Tourist Guides & Drivers in Italy – since 1990
Competence, honesty, and hard work are the rock base foundations of our business. Since 1990 our immediate success made our initial enthusiasm grow into a burning desire to share with people our passion for our homeland.
It is our purpose to provide you with that expertise and knowledge which will let your clients experience Tuscany, Florence, and Italy with such an insight that only someone in profound love with his own country can fully communicate.
We think that one of the most valuable aspects of our job is the analysis of the client’s interests and goals for touring Italy and Tuscany and that only in communicating with him, we will really understand what’s needed and wanted. We don’t want to just “sell tours”, we want to ensure “the right experience”. We think that the Tourist Guide & Driver covers a strategic role in group travel. An excellent Guide & Driver thanks to his/her knowledge and personality will inspire the group to the point when the trip can become a unique experience.
The group travel is then success and the travel agency is happy, the guests are happy, the guide is happy. The guide represents the community and country where he/she lives and promotes the destination. The guide is the representative of the journey, not only a source of knowledge but also an actor and entertainer and he/she must be a professional!
A travel agency that chooses the right guide doesn’t have to worry about the trip. This is the reason Under The Tuscan Sun Tours was born: a pad that allows meetings between inspired travel agencies and tourist guides worldwide, improving communication between them and the quality of services for the success of both. We believe in the quality of the services we provide, starting to give a better reputation to tour guides. We ensure easier and faster contacts. For all tourism professionals who are inspired.
Chauffers and a Local Certified Tour Guides – since 1990
The experts of Under The Tuscan Sun Tours are pleased to join you in the comfort of your vehicle for a Private Day outing with one of our entertaining and informative Driver Guides. A Driver Guide is a perfect compromise between a Chauffer and a Local Certified Tour Guide.
He is a very knowledgeable person, fluent in the language required, passionate about the culture of the country and its traditions and has in-depth local knowledge not available in any guide book. He will enrich the drive and the day with local history, suggesting the best places according to your specific needs, and will meet your wishes and expectations.
He will advise you on the highlights and how to best enjoy the sites on the itinerary so that you save time and effort. A Driver Guide cannot take clients into museums or churches, or give full local tours as this is the role of a local city or site guide but they will give you all of the backgrounds you need so that the drives are enlightening and time is saved.
As Under The Tuscan Sun Tours is a fully licensed company, we are entitled to access any city that has a downtown ?traffic restricted area.? This allows us to drop you off and pick you up directly where do you stay and in front of the most important sites without having to walk a mile or more from a parking lot.
An Official Licensed Tour Operator – since 1990
VIP Access
As an official licensed tour operator accredited with the Museums of Florence, we enter via reserved privileged access. You will walk straight past the long general entry lines that wrap around the block. Why spend time waiting in line when you can walk straight into the Accademia & Uffizi Galleries?
The entrance included in the tour price, and we still cost less!
Tickets are pre-booked and pre-paid, the cost of the tickets and all related reservations fees are included in our price. No surprise extras. You can leave your cash at home.
Herds are for farmers
Our guides are tour guides, not sheepherders. Our Uffizi Tours are always limited to 20 people and our city walking tours are limited to 25 people in order to ensure a more intimate visit, in which your guide can cater specifically to you.
Can you hear me now?
With all the hustle and bustle of Florence, we provide you with headsets, which enables your guide to communicate with your group while keeping their voice at a pleasant conversational level instead of lecturing or shouting. Headsets also mean you can get a little distance from your group – taking photos or spending an extra moment admiring the art – without getting lost.
(Never) lost in translation
We ensure that our guides are all fluent and articulate English speakers – because we know that the stories and history they are sharing with you are what make your visit memorable, and we want to make sure you don’t miss a word.
Art History 101
You came to Florence to enjoy yourself, not to go back to school. Our guides make the city and its museums come alive, with plenty of anecdotes and background stories about the people behind the art and architecture, be they popes, dictators, painters or poets.
Under The Tuscan Sun Tours since 1990
This is your tour. No matter who you are, where you’re from, what you do – we make sure the tour is about YOU.
We see it all
Florence is an overwhelming city, we know you don’t have much time to “see it all” – so we designed this tour to visit all of the most important sites of Florence in a single day. Not only do we cover the Uffizi and Accademia (Michelangelo’s David) but we also introduce you to the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, Piazza Repubblica, Piazza Strozzi, Dante’s House, Michelangelo’s house, Market square and more…
Passion. Pure Passion.
We LOVE what we do. Our staff has a passion for the city of Florence that fuels our tours with enthusiasm and energy. We’re sure you’ll leave our tours feeling passionate, too!
Guaranteed
There aren’t many guarantees in life, but why shouldn’t there be for your Under The Tuscan Sun Tour? For one thing, we’ll never cancel on you last minute – even if you are the only person booked on a group tour in the low season. Your ticket and skip the line entrance are reserved far in advance, so you can be sure they will be ready and waiting for you, along with your tour guide, on the date you booked.
Terms and Conditions - UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS
By booking any service with UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS and via this website, you declare that you have Read, Understood, and fully Accepted All Terms of Service listed below.
It is the sole responsibility of the customer to ensure that services and information provided by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS on this website meets your precise requirements. If you disagree with any parts of our terms of service, please DO NOT proceed to use this website.
