Preparing for Your Journey
EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY
Culinary Explorations: The Food + Wine of the Emilia-Romagna region
with Emiko Davies and Marco Lami
October 1 - October 8, 2025
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!
We are so excited to spend time with you in Italy. Your Ace Camps Travel trip will connect you to an incredible community where you’ll meet and form bonds with many wonderful individuals. Given the small-group nature of Ace Camps Travel trips, the health, safety, and well being of you, other guests, the instructors and workshop hosts, and the local communities are a key priority for us.
Please take a moment to read through this document in full as it contains important information that will help you prepare for your Ace Camps Travel trip.
GENERAL
Your Ace Camps Travel Host: Vida Forrest y Salazar
We want every aspect of your trip to be an amazing experience. To help us do that, you will have the support of an Ace Camps Travel Host who travels with the group and is there to make sure your trip runs as smoothly as possible. Vida will be your Ace Camps Travel Host. The Emilia-Romagna region is one of her favorite places and she loves the food and wine of this region. While she is not a local guide, she will assist you in answering questions you may have along the way. We will send you Vida’s contact info closer to the Trip start date. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com.
Group Travel Etiquette
Please remember this is a small-group travel experience. It is important for you to join us with compassion, patience, and respect for everyone you interface with during your Trip. For example, if you asked to meet at a certain time, please be on time to avoid keeping the rest of the group waiting. If you choose to skip any activities or meals, please confirm your absence with the Ace Camps Travel Host directly so we’re not worried about your location or well being.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required for all guests that includes: trip cancellation/disruption insurance; travel medical insurance; and medical evacuation insurance. Ace Camps Travel does not sell travel insurance. If you have questions, we suggest you discuss concerns about your coverage directly with a local travel insurance provider. Please ensure your listed emergency contact has all of your travel and medical insurance coverage details.
Itinerary Disclaimer
We do our best to keep to the itinerary on the Trip Details page of the Ace Camps Travel website. However, sometimes adjustments may occur. For example, we may need to make changes to the itinerary due to inclement weather, timetable changes, or circumstances beyond our control. While we do our best to plan ahead and prevent this from happening, it may be unavoidable. It can also happen with little notice, so please bear with us if we have to make modifications to the itinerary on the fly.
Smoking, Illegal Drug Use + Alcohol
Unless it is specified on the itinerary, alcohol is not usually included with meals. If you would like to have alcoholic beverages during your trip, you will need to pay for these separately.
Ace Camps Travel Trips are 100% smoke free and we do not tolerate any kind of illegal drug use. We require responsible alcohol consumption.
COMMUNICATION
On-the-Ground Communication with WhatsApp
While on the ground in Italy, we will be using WhatsApp to communicate. Before you arrive in Italy, please make sure you have the most up-to-date version of WhatsApp downloaded, installed, and an account set up and working on your mobile device. Your Ace Camps Travel Host, will use WhatsApp to send you daily reminders, updates, and any other important information during the course of your trip. In addition to one-on-one communication with your Ace Camps Travel Host, we’ll be creating a group chat with all registered guests where we will send updates that affect the entire group while on the trip. We encourage everyone to engage on the group chat, as it’s a great place to get to know the rest of your new Ace Camps Travel friends, discuss travel plans and ideas, and share trip photos.
Emergency Numbers
In the case of an emergency, the general emergency number to dial in Italy is 112
In the case of a specific emergency, the local emergency numbers to dial in Italy are as follows: 113 (police), 115 (fire), and 118 (medical aid).
Mobile Phone Usage
Here are a few other resources you may find helpful when traveling:
Using an ‘e-sim’ app to have data on your phone while you travel (depending on your phone model). There are several companies offering e-sims that can save money instead of roaming through your network provider. Companies like Airalo offer various options to choose from. If you are using country specific e-sims you will need one for Italy. Or, you can install an “All Europe” e-sim that covers both countries, which may have a slightly higher cost.
