Michelle & Wayne Walker
La Dolce Vita
14 – 30 October 2026 · Venice · Dolomites Retreat · Florence · Cinque Terre · Chianti · Amalfi
Reading the money flags
✅ PaidSettled. The line underneath says who paid and how.
💵 Cash on siteBring euro notes — handed over in person on the day.
💳 Card on sitePay in person by card.
⚠️ To bookNot yet reserved.
No bookingWalk up and pay. Budget figure only.
Already paid
≈ $10,385
The AdZENtures retreat, all four hotels, both trains, the rental car, Pompeii entry, the Venice walking tour, the e-bikes and the Amalfi evening
Cash to carry
≈ €480
Water-taxi surcharge, Bobo's (cash only), Pompeii guide, city taxes, tips
Card on site
≈ €1,080
Amalfi transfers via Luna reception, scooter, Marina's B&B and class, restaurants
Still to book
Nothing
Every booking on this trip is made. The gondola is arranged with reception at check-in.
Includes the AdZENtures Dolomites retreat. Excludes international flights. Euro converted at 1.08.
01
Wednesday · 14 October
Arrival — into Venice by water
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Landing at Venice
Your flight into Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
Landing10:55 AM, Wednesday 14 October · Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Then, in order
1. Follow the crowd to passport control and clear immigration.
2. Collect your luggage from the carousel.
3. Walk out through customs — unless you have something to declare, you simply walk through the green channel; there is rarely anyone stopping you.
4. Come out through the GATES into the arrivals hall, turn left, and follow the walkway to Pier 4 — Darsena Dock, where your water taxi is waiting.
2. Collect your luggage from the carousel.
3. Walk out through customs — unless you have something to declare, you simply walk through the green channel; there is rarely anyone stopping you.
4. Come out through the GATES into the arrivals hall, turn left, and follow the walkway to Pier 4 — Darsena Dock, where your water taxi is waiting.
AllowLanding at 10:55 gives you just over an hour before the boat at 12:00 noon — comfortable for passport control, bags and the walk to Pier 4, without hanging about. If the flight runs late they monitor it, so there is nothing to call about.
The walk from the terminal to the water taxi pier is covered and takes about 7–8 minutes with bags.
Into the city
Private Water Taxi — VCE → Hotel
StatusBooked and paid. Your boat is arranged — just get to the right pier.
Booking code74MOJ — booked under Mary Michelle Walker
OperatorConsorzio Motoscafi Venezia · motoscafivenezia.it
PickupWednesday 14 October · 12:00 noon
Pier 4 (Molo N.4) — Darsena Dock
Pier 4 (Molo N.4) — Darsena Dock
RouteMarco Polo Airport → Hotel Palazzo Abadessa, direct to the private canal dock
Booked for2 passengers · 2 suitcases
Fare€160.00 · purchased 4 October 2026
How to find itCome out through the GATES, then turn left and keep going — past the Public Transport and Change desks, past the Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia office — all the way to Pier 4. The signs read "Dirigersi al Molo N.4 per l'imbarco".
On the day€20 in cash to the driver — a hotel surcharge for delivering you to the private canal dock. That is the only thing you pay.
24-hr line+39 041 522 2303 — Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia, staffed around the clock
✅ Fare paid €160💵 €20 cash to the driver
Your voucher — show this to board
€20 CASH
is still due to the driver on arrival.
The €160 fare is paid. The €20 is a hotel surcharge for the private canal dock — have the note ready.
The €160 fare is paid. The €20 is a hotel surcharge for the private canal dock — have the note ready.
Screenshot the QR code before you fly. The voucher also says do not bend the QR code — if you print it, keep it flat.
Don't worry about your flight being late. For airport arrivals they monitor the flight themselves — there's no need to call about a delay. Your taxi will be waiting at the dock, pier 3 or 4.
Do call if anything else changes — a schedule change, a missed connection, a different day — on +39 041 522 2303. Telling them early avoids extra charges being added to the fare.
