my address: well ... I will not tell you.
... at least not now. Explaination: Most of the days, at the time I ask guests to arrive, I could be in one of three other places; these places are all within three minutes from my home, so in case I need to go there I may call the arriving guest and tell them either to meet in that place, or just when arriving at a place 500 meter from my home call me so I can go back home just in time.
To accomplish this of course the guest must have a working phone.
Unfortunately sometimes I have had guests that did something that annoyed me and the other guests: that is, they deliberately gave me a phone number of some other people, so when I called them to ask why they were late replied a person that could speak only chinese, some 90 yr old ladies, and so on (including in one case someone living 8 timezones east), or gave me a phone that effectively was their one, but had not active roaming on the day they arrive in Firenze or was out of credit, leaving me and other guests unable to know if wait or start cooking, or forcing me to go back home to wait for them at arranged time, leaving another job, and then waiting sometimes for more than 40 minutes.
In october 2014 this happened two days in a row, so I came to a decisone to give my address in two parts.
One, the most significant is described here, until point "X", at junction of via del Guarlone and Via della Loggetta: that one is a point very close to my home; the second part, the real address, that is less than 200 meters from that place, will be told you by phone: I will ask you to send a SMS from your phone [my phone number is in the signature of all my email messages] ans some hours later will send you the rest of address that way or directly calling you.
Please no excuses telling that someone stole your phone the day before. A phone complete with a sim can be got for less than 25 EUR !
So for now print the map (landscape and complete) and these istruction, and answer my call when I will give you the last indication. Times and location of bus stops are the ones in effect at date of update of this document unless differently specified.
Please check anyway to have my address when you are arriving ... sometime happen that for some reason is lost, so feel free to send me a sms asking to resend it ... but remember that using GPS batterie get depleted quickly, so make an hardcopy of the map.
Also I have to tell you that after 1900 the day of arrival I do not promise quick reply to email messages and SMS so communicate only with voice calls to the number that you will have received via email.
At end of this page there is also a section basic house rules so when you arrive here you already know it ...
Please follow these instruction to
come to my home, but avoid to ask people, since most of the times when
people got lost or was very late had been because they asked someone
(possibly mispronouncing the name of places) for indications and
that people gave them contradictory informations.
Also DO NOT RELY on googlemaps, neither for suggestion nor for transit
timetables: there are some errors that if you travel by car are tolerable,
but if you go walking they may let you lose up to 40 minutes. Actually when
you do a search to my area they clearly state that pedestrian itineraries
may be wrong
Walking from city center is 30 to 50 minutes according the position you
are.
I know that bus service is shitty, and I have advised you aboit it.
Arriving late due to a wrong map or a wrong information
or because you got the wrong bus or the bus was late is never an acceptable
excuse.
in short: I recommend to walk or, if lazy, use the train.
In case of doubt tell me the place of origin and time of departure and I
will send you detailed instructions.
Due to road works in the city from december 2017 expected to last until
end august 2018 bus services on line 6 14 23 31 can in certain days, expecially
between 0830 and 1245 and between 1715 and 2300, be subject to delays up to
15 minutes, and lines 2 4 8 and 20 up to 10 minutes.
Please take this in account when planning or choosing to wake
up/get train/get bus/come back home. Also, there are often in effect temporary
changes in the position of bus stops. Better you consult this document a few
hours before arrival to see if there are updates.
From SMN station:
When at Rovezzano> exit via the underpass from side of track 4, at the exit of stairs, looking north, on your left (NW) there is field with a well marked footpath going toward the road (it looks to go in a bush, but follow it). when on the road turn left (you should have the bicicle lane on the other side of the road, on your right). (if you do not find this path that reduces by one third the trip go to the normal exit from parking and turn left) At first crossing turn right into via della Loggetta and follow same indication as for bus. In case on monday to friday you miss for one minute or two the train at 2022 rush to the other side of station to catch the train 23461 direction Pisa at 2028, get off at Rifredi at 2033 and there get train 11809 at 2040 direction montevarchi to get off at rovezzano at 2052 (quicker this circuitous route than getting the direct bus)
Get the first bus that passes among 1A, 1B, 6A, 6B, 11 until piazza san Marco where you can wait 14/14A but also get 20, also call me immediately that is possible that I decide that, if you are on the 6, be better you remain in that bus and I will come to pick you at a stop I will tell you in real time.
