelinguide.com or Google Maps for directions.
Map websites or GPS car navigation will take you to the parking lots located at the top entrance of the villages. Cars are not allowed into the villages to park. With special permission (ask the parking attendant) you may bring your car a bit further to drop off bags and luggage. Parking closest to the entrance is subject to payment whereas parking farther away is free.
What is your policy on...?
- For information on our policies, terms and conditions, please reference our general policies page.
I want to take the watercolor class. Do I contact the artist?
- To make arrangements for any activity, contact A Casa and we will organize the event for you. We are the coordinators of the event and the watercolor class meeting point is at our Manarola location.
Someone in our party is mobility impaired, will this be a problem?
- Stairs, steep inclines and uneven footpaths are part of the
particularity of the Cinque Terre. There are bus shuttles and elevators in some of the five villages. As each situation and village is unique please contact us directly so we can evaluate your needs on an individual basis.
Can you describe the neighborhood around the house?
- Most accomodations offered are located in the village centers. The exceptions are marked as located in the city of La Spezia or the hamlet of Volastra. The
villages vary between approximately 2000 and 500 inhabitants in the winter time. Houses are
concentrated together along the main street of the village. Each main
street has shops, grocers, cafés and restaurants. The train
stations are never more than 15 minutes away on foot.
How do I contact the owner of the place we are staying in?
- After making a reservation we will let you know the contact information of the owner of your apartment.
Are pets allowed?
- Please
include the fact that you are travelling with pets in the comments and
questions portion of the availability and reservation form. Each
house owner has a different policy and we will communicate this to you.
What skill level is the cooking/painting class geared towards?
- The cooking and art instruction classes are each specially targeted to the skill levels of the participants. The activity leaders are professional chefs, artists/architects, and sommeliers and each class is targeted to the individual ability levels of participants.
We would like to take an activity/arrive on a holiday weekend, will this be a problem?
- Bear in mind that holidays in Italy affect demand for activities and houses as well as train schedules and prices. We advise to reserve with us well in advance for holidays like Easter, May Day, and Assumption Day (Ferragosto). Consult the 2008 list of holidays from this government website.
Should we bring our own towels or linens?
- When you arrive at your accomodation, there will be a clean, fresh set of linens and towels ready for use. Please bear in mind that A Casa is not a hotel service, but a house and apartment rental portal. As stated in the general policies and conditions linens and towels are not changed everyday but only with the change of guests. This is standard operating procedure for B&B, and house and apartmental rental as provided by local laws. After your departure we will clean the apartment and replace the linens and towels with a fresh set.
Do you have any maps available for use?
Ever since having traveled to the Cinque Terre, I feel a tinge of nostalgia in my heart where "home" used to be. Is this normal?
- Yes, this a normal condition many people experience after having stayed in the Cinque Terre. We suggest a second visit, though be advised that in some cases this has been known to only worsen the condition.