Do call if anything else changes — a schedule change, a missed connection, a different day — on +39 041 522 2303. Telling them early avoids extra charges being added to the fare.
Where you're staying
Hotel Palazzo Abadessa
AddressCalle Priuli, Cannaregio 4011, 30121 Venice
Directions
Directions
Contact+39 041 2413784 · info@abadessa.com · palazzoabadessa.com
Stay14 → 16 October · 2 nights · 2 guests · out by noon
Booked asMary Michelle Walker
Confirmation3200/2026
Cost€680.00
✅ Paid in full
Pay-now non-refundable rate, settled direct with the hotel.
City tax is extra — about €5 per person per night, cash at reception. Roughly €20 for the two of you.
You will arrive before the usual check-in time. Early check-in is sometimes possible — ask at reception and they will do their best.
If the room is not ready, nothing is lost. Leave your bags with them and go and enjoy Venice: wander the Cannaregio canals, find a cicchetti bar for a first glass, or simply sit in the walled garden or the lobby while they prepare the room. There is no need to wait upstairs for a key.
If the room is not ready, nothing is lost. Leave your bags with them and go and enjoy Venice: wander the Cannaregio canals, find a cicchetti bar for a first glass, or simply sit in the walled garden or the lobby while they prepare the room. There is no need to wait upstairs for a key.
One thing to ask at check-in: tell reception what time you would like your gondola ride tomorrow morning. It cannot be booked more than 24 hours ahead, so this is the moment to do it — and the gondola station is a minute from the door.
02
Thursday · 15 October
Venice — Gondola & a Private Walking Tour
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Morning
Gondola Ride
How to bookJust tell reception when you check in on the 14th what time you would like to go. They arrange it for you.
Why thenIt cannot be arranged more than 24 hours ahead, so there is nothing to do before you arrive — and nothing to worry about.
WhereThe gondola station is a one-minute walk from the hotel entrance.
WhenThe morning of the 15th — or the morning of the 16th if you would rather, before the 2:15 pickup.
Cost€90 · for the two of you, not per person
💵 Cash💳 or card
Afternoon — the one not to miss
Private Walking Tour of Venice — with Raghda
PickupRaghda collects you from Hotel Palazzo Abadessa at 13:00 — wait in the lobby.
GuideRaghda · +39 388 808 2077
LengthRoughly 3 hours — back at the hotel around 4pm
Booking ref1450297295 · booked for Michelle Walker · 2 adults
ProviderGuydeez · tour in English
Cost$186 · total for the two of you
✅ Paid
Settled in advance. Optional gratuity €10–20 in cash if you enjoy your time with her — appreciated, never expected.
Your voucher
Dinner
Osteria Boccadoro
AddressCampo Widmann, Cannaregio 5405/A, Venice · ~10 min walk from the hotel
Directions
Directions
BookingConfirmed — table for two at 7:00pm · +39 041 5211021
Cost≈ €90
💵 Cash💳 or card
Ask for the Campo-side table.
03
Friday · 16 October
Venice → the AdZENtures Retreat begins
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Lindsey collects you — Santa Lucia square
CheckoutPalazzo Abadessa by noon — leave your bags with reception and have a last wander or a slow lunch
Pickup2:15 PM · Santa Lucia square — the main parking area
Directions
Directions
Look forLindsey, in a white Peugeot Boxer van
✅ Nothing to pay
16 → 22 October: the AdZENtures Dolomites Retreat. Already paid in full — $5,000 for the two of you, booked through Lindsey. Lindsey will drop you off at Venezia Mestre train station after the retreat, on 22 October.
04
Thursday · 22 October
Retreat ends → Florence by train
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Getting there
Train — Venezia Mestre → Firenze S.M.N.
