Transportation to Spoleto from Rome and Return
The pick-up location in Rome is at the restaurant La Fiorentina at Via Andrea Doria, 20-22. It is a corner restaurant with plenty of covered outdoor seating, directly across the street from the Mercato Trionfale, the largest indoor stall market in Rome. The location is about a 35-minute taxi ride from the airport, an easy walk from the Vatican, and the Ottaviano metro station is only a 10-to-15-minute walk away. My husband and I usually show up between 12:00 and 12:30 and order lunch. Anyone planning on having lunch at La Fiorentina before departure should show up at about 12:30. I ask that everybody show up no later than 1:30 so that we can assemble, sort out suitcases and be underway by 2:00. The drive to Spoleto takes about 2 ½ hours. I can only provide the one bus or vans and I can’t hold them for late arrivals so it is important that everyone show up on time.
The return trip from Spoleto to Rome departs at 9:30. The drop-off is in front of my daughter’s apartment at Via Angelico, 4. This is just two blocks from the pick-up point and even closer to Ottaviano metro station and the Vatican. It is a convenient location for taxis and we can usually have the whole group in cabs to various destinations within 10 to 20 minutes of arrival.
We will be sending out a participant information form in the coming weeks. Please make sure to fill it out the information form letting me know your plans for arrival and departure so that I can coordinate with the van company. I need to know if you intend to provide your own transportation to or from Spoleto.
Some of you may be planning to travel from Spoleto on to other destinations after the workshop. Spoleto is a fairly large town with good bus and nearby train communications.
I’m frequently asked if the vans can make pick-ups or drop-offs at alternate locations, like the airport or specific hotels, or if the vans can pick-up or drop-off folks at towns along the route. I wish I could accommodate individual requests but I simply can’t. I chose the pick-up and drop-off location many years ago because it is reasonably centrally located but at the North end of the City with easy access to the highway towards Spoleto. The time was chosen as late as possible to allow us to get out of Rome before the evening traffic but still arrive at the hotel with time to settle in before aperitivo and dinner. Driving about Rome to alternate locations, or stopping on the route for pick-ups and drop-offs, could add hours to the trip and wouldn’t be fair to the others in the vans or bus.
Please remember that each person is limited to one airline check-in size suitcase and one carry-on size bag in the vans.
Accommodations in Rome
The hotel I recommend in Rome is the Farnese on Via Alessandro Farnese, 30. This is a mid-sized hotel located in a fairly quiet part of the city close to the Tiber River and easy walking distance to the Vatican, Castle Sant’Angelo and the major piazzas across the river. It is just steps away from the Lepanto metro station, about a 20-minute walk to the workshop pick-up and drop-off locations and, of course, a much shorter time by cab. It has the advantage of being on the border between the heavily touristed areas and quieter residential Rome. There are plenty of very good restaurants nearby.
Meals in Spoleto
The hotel serves a buffet breakfast in the breakfast room and/or garden dependning on weather. Participants will be free from 12:30 to 2:00 to seek lunch in the many restaurants in town.
In the evening, we typically gather for wine and prosecco at 6:30 either in the studio or the hotel garden, to recap the day and discuss the next day’s events. On four nights, including the arrival night and departure night, we will dine as a group at a restaurant in town. On the three remaining nights, participants are on their own to seek out restaurants of their choice. We and the hotel staff can assist with recommendations and reservations.
Those with special dietary needs should indicate so on the information form so that we can make accommodations at the restaurants on the group nights.
Shopping and Sightseeing in Spoleto
Our hotel and art studio are located in the heart of Spoleto’s historic district and easy strolling distance from the major sites such as the Spoleto Cathedral, the imposing Rocca Albornoziana fortress and the Ponte dell Torri aqueduct. Getting about Spoleto is made even easier by an underground system of “people movers”, conveyors installed to provide easy access to the large crowds that visit the town during the Festival dei Due Mondi in June/July.