If you have any questions about the information below please write us as we are happy to assist.
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UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS is committed to providing our clients with reliable, punctual service, professional, experienced and courteous drivers and a safe and comfortable touring service. Services are provided as detailed on this website. Please be sure to read all information on the tour pages as well as the Terms of Service below to have full understanding of the service you are reserving.
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TOUR WITH LICENSED DRIVERS NCC: All tours included transportation services offered on this website are Chauffeured Tours in a private vehicle and English speaking Driver who is not a licensed tour guide.
WALKING TOUR WITH LICENSED GUIDE: All walking tours offered on this website are Guided Tours conduct by a Licensed Tour Guide.
Please read the information below pertaining to your Licensed Tour Driver & Tour Guide.
YOUR TOUR DRIVER-GUIDE (transportation service with English speaking driver)
You are provided a private tour with a Driver who is NOT a Licensed Tour Guide and will not provide services of a guide.
Italy has strict laws and regulations in place to protect licensed tour guides, this makes it unlawful for Tour Drivers to offer commentary about sites outside the vehicle. In order for us to comply with Italy’s laws, Tour Drivers may not tour our guests near or inside monuments, museums, churches, or piazzas.
YOUR TOUR GUIDE (guided walking tour with Tour Guide).
Only licensed Tour Guides may accompany or guide you at the sites you visit.
* For your safety inside the vehicle, drivers provide commentary only when it is deemed safe to do so while driving. When your driver must concentrate during various driving conditions, please refrain from any distracting behavior as your safety during the tour is our top priority.
When it’s not possible to offer commentary while driving, the driver will provide commentary once the vehicle is stopped near the sites you will visit.
* Your tour driver is native Italian, therefore will speak basic scholastic English bearing the accent of his or her native language and English will not be spoken with the perfection or fluency of a native English speaker.
* Drivers have not licensed tour guides, therefore they have very limited and basic knowledge of history, architecture, art, culture, and other information pertaining to the places in the tour. If you seek in-depth or detailed information during a tour, we recommend hiring a private licensed tour guide.
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Please allow up between 1-2 business days for all email inquiry replies and service confirmations.
Tours and services must be booked online via this website in order to be secured and provided. Email inquiries or correspondences do not serve as actual reservations and they do not guarantee availability as availability changes depending on actual reservations and confirmations received throughout the day.
If you are a current client and your email requires immediate attention due to any emergencies, please indicate in the subject line: URGENT.
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The price of the tours includes the private or sharing deluxe vehicle with a professionally licensed English speaking Driver, Italy VAT tax, fuel, insurance, and parking fees.
The prices are calculated mainly according to the following 4 parameters:
1) type of service,
2) distance in kilometers,
3) hours worked
4) number of people on board
We offer the following 2 types of tours: PRIVATE AND SHARING (by sharing we mean small group tours with up to 8 people on board and a single language of dialogue, usually English)
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Tour prices do NOT include entrance fees to monuments, museums, or any other sites visited, gratuities, extra time, or other client personal expenses.
Lunch, Dinner, and Tasting are included only when specified.
The tours are priced per persons and there always display online.
In the event that the client has requested a personalized quotation and tour, the customer will have received an offer with specified items included and excluded (for example tickets, accommodation)
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The deluxe vehicles we provide are recent models Opel Vivaro, Ford Custom, Mercedes Viano (V class), Mercedes Vito, Mercedes Sprinter, Mercedes Sedan E(elegance) Class, and Mercedes Sedan S(superior) Class. We cannot promise a particular type, model, or size vehicle other than a vehicle suitable to accommodate the number of passengers.
All our vehicles are equipped with NCC LICENSE, air conditioning (AC), and comfortable, reclining seats, and tinted windows.* Our vehicles are regularly maintained for optimal safety and performance at Mercedes, Opel and Ford Service Centers that are up to industry standards. By booking any services via this website you accept that vehicles are mechanical objects subject to various unpredictable malfunctions that can happen unexpectedly during your service. At no time will you hold UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS responsible or liable for any vehicle malfunctions mechanical or otherwise or issue public complaints about matters beyond our control.
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Stay away from impostors and abusers
We fight the scourge of illegal trade that afflicts, distorts, and contaminates the world of tourism. We work in full compliance with the laws. All our Guides, Drivers and Vehicles are licensed. The license is the symbol of the law. How can I be traveling with an abusive Guide or Driver? The license has the shape of a card or a badge. -
In order to maintain a fresh and clean vehicle for all our clients to enjoy throughout the day, smoking, eating, or drinking from cups or other open containers (cans or coffee cups) that are susceptible to spillage is not permitted inside the vehicles. Bottled beverages that can be closed tightly with a cap are welcomed. Please treat the vehicle with respect as to not cause any damage to it. Thank you for your cooperation. If you damage the vehicles you must pay for this.
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Please do NOT leave personal items and valuables behind in the vehicle.
Take ALL your personal items of value with you when you leave the vehicle to go on foot. This includes purses, cameras, wallets, phones, day bags, and other items of personal value.
Day bags and backpacks that are not used continuously should be stowed in the vehicle trunk or luggage compartment.