Note: While e-sims are great, they do take some time to set up and install so be sure to spend some time before you leave your home country setting it up so you can just turn it on once you land (while we love to help where we can, our Ace Camps Travel Hosts aren’t tech support specialists).
SOCIAL MEDIA
If you are taking photos and would like to share them as a part of our trip story please tag your posts and/or stories on Instagram with @acecampstravel or hashtag #acecampstravel
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
Arrival Information: October, 1, 2025
This trip begins in Bologna and ends at the airport or train station located in Bologna. The closest International Airport to Bologna is Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (Airport code: BLQ) and the main train station is Bologna Centrale.
Ground Transportation and Getting to the Hotel: The drive from the airport to our hotel will take between 20 - 40 minutes, depending on traffic and the train station is about 15-25 minutes depending on traffic.
Note: It is easy to get a taxi from the train station or the airport to the hotel. Make sure you go get in line for an official taxi, and don’t accept offers from people proactively asking if you need a ride even if they say they have a taxi. Taxis are required to accept credit cards but some may give you a hard time, double check before getting into the taxi. A taxi from between the airport and our hotel should be between 20-30 Euro.
You can check into the Hotel Porta San Mamolo anytime after 2:00pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. If you arrive earlier than 2:00pm, you can drop off your luggage at the front desk and they will store it for you until your room is ready. All hotel rooms have been preassigned using the name you provided on your Booking and Registration form.
Helpful App for Jet Lag
Help manage jet lag with Timeshifter.
Welcome Dinner: October, 1, 2025
Once we’re all settled at our hotel in Bologna, we’ll be hosting a casual meet + greet welcome dinner so you can get to know the group. Please plan to arrive at our hotel no later than 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, if you want to join the welcome dinner. This will give you enough time to check in and get settled before dinner. We’ll share more specific details about when and where to meet for dinner a few days before the Trip start date. If you aren’t able to join the welcome dinner, your Ace Camps Travel Host will be in touch with you to make sure you have all the information you need to join the group the next morning.
Departure Information: October 8, 2025
On the morning of Wednesday, October 8, 2025, we will leave the town of Albinea and make a drop off at the Bologna Airport and at Bologna Centrale train station. From Albinea, we are about 1 hour and 40 minutes from the airport. We will determine our time of departure based on the best time for the group. This means it’s important for you to fill out the Arrival and Departure form so we can build an appropriate schedule as soon as possible. Once we have everyone’s departure time, we will send out the schedule of when we’ll leave Albinea.
Albinea is a small town close to Reggio Emilia which has its own train station. If it fits better in your schedule, you are welcome to take a taxi to the Reggio Emilia train station and depart from there on your own. The train in Reggio Emilia goes to many stations/cities around Italy though the fastest trains depart from Bologna. The train from Reggio Emilia to Bologna takes about 30 minutes.
Note: If you need to fly out very early or very late you can arrange your own transportation. We are happy to share recommended companies to use, just let us know in advance.
Please fill out the Arrival and Departure Form so we have the information we need to schedule our departure from Albinea.
HOTEL
We will have two different accommodations throughout our trip:
October 1-2, 2025 - 1 night
Vicolo del Falcone, 6/8 - 40124
Bologna - Italy
+39 051 583 056
October 2 - 8, 2025 - 6 nights
Via Chiesa, 25
42020 Botteghe di Albinea
Reggio Emilia - Italy+39 0522 598175
About the Hotel Porta San Mamolo in Bologna: October 1- 2, 2025
Location + Getting Around: The hotel Porta San Mamolo is a small, quiet spot, located down a tiny side street. It is about a 15 minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain. There are multiple places to eat and shop with a 5, 10 or 15 minute walk from the hotel and there are at least two restaurants on the same small street, less than a minute away. If you arrive early and would like to do some sightseeing, the hotel front desk staff can support you. Keep in mind we’ll do a walking tour of the main sights in Bologna on our first full day together.
