Your Rather Helpful Holiday Pack for Urbino Resort
Yippee, you’re coming to Italy!
An important message to Being Me Mastery trainees:
This holiday pack is based on the one we send out to regular retreat participants, so we’ve left a lot of general information in here that you might find useful, as well as adding info specifically for your training residentials at Urbino Resort.
So, before we get into the rest of it,
let’s talk about your residential at Urbino Resort in 2024. Which is –
Sunday 29th September to Saturday 5th October 2024
Those dates indicate the arrival and departure dates.
Please aim to arrive by 6pm on the arrival day (ie. on Sunday 29th September).
And you can leave after breakfast on departure day (ie. on Saturday 5th October).
Rooms and Prices
Sunday 29th September to Saturday 5th October (6 nights)
These prices are for full board stay, ie. for your room, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included (and it is delicious food there).
Also included is entrance to the hot pool within the spa (there is normally an entrance fee).
These prices are based on 2023 prices and they should stay the same, but Urbino Resort still reserve the right to make later changes (though, in our experience, these prices will remain the same for this year).
The room options are –
Single Suite – €894
Single – €780
Twin (per person) – €667
The ‘Single Suite’ rooms are luxury rooms, often with a separate lounge area.
The ‘regular’ single rooms are still lovely.
If you prefer a Twin space, please find your Twin roomie before booking and tell us who you’re sharing with.
Booking arrangements
We will be asking you via email for your room preference (and your rooming partner if you prefer a Twin room).
We will then be giving you details of how to pay Urbino Resort (approximately 6 weeks before your stay).
We will, as usual, be checking your dietary (and other) requirements, and passing them onto Urbino Resort.
Extra nights
A couple of you have asked about staying another night for the April residential.
We’ve obtained a special price from Urbino Resort for you, of €79 for a single room, bed and breakfast.
Just let us know if you’d like to book an extra night.
First, some ideas of what to bring:
Well, bring everything you’d normally bring on holiday of course (including swimmers as there is an indoor heated pool too if you’re coming at a time when the outdoor pool is unlikely to be open).
- Plus some shoes that you can walk in (trainers will do if you want to stay on the trails), as the Estate comprises 1000 acres of land with marked trails offering great walks, including a long walk by the river that runs through the land.
- Urbino Resort will provide you with a towel if you use the spa or the pool, so you don’t have to bring a towel.
- Bring comfortable clothing for the sessions – remember we’ll be doing some gentle exercises and some moving around… you don’t need full lycra gear, but it’s best not to wear heels and a mini-skirt (that’s for boys as well as girls of course).
- Bring a waterproof or equivalent just in case (though the hotel does have umbrellas that you can borrow).
- Do bring gear in case it gets chilly (even in high summer there might be times when it gets a bit chilly in the evening) – and bring plenty of thick socks (or slippers if that’s your thing) for the sessions.
- A notebook. And pen. Or pencil. Or crayon.
Some Italian words for your trip:
grazie (grat-see-ay): thanks
per favore (pear-fav-or-ay): please
buongiorno (boo-on-jaw-no): hello (during the day)
buonasera (boo-on-a-sarah): hello (in the evening)
ciao (chow): hello / bye, but very informal for friends or kids
sono inglese (so-no-in-glay-say): I’m English
non ho capito (non-oh-cap-ee-toe): I haven’t got a clue what you’re on about old chap (follow this with ‘sono inglese’)
pizza (pizza): pizza
gelato (gel-ah-toe): ice cream
acqua (ack-wa): water
che caldo (kay-kal-doe): My goodness, it’s hot
che bello/a (kay-bell-o/a): How beautiful
scusi (scu-zee): Excuse me
vorrei (vo-ray): I would like
andare (and-are-ay): To go
come ti chiami (komay tee kiamee): what’s your name
this is my phone number: just write it down and give it to them
Some thoughts on the weather:
We all want the weather to be gorgeous for your week. But sometimes it’s not.