Ticket numberHUWNFN · lead passenger Mary Walker
SeatsCoach 6 · 7A Mary Walker (ticket 2919353497) · 7B Wayne Walker (ticket 2919353496)
Class2nd class
TrainFrecciarossa 8419
Departure12:38 from Venezia Mestre
Cost≈ €110
✅ Paid
Tickets issued — show the codes below to the conductor on board.
Your e-tickets — show these on board
Screenshot both of these to your phones before you leave the hotel — Mestre station wifi is unreliable and you'll want them offline. They're also in Michelle's email.
Where you're staying
SoprArno Suites
AddressVia Maggio 35, 50125 Firenze · ~15 min taxi or 25 min walk from SMN across Ponte Vecchio
Directions
Directions
Contact+39 055 046 8719 · info@soprarnosuites.com · soprarnosuites.com
Stay22 → 23 October · 1 night · in from 3:00pm · out by 11:00am
Confirmation746255293 · PIN 4098
Cost€386 ($449.77)
✅ Paid
Dinner
Antica Trattoria da Tito — "Bobo's"
AddressVia San Gallo 112/R, 50129 Firenze · ~20 min walk from SoprArno across the Arno
Directions
Directions
BookingConfirmed — 6:30pm · +39 055 472475
Cost≈ €90
💵 Cash only
They do not take cards.
Two things they asked for.
1. Be finished by 8:45pm — the table turns after you.
2. Show them this badge when you arrive. It is how they know the booking is yours — have it open on your phone at the door.
1. Be finished by 8:45pm — the table turns after you.
2. Show them this badge when you arrive. It is how they know the booking is yours — have it open on your phone at the door.
05
Friday · 23 October
Pick up the car → Cinque Terre
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Getting there
Rental Car — collected in Florence
VehicleSkoda Karoq or similar · automatic · 5 seats · 5 doors · air conditioning · 3 large bags · unlimited mileage
PickupFriday 23 October, 10:00 AM
Noleggiare office — Via Borgo Ognissanti 112/R, 50123 Firenze
Directions
Noleggiare office — Via Borgo Ognissanti 112/R, 50123 Firenze
Directions
Getting thereFrom SoprArno Suites it's about 20 minutes on foot (1.5 km, across the Arno and along the river) or 8–10 minutes by taxi. With suitcases, take the taxi — roughly €10–12.
Walking route
Walking route
Office+39 055 022 3506 · firenzesmn@noleggiare.it
Open Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–16:30
Open Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–16:30
ReturnTuesday 27 October, 9:30 AM
⚠️ A different address — the car park at Via del Ponte alle Mosse 45, not the pickup office.
Directions
⚠️ A different address — the car park at Via del Ponte alle Mosse 45, not the pickup office.
Directions
SupplierNoleggiare · noleggiare.it
Main driverMary Walker — she must be present with her license and IDP to sign for the car
Reservation729760181
Noleggiare conf.729760181-1
Cost€403.06 · includes full protection insurance
✅ Paid in full💳 Card needed for the deposit
The rental is paid, but they will still take a card for the security deposit. Bring a credit card in Michelle's name — she is the named driver, and the deposit must be on her card. It is held, not charged, and released after the car comes back.
Reserved with Noleggiare. Bring your International Driving Permit and your US license together — they will not release the car on one alone — plus the card the booking was made on.
Two numbers worth saving to your phones now.
Noleggiare — +39 340 624 1334. Call them if you are running late to collect, or if anything goes wrong with the car once you are on the road.
Booking support — +1 332-600-6263. For anything else during the rental.
Noleggiare — +39 340 624 1334. Call them if you are running late to collect, or if anything goes wrong with the car once you are on the road.
Booking support — +1 332-600-6263. For anything else during the rental.
Drive — Florence → Manarola
Leave byAbout 10:30 AM after collecting the car, arriving early afternoon
Two ways to do the last stretch — pick one
Option 1 — Drive all the way and park in Manarola
FreeAlong the state road — only on the straight sections, never on the bends. First come, first served.
≈ €20 / dayParking Posella, a public square just outside the village. Cannot be reserved — you take a space if one is free.