Taxis may not be able to drive all the way down our small street and may drop you off at one end of the street and you’ll walk the rest of the way. While this is perfectly safe, keep in mind if you have luggage you’ll need to roll your suitcases on your own up to the hotel.
You can check into the Hotel Porta San Mamolo anytime after 2:00pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. If you arrive earlier than 2:00pm, you can drop off your luggage at the front desk and they will store it for you until your room is ready. All hotel rooms have been preassigned using the name you provided on your Booking and Registration form.
Additional Considerations:
If you are a light to moderately light sleeper we strongly encourage you to bring ear plugs, a sleep mask, and install a white noise app on your phone with earphones to assist in your personal slumber.
Amenities + Food: The hotel serves breakfast in the Orangerie from 7-10am and you are welcome to sit and enjoy the courtyard area until noon. Breakfast is a buffet but you can also order simple items like eggs. The hotel does not serve lunch/dinner and it does not have a bar. There are, however, many nearby places to get something to eat or drink.
About the Il Borgo del Balsamico in Albinea: October 2 - 8, 2025
Location + Getting Around: Il Borgo del Balsamico is an historic mansion in the rural countryside. It is a place that values art and a slower pace of life. This is a place to unplug and relax and enjoy your surroundings. This is not a hotel, but a family home that has been adapted to welcome guests. The family lives onsite and there are a few areas they keep private for their day to day living.
We will be in a remote location and it’s not easy to walk into town (they aren’t any sidewalks). If you’d like to leave Il Borgo and explore the nearby small towns, you can do so by taxi, which the front desk can help you arrange. You’ll want to make plans for a return taxi as well, as there won’t be any that you can hail at anytime.
We will arrive as a group to Il Borgo and we’ll check in. Your room will be pre-assigned and we’ll hand out keys after check-in. Keep in mind that some parts of the mansion are accessible via stairs only. If you need help with your luggage, please let me know.
You will be given an electronic fob to open and close the gate/entrance to Il Borgo. You’ll need to keep that with you whenever you leave so that you can re-enter the property.
Room Setup: Each room and common area is unique with special art and furniture details, carefully curated by the family and often including items from their own personal collection. You’ll be given a key to your room (sometimes an antique key) and a key to the front door of the home. You’ll need to have both with you whenever you leave the house so that you can get back inside. There are common spaces throughout the houses and you are welcome and encouraged to use and enjoy those areas.
Given the historic nature of the buildings, there is no air conditioning in the rooms. You are welcome to open the windows to let in a breeze and if you find yourself needing a bit more, there are fans you can plug in. Our trip is in October which should be past the uncomfortable heat of of the summer.
Amenities + Food: There are lovely and serene gardens from the 18th century at Il Borgo and we encourage you to wander through them or sit and take some time to relax with a book. There is a pool as well and the weather will determine if it's open when we arrive. Most pools in Italy are not heated so if the pool is closed it’s because it’s too cold to swim in.
Il Borgo is also an Acetaia - a place where they make Balsamic Vinegar. We have organized a special tour together during our stay. This will be up a long, steep staircase as balsamic vinegar is usually kept in an attic.
Il Borgo will serve a light breakfast in the morning but does not serve lunch or dinner. Most days we’ll either be making our own food or out exploring for meals but there will be a few times where you’ll be on your own for dinner. In this case, you can arrange for a taxi and head into one of the small towns nearby. We encourage reservations in advance and will share our recommendations. The staff at Il Borgo can help with reservations as English may be limited in some places.
There is a refrigerator at Il Borgo that we will use for snacks if anyone is hungry. You are also welcome to store items in there for your personal use. We’ll share reminders as we stop at different spots in case people want to grab a few snacks to have at Il Borgo.