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS assumes NO responsibility for personal items lost or stolen that have been left behind in the vehicle. While drivers are with the vehicle most of the time, at times drivers must leave the vehicle unattended in order to assist clients during the tour. While vehicle break-ins and thefts are rare, they can happen.
Mind your valuables at all times, and keep large sums of money, passports, documents, and credit cards safe in a money belt or close to your person while sightseeing on foot or while having lunch. Do not carry your wallet in lose pockets, and make sure purses are kept closed and secure at all times. Use common sense and basic precautions while traveling to avoid falling prey to potential pickpockets.
Tour Groups larger than 8 persons:
Groups larger than 8 persons require more than 1 vehicle as standard private touring vehicles with access to city historic centers can only accommodate up to 8 persons.
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If you are touring with luggage, please specify in your reservation the total number of large suitcases and carry-on in order for us to provide the proper size vehicle for you. Standard minivans can accommodate up to 8 standard sizes check-in suitcases and up to 8 small carries on.
Standard size check-in suitcases weigh 50 lbs (23 kg) and do not exceed 62 inches (157 cm) when combining length + width + height.
Clients must advise the company prior to booking services if planning to bring extra luggage or oversized luggage in order to determine if all luggage will fit into the standard vehicles. Unless advised otherwise, it will be assumed all luggage will be standard size as per the above measurements.
Failure to advise the company of exact number and size of luggage may result in our inability to accommodate all luggage together in 1 vehicle and a 2nd vehicle may be needed to be booked at expense of the customer. We accept no responsibility for any consequences resulting from customer failure to inform the company of exact luggage count and/ or if the luggage is oversized.
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We accept the following modes of payment:
* Euro funds to be paid to the driver at the end of the tour service
Advance payment via PayPal or Stripe or Payoneer. If you wish to pre-pay by PayPal, Stripe, or Payoneer please provide us with your email address associated with your PayPal, Stripe, or Payoneer account and we will issue an invoice for the service.
Please have a printed copy of the prepayment voucher to present to your driver on the day of the tour.
CREDIT CARDS (VISA – MC – AMEX): We accept Credit Card payments and the vehicles are equipped with portable credit card facilities (POS).
BANK TRANSFER: We accept bank transfer at least 1 week before the day of the service.
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Single Services & 1-Day Tours
(REGULAR TOURS)UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN is a trade registered mark property of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS, licensed Travel Agency and Tour Operator in Firenze, Lungarno Guicciardini 44/A-C, 50125, Firenze.
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN organizes and carries out the excursions presented in this program on the basis of the administrative authority of the Florence Provincial Authority, DIA dated 04.04.1990.
The program conforms to the text established according to the D.L. 111/95, approved by EEC regulation no. 90/ 314.
Confirming any service with email, fax, or through the concierge and travel agency implies to have read and agreed the terms and commission explained as follows.- Notwithstanding any contrary clause, the contract is governed by the provisions of law no. 1084 dated 27.12.77, ratification and enactment of the International Convention relating to the Travel Contract (C.C.V.).
- Bookings are subject to place and language availability.
- The minimum number required to start the excursion is two persons (2 pax), unless specified.
- During our tours, the guide and accompanying service can be performed in various languages.
- The English language is always guaranteed.
CANCELLATION POLICY
NO PENALTY
There will be no penalty for cancellations of excursion bookings communicated in writing to the organization at least seven days prior to the booked excursion date.
50% PENALTY
Between eight and two days prior to the excursion, 50% of the fare will have to be paid; from two days prior to the excursion departure, the payment of the entire amount will be due and no reimbursement will be granted.
100% PENALTY
No reimbursement will be granted to any client who is not at the place of departure at the time established or wrong address or ship or port or city (NO SHOW); similarly, no reimbursement will be granted to clients who lose contact with the guide or who do not complete the excursion.
If for any reason the organization cancels the excursion, the client may claim reimbursement only of the sum paid (minus the Paypal or Bank transaction fees, usually will be 5/6%).
During the periods of greatest attendance, despite the reservations, the entry to the museums could be subjected to delays against the prearranged timetable, which are not attributable to the organization’s staff responsibility.
Where, due to operational difficulties or reasons beyond its control (travel conditions, strikes, changes in opening hours, closure of museums, delays or other problems), the organization should be obliged to change the program, then an alternative itinerary and/or visits to other museums will be proposed, without any variation to the established tariff, and the client will be informed prior to departure. The alternative program is the only way to accept our proposal otherwise no refund.
Unless otherwise stated, excursions are free for children under the age of six; for children aged between six to twelve, there is a 50% reduction. Show a document proving children’s age, upon request.
In the case of unexpected increases of individual prices, exceeding 10%, as a result of new taxes or duties, the tariffs will be adjusted and the clients notified in writing.
EUROPE ASSISTANCE
The excursions scheduled in the program are covered by third-party insurance for the risks, the indemnity limits and the guarantees laid down in D.L. 111/95 with EUROPE ASSISTANCE policy n. 711715.
The organization cannot accept responsibility for damage caused by third parties or for reasons beyond their control, and cannot be held responsible for the loss of valuables, luggage, or objects during excursions.
Any complaint by the client must be communicated in writing to the organization staff within and no later than 10 business days after the date of the tour.