Directions
Directions
🧳 LuggageFree bag service from the car park to the lodge lobby. Call +39 0187 920327 from the Manarola village gate when you arrive. Available 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM only — outside those hours it isn't guaranteed.
Trade-offThe coastal approach is narrow, steep and busy, and neither parking option can be booked ahead — arrive earlier in the day for a better chance of a space.
💵 Cash💳 or card
Option 2 — Park in La Spezia and take the train in
Park atLa Spezia — large public parking, far more space than anywhere in the villages
Directions
Directions
ThenAbout 10 minutes by train from La Spezia Centrale to Manarola — Riomaggiore is the first stop, Manarola the second. The Cinque Terre Express runs up to four times an hour, from early morning until midnight.
🧳 LuggageNo bag service from the train station — it's a pedestrian area. From Manarola station it's a 10-minute walk to the lodge, but there are no steps.
AlternativeThe lodge also suggests a taxi from La Spezia Centrale — about 25 minutes, rank open all day.
Trade-offEasier parking and no coastal driving, but you walk the last stretch with your bags.
💵 Cash💳 or card
Either way, tell La Torretta you're arriving by car — they offered to help with parking and bags once you're there. +39 0187 920327
Where you're staying
La Torretta Lodge
AddressVico Volto 20, 19010 Manarola (SP)
Directions
Directions
Contact+39 0187 920327 · torretta@cdh.it · torrettas.com
Stay23 → 25 October · 2 nights · 2 adults
Confirmation1779882898 · WooDoo Online Reception
Cost€600 (≈$700)
✅ Paid
Settled by AdZENtures — nothing owed to the lodge.
Cinque Terre Card
Cost≈ €30
💳 Card at stationNo booking
Dinner
Trattoria dal Billy
AddressVia Rollandi 122, 19010 Manarola (SP) — uphill from the main square
Directions
Directions
Cost≈ €120
💵 Cash💳 or card
TimeTo be confirmed — dal Billy only takes reservations ten days ahead
Lindsey is booking this one for you. The restaurant will not take a reservation more than ten days out, so she calls on 13 October and will update this page with your table time as soon as it is confirmed. Nothing for you to do — just check back here before you travel.
She will ask for the outdoor terrace. Their number, if you ever need it: +39 0187 920628.
She will ask for the outdoor terrace. Their number, if you ever need it: +39 0187 920628.
06
Saturday · 24 October
All Five Villages
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The trails — all open
Walking between the villages
From Manarola→ Corniglia · → Riomaggiore (the new path) · → Riomaggiore via the Via dell'Amore
Further onCorniglia → Vernazza · Vernazza → Monterosso · Monterosso → Levanto · Riomaggiore → Portovenere
Covered byThe Cinque Terre Card, bought at any station
Trail status changes with the weather — worth asking at the lodge on the morning you set out.
If you fancy it — not booked
Wine Tasting — Buranco
Websiteburancocinqueterre.it
If you goContact them directly — worth asking whether they want a reservation. Roughly €30 for the two of you.
Optional · not booked💵 Cash💳 or card
Sunset
Nessun Dorma — clifftop aperitivo
AddressPunta Bonfiglio, Manarola — 10 min walk up from the harbour
Directions
Directions
ArriveAbout 5:30pm for sunset
Cost≈ €50
💵 Cash💳 or card
⚠️ You cannot reserve this ahead of time — it has to be done on the day, through their app.
Download the app now, before you travel. It's on the App Store, called Nessun Dorma. On the morning of the 24th you open it and put your name down for a table — there is no phone booking, no email, and no walking up to ask.
Sign up as early in the day as you can. It's the best sunset spot in Cinque Terre and the list fills fast.
Download the app now, before you travel. It's on the App Store, called Nessun Dorma. On the morning of the 24th you open it and put your name down for a table — there is no phone booking, no email, and no walking up to ask.
