We bought a flat in Orvieto 3 years ago. It is a 5 minute walk from the Duomo. At 40 years old it is modern by Orvieto standards but we spent the first 6 months having it renovated (in our absence). We go there about 5 times a year.
Just to say we use Moneycorp with ease. Contact them by phone, they give you a bank account in GB in which to put your GB cash. The I transfer electronically from my UK bank account to their GB account, and they transfer to my Italian account. Did this a couple of weeks ago - left my account UK bank on Thursday around noon, arrived in Italy by before noon on Friday. One hone call and a few taps on the keyboard and its all done.
Sorry for the late reply. Can confirm Mondo Convenienza are good, and we've also used Arredo Famiglia who have shops on the outskirts of Terni, Viterbo and Orvieto - they tend to be hard to find in trading estates
Hello getsett I've just noticed your reply of 17 November. We have a flat in Orvieto, and visit 4 - 5 times a year for a couple of weeks. Though no dates confirmed yet, we will be there for a brief visit at the end of January, and then some time in second half of April after Easter. We quite often go for a stroll down by lake Bolsena. Wondered if you would be interested in meeting if our dates coincide sometime - we are bothb in our 60's, just in case that influences your decision! Linda and Mike
We stayed in Rapallo because there was a bigger selection of hotels and restaurants, quite a apleasant town centre, and additionally it is on the train line from Genoa to La Spezia making day trips to the cinque terre possible (there's an all stations train about every hour). Agree Portofino is very expensive and not a lot to do.
Don't forget, the French were very happy when their borders leaked illegal immigrants from Sangatte through the Channel Tunnel a couple of years ago. Boot now on other foot???
We've used the Ibis at Rothrist for overnights heading south. Its about 30 -40 minutes south of Basel (before Luzern) and within a few hundred yards of the motorway junction. There is a restaurant, but once when it was closed the hotel made a reservation for us at a restaurant they recommended about 10 minutes drive away. Our plan the follwoing morning is then a coffee stop at the motorway services at Bellinzona and means we tackle the Milan ring road before lunch when its not usually too busy
We live in Yorkshire so it might be easier for us, but we use jet2 from Leeds to Rome Fiumicino, and Ryanair from East Mids to both Rome Ciampino and Pisa. Jet2 have run twice weekly through this winter with a 6 week break (new year to Feb half term). Ryanair stopped winter flight E Mids to Pisa a couple of years ago and also stopped the Rome flights this winter - however, these must be easier from Newcastle than going to Stansted!
I thought it might be helpful just to tell you what happened when we bought our apartment in Orvieto. Having viewed the flat, we returned home (much to the estate agents' disappointment who thought we would make an offer there and then) and about 2 weeks later made our offer which was below the asking price. We were asked to fax this through so that the offer was on paper. It was subsequently accepted by fax. We already had a codice fiscale and bank account, so we just had to make arrangements through the bank for the deposit to be made to confirm the offer. Everything else was done by the estate agent (it is normal in Italy for the agent to act for both parties). We simply turned up at their office three and a half months later with the rest of the purchase price, they took us to the notaio where we met the vendor and the translator and half an hour later the apartment was ours, so in summary the agent you purchase from ought to be able to make all the arrangements you need.
We've just got back from Orvieto, where we have a fairly modern apartment about 5 minutes from the duomo. We generally go 4- 5 times a year but only for 10 - 14 days at a time, mainly as a result of other commitments here in UK. Our experience is that local people are polite and friendly if perhaps a bit reserved. Our next visit is likely to be at the beginning of September and we would be happy to meet up either in Umbria or Yorkshire!
Yes Orvieto station is on the Rome - Florence line & both are feasible for day trips. The inter city trains are also to or from such places as Milan, Venice and Naples, so it's quite well connected. Unfortunately, the pendolini by-pass it.As you exit the station the funicular is opposite and for about 90 cents -one way- it connects with the little bus which goes up the hill and stops outside our flat.When we return in 2 weeks it will be full of tourists. Generally, the British come on a day trip and it's the Americans who stay.