There are numerous excellent pharmacies, grocery stores and delicatessens as well as a world famous gelateria. Cash is readily available from ATMs. We always recommend using ATMs attached to a bank to ensure reasonable conversion rates and charges.
The weather and dress
Spoleto is at an elevation of approximately 1,200 feet in a region of mountains and valleys. Average temperatures in October will likely run between a high of 71 degrees in the day, dipping down to the mid-50s in the evening with maximum temperatures rarely exceeding 79 degrees or falling below 53 degrees. Rain and cooler temperatures are a possibility.
Generally, dress is casual. Some participants prefer to dress up a bit for dinner while others prefer not to. It really is a matter of personal preference. Everyone should bring a sweater or light coat with something heavier if they plan to hike in the higher elevations. Most people will want a good sun hat for excursions outdoors and comfortable shoes suitable for walking on cobblestones and uneven surfaces.
Hair dryers are available in the rooms.
Sketching and painting supplies
Art supplies and traveling with art supplies will be addressed in detail during the zoom meeting and on the message board. I supply basics like paper towels and odorless solvent as well as easels. Traveling with paints is usually problem free and I recommend bringing your own paints so that you have supplies you are comfortable with. For those of you for whom traveling with paint presents a problem, I can make arrangements to assist. Again, we can discuss this at the zoom meeting. Everyone should bring their own brushes. If you need to buy supplies in Rome, Poggi is the art store that I frequent. It is located on Via del Gesù, 74/75. If you would like to check out the Fabriano Boutique in Rome, it is located at Via del Babuino, 173. There is also quite a good art store in Spoleto with most major brands of paint.
Car rental
Although there is no need for a car during the workshop, some participants may want to rent cars, either to continue their trip in Italy after the workshop or to go on excursions to neighboring towns, etc. Cars can be rented in Spoleto.
Excursion to Bevagna
We have scheduled an excursion day to Bevagna on the itinerary although the actual day may change based on weather considerations or the instructor’s plans. We will keep you posted. Pick up and return will be by van. We will let you know the exact time before the trip.
Bevagna is a fascinating walled medieval town located, not on a hill top like so many towns in Umbria, but on the valley floor at the confluence of two rivers. It is not well known to Americans but is a favorite of Italians. Lunch is on your own although anyone wishing to join us at our favorite restaurant is certainly welcome to join us. There will be plenty of time for exploring the town and its cathedrals, and for sketching and painting.
If anyone is not interested in participating in the excursion, please let me know on the information form so that I can make arrangements with the van company.
Travel Restrictions/Requirements
To our knowledge, there are currently no travel restrictions for U.S. citizens to countries within the Shengen Treaty, including Italy, other than a valid passport. The European Union has been struggling for years to implement its EIAS system, which will require obtaining entry permission online and paying a small fee before departing the U.S. Currently, it does not appear the system will be up and running before late 2026. WAC is not responsible for ensuring you have the appropriate travel requirements, and each participant should monitor State Department and/or European Union sites for changes.
Similarly, to our knowledge, there are no health requirements in effect for travel to Italy. Recent experience with COVID indicates that requirements can change quickly and dramatically, and it is the responsibility of each participant, not WAC, to monitor changes in vaccination or testing requirements.
Health
Unfortunately, COVID is still with us, as are the flu, head colds, etc. Airplanes and airports seem to be points of contagion and even a plain old head cold, running through the group, can impair enjoyment of the trip. We recommend avoiding participation in large indoor gatherings during the week or so prior to the trip and wearing masks as much as possible during air travel. If you do have any symptoms, please wear a mask in the van and let us know so we can take steps to help prevent the spread of any bug.
I am occasionally asked if water in Italy is safe to drink. I have never had or heard of a problem with water in Italy.
Our Role
My family and I work hard to provide you with the services specified in our online workshop description and contract including accommodation and meals at the venue, van transportation to and from Rome, the excursion day and art instruction. We are not, however, a travel agency. While we are happy to provide recommendations concerning travel before and after the workshop, hotels, taxis, etc., these are purely subjective based on our experience and may not meet your expectations in quality or price.