FAQ

How many people will be on our tour?
My son, Mimmo Cricchio, and I, Mary Ann Cricchio, the Proprietor, are the guides for each trip. We personally escort each activity of the tour, and feel that 20 to 28 guests is the perfect number to give the individualized attention with which Da Mimmo guests are familiar.

How many times will we change lodging during our ten-day tour?
With the exception of our Sicily Itinerary, the beauty of a Da Mimmo tour is that you will unpack once when you arrive and pack once when you leave. Every day we will venture out from that location for our activity. If there is ever a day that you do not wish to attend the activity, you are welcome to just stay in and we can meet up later for dinner.

What time may we check in? Is there “early check-in”?
Check in at hotels is 3PM. Da Mimmo Tours requests early check in on your behalf; however, that request is always pending on the hotel when we arrive. Therefore, if your flight arrives early in the morning, it is possible that your room may not be ready for check in. In this instance, you may leave your luggage securely in the hotel while enjoying available amenities or exploring the nearby area.

Is airfare included in the cost of our trip?
No; Da Mimmo guests like to fly as they wish, so we do not restrict them by including airfare in the price. Therefore, clients need only get themselves to the airport at the designated day and time.

Everything other than the flight IS included in the price of the trip, including:

• hotel accommodations,
• multicourse meals with unlimited wine pairings,
• entrance fees to all attractions,
• English-speaking guides, and
• private transportation

Do you offer travel insurance?
Da Mimmo DOES NOT offer travel insurance. While it is optional, we highly recommend a travel insurance plan.

If you so desire, travel insurance may be purchased from your travel agent or the travel agent we use.

What currency is accepted in Italy?
Italy uses the Euro. As is normal throughout the world, cash is king. Therefore, it is always beneficial to have cash with you to receive a discount or negotiate a lower price on your purchase. So as not to take precious time away from your vacation, it is best to bring euro with you from the United States. Euro may be purchased from your local bank.

If you absolutely need to change money while in Italy, that can be done at the local bank. Remember to take your passport and there will be a commission fee charged.

Which credit cards can I use?
VISA/MasterCard is the credit card that is most readily accepted in Italy. American Express is accepted at some stores, but not all.

What do I need to be concerned about when it comes to my passport?
All US citizens must travel with a “valid passport” to enter Italy. This means that your passport must be valid at least three months from your scheduled return date to the USA. If you have not yet obtained your passport, or just noticed that it will not be valid three months after your return, urgently contact your local passport office and apply for an expedited passport or expedited passport renewal.

What do I do if my flight is delayed?
If you miss your flight, or if you are re-routed, you most likely will miss our group transfer from the airport to our hotel. If that happens, you may take a taxi at your own expense to our hotel, or you may contact us and we can arrange a private transfer for an additional cost to you. Make sure to obtain a receipt from the taxi or the private transport provided for insurance purposes.

How will I know where to meet you when I arrive at the airport?
After exiting baggage claim, walk into the arrival hall. You will be greeted with a sign which reads “Da Mimmo Tours” and/or has your name on it.

What should I do if my luggage is lost?
If your luggage is missing, proceed to the airline carrier’s baggage office in the airport terminal to complete a missing luggage form, which will include a description of your luggage. Please make sure to save all paperwork and tracking information given to you by the airlines. Upon locating your baggage, the airlines will bring your luggage to our hotel. It is important that you provide them with the correct address and dates that you will be at the hotel. If your baggage is delayed for over 24 hours, you may submit a claim to the insurance company upon your return to the US (only applicable for passengers that purchased travel insurance).

What about jet lag?
Traveling through a time zone may take its toll on your physical and mental well-being. “Jet Lag” is a phrase used to describe the condition when an individual’s internal body clock is out of sync with the actual time in the region to which you have traveled.

