Please contact individual hotels to find out current pricing and what amenities are included.

• Hotel Atlantic
• Albergo Morgana
• Other Listings in Marina di Carrara (click the British Flag icon for English)

—Megan Whittaker, 2007 Sculpture Student

“I had a great time! The program was really nice, I enjoyed myself a lot. I loved the teacher…I see your vision for the program, and wish you all the best. And I hope to participate again in the future.”

—William Mwazi, 2007 Painting Student

“I just wanted to let you guys know I had the best time in Italy, and I will always cherish it in my memory. Thank you again!”

—Harry Ito, 2007 Painting Student

“I always wanted to try stone carving, so the trip helped me to fulfill a dream. Now I am hooked and definitely want to go back again. The master carvers were intelligent, fun and willing to answer questions and help us fuel our passion for working in this medium. Staying in the medieval village of Serre di Rapolano was peaceful and relaxing, as well as the trips to the local mineral spas. I also enjoyed our excursions to Siena and Florence, where we saw so much historical artwork and got to experience the culture of Tuscany.”

—Cindy Noles, 2007 Sculpture Student

“I enjoyed the workshop immensely and think I learned something in the process. Seriously, my goal of returning next year says it all. Great experience worth every penny, and then some.”

—Jason Gillespie, 2007 Sculpture Student

Getting to Carrara by Train

From the Pisa Airport

Take the train from the airport to the main Pisa station (Pisa Centrale). From there, take a train to Avenza-Carrara. We will pick you up at the station, provided you contact us with your arrival time once you are in Italy.

From the Rome Airport

Take the train from the airport to the central Rome station (Termini). From there, get a train to Avenza-Carrara. You may have to change trains one or more times along the way. We will pick you up at the station, provided you contact us with your arrival time once you are in Italy.

Getting to Carrara by Car

Whether traveling from the north or south, consult a map and make your way to the A12 highway that runs along the northwest coast of Tuscany, passing by Carrara. If you are staying in the program housing, the Massa exit is closest. If you are staying in another lodging, please contact them for the best route from the highway.

Saluti,
Steve

Please contact individual hotels to find out current pricing and what amenities are included.

In Serre di Rapolano

• Grande Hotel Serre
• Agriturismo Ischetto
• 877 Serre di Rapolano

In Rapolano Terme (ten minutes by car)

• www.hotel2mari.com

In Armaiolo (fifteen minutes by car)

• Villasantamaria

In Asciano (ten minutes by car)

• Info coming soon.

• Via Car – There are several car rental companies based in the Rome airport. While a more expensive option, this becomes less so when divided by multiple persons, and can afford the opportunity later for greater exploration of Tuscany, especially on the free weekends. Once the class has filled we will send out email updates to a list of all participants. You may wish at that time to try to get a group together to go in on a car rental.
• Via Bus – There is a direct bus from Rome (Tiburtina station) either to Rapolano or the Siena train station (about three hours). The schedule and prices can be found here: www.sena.it (the Rapolano stop is sometimes reduced seasonally, so please check for availability). Busses (www.sienamobilita.it) and trains (www.trenitalia.it) leave from the Siena train station to go to Rapolano (approximately 40 minutes). You will need to take a train from the Rome airport to Tiburtina, exit the train station and cross the street, beneath the underpass, to the bus terminal. Look for a SENA ticket vendor.
• Train –Take the train from the Rome airport to Termini (the main Rome train station), and take a train that goes to Siena. Rapolano will be a stop along the way, about midway between Chiusi (where you must change trains) and Siena. Ask at the airport’s train ticket counter to buy your ticket straight to Rapolano.

Rome is likely the most convenient airport to fly into, but other options are Milan, Bologna, Pisa and Florence, all of which involve 3-4 hours of travel time to reach our program’s locations in Rapolano and Carrara. (See this post for suggestions on getting to Rapolano from Rome.)

Some general advice on flights:

• Evaluate the differences not only in price but also travel time between direct vs multiple-leg flights. Sometimes saving a hundred dollars isn’t worth trading an eight-hour direct flight to 12-hours with a lay-over in a foreign city. Starting off the intensive workshop in an exhausted state might not maximize your experience.
• You may want to actually consider arriving in Rome a day or two early in order to unwind, get over jetlag and see the city. No trip to Italy is complete without visiting its colorful capital, and since we do not have the chance to take a field trip there, we strongly recommend that you take a weekend to go to Rome or else find time at the beginning or end of your trip.
• Be very careful to note when your flight arrives in Italy, and what time of day it departs from Rome before buying your ticket. Flights from New York typically leave at night and arrive the next day. Conversely, flights leaving Rome to go back to New York usually depart in the morning, which means that you have to sleep in Rome or nearby the night before in order to make your plane.
• Use travel search engines such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia and (if you’re student, faculty or below the age of 25) STA. Try plugging in different dates and departure/arrival cities to see the best fares available. Eurofly is a newer Italian airline that sometimes is not indexed in these searches and is worth checking out.

Finally, please contact us if you have questions about making your travel arrangements.