Any disputes will be settled by The Court of Florence.
The program and the tariffs indicated are to be considered valid for the period specified and, when not mentioned, from Nov 1st, 2017, and Oct 31st, 2018, unless otherwise specified.
Multiday Tours, Packages & Customized Tours
(FLORENCETOWN PLUS PRIVATE TOURS)1. Introduction. The notion of tourist package
a) the Legislative Decree no. 111 of 17.03.95, concerning the execution of the Directive 90/314/CE, for consumer protection, states that both the organizer and the seller of the tourist package asked by the customer, must be licensed for carrying out their activities (art. 3/1, letter A, 111/95 Legislative Decree)b) the customer has the right to receive a copy of the tourist package sale contract (in accordance with article 6 of the 111/95 Legislative Decree), which is the necessary document to apply for the Guarantee Fund in reference to article N. 18 of these general contract terms. The notion of “tourist package” (article 2/1 of 111/95 Legislative Decree) is the following: The objects of tourist packages are journeys, holidays and “all-inclusive” circuits, resulting from the established combination of at least two of the following elements, sold or offered for sale at a flat rate, whose length will exceed 24 hours, that is, at least one night:
a) transportation; b) accommodation; c) tourist services not additional to transportation or accommodation (omissions)… which are an important part of the “tourist package”.
2. Legislative sources
Besides these general conditions, the sale contract of a tourist package is also regulated by the clauses pointed out in the journey documentation, given to the customer. This contract, concerning the arrangement of travel, holiday, and single tourist service sales, is also regulated by the Law of 27th Dec.1977 no. 1084, ratified and executed by the Travel Contract International Convention (CCV), subscribed on the 23rd April 1970 in Bruxelles. In addition to the above mentioned CCV, the sale contract of a tourist package is also regulated by Legislative Decree n.111/95, emanated as an enforcement of the Directive n.90/314/CE concerning the journey, holidays and “all-inclusive” circuits. Furthermore, the contract at distance signed by the consumer, for all the applications to the contracts for free time services, is subject to the Legislative Decree n. 185 of the 22nd of May 1999, concerning the “Implementation of the 97/7/CE directive about the consumer protection in regard contract at distance”, and to the Legislative Decree n.70 of the 9th of April 2003 concerning the “Implementation of the 2000/31/CE directive about some juridical aspects of the information society in the home market, particularly referred to the e-commerce”3. Technical data UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator, n. 16022012 on the regional register of travel and tourism agencies with license DIA of 04/04/1990 released by the Regione Toscana, Insurance Policy R.C. EUROPE ASSISTANCE policy n. 711715. The validity of the tourist package offered by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator is shown inside each tourist package’s informative card published on-line on www.underthetuscansun.it site. As for the tourist packages created by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator, the change of reference in regard to currency adjustments is shown inside every information card published on the booklet (electronic or in the paper), or outside the catalog.
4. Booking can only be effected following the consumer acceptance of the general conditions of this contract. The contract is to be considered when UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator has confirmed the booking, with the relevant information, via e-mail or by telephone. Specifications about the package or about a single tourist service are included in the notes and details of the offer (displayed before the contract subscription), or in other communication tools, as provided by the law in force. In case the tourist product created by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator and published on a brochure requires a minimum number of participants, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator reserves the right not to carry out the trip if the requested minimum number of participants has not been achieved.
5. Payments
A partial payment of 30% of the entire participation fee must be deposited at the booking time. The balance must be paid within 30 days prior to departure. Bookings made in the 30 days before the beginning of the Experience must be paid by lump-sum settlement. The payments can be made by either of this:
– Credit card (via our online payment system)
– Bank transfer: UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN – Bank name: BPM BANCO POPOLARE MILANO, FIRENZE – IBAN: IT IT90B0503437720000000001655 – SWIFT: BAPPIT21N35 In case of bank transfer payment, it is necessary to send the copy stamped by the bank of the bank transfer through email (info@underthetuscansun.it – sunflower@underthetuscansun.it) before h.5pm of the booking day, or the following day in case the booking has been done after that time.
It’s established that in the cases in which rescission penalties of the consumer are enforced, as per the following art.8, the organizer is legally entitled by the consumer to hold the amount received as partial payment as valid for the due penalty. The non-payment of the above-mentioned sums at fixed dates is an explicit resolutory clause, which would determine the rescission of the tourist package sale contract, set apart the compensation for further damages suffered by the organizer.6. Price
The price of the tourist package is fixed in the contract, in accordance with what has been written in the catalog or brochure (on paper or electronic), or out-of-catalog program, or possible updates of the catalogs or the extra catalog programs which might have been done afterward. Extra expenses, such as a compulsory fees to pay in loco, are always specified in the notes and details of the offer. The price can be changed until 20 days before departure and only in case of variations of the following: transportation costs, including the fuel cost; taxes and fees on some kinds of tourist services, such as landing and embarkation or disembarkation fees, in ports and airports; exchange rates applied to the package itself. As for such variations, these will be referred to the exchange rates and to the above-mentioned costs, as well as to the relevant prices quoted at the moment of the booking application.7. Customer rescission without penalty
The customer can withdraw from the Contract, without paying penalties, in the following cases:
· Price increases over 10 percent, due to the reasons specified in the above-mentioned art. 6;
· Significant modification of one or more material elements of the contract, which can objectively be defined fundamental for the fruition of the tourist package taken as a whole, and proposed by the organizer after the contract itself stipulation, but before the departure, not accepted by the customer. In the above-mentioned cases, the customer has, alternatively, the right to:
– Take advantage of an alternative tourist package, without
extra cost, or with the return of the overcharge in case the second tourist package is of inferior value than the first one.