It is important to try to adjust your internal body clock to receive the most out of your tour. Here are some tips on how to adjust your body to local time:

• On the day of your departure, get out of bed earlier than usual that morning.
• Drink a lot of water to compensate for the dehydration on a long flight.
• After your evening meal on the flight, set your watch to the local time.
• Try to rest and/or sleep as soon as possible on the flight.
• Try to go to bed around 10 pm the night of your arrival.

Will my electrical appliances, such as hairdryers and curling irons work in Italy?
The voltage used in Italy is 220 volts at 50 cycles, twice the voltage of American power systems. You want to have an adapter plug and a voltage converter. An adapter plug is an interface that allows you to plug an American appliance into an Italian socket. A voltage converter or transformer converts the European 220 V to 110 V so that American appliances will operate on European current and not burn up.

Can I use my cell phone in Italy?
Before your trip, make sure to contact your wireless phone provider and inform them that you will be traveling overseas. Most providers offer an “international plan” that you may sign up for. This will allow you to make calls to the United States, while you are out of the country using your wireless phone. Please check with your provider for exact rates for Italy. Be extra cautious using your data while abroad. If your cell phone has a data plan, be sure to turn data roaming OFF on the phone to avoid potentially high fees.

We have tremendous success with Whatsapp, which allows you to make free calls with a strong internet connection. We recommend downloading and installing Whatsapp prior to your trip.

Will there be Wi-Fi?
Yes, there will be Wi-Fi at the hotel. When traveling outside of the hotel, ask the restaurant or coffee bar for their Wi-Fi code.

Can I drink the tap water in Italy?
While most local tap water will not hurt you, due to the difference in mineral and microbiotic levels, we recommend that you avoid consuming local tap water, as it may upset your stomach. It is always better to drink bottled water, which is in abundance in Italy.

What type of clothes should I pack? Will gentleman need a dinner jacket and tie?
Pack as if you were going to a resort town for the Amalfi Coast and Sicily and clothes suitable for warm weather for Tuscany. Venice will need clothes suitable for cooler weather since we only visit there in February.

Dinner jackets, ties, and ladies high heels are not necessary. The most important thing that you need to pack are good walking shoes. To test out your shoes, you should be able to put them on and walk on cobblestone streets comfortably.

Will there be free time?
Yes, the Da Mimmo tour is designed so that you have time together with us for our daily activity, and that you also have free time each day to enjoy all that the area has to offer. There is even one day in the middle of the tour that is a “free day”, so that you may choose anything that you would like to do without having any time constraints that day.

I have a medical condition/disability; what happens if I need a doctor or a dentist during my trip?
Please let us know of any disability requiring special attention at the time of registration. We would like to also clarify that all of our tours are operated outside the United States of
America; as such, the Americans with Disabilities Act is NOT APPLICABLE, and facilities for disabled individuals are limited.

That said, we are very familiar with the medical system in Italy and speak Italian fluently. Should need be, one of us will accompany you to your medical visit. It is our priority that you never feel alone or stranded on a Da Mimmo tour. We are always a phone call away.

How many meals are included? What if I have a food allergy?
We guarantee you will NOT go hungry on a Da Mimmo Tour! Each hotel on all of our itineraries includes a “American-style” breakfast buffet, two (2) lunches, and eight (8) fourcourse meals we will have as a group.

We have chosen ahead of time the multicourse meals with wine pairings for you. This is so you can sample all of the popular dishes the area has to offer. However, if you have an allergy/intolerance, or a religious requirement (i.e. Kosher, Halal, etc…), we certainly can address those ahead of time with you personally upon registration. The restaurants will be happy to prepare for you an alternative dish as long as they are notified prior to our
reservation.

Is there a gym?
Some of the hotels have gyms. Others are available off premise at a nominal fee. Please ask us and we can provide the information for each location.

Will we be able to shop?
Yes, there will be many opportunities to purchase souvenirs and items typical of the area, including wines directly from the vineyards we visit.

If you have any further questions, clarifications or concerns that have not been addressed here, please feel free to contact damimmo@aol.com or (410) 852-2412.