Helpful information
English speaking driver-Tour Assistant-Authorized Tour Guide-Check Point and city entrance fees for Busses - Driving times las for bus drivers- Cancellation Policy
Following the description of the different professional roles
For groups of up to 7-8 persons we can provide English-speaking drivers who will give you general notions about the places you visit (drivers are not tourist guides). We can provide drivers who are also tourist guides in the Cinque Terre area and in Rome, but only if requested in advance. For groups of over 8 persons we strongly recommend the presence of tourist assistants. With your consent, we shall organise booking the tourist assistant.
Below is an explanation of the 3 different professional figures to whom we refer.
- English-speaking driver (Driver Guide)
- Authorised Local Tour Guide
- Tourist assistant
CHECK POINT LAWS - CITY ENTRANCE FEES FOR BUS NCC AND ZTL REGULATION
All the cars and minivans have NCC permits (Hire with Driver) which allow them to circulate anywhere in every old town centre of Italy (street sizes and pedestrian zones permitting). Also the minibuses and buses are licensed for hire with driver but they do not enjoy the same rights as cars and minivans; in fact they are not authorised to circulate and tour in old town centres, but only to reach particular passenger pick-up or drop-off points and they are obliged to leave the centre as soon as possible to wait for the end of the tour. In some cities there are various pick-up and drop-off points, so the passengers can be dropped off in one part of town and picked up on the opposite side, so there is no need to walk around pointlessly to get back to the start of the tour. Minibuses and buses often have to follow the regulations of the checkpoints in the more important Italian cities: Rome, Florence, Venice, Mantua, Montecatini, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano. This is an access tax to the major Italian towns of historical and artistic interest. It refers to every bus with 9 passengers + driver or more. It varies depending on the municipal regulation of each town and is part of a control system for transit/parking and stops of the minibuses or buses that enter the above-mentioned towns. In many of these towns the checkpoint can be booked and paid on line. The control takes place through the rule that each bus, despite payment of the checkpoint, cannot reach the old town centre but can reach pick-up and drop-off points from where the passengers begin their tour of the town on foot. Very often the bus driver cannot park in the point in which the group is dropped off and picked up but has to get out of the centre and park in special areas. The payment of the checkpoints and adherence to the rules that make it possible to pass only in precise streets is a prerogative of the vehicle company, through the performance of these duties by the driver (indirectly responsible). All this is strictly controlled by the competent authorities such as the municipal police.
PERMITTED DRIVING HOURS FOR THE DRIVERS OF MINIBUSES AND BUSES
HARMONISATION OF THE PROVISION CONCERNING DRIVING AND REST TIMES concerning bus drivers carrying more than 8 passengers driver included:
- Daily use: maximum 9 hours with only one driver; maximum 10 hours per day max 2 times per week; 15 hours within the day if the driver has minimum 3 uninterrupted hours of rest.
- Allowed daily drive: maximum 9 hours - with 45 minutes rest every 4 hours and 30 minutes per driver or 2 session of rest 15 and 30 minutes each within the 4 hours and 30 minutes of drive. The second session of rest must be obligatory of 30 minutes minimum.
- Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours in 24 hours with a reduction to 9 consecutive hours 3 days a week to be recuperated before the following weekend for each driver;
- Weekly rest: 45 hours every 6 days of service with the possibility of reducing the rest to at least 24 uninterrupted hours with compulsory recuperation of the reduced rest connected with the daily rest before the end of the following third week. The failure to adhere to this rule causes 2 points off the driver’s licence, in addition to stopping the bus where it is. Due to the above, for multi-day journeys, it is wise to pay particular attention to the start and end of service times.
By law all the buses and minibuses have an engine speed limiting device that prevents exceeding 90/100 kph, also on motorways, therefore account must be taken of this to calculate the times for covering a certain stretch of road.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations must be requested in writing and sent to info@privatetuscanytours.com
The date of cancellation is calculated on the basis of the date and Italian time. If you cancel your booking, we apply the following penalties:
- Over 7 days: no penalty
- From 7 to 3 days: 50%
- Less than 2 days and no show: 100%
- Francesca Meoni , authorised guide for Florence city and the area francescameoni@hotmail.com
- Luca Misuri , authorised guide for Florence city and area + Tour assistant luca_misuri@vodafone.it