– Get the return of the only amount of money already given. The refund must be effected within seven working days from receiving the refund written application form. The customer will have to submit his decision (to accept the modification or to recede) within and no longer than two working days from the moment in which he has been given the notice of the rise or variation in price. In case of a lack of explicit official announcement within the above-mentioned term, the proposal formulated by the organizer is considered accepted.8. Renunciation prior departure
– In case a registered participant would withdraw from the contract before departure for different reasons than those of art. 7., the tour operator will apply the following penalties, beside the burdens and costs of the cancellation of the service:
– 30% of the total amount if the renunciation is given to the tour operator until 30days before the starting of the booked services
– 50% of the total amount if the renunciation is given to the tour operator until 20days before the starting of the booked services
– 75% of the total amount if the renunciation is given to the tour operator until 15days before the starting of the booked services
– 100% after the above-mentioned terms.
The same amounts have to be paid also by those who cannot take part in the travel because of missing or irregular personal emigration documents. No refund is due to travelers who decide to interrupt the travel or their stay already started.9. Modification or cancellation prior departure
In the case in which UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator, before the departure, gives written communication of its impossibility to supply one or more services of the tourist package, the consumer will have the right to choose another tourist package of the same quality or superior without any additional costs or an inferior tourist package with the restitution of the difference in price, or the customer will be a refund of the sum already paid within 7 working days from the moment of the rescission or cancellation, if the cancellation is depending on circumstances not imputable to the customer. The organization can void the contract if the minimum number of participants has not been reached, and on condition that the organizer has given this information before the start of the tourist services. In this case, the organizer will have to refund only the amounts perceived within 7 working days from the moment of rescission or cancellation, any other refund excluded.10. Modification after departure
In case that after the departure the organizer cannot supply, for any reason (apart from circumstances depending on the customer) an essential part of the services included in the contract, alternative solutions will have to be provided to the consumer without extra charges. If the value of the supplied services is lower than the value of the estimated ones, the value of the difference must be refunded. In case no alternative solution is possible, or the solution offered by the organizer has been refused by the customer for serious and justified reasons, the organizer will provide free-of-charge a means of transport equivalent to the original one, which should have also been used for going back to the initial departure point, or to another possibly pre-established place, compatible with availability. The customer will be refunded in accordance with the difference between the cost of the estimated services and the cost of the services granted up to the moment of anticipated return.11. Transfer of bookings
The customer has the right to be replaced by a different person by giving written notice to UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator. The renouncing client can be replaced by another person always if: a) the organizer has been informed in writing at least 4 working days before the fixed departure date, receiving at the same time a notice concerning the name and address of the assignee; b) the substitute meets all the conditions for the fruition of the service (ex article 10 of Leg. Decree 111/95), requirements relating to the passport, visas health certificates, hotel accommodation, and transport services; c) – the replacing person has to pay a substitution fee of €50 which is to cover all the expenses concerning the substitution. The renouncing customer is severally responsible for the payment of the settlement by the assignor, as well as for the costs under letter c) of this article. As for some kinds of services, it may happen that a third party service supplier does not accept the modification of the assignee name, even if it has been carried out within the terms under letter a) of the present article. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator will not be responsible for the possible non-acceptance of the modification by third-party service suppliers. This non-acceptance will be immediately communicated by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator to the parties before departure.12. Participants obligations
The participants have to be equipped with personal passports or other documents valid for the destination country, with the health certificate if required. Furthermore, the tourist will have to follow ordinary cautiousness and diligence rules, and specific rules effective in the destination countries, all the information supplied by the organizer, as well as the regulations and administrative and/or legislative provisions regarding the tourist package. The participants will be asked to answer for all the damage suffered by the organizer because of their incapacity to follow the above-mentioned obligations. The customer must provide the organizer with all the documents, the information and the elements owned by himself, which might be useful for exercising the subrogation right of the latest towards third parties, responsible for the damage. The customer is held responsible by the organizer for the detriment of the subrogation right. At the moment of the booking, the customer will also communicate, in writing, to the organizer the details needed which might possibly be part of specific agreements, such as journey instructions, provided their accomplishment is possible.13. Hotel classification
The official classification of hotel structures is given in the catalog (in paper or electronic) or in other information material, in case it will be explicitly and formally pointed out by the competent authorities of the country in which the service is supplied. In absence of official classifications recognized by the competent Public Authorities of the countries members of the European Union, to which the service refers – with the aim of pointing out in detail the quality characteristics of the hotel accommodations offered and making the customer well aware of his choice – UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator reserves the right to supply, in catalog or leaflet, its own quality evaluation of the receptive structure.14. Responsibility