Sign up as early in the day as you can. It's the best sunset spot in Cinque Terre and the list fills fast.
07
Sunday · 25 October
Cinque Terre → Chianti · Dario Cecchini
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Getting there
Drive — Manarola → Panzano in Chianti
RouteDriving directions
Where you're staying
Rosso del Chianti B&B
AddressVia XX Luglio 65, 50020 Panzano in Chianti (FI)
Directions
Directions
Contact+39 055 852120 · rossodelchianti.com
Stay25 → 27 October · 2 nights · out by 10:00am
Booked underMary Michelle Walker — no booking reference. Marina runs a small B&B and holds the room under your name.
Cost€250 · room only; cooking class billed separately
💳 Card on site💵 or cash
Pay Marina directly — she runs this herself.
Evening — be on time
Dario Cecchini — Officina della Bistecca
AddressVia XX Luglio 11, 50020 Panzano in Chianti (FI) — two minutes from the B&B, follow the music
Directions
Directions
BookingConfirmed — Sunday 25 October, 19:00 · +39 055 852020
Cost≈ €130
💳 Card at the restaurant
Be punctual. It's a single communal seating and they don't accept late arrivals.
08
Monday · 26 October
A morning on the bikes exploring Tuscany
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Morning
E-bikes delivered — Italy Bike Tuscany
Dropped off9:30am, Monday 26 October — Italy Bike Tuscany bring the bikes to you, at Rosso del Chianti, Via XX Luglio 65, Panzano
ContactMatilde · +39 333 234 7966 · info.com · italybiketuscany.com
CollectedThe evening of the 26th, after your cooking class — Italy Bike Tuscany come back for them, so nothing to return and nothing to carry.
Cost€160 ($173)
✅ Paid
Afternoon
Cooking Class with Marina
WhereRosso del Chianti, Via XX Luglio 65, Panzano — where you're already staying
TimeConfirmed — 4:00pm
Cost€240
💳 Card, to the B&B
Settle with Marina along with the room. Optional gratuity €10–20 in cash — she cooks with you all afternoon and it is always welcome.
09
Tuesday · 27 October
Chianti → Florence → Pompeii → Amalfi
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A full day, but an unhurried start. Car back in Florence by 9:30, train to Naples at 10:14, Pompeii in the afternoon, Amalfi by evening. Leave the B&B no later than 8:15am — earlier if you like, but you do not need to be up at dawn.
Morning
Return the rental car — Florence Santa Maria Novella
Return9:30 AM · car park at Via del Ponte alle Mosse 45 — not the office you collected from
Directions
Directions
Then to the trainNoleggiare run a free shuttle from the car park that stops at the train station — ask for it when you hand over the keys. It is about 2.5 km, so do not plan to walk it with luggage.
💳 Card
Car back at 9:30, train at 10:14 — that is a comfortable 45 minutes. Go and have a coffee in the station. Santa Maria Novella has bars on the main concourse; grab a cappuccino and a pastry and watch the departure board rather than running for it.
Train — Firenze S.M.N. → Napoli Centrale
Order numberTRE-3FXT-339A-PM6E-B · ItaliaRail
Purchased byMary Walker
Paid withAmerican Express ···· 7009
Cost≈ €130
✅ Paid
Charged to the Walkers' own Amex. Receipt and tickets are in Michelle's email.
Pompeii
Private Transfer — Napoli Centrale → Pompeii → Amalfi
Meeting pointAt the siren fountain, close to the station exit. Your driver will be standing there holding a nameboard with your name on it.
Napoli Centrale
Napoli Centrale
Your carA sedan. Bags go in and stay in all day.
TimeYour train gets in at 13:23 — walk out towards the exit and look for the fountain.
Look for thisA bronze mermaid with dolphins in a shallow pool, behind a low dark railing, inside the station concourse under the skylight. Your driver will be standing beside it.