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Just to say we use Moneycorp with ease. Contact them by phone, they give you a bank account in GB in which to put your GB cash. The I transfer electronically from my UK bank account to their GB account, and they transfer to my Italian account. Did this a couple of weeks ago - left my account UK bank on Thursday around noon, arrived in Italy by before noon on Friday. One hone call and a few taps on the keyboard and its all done.
Sorry for the late reply. Can confirm Mondo Convenienza are good, and we've also used Arredo Famiglia who have shops on the outskirts of Terni, Viterbo and Orvieto - they tend to be hard to find in trading estates
Hello getsett I've just noticed your reply of 17 November. We have a flat in Orvieto, and visit 4 - 5 times a year for a couple of weeks. Though no dates confirmed yet, we will be there for a brief visit at the end of January, and then some time in second half of April after Easter. We quite often go for a stroll down by lake Bolsena. Wondered if you would be interested in meeting if our dates coincide sometime - we are bothb in our 60's, just in case that influences your decision! Linda and Mike
We stayed in Rapallo because there was a bigger selection of hotels and restaurants, quite a apleasant town centre, and additionally it is on the train line from Genoa to La Spezia making day trips to the cinque terre possible (there's an all stations train about every hour). Agree Portofino is very expensive and not a lot to do.
Don't forget, the French were very happy when their borders leaked illegal immigrants from Sangatte through the Channel Tunnel a couple of years ago. Boot now on other foot???
We've used the Ibis at Rothrist for overnights heading south. Its about 30 -40 minutes south of Basel (before Luzern) and within a few hundred yards of the motorway junction. There is a restaurant, but once when it was closed the hotel made a reservation for us at a restaurant they recommended about 10 minutes drive away. Our plan the follwoing morning is then a coffee stop at the motorway services at Bellinzona and means we tackle the Milan ring road before lunch when its not usually too busy
We live in Yorkshire so it might be easier for us, but we use jet2 from Leeds to Rome Fiumicino, and Ryanair from East Mids to both Rome Ciampino and Pisa. Jet2 have run twice weekly through this winter with a 6 week break (new year to Feb half term). Ryanair stopped winter flight E Mids to Pisa a couple of years ago and also stopped the Rome flights this winter - however, these must be easier from Newcastle than going to Stansted!
I thought it might be helpful just to tell you what happened when we bought our apartment in Orvieto. Having viewed the flat, we returned home (much to the estate agents' disappointment who thought we would make an offer there and then) and about 2 weeks later made our offer which was below the asking price. We were asked to fax this through so that the offer was on paper. It was subsequently accepted by fax. We already had a codice fiscale and bank account, so we just had to make arrangements through the bank for the deposit to be made to confirm the offer. Everything else was done by the estate agent (it is normal in Italy for the agent to act for both parties). We simply turned up at their office three and a half months later with the rest of the purchase price, they took us to the notaio where we met the vendor and the translator and half an hour later the apartment was ours, so in summary the agent you purchase from ought to be able to make all the arrangements you need.
We've just got back from Orvieto, where we have a fairly modern apartment about 5 minutes from the duomo. We generally go 4- 5 times a year but only for 10 - 14 days at a time, mainly as a result of other commitments here in UK. Our experience is that local people are polite and friendly if perhaps a bit reserved. Our next visit is likely to be at the beginning of September and we would be happy to meet up either in Umbria or Yorkshire!
Yes Orvieto station is on the Rome - Florence line & both are feasible for day trips. The inter city trains are also to or from such places as Milan, Venice and Naples, so it's quite well connected. Unfortunately, the pendolini by-pass it.As you exit the station the funicular is opposite and for about 90 cents -one way- it connects with the little bus which goes up the hill and stops outside our flat.When we return in 2 weeks it will be full of tourists. Generally, the British come on a day trip and it's the Americans who stay.