GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS:
Health and Hygiene
Take your own medical kit.
Some suggestions:
Band Aids, Savlon cream, bandages, travel sickness tablets or patches, a small pair of scissors, tweezers, vitamin tablets, cold and flu tablets, throat lozenges, Betadine gargle( as its antiviral and antibacterial ),a course of antibiotics, lip balm, Panadol, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, moisturiser, water purifying tablets, chewing gum, a nail file, etc.

Don’t drink tap water or have ice in your drinks, unless you are 100 percent sure that the water is safe. If you're not sure, use only sealed bottled water. Consider taking a solid camping water bottle as bottled water often comes in very thin and brittle plastic bottles.

Protect yourself against malaria with any necessary anti-malaria tablets but also consider the following:

Use an insect repellent that is high in Deed, such as Bushman’s or Rid, in conjunction with bug bracelets. Bug bracelets are available at most outdoor stores or chemists and are worn on your wrists and ankles.
Don’t wear bright colours as they tend to attract mosquitoes. Neutral or light colours are better.
At dusk, when mosquitoes are at their worst, wear long sleeves and long trousers in a light fabric.
Spraying insect repellent on your clothes also helps keep mosquitoes at bay.
If you are travelling to higher altitudes, consult your doctor about altitude sickness. Altitude sickness tablets are available but not always recommended. Glucose tablets can help.

If you suffer from asthma or heart and respiratory problems, consult your doctor before planning your trip.

Take your vaccination certificate with you as customs officers throughout the world may ask for proof of your vaccinations.

Treat the sun abroad as you treat the Australian sun - with respect. Always wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat.

Consider taking individually wrapped refresher towels.

If you are travelling “off the beaten track”, consider taking a syringe kit and Gastro kit. Both kits are available from the Travellers Medical and Vaccination Centre and are issued with a prescription for custom purposes. Ensure your Gastro kit includes Gastrolight.
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Travel Insurance
Never, never leave Australia without purchasing travel insurance. Issue your own Travel Insurance with:
QBE Travel Insurance or Covermore

Security
Consider taking extra padlocks to replace a lost one or just in case you buy an extra bag.

Don’t leave any valuables (documents or items) in your suitcase in your room, even if your case is locked.

Make photocopies of all your travel documents (passport, credit card, visas, airline tickets etc). Keep one set on your fridge at home or with a friend and keep another set in the bottom of your suitcase. By doing this, replacement of your documents should be easier and quicker.

Always leave your valuable jewellery at home. The less “wealth” you have on display, the less likely you are to attract potential thieves.

Where possible, always store your travel documents, such as passport, airline ticket, travellers cheques, credit card and vouchers in the hotel safety deposit box. If you must carry your credit card or other travel documents with you, carry them in a money belt, worn UNDER your clothes.

Don’t carry your camera or any other valuables in your backpack. As you can’t see behind you, a backpack is an easy target for thieves to slash. When taking photos, always wrap the camera carry strap around your hand. This way your camera won’t be snatched from your hand by a passer by. Try not to give your camera to strangers.

Take a spare battery, specific to your camera. Buy plenty of film before you leave Australia, as the quality and availability overseas may not always be very good.
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What to Pack
For your flight, pack all of your medication, used film, travel documents, your toiletries and a change of clothes in your cabin luggage in case your bags are lost.

Most hotels overseas don’t have tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms, so you may consider taking a water boiler.

Consider taking a small travelling alarm clock, small calculator, torch, plastic bags, pegless clothesline, Swiss Army Knife, face washer, Chamois or small towel, individually wrapped packets of tissues and a waterproof raincoat.

A blow-up neck pillow comes in handy for all those long plane, bus and train trips.

Take a good pair of walking shoes and be sure to wear them in before your trip.

If you are travelling to cooler weather, consider taking thermal clothing, a scarf, gloves and a beanie.

Consider taking a small amount of cash for each country you are travelling to. This gives you immediate access to small change for tipping and other incidental expenses.

Consider taking individually wrapped packets of tissues, as they come in handy for toilet stops.

If you are trekking, consider taking a bandanna to absorb perspiration.

If you are not staying in hotels, consider taking a light sheet to sleep under.

A small, light handbag will come in handy when you don’t want to carry your backpack.

If you have a canvas suitcase or backpack, line it with large plastic bags to keep your luggage dry if it gets caught in rain or gets wet on the plane.

Respect local traditions and cultures, especially when visiting religious sites. Wear long sleeves and long trousers. A sarong packed in your daypack means you are always prepared.
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What to wear
When planning your holiday wardrobe, use the layer theory. Take clothing that can be removed as required, from T-shirts through to a jacket. Take clothing that you can mix and match.

Restrictions for aerosols and liquids on international flights
To increase your safety, there are new rules for taking liquids, aerosols and gels on flights into and out of Australia. These rules also apply when transiting on international flights within Australia.
For more information see:
www.infrastructure.gov.au/

Travel Essentials
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the IATA Travel Centre at www.iatatravelcentre.com. The IATA Travel Centre provides passport, visa and health information necessary for air travellers.
www.iatatravelcentre.com

Have fun planning your holiday!