Cost€180 + €65 per hour waiting
💳 Card — at Luna reception
Reserved. Settled at Hotel Luna Convento reception, not with the driver. (Pompeii-only alternative: €280.)
If you fancy staying in Pompeii for dinner — you are very welcome to. Just know what it costs: the driver waits at €65 per hour, so the longer you stay, the more the transfer comes to.
As a rough guide: the tour with Paolo finishes about 5:00pm, so leaving then is already covered. Dinner and a 7:30pm departure would add roughly €160; a 9:00pm departure, closer to €260. Entirely your call — just decide on the day and tell the driver, rather than being surprised by it at Luna reception.
As a rough guide: the tour with Paolo finishes about 5:00pm, so leaving then is already covered. Dinner and a 7:30pm departure would add roughly €160; a 9:00pm departure, closer to €260. Entirely your call — just decide on the day and tell the driver, rather than being surprised by it at Luna reception.
They already have your number. The taxi company has your mobile and will reach out to you directly — so if anything shifts on the day, or they need to find you in the station, they'll make contact. Keep your phone on and reachable when you land in Naples.
Pompeii Entry — Express tickets + digital guidebook
Booking ID34464684 · Headout · 2 adults
Entry time1:00pm, 27 October
Redeem atInfopoint desk — white, with the "inStazione" logo
VoxCity Towns of Italy, 1 Piazza Esedra, Pompeii
Directions
VoxCity Towns of Italy, 1 Piazza Esedra, Pompeii
Directions
Cost€64
✅ Paid
Voucher works offline in the Headout app — download it before you travel.
Your voucher — show this at the Infopoint desk
Private Guide — Paolo Mondola, archaeologist
Meeting pointPorta Esedra ticket office, by Hotel Vittoria, Pompeii
Contact+39 379 341 1702 (WhatsApp) · paolomondola@gmail.com
pompeiiwitharchaeologist.com
pompeiiwitharchaeologist.com
Cost€180 · guide only; entry already paid
💵 Cash — at Luna reception
Reserved. Settled in cash at Hotel Luna Convento reception. Optional gratuity €10–20 in cash direct to Paolo at the end of the tour.
Where you're staying
Hotel Luna Convento
AddressVia P. Comite 33, 84011 Amalfi (SA)
Directions
Directions
Contact+39 089 871002 · info@lunahotel.it · lunahotel.it
Stay27 → 30 October · 3 nights · 2 adults
ConfirmationR6377903299 · booking ref 35197187396
Cost$1,909
✅ Prepaid & fully guaranteed
Reception is your payment desk on this coast. The Pompeii transfer, Paolo's guide fee and the airport transfer are all settled here — not with the drivers. City tax (≈€3pp per night) is also paid here, in cash.
10
Wednesday · 28 October
Scooter Day — Amalfi to Positano
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125cc Scooter — one day
CollectionYour scooter will be waiting at Hotel Luna Convento whenever you are ready. No shop to find, no queue — just ask at reception and go.
Where to goExplore Amalfi first, then ride down to Positano. The SS163 between the two is one of the great drives anywhere — about 16 km of cliff road, roughly 45 minutes each way at a sensible pace, longer if you stop. And you will stop.
Amalfi → Positano
Amalfi → Positano
Worth knowingParking in Positano is limited and paid — aim to arrive before midday. The road is narrow with blind bends and buses take the whole lane; hold your line and let them pass.
BringYour International Driving Permit and your US license — both, together. Same pair you used for the car.
Cost€70
💳 Card on the day
Reserved and waiting for you at the hotel.
Optional — Ravello & Villa Cimbrone
Cost≈ €30
💵 Cash💳 or cardNo booking
11
Thursday · 29 October
The Perfect Last Day — the Amalfi Coast at sunset
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Evening
Private Amalfi Coast Sunset Experience — two hours
Meeting pointMolo Darsena, 84011 Amalfi (SA), Campania, Italy
The Darsena jetty in Amalfi harbour — about 10 minutes' walk from the hotel through the tunnel and along the waterfront.
