Everything within ten minutes of Contrada Presta — for the diaper run, the gas refill, the unexpected fever, and the moment someone forgets the wine. Plus the things worth knowing before you turn the key in the rental car.
Eight categories, ten minutes from the door. Each one tested by someone who's lived here long enough to know which shop closes for the wedding on Saturday.
The conventions that will save you the most friction — driving, eating, paying, and the rhythm of an Italian week.
Italian. English is limited outside the centro storico — bring a phrasebook for the trattorie.
Euro. Cards work everywhere in town; bring cash for the older trattorie and produce stands.
Most trattorie add a coperto (€1–3 per head) for bread & cover. Tipping isn't expected — rounding up is plenty.
112 — Italy's universal emergency number, English-speaking operators.
Italian licenses or IDP. Watch for ZTL signs in town centers — restricted zones, camera-enforced. The villa parks outside any ZTL.
Shops shut for riposo roughly 13:00 — 16:30. Sundays are quiet; many trattorie close Monday. Plan grocery runs accordingly.
Tap water is potable everywhere — the cliffside fontanelle in town pour the same mountain spring you'd buy bottled.
Type F/L plugs, 230V. Bring two adapters and a multi-port USB block.
Families with small children. Slow days. Long lunches. People who like driving.