From bus terminals:
Bus for regional services [except services from Prato, Pistoia, Lucca, Pisa and Palazzuolo] and Eurolines [but not all services] call at main bus station in via santa Caterina (the other ones anyway have their terminals close to SMN railway station). Exit from there from main entrance, turn left, enter in SMN rail station and follow indications as for arriving by train (at T1 terminal where you cross via Alamanni there is a ticket vending machine, get ticket there).If you arrive from a bus from Mugello get off at piazza Libertà then get bus 20 from via Fra Bartolomeo, with buses from Pontassieve get off at Varlungo then walk directly here. Buses from Pisa call just outside train station, follow the instruction for railway station SMN.
Some long distance buses call in piazzale Montelungo. From there the easier way (valid until 30 june) is using the bus option 2, getting directly there bus 14 or 14A, or if passes before it a 4, use it until San Marco, else you can get the ramp to enter inside the rail station to get a train if it is the right time.
Warning: Flixbus sell as "Firenze villa Costanza" or just "Firenze" a stop that is not in Firenze, while the one in the city center is called Firenze piazzale Montelungo. Check it before booking at which stop it would drop you if you arrive in late afternoon
In case it is one of those dropping at Villa Costanza you must get T1 from there to Via Alamanni (every 4 minutes, travel time 23 minutes, plus [until 30 june] 8' to transfer to bus)
From the city center
if you are on the west part go to SMN station, if north or in the middle go to piazza san Marco, if on eastern part better going to viale Giovine Italia):Warning0: After 30 june the stop placement could change. read istructions just the day of arrival !
Warning1: It must be 14 or 14A; 14B and 14C go in the opposite direction !
warning2: Aretina-Varlungo is the stop after Aretina3-Monzani and Casaccia: these three stops are extremely close, so often there is not the time for the announcement for the second or the third one if bus call at all the three (past Aretina03-Monzani after the roundabout wait 90 meters, if the bus has not made Casaccia, ask for the stop at that point).
After getting off at Aretina-Varlungo cross the road on the pedestrian crossing and in front of you should see a pedestrian underpass going under the railway, get it and at northern exit turn right and follow the road, after the light at crossing cross the road on pedestrian crossing then turn right (in this moment you should be on the bicyclelane on left of the road) until first crossing, where you turn left into via della Loggetta, walk to the end where there is a shrine and a big cypress. That one is point X marked on the map. the other minute necessary to arrive at my home will be told by phone.
In case you miss the stop and arrive at Aretina07 or Aretina09 please remain in the bus and get off only at "RIPA", from there go ahead, cross the road and go ahead north to the railway station of Rovezzano, cross the track and follow the instruction
From Rifredi railway station
(instructions valid only until 27/7 for trains and until 30/6 for buses) if you arrive from Pisa, Lucca, Prato, Siena change here, if you arrive in the 25 minutes before these trains, else continue to SMNFrom Campo Marte railway Station
From piazzale Michelangelo
If you have just arrived by a regional train, ticket to Firenze is still valid for a train (NO bus) passage until Rovezzano, so no need to hurry for a new ticket - this is a reason why I ask you to know which train you will get [to tell you whether last leg is included or not]).
the house rules
These are some house rules, that guests should follow, to avoid inconveniences. I try to put here in order of appearance:Do not forget that food in the fridge and towels driyng are the most common left items.
Wine:In some places it is a common custom to take a bottle af wine for dinner. Please avoid to do this at my home: Every meal has a specific kind of drink to pair. Who cooks chooses also the drink, so 96% of cases the bottle carried is just stored away.