Directions
The Darsena jetty in Amalfi harbour — about 10 minutes' walk from the hotel through the tunnel and along the waterfront.
Directions
Be there by5:45pm — fifteen minutes early, so nobody is looking for you at six
StartThursday 29 October · 6:00pm
OperatorAmalfi Cruises · +39 334 307 8292 · amalficruises@gmail.com
amalficruises.com
amalficruises.com
InvoiceAMA-93048304 · ticket AMA-T132442951
Cost€350.00
✅ Paid in full
Booked under Mary Michelle Walker. Cancellation within 24 hours forfeits the full amount.
Your ticket — show this at the jetty
12
Friday · 30 October
Departure — 06:40 from Naples
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Private Transfer — Hotel Luna Convento → Naples Airport (NAP)
Flight06:40 from Naples (NAP)
At the airportBy 05:30 — an hour and ten before departure
Pickup04:00 from the hotel entrance, Via P. Comite 33
Cost€180
💳 Card — at Luna reception
Reserved. Settle at reception with the other Amalfi transfers before checkout.
They have your number. The transfer company holds your mobile and will contact you directly to confirm the pickup — you do not need to chase them.
⚠️ Settle everything at reception the night before. Your Amalfi transfers and Paolo's guide fee are all paid at Luna reception — and at 4:00am there may be nobody on the desk. Pay up, check out and get your receipts on the evening of the 29th. Ask them to leave your key somewhere, or hand it to the night porter.
A 4am start, so do the thinking on the 29th: bags packed and by the door · passports, IDP and boarding passes out of the cases · ask the hotel for coffee or something to take with you, since nothing will be open · set two alarms.
Running costs — budget, not bookings
City & tourist taxes
Budget≈ €38
💵 Cash at check-in
Keep €5 and €10 notes handy.
Tips & gratuities
Budget≈ €100–200
💵 CashMeals not listed above
Budget≈ €390 · €30–40pp per day
💵 Cash💳 or cardShopping & souvenirs
Budget≈ €200
💵 Cash💳 or cardThe money, all in one place
✅ Already paid — nothing owed on arrival
| Hotel Palazzo Abadessa · Venice, 2 nights | €680 | Paid direct · non-refundable |
| SoprArno Suites · Florence, 1 night | €386 | Paid direct |
| La Torretta Lodge · Manarola, 2 nights | €600 | Paid by AdZENtures |
| Hotel Luna Convento · Amalfi, 3 nights | $1,909 | Prepaid & guaranteed |
| Train · Mestre → Florence | €110 | Ticket HUWNFN |
| Train · Florence → Naples | €130 | Amex ····7009 |
| Pompeii entry · 2 tickets | €64 | Headout 34464684 |
| Private walking tour · Venice | $186 | With Raghda · 15 Oct |
| E-bikes · Chianti | €160 | Italy Bike Tuscany · delivered 26 Oct |
| Rental car · Noleggiare (full protection incl.) | €403 | Conf. 729760181-1 · deposit card still needed |
| Water taxi · airport → hotel | €160 | Consorzio Motoscafi · 74MOJ |
| Private Amalfi sunset experience | €350 | AMA-93048304 |
| AdZENtures Dolomites Retreat · Wayne | $2,600 | Paid to AdZENtures |
| AdZENtures Dolomites Retreat · Michelle | $2,400 | $2,600 less $200 loyalty discount |
| Total already paid | ≈ $10,385 | ≈ €4,814 + $186 of travel, + $5,000 retreat |
💵 To pay in CASH
| Water taxi · hotel surcharge cash only | €20 | To the driver, 14 Oct · fare already paid |
| Bobo's dinner · Florence cash only | €90 | They take no cards, 22 Oct |
| Pompeii guide · Paolo Mondola cash only | €180 | At Luna reception, 27 Oct |
| City & tourist taxes | €38 | At hotel check-ins |
| Tips & gratuities | €100–200 | Drivers, restaurants — plus €10–20 each for Raghda, Paolo and Marina |
| Cash you must have | ≈ €480 |
💳 To pay by CARD
| Rosso del Chianti B&B · 2 nights | €250 | To Marina |
| Cooking class with Marina | €240 | To the B&B |
