General Information

 

Stores: Shops are generally opened 9.00-13.00 and l6.00- 19.30 from Monday to Saturday, closed on Mondays mornings and Sundays. Groceries shops close on Wednesday afternoon and Sunday.
On Sunday morning it is possible to find opened "Conad" in Siena ( orbital road towards Firenze exit Siena Sud take direction centre and after a few metres you find it at your left). In Asciano there are a couple of supermarkets-grocers, "Coop" is the biggest. On Sundays a small grocer's shop in the main street of Asciano is opened.

Bread: The bakery is only at 2 minutes in the centre of Asciano.

Post office: The post office in Asciano is opened from 8.30 a.m. till 13.00 a.m. In Siena the General Post Office is in Piazza Matteotti and it stays opened also in the afternoon. Stamps are also sold in the so called “TABACCHERIA” stores that you easily may recognize because of the special sign of a large blue T.

Markets: They usually take place during the week in the centre of villages during morning time from 8.00 am. till 13.00 am.:
Tuesday - Sinalunga
Wednesday- Siena
Thursday - Castelnuovo B.ga., Rapolano Terme
Friday - Serre di Rapolano
Saturday- Asciano
If you are interested in antique trades and characteristics items:
Arezzo: 1 ° Saturday and e Sunday of each month (in the centre)
Asciano: 2° Sunday of each month the so called "Mercatino delle Crete Senesi" (in the centre)
Siena: 3° Sunday of the month the so called "Angolo del collezionista"( in Piazza del Mercato).

Banks: In Asciano there are different banks. Just off in the centre of the village you can find Monte dei Paschi di Siena and Bancasciano Credito Cooperativo.
Anyway in every villages or cities you go, you will find banks with a cash point dispenser which accept international credit cards.
Banks are usually opened from 8.20 till 13.20 and from 14.30 till l5.30 Monday to Friday. Currencies and travellers cheques may be changed at banks and exchange offices. Banks charge a transaction fee for exchanging travellers cheques and cash and the amount varies from bank to bank. Passports are required for the identification.

Local transport services: From Asciano you may reach quite well Siena by train. If you want to go to Firenze (without taking your car) you may use either the bus or the train. From piazza Gramsci in Siena, every hour a bus heads towards Firenze. It takes about one hour. If you prefer you also may catch a train from Siena to Florence.
If Roma is the city you want to visit you may catch the train from Asciano and change in Chiusi.Please be aware that in small rail stations you can't buy tickets! Please buy train tickets at a tabaccheria or automatic machines at the rail station and stamp it in the machines before getting on. Tickets not stamped are liable to fine!!

Petrol station: In Asciano there is one patrol station in the main road direction Rapolano Terme. Usual opening times for petrol station are from Monday through Saturday from 7.30 am. till 12.30 am. and from 15.30 pm. till 19.30 pm.
On Sundays they stay opened according to rotating shifts. Anyway they are many 24 hour self service petrol station!.

Doctors: in case of emergency, please dial 118 (ambulance with doctor on board) The nearest FIRST AID STATION is in Siena and at the Misericordia in Rapolano. If isn't an emergency in Asciano there are good doctors that will be able to help you! Please ask at the guardian or at the pharmacy staff about their ambulatory timetables or if you prefer an home medical examination.

Thermal spa: In Rapolano there are two thermal spa: with beauty centre and two thermal water swimming pool.
Stabilimento Termale Antica Querciolaia Via Trieste 22
Swimming opening time: Wintertime: 10.00 am-6.00pm Summer time: 10.00 am-7.00 pm
Friday and Saturday 10.00 am-12.00 pm
Terme San Giovanni:
Loc. Terme San Giovanni
Swimming opening time:
May-October
9.30 am-7.30 pm

Ticket reservation for the Florence museums:
To avoid long queues to enter the Ufifizi Gallery, the Academy (Michelangelo's David), the Pitti Palace and the Medici Chapels you are advised to reserve tickets at the following telephone number: 055 294883 ( 8:30 am - 6:30 pm ), English spoken. The visitor chooses the date and time for the visit and is given a reservation number. One must then pay at the reservation counter of appropriate museum 20 minutes before the appointed time. The Uffizi Gallery has a separate entrance for reserved tickets.

Bikes: If you'd like to cycle admiring the Crete Senesi country side, you may rent
the bikes in the village.

The swimming pool: closing time between 11.00 p.m. and 9.00 a.m. Please don't swim at that time because the owner switch on the cleaning system.

Sun umbrellas will be usually closed at evening. You are kindly asked not to open them during the night. Night wind or humidity could cause damages! The owner will open them back in the early morning at cleaning pool time.
Please, if, during the day, it'll be windy we kindly ask you to close umbrellas to avoid damages. Thank you in advance for you cooperation.