If it’s not, it’s unlikely you’ll have a whole week of bad weather.
The great thing about our retreats is that you’ll have a great time whatever the weather… for a variety of reasons: you’re doing sessions for a few hours a day for a start; and Urbino Resort has a lovely spa and other great indoor spaces (and a bar, say no more); and you’ll be hanging out with new friends (so an afternoon drinking tea, or something else, with these new friends, in one of the marvellous spaces of Estate would be rather pleasant).
Okay, weather details: we know the weather in Urbino very well, as we have lived there:
Spring can have some gorgeous days, even very warm (ie. t-shirt weather) but there might also be some cold days. So pack for different conditions.
The outdoor pool officially opens when the weather gets consistently mild (which varies depending on the year). If it’s not officially open and you still fancy a dip, just talk to the Estate’s staff at reception.
Whatever, the indoor pool is heated, so you’ll be more than happy in there.
Summer usually kicks off at some time in April. Up ’til that point it can still be cold (yes, often with snow in deep winter). The summer is usually long, warm and dry. The hottest month is July, closely followed by June and August. Though we’re in Stromboli during July anyway (where it’s even hotter, but sitting on the sea).
Autumn / Winter… well, we’ve noticed that there’s often a real change in the weather around mid-October. That’s when it can become colder. And autumn cosy. And it really is cosy. We love this season.
Travel
If you prefer to do the research yourself, you’re aiming to get to Urbino Resort, ‘Localita Pantiere’, 61029 Urbino (full address and phone number below).
We have, however, researched the best ways to get to the country estate.
Flying
The best two airports to aim for are Bologna and Ancona (and Rimini is close but not always open).
Most of our guests fly to Bologna.
Bologna (Marconi) Airport is the larger, but a little further away. You get a lot of choice because many airlines fly there (and back!). Eg. From the UK, you will find flights from at least Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways.
Ancona Airport is smaller, but closer to Urbino Resort, and with less choice of airlines (though Ryanair do fly there regularly). Do check it though, as the prices tend to be good.
It is then very straightforward to get from either airport to the country estate for your holiday.
For the departure day, if enough of you are interested in sharing a transfer to the airport, the staff at Urbino Resort can organize everything for you.
From the airport to Urbino Resort
So, from Bologna airport to Urbino Resort, door-to-door:
The shuttle-bus to Bologna railway station is just outside the airport (turn right as you exit the airport) and runs regularly. You can buy the ticket on the bus itself (about €6). The railway station is the last stop (or was every time we took it). It takes about 20 minutes.
There’s also a shuttle train now. We’ve not yet been on this and the service seems to be more sporadic, but do check that out when you’re at the airport as an option.
When you get to the railway station, buy a ticket for a train to ‘Pesaro’ (if you want to pre-check train times, etc, take a look on www.trenitalia.it). You can use the automatic machines if you fancy; there’s an option for English. In Italy you usually have to get your ticket stamped before you get on the train, using machines dotted around the station. You’ll probably see other people doing it, so just follow their example. The journey to Pesaro is about 2 hours, but does vary depending on the number of stops. (Do note that there are two different entrances at the station, one for the faster trains, one for the trains that make local stops).
Once you’ve arrived at Pesaro, go directly outside the railway station and get a taxi to Urbino Resort. We have special prices for the taxis from Pesaro to Urbino Resort with taxi driver boss and friend, Mattia.
There are always plenty of taxis outside the station, but not all of them have a deal with us. So the best thing to do is to text Mattia, the boss (not mafia boss, taxi boss) on: +39 348 264 7775 once you are on the train, and let him know your name, arrival time in Pesaro and that you are part of Gaia’s group. He’ll have one of his taxi drivers (who have agreed the price and know where Urbino Resort is) waiting for you at the station. Specifically, they will wait outside the main entrance (the station is small), holding a sign with your name on it.