| Transfer · Naples → Pompeii → Amalfi | €180+ | At Luna reception · +€65/hr wait |
| Transfer · Amalfi → Naples airport | €180 | At Luna reception |
| Scooter hire · one day | €70 | To the company at the hotel |
| Dario Cecchini · Officina | €130 | At the restaurant |
| Cinque Terre Card | €30 | At the station |
| Card total | ≈ €1,080 |
💵💳 Either — whatever suits
| Gondola ride · Venice | €90 | For the two of you · 15 Oct |
| Parking in Manarola | €20–40 | Or free on the state road |
| Osteria Boccadoro · Venice | €90 | 15 Oct |
| Trattoria dal Billy · Manarola | €120 | 23 Oct |
| Nessun Dorma · aperitivo | €50 | 24 Oct |
| Buranco wine tasting (optional) | €30 | Only if you decide to go |
| Ravello · Villa Cimbrone etc. | €30 | 28 Oct |
| All other meals & coffees | €390 | €30–40pp per day |
| Shopping & souvenirs | €200 | Wine, truffles, leather, ceramics |
| Flexible total | ≈ €1,010 |
💶 How much cash to order before you fly
€600
That covers the ≈€480 that genuinely has to be cash — the water-taxi surcharge, Bobo's,
Paolo's guide fee, city taxes and tips — plus roughly €120 of slack for parking meters,
coffees, a market stall and the odd place that waves a card machine at you apologetically.
Four things worth knowing:
• Bobo's in Florence takes no cards at all. Have €90 set aside for the 22nd.
• Paolo's €180 guide fee is cash, handed over at Luna reception — the single largest cash item.
• Ask for a mix — €5, €10 and €20 notes. Tips, taxes and parking all want small money, and village shops dislike €100 notes.
• Everything else on this trip takes a card, so there's no need to carry more than this.
• Bobo's in Florence takes no cards at all. Have €90 set aside for the 22nd.
• Paolo's €180 guide fee is cash, handed over at Luna reception — the single largest cash item.
• Ask for a mix — €5, €10 and €20 notes. Tips, taxes and parking all want small money, and village shops dislike €100 notes.
• Everything else on this trip takes a card, so there's no need to carry more than this.
🪪 Before you fly — your International Driving Permit
Arriving by 9 October
Your IDP should be with you on or before 9 October. Pack it. You need it twice on this
trip — to collect the Noleggiare car in Florence on the 23rd, and again for the scooter in
Amalfi on the 28th.
Three things:
• Take a photo of it, and a paper photocopy. Keep the copies somewhere separate from the originals — if a wallet goes missing mid-trip, a copy is often enough to keep a rental moving.
• The IDP is only valid alongside your US license. Carry both, together, every time you drive. One without the other is not accepted.
• While you are at it — download the "Nessun Dorma" app from the App Store. It is the only way to get a table at the Manarola sunset bar on the 24th, and it has to be done on the day itself.
• If it hasn't arrived by 9 October, say so immediately. Without it the car and the scooter both become a problem, and there is time to sort it now but not later.
• Take a photo of it, and a paper photocopy. Keep the copies somewhere separate from the originals — if a wallet goes missing mid-trip, a copy is often enough to keep a rental moving.
• The IDP is only valid alongside your US license. Carry both, together, every time you drive. One without the other is not accepted.
• While you are at it — download the "Nessun Dorma" app from the App Store. It is the only way to get a table at the Manarola sunset bar on the 24th, and it has to be done on the day itself.
• If it hasn't arrived by 9 October, say so immediately. Without it the car and the scooter both become a problem, and there is time to sort it now but not later.