The organizer is responsible for the damage caused to the customer because of the total or partial default of the services described in the contract, either if these are performed by himself or third-party suppliers, unless he proves that the event depends on the customer (including initiatives taken by himself independently, during the execution of tourist services), or on events not linked with the supply of the services described in the contract, fortuitous events, act of God, or by circumstances that the organizer itself might not reasonably foresee or solve, on the basis of a principle of professional care. Under no circumstances will the seller receiving the booking of the tourist package answer for the obligations coming from the travel organization. However, the seller is solely responsible for the obligations coming from its intermediary activity, in conformity with the responsibility limits fixed by the above-mentioned laws or conventions. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator, is also responsible for the privacy of the consumer data, exclusively when these arrive on the database and not during their transmission.15. Compensation limits
Under no circumstances, the organizer compensation will be higher than the compensation indemnities described by international conventions, with reference to the performances whose non-fulfillment caused the responsibility, that is the Warsaw Convention of 1929 about international air transportation, the text modified at The Hague in 1955; the Berna Convention (CIV) about railway transportation; the Bruxelles Convention of 1970 (CCV) about the organizer responsibility. In any case, the compensation limit cannot exceed the sum of 2,000 Germinal gold francs for property damage, fixed in article 13 no. 2 CCV, and 5,000 Germinal gold francs for any other damage”, as well as for those fixed in art.1783 of Civil Code. In case of the change of these conventions, or formulation of international new ones concerning the services objects of the tourist package, the indemnity limits will be applied according to the law in force at the moment of the unfortunate event.16. Obligation of assistance
The organizer is obliged to perform assistance to the customer, on the basis of a professional diligence principle, solely with reference to its obligations, or by contract or law regulation. The organizer and the seller are exempted from their responsibilities (art. 13 and 14), when the unsuccessful or wrong execution of the contract depends on the customer or depend on an inevitable or unforeseeable third-party event, or on a fortuitous or act by God event.17. Complaints and charges
Every unsuccessful execution of the contract must be notified by the customer at the very moment of its happening. In this way, the organizer or its local representative can immediately find a remedy for it. The customer can make a complaint by sending a registered letter, with receipt note, to the organizer, within 10 working days from the date of the return to the place of the departure. If complaints happen in the execution place of the tourist services, the organizer has to assist the customer according to art.13 in order to find a prompt an equal solution. In the same way, even in case of complaint reported at the end of the service, the organizer will have to provide and guarantee in any case a prompt answer to the customer request.18. Insurance
In case of insurance is not explicitly included in the price, it is possible before departure, and it is recommended to take out special insurance policies covering expenses deriving from the cancellation of the tourist package, illnesses, accidents, and lost luggage…19. Guarantee Fund
In case of insolvency or bankruptcy of the organizer, the customer can turn to the “National Guarantee Fund For the Consumer of the Tourist Package”, in accordance with the Ministerial Regulation n.349 of the 23 July 1999 for the achievement of the following needs :
a) refund of the price paid for services entirely or partially not
enjoyed;
b) repatriation, in case of journeys to foreign countries.
c) an immediate economic availability in case of forced return of tourists from non-EC members, on the occasion of emergencies due or not due to the organizer’s behavior.
Apart from urgent circumstances, when is possible to address directly to the competent diplomatic representations, to obtain the Found intervention a written demand must be presented describing the situation, expenses, and including the original travel contract and all the payments made, to the following address: Ministero delle Attività Produttive, Direzione Generale per il Turismo , Ufficio C1 – Tutela del Turista, Via della Ferratella, 51 00184 Roma. e-mail: fondodigaranzia@tin.it – fax n. 06 773 – 626
The procedure to make use of the Fund are fixed by means of the President of the Council of Ministers Decree, in conformity with art. 21 no. 5, Legislative Decree 111/95).20. Place of jurisdiction/arbitration clause
All disputes between the two parties in connection with this Contract shall take place in the Court in which the organizer is located. With one accord it could be foreseen that the controversies from the application, interpretation, contract execution, will be up to an Arbitration Tribunal, composed by the same amount of designed arbiters as the number of parties in cause plus one as President nominated by the designed arbiters, that is, in absence of the Tribunal President, where the organizer is legally located. The Arbitration Board located in the organizer’s legal office will ritually decide according to the law, prior to an eventual tentative of reconciliation.ADDENDUM
Single tourist service general regulation
a) Regulations
The contracts concerning the transportation and accommodation only, or any other separate tourist service, since they cannot be considered contractual cases of travel organization, which is the tourist package, are ruled by the CCV provisions: according to these, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN Tour Operator in quality of travels intermediary, stipulates with the consumer a contract through which it commits itself to supply the customer with a service allowing travel or a stay at a given global price.
b) Contract conditions To the sale contract of the single tourist services are applicable to the general sale-contract conditions, even if the application of these articles does not absolutely determine the configuration of the relative contracts as the presented tourist package. The terminology of the mentioned clauses relating to the tourist package agreement (organizer, travel, etc.) has to be seen with reference to the correspondent figures of the sale contract of the single tourist services (seller, stay, etc)
Compulsory note according to the Italian Law n.269/98, article16. The Italian Law punishes the crimes concerning prostitution and juvenile pornography by means of reclusion, even if these crimes are committed abroad. This English translation of our Italian Terms & Conditions is provided to our customers for information purposes only. Only the Italian Terms & Conditions are legally binding and authoritative.