From Ancona Airport to the Estate & Spa, door-to-door:
There is a shuttle-bus to the closest railway station (Falconara Marittima -15 minutes, not Ancona which is further away). The shuttle-bus is just outside the airport (turn left as you exit the airport), but the buses are every hour. You also can get a taxi to the Falconara Marittima train station, it costs around €15 and it takes 10 minutes.
From this station catch the first train to Pesaro (remember to stamp your ticket before you get on the train, using machines dotted around the station). Once in Pesaro follow the same instructions as above (in the section from Bologna) to get to Urbino Resort.
Taxi Prices (Agreed with Mattia):
Contact details for Mattia are: mattiabucco81@gmail.com and +39 348 264 7775
Taxis are priced for a regular car (ie. capable of seating 4 people) or a larger vehicle (capable of seating 8 people, and the price is 50% extra, compared to the regular car).
‘Holidays’ refer to Sundays and bank holidays.
From Pesaro station, regular car – €55 (holidays €65)
From Ancona airport, regular car – €150 (holidays €180)
From Bologna airport, regular car – €290 (holidays €340)
If you would like to get a taxi directly from one of the airports, arrange it before your trip with Mattia (contact details above)… he speaks English and he’s really nice.
Address and full name of the Venue (to give the taxi driver, but Mattia’s taxis know the destination):
Urbino Resort
Santi Giacomo e Filippo
Via San Giacomo in Foglia, 7
Loc. Pantiere
Urbino
Travelling together:
Like our other Retreats, it’s likely that you’ll be on the same flight / bus / train as other people joining the retreat. And normally, you wouldn’t know who they were.
This is why we have set up a private Whatsapp group – just for your retreat. And we will be inviting those who’ve booked a retreat into those groups. If you’re getting close to the retreat and haven’t received an invitation, please email us to say.
If you fancy travelling together, sharing a taxi when you arrive in Pesaro (or even right from the airport if you prefer) or just saying hello before your retreat, you can get in touch with each other there. This way you could choose to meet others to travel with and share transfers, taxis, ice creams etc. You could also use this to share pictures and stay in touch after your retreat too.
Help on the trip:
If you need any help, please call the Estate’s reception:
+39 0722 580305.
Or if you need to tell them about your arrival time or delays you can email them:
info@urbinoresort.it
If you need to contact the F**k It Team, please use the normal email (ie. eff-it-living@outlook.com).
Once you arrive at Urbino Resort:
So, you’re aiming to be arriving between 3 & 6pm.
When you get to the venue their lovely staff will welcome you and take you to your room.
You can then do what you fancy – rest, go for a walk, visit the spa for your first dip of the week or have a drink or a snack in the bar (it is worth having lunch on your way over). If you do arrive before 1.30pm, you might be able to have lunch there, though that meal is not included in the price for your residential.
We meet as a group before dinner with a brief intro from the venue and from us. In that meeting you’ll also be asked about any dietary requirements (even if you’ve told us in the booking process, we’re finding it’s best to do it on the spot, with Urbino Resort, that way you’ll know the information gets to the kitchen). After this brief meeting, we’ll enjoy a gorgeous dinner together at Urbino Resort’s stunning restaurant. The sessions will start the next morning.
The venue is happy for you to arrive and depart at whatever time you like; providing that, if you arrive early, you are happy to wait for your room to be prepared and when departing to leave your room at the agreed time.
If you know you will be arriving after 8pm please call or e-mail Urbino Resort, so they can put some food aside for you.
Extras:
You can pay for anything extra by card at Urbino Resort (eg. wine, bar items, etc.).
Remember that use of the indoor pool and hot tub is included in the price of your residential. If you want to use the other spa facilities (sauna, steam room, etc.) there is a charge for that (ask at reception). There are also massages and treatments available in the spa area. Again, you can pay for these with a credit card at reception.
That’s it then, we look forward to your arrival.
Ciao & love,
Gaia & John x