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HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR YOUR STAY IN ITALY
If something breaks down or if you have any problems, please tell the property representative - details of which will be on your accommodation voucher - or the owner directly so that it can be put right as soon as possible. We hope you have a wonderful holiday (and may your taps not leak).

Driving in Italy
It is most important that you carry your driving licence and the car rental contract with you at all times. The Carabinieri and the Police do spot checks of both vehicles and drivers' documents all the time. If uniformed policemen bristling with machine guns and self-importance wave lollipops at you, don't panic, but please, do stop! They will want to see your licence, log book and insurance. They may kick your tyres and check your lights and brakes. The younger and prettier you are, the longer they will spend discussing your motorcar. They are generally very polite and friendly. Naturally the armoury induces a polite, even servile reaction from all but the most audacious driver!

Speed limits are nastily in force with ruinous fines. Even if you are driving a hired car such fines will eventually catch up with you. These speed limits change depending on the day of the week and the type of road. They also change without much warning from one season to another. This helps the Italian government to collect some of the taxes it loses from the income tax declarations of its native population and assist in holiday funds for its politicians.

Currently the speed limits in Italy are:
On weekdays, on non-motorway roads 100 kms. per hour. ** However, since the local authorities forgot to apply for 'Superstrada' status in time, this road is now reduced (temporarily??) to 90 km. per hour. It helps the coffers.
On weekdays, on motor ways (Autostrade) : 130 km. per hour.
At weekends and holidays, on non-motorway roads: 90 km. per hour.
At weekends and holidays, on motorways: 110 km per hour.
Watch out for elongated holiday weekends, short stretches of roads with 50 km. limits, hidden little cameras and giggling policemen, and sudden changes in the law, especially if there is a tax crisis current.
Fines start at EUR 100 and go up fast.
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Public Transport
Buses and trains are cheap and efficient and can provide a better alternative when visiting large towns than trying to find a parking space. Tickets MUST be bought in advance, from bars and shops displaying the bus company's sign. They can be bought in advance but must be date stamped in the machine on the bus. Fines for not having a stamped ticket if the inspector gets onboard are ten times the cost of the ticket, plus there is a "tax evasion" fine, between EUR 25 AND EUR 200. Fares for Express buses and trains ('Rapido') are higher than standard fares and travelling on an express with an ordinary ticket will result in a fine.
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Shopping
Most shops are closed at mid-day between 1 pm. and 4.30 pm., food shops close on Wednesday afternoons. Recently a lot of supermarkets and even some small local food shops stay open all day on Saturday and also on Sunday mornings.
Food shops still require payment in cash with a few exceptions. In large towns used to tourists, most other shops accept credit card payments.
Petrol (gas) stations follow shop hours except on motorways or 24 hr. stations, so that a petrol station displaying an 'Aperto' sign at 2 pm. is showing that it is open during shop hours on that day, not that it is open at the moment.
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Electricity
Electricity supply is normally 220 Volts a.c. Frequently this supply is limited to 3 kW. This means that if you try to use several high wattage appliances at once, such as an electric water heater and an iron, or a washing machine and an electric oven, you will overload the system and it will fuse. There is a trip/safety switch ("Salva Vita"), which will be shown or described to you so that you can restore the supply by switching off the extra appliance and turning the switch if there is a blackout caused in this way. Blackouts also occur frequently during thunderstorms, and in this case the supply will usually come on again by itself. The "Salva Vita" also cuts off the current in a tiny fraction of a second in the case of a fault or if for example a baby pokes its fingers into a plug; and thus avoids electric shock. It is wise to pack a torch with your holiday luggage and to look for the candles and matches in your holiday house before dark.
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Gas
Gas appliances in most country properties are supplied by bottled gas, more and more frequently nowadays from a large gas tank which is filled from a tanker when the gauge shows that the supply is low. This is just like having mains gas and there should be no difference in the gas pressure whether the tank is full or low. Not so in the case of supply from smaller bottles of gas ("bombole"), which will supply regular normal pressure right up until the last few minutes, and also have been specially constructed to empty during the preparation of a special meal and/or on Sundays, in the dark, in the middle of a public holiday. There should a spare bombola available or instructions about how to obtain one in your house. If your gas supply is from these small cylinders and if these are indoors it is a wise precaution to switch off the supply at night, except on bathroom heaters.
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Water
Most properties are supplied with Mains drinking water. Those that are not will state this in the property notes. Some local water is delicious, so do try it now and again!