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We have been providing shore excursions and transfers to cruise passengers since 1990. While we make every effort to return you to your ship on time, there can, in extreme circumstances, be incidents completely out of our control which might delay your arrival back at the port. For this reason, we recommend passengers return to the port at the recommended time indicated by your tour driver and buy travel insurance to provide extra security in the unlikely event of a missed boarding. Your booking with us serves as an acknowledgment that you accept the terms of service and have made the necessary arrangements to minimize disappointments while traveling, and you absolve UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS of any liability due to circumstances beyond our control including and not limited to traffic difficulties, mechanical malfunctions, and weather conditions.
Pick up time for shore excursion, unless otherwise indicated in your reservation, is 8 AM. Disembarking later than 8 AM will take away time from your sightseeing opportunities. The price of the tour service will not be amended if tour time is shortened due to delay on behalf of the customer.
If you are experiencing delays disembarking your ship for your tour, please contact us immediately so your driver will be informed and will wait for your arrival. Wait time is 1 hour past the scheduled pick up time, after which without information from the customer regarding delays, the driver will be released from duty due to customer no-show.
Meeting Place from Cruise Ports:
For pick-ups from your ship docked at Cruise Ports in Italy, your driver will meet you right on the pier next to your ship holding a sign with your name plus the name of the company. Example “Mr. SMITH – UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS” – Do NOT take any taxi, shuttles or buses away from your ship or leave your ship area. Buses and shuttles will take you outside the Port.
Meeting Place for Port of Naples:
The Port of Naples requires passengers to make their way to where the Taxi Area is, the only area permitted for car service vehicles to park and wait for their clients. Your driver will be standing next to his or her vehicle holding a sign with your name.
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We only accept passengers for shore excursions that are booked and confirmed in advance.
Any last minute additions to the number of passengers must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance so we can update your reservation and revise the new price of the tour. In order to comply with Port Authority and security, we can only transport the number of passengers declared in the reservation voucher we have to present when asked by security.
Please note that only participants with entry tickets purchased in advance and with the printed ticket vouchers will be able to visit the Colosseum and Vatican Museums. Any last minute participants who are not in possession of their advance no line tickets may either have to wait in long lines or not be able to enter.
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During peak travel months the Vatican Museums may be extremely crowded, and may be hot during summer months. Please take this into consideration if uncomfortable in crowded places and are sensitive to heat. Under The Tuscan Sun Tours bears no responsibility for the conditions present inside the Vatican.
Vatican Museums are a series of labyrinthine halls and galleries that take at minimum a full day to properly visit. On a Rome tour, you have limited time in which to visit the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica. This time restraint will not allow for a comprehensive visit to the Museums and you will only have the opportunity to see the highlights. A private licensed Vatican Guide will ensure that you will visit the most important galleries and halls, see the most important pieces of art, and will tour the Vatican within the allotted time. Because of the size of the Vatican and the complexity the museums it is possible for those unfamiliar with the Vatican to get lost and not exit the Vatican on time. On shore excursions it is very important to exit the Vatican at the appointed time in order to arrive to your ship in time for boarding.
For these reasons we highly recommend booking a private Vatican Guide to enhance your visit experience to the Vatican and ensure a timely exit to the appropriate Meeting Point to meet your driver.
If you would like to book a Vatican Guide, please see the section below on Private Licensed Tour Guides/Vatican Guides.
If you choose not to book a Vatican Guide, you accept full responsibility if you do not see all the sites and artwork you intended to see, have difficulty navigating through the Museum, or exit the Vatican later than the appointed time. If you exit the Vatican late during a shore excursion you agree to accept full responsibility should you arrive late for boarding. By choosing not to book a Vatican Guide you absolve Rome Cabs of any liabilities regarding your Vatican visit.
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If you would like to reserve a personal English speaking licensed guide to provide you with a private tour of the Colosseum/Roman Forum and Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica, please indicate by checking the GUIDE option on your booking form. You may also indicate in the Special Request box the places you wish to have a Private Licensed Guide accompany you.
We will make all private touring arrangements with an experienced English speaking Tour Guide licensed by the Municipality of Rome who is in good professional standing.
Private licensed tour guides are not employees or affiliates of Under the Tuscan Sun Tours as they operate independently. We only place the reservation for private guided tours with Licensed Guides on your behalf as a complimentary service for our clients. We receive no compensation or benefit in any way from the hired guides for booking their services for our clients. We recommend their services based on their lawful qualifications, expertise, professionalism, and reliability and we have no control of the style of tours they provide.
Allowing us to book a licensed guide on your behalf serves as an acknowledgment that you will not hold UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS responsible or liable for the style of tours Private Guides provide as they are not part of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS company, and you understand that the private guides are not a part of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS.
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Tour guides licensed by the local municipalities are required to have extensive knowledge in areas of History, Architecture and Art, not religion.
Licensed tour guides do NOT provide religious (Christian or Catholic) themed tours of the Vatican or elsewhere.
If you wish to have a Vatican tour with religious content, we recommend that you make independent arrangements via the Vatican or your local church as they can best assist you.
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Are you traveling with children?
So we can provide a family friendly experience, please let us know in the booking form of your our if you are traveling with children.
If YES, in the special request box let us the ages of the children so we can best assist our guests who are traveling with young children who may require child or booster seats.
Tours offered includes content and subjects such as History, Ancient Rome, Architecture, Culture, Art, and other subjects that may or may not be of interest to children of various ages. Italy is a history rich country and this cultural heritage is reflected on our tours of Italy’s historic monuments, squares, churches and museums.
If you are interested in “kid friendly‘ activities in Rome we are happy to suggest other venues you can explore separately during your stay in Rome that are more suitable for children and provides an enjoyable family experience.
CHILD SEATS & BOOSTERS
We are happy to provide child seats or booster seats upon request that are up to European safety standards. The Parents or Legal Guardians are the only parties authorized to install the child seat or booster seat inside the vehicle, and to ensure that each child is safely secured in their safety seat prior to departing.
Drivers, as Non-Parents and Non-Legal Guardians, cannot perform this safety function on behalf of the Parent or Legal Guardian. Drivers will not proceed to depart until the child or children are properly secured inside their respective safety seats. By requesting a child seat or booster seat, you agree to comply with these terms in full.
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Your driver will drop you off as close to the sites you are visiting as legally possible according to traffic laws of the Italian cities. We cannot stop directly next to historic sites as it would be a traffic violation.
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*We cannot re-confirm services by phone as it requires extra time to look up your information and it may not be done instantly. In order for us to better assist you, please re-confirm only via Text Message to the contact telephone number provided to you, or Email. Please provide your Full Name and Reservation Number of the service you would like to re-confirm.
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If you have preferences regarding A/C, heat, music, or typically experience motion sickness while driving, please feel free to let your chauffeur know immediately so he/she can accommodate your needs. If you do not make your needs known to your driver he or she would not know in order to make your transfer more comfortable.
* If you have difficulty hearing your driver speak, please ask him or her to speak louder.
Vehicles are not equipped with microphones or audio systems. Local authorities deem usage of microphones and audio system by Drivers an unnecessary distraction and a safety concern, therefore only licensed tour guides or licensed tour companions are lawfully permitted to use microphones and audio system inside the vehicle.
For anyone who is hearing impaired or has trouble hearing the driver speak from the back of the vehicle, please let us know prior to booking your tour so you can be informed of your options.
* HANDS FREE CELLPHONE USE FOR WORK RELATED MATTERS:
According to Italian law, professional drivers are permitted to use their hands free cell phones for work related issues. From time to time you driver may need to make and answer calls as it is part of our job. By booking any touring or transfer services via this website you agree not not object to the use of cell phone for work related matters by your driver during the course of your service.
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Please be aware that legal speed on Italy’s highways/motorways may be higher than in many other countries. Your chauffeur will safely obey the legal speed as electronic speed checks are implemented throughout by the state to catch speeders (this is also important to know if you are renting a vehicle on your own).
If Italy’s legal speed makes you feel uncomfortable, it is the obligation of the customer to ask the chauffeur if it is safe to drive at a slower speed, but please keep in mind that driving too much below the speed limit becomes a traffic hazard as other vehicles try to overtake slower moving vehicles.
Speed limits in Italy:
- 90 km/h on expressways
- 130 km/h on highways
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Any problems during your tour must be resolved with company immediately.
If you are experiencing any issues or problems during the tour, please call us at the telephone number provided. If you do not have a working cellphone, please ask your driver to call the office from his or her cellphone so we can help you and resolve any issues you may be experiencing.
If you experienced any issues during your tour and did not call the company during the tour to rectify the situation, you agree to inform the company immediately by email of the issues you experienced and allow the company reasonable attempts to resolve your issues satisfactorily before publishing any complaints anywhere publicly, including social sites, traveler review sites, blogs, and any other areas on the Internet. If the company resolves your issues satisfactorily and the matter is resolved, you agree to refrain from publishing any negative comments, ratings, or reviews about UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS on the internet or otherwise. Failure to honor this agreement is considered a breach of contract and the terms which you agreed prior to booking your service and entering a legal contract with UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS. Legal remedies may be seeked as a result of any contract violations.
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UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS website contains materials owned or licensed by UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS, including but not limited to written content, design, photography, videography, graphics, color and layout. Reproduction or redistribution of any content in full or in part from this website is prohibited other than solely for personal and non-commercial use on your own personal computer or mobile device and not shared publicly. Photographs and Videos on this website are copyrighted and property of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS.
* For additional information that may be helpful to our clients, links to other websites may be available on this website and blog. These links are not intended to be endorsements of those websites, nor do we accept any responsibility for content or activity on linked websites.
* Linking to this website from any other websites is strictly forbidden without prior written consent from UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS.
* If you have any questions regarding our Terms and Conditions or there is something you do not understand, please feel free to ask us via email at info@underthetuscansun.it. and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
* By booking service with UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN TOURS you therefore certify that you have fully Read, Understood, and Accepted ALL the above Information and Conditions exactly as they are Provided with no exception, and you accept full responsibility of any issues that may result from lack of reading, understanding, and accepting the Terms of Service.