Please remember that it rains a lot less in Italy than in most of Europe, that the sun is a lot stronger and evaporates water rather fast, and that Italy's population more than doubles with the tourist population. All this means that the water supply is far from endless, and particularly at the end of the summer and during autumn, rationing may be imposed without warning. Although most properties have a storage tank, please be very careful not to use water unnecessarily and not to waste any. Sometimes Communes (councils) in towns limit the supply of water to each household per day, and once you have used the allocated amount you simply have to wait until the next day for further supplies. That said, with sensible water consumption you will not generally have a problem.
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Restaurants
It is difficult to find a bad restaurant in Italy; vegetables, meat, cheeses and fruit are of a very high quality and fresh, and whether you eat at home or out you will soon understand why Italians make such an occasion of meals. Most Italians eat their main meal at mid-day, so that snacks such as pizza are usually served in the evening except in more touristy areas. Sunday lunch is an important family event, so it is wise to book a table for this meal. Same reason the main closing day for restaurants in this area is Tuesday.
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Rubbish Collection
Unless your property has other arrangements please collect your rubbish in plastic bags and take it to the nearest collection point. There are daily collections every day except Sunday, and you will see mesh or big metal bins on wheels at the sides of the roads. You may add your rubbish to any of these. There are also plenty of bottle banks and paper and rag collection bins, clearly distinguishable from bins for normal household rubbish. In the rare instances of open-topped bins you are not allowed to leave rubbish during the night, and this will be stated on a notice beside the bin.
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Drainage
Drainage is almost always into a septic tank, most often working on a bacterial system. It is therefore extremely important not to put anything down the lavatory or the drains which may hinder the friendly little microbes which live happily in the dark munching away. Please therefore remember NOT to put sanitary towels, babies’ disposable nappies, chunks of cotton wool, etc. down the lavatory.
Italian cleaning products and toilet paper are by law at least 90% biodegradable, but foreign products sometimes are not so be careful about anything you may have brought with you from England or the States. Unblocking a septic tank in the height of summer is not everyone's idea of fun!
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Telephones
There are two types of public telephones in Italy, those that operate on coins and phone cards, and those that use meters.

Phone or card type: phone cards can be bought at tobacconists and newsagents as well as at the Post Office, and a lot of phones will now take foreign cards as well. Instructions for the use of these phones are printed in the booths in several languages with illustrations. Generally speaking, one cannot call into a public, token operated phone box, so if you call us with a desperate cry for help try not to do it from a coin operated box unless you have a very large supply of coins or a card.

Metered type (‘scatti’): these are much more convenient, especially for long distance calls. To find these look for the telephone sign outside a bar and then go inside and look at the phone or ask if it is a “telefono a scatti”. You then ask to use the phone (“posso usare il telefono?”) and the machine will be switched on. You pay for your call after using the phone according to the number of units (‘scatti’) used. Units usually cost a few cents each but some lines, if the owner has more than one line for instance, cost more than this. Paying for a call from Italy will give you a nasty shock – they are very expensive.

If you are looking for a telephone number in a directory in Italy and know the address remember that subscribers are listed by the nearest town. Erta for instance is listed under Casole d'Elsa, not under Monteguidi (too small) and not under Siena, although Casole is in the Siena phone book. This is done to make life more interesting and to exercise your capacity for lateral thinking.
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Post
Stamps can be bought both at post offices and at tobacconists. The word for stamp is 'Francobollo", for a letter "Lettera" for a postcard "Cartolina". The cost of postage for a postcard with five words or less of greeting is less than for one with a lot of writing on it. The answer to that one is a lemon.
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Bars
All bars have to display a price list, but this only applies if you consume your drink, pastry, etc. standing up. Once you sit down and are served, you may be subject to 100% or more increase on the price. In smart areas and especially in the evenings, this may be even more. You should take your receipt 'scontrino' with you on leaving a shop, bar or restaurant because if you are stopped by the tax inspector outside without it, you as well as the shop owner are subject to a fine.
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Swimming
If the property where you are staying does not have its own pool, or even if it does and you are a long way from 'home' and feel like a dip, do try a Public Pool. Public pools in Italy are generally lovely places. The snag is that they are not usually open before June or after mid-September.
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Museums and Festivals
There are always numerous concerts and festivals during the year which are well worth attending and of course there are masses of guide books telling you about museums in towns.

Often very worthwhile concerts and events are NOT heavily advertised simply because if they were, they would become too crowded! The very best way to keep up to date on the local events and special occasions is to visit the local APT (Associazione Promozione Turistica) office, which will happily shower you with information and maps in English as well as other languages. These tourist information offices are marked with an "i". There are several in Florence and Siena and often even small villages have them.
Many museums are closed on Mondays.
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Health
Last but not least, please do not forget your travel insurance 'emergency number' and policy details in case of emergency. In case of uncertainty or an emergency or serious problem the best thing to do is to drive straight to a hospital and go to the "PRONTO SOCCORSO" (emergency) department.

A note on cleaning and maid service: Almost all our properties are let on a 'Self - Catering' basis. This means that while your holiday property will be assigned to you clean and tidy, it also means that when you leave the property it must be left in such a condition that the cleaner is able to prepare the property for the next guests in the short time available before they arrive, usually that same afternoon. Please do not neglect your house during your stay, and try and leave it as you found it. In particular put back in its original position any furniture that you may have moved, make sure the washing up is done and remember to dispose of your rubbish before leaving.
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