HEALTH
Illness (including COVID)
Our goal is for each of our guests to enjoy the amazing trip we’ve put together. To ensure that happens, we make the health and safety of the group as our top priority. Please keep in mind while traveling with a group, you may need to take additional precautions.
In the days leading up to and during your Ace Camps Travel Trip, thoroughly washing your hands, wearing a KN95 mask if you feel ill or if you display symptoms of illness, and keeping a safe distance from others who exhibit signs of illness are small, but impactful, things you can do to keep the trip safe for everyone. Please make sure you bring KN95 masks, hand sanitizer, and a few COVID tests on the trip in case you or those around you start to have symptoms of an illness.
During the trip, if you feel unwell, please alert your Ace Camps Travel Host immediately, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance from others until we know more about your situation. If you exhibit signs of, or test positive for an illness, you should be prepared to follow the advice of local health authorities as well as the Ace Camps Travel Host to ensure the health and safety of the entire group. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, viral nature of your illness, and where we are staying, there may be a need to mask, distance, self isolate, or remove yourself completely from the trip which will be determined by the Ace Camps Travel Host with the best interests of the group health and safety as the main priority.
Per the Ace Camps Travel Terms and Conditions, you are responsible for any additional costs if, due to illness, including COVID, you have to leave a trip early as determined by a health care provider or the Ace Camps Travel Host. This is one of the many reasons we require you to purchase travel insurance.
Medications and Vaccines
You should consult with your doctor and a specialized travel doctor to determine if you need any vaccinations, prescriptions, or special considerations based on your medical history/conditions and based on the you’ll be traveling. For example, you may want to ask about a wide spectrum antibiotic in case of gastrointestinal or other infections. The CDC has several vaccine, prescription and over the counter recommendations for travel to Italy and a travel doctor will be able to assist you in confirming what is right for you.
If you are already taking prescription medication make sure you bring enough with you to cover your time in Italy and then some. When you pack, make certain you have all your required and important medication in your carry-on luggage.
We encourage you to travel with medications that can help you if you encounter health issues. Here are a few common concerns you may want to consider bringing medications for, though what you choose to travel with is up to you and/or you and your doctor
Motion sickness, if car or bus rides affects you as we are in a bus almost every day. Some days for a short 10-20 minute ride, other days for much longer.
Nausea, indigestion, or an upset stomach
Diarrhea/Dysentery
Constipation
Minor aches and pains
Minor and severe allergies
Cold/flu symptoms
Bug repellant/spray
Minor cuts and bruises
Stomach Issues
Stomach issues can occur when traveling and eating new types of cuisine. We strongly recommend bringing various medications to ensure if you have any issues, you are able to manage them and continue enjoying your trip.
Eye Glasses + Contact Lenses
If you wear eyeglasses, it is advisable to carry an extra pair on the trip. If you wear contact lenses, you may want to bring extra contacts and an extra pair of back-up regular glasses.
General Fitness
To take full advantage of your trip to the Emilia-Romagna region it is best to be in good health. Sightseeing, particularly in warm weather or with long car rides, can be tiring. We’ll be doing several walking tours where you’ll need to stand for the duration and we’ll be standing on our cooking days.
Water
We encourage you to bring a water bottle to cut down on single-use plastic bottles. Water in Italy is safe to drink, you’ll see people refilling their bottles from public fountains. You can also purchase bottled water any any grocery or convenience store.
SAFETY
While many areas of the Emilia-Romagna are considered safe for travelers, it’s important to remember that Bologna is a large city and will have areas that are more and less prone to crime, with the main concern as petty theft. It's important to remain aware of your belongings and aware of your surroundings. Here are a few specific safety considerations:
Avoid openly showing your valuables, such as phones, cameras, jewelry.
Given how much we use our phones for navigation or photos, we suggest using a phone lanyard so your phone can’t easily be grabbed out of your hand (and to avoid dropping it!).
If you carry a bag with you, ensure it’s zipped closed and carry it in front of you, not resting at your back.
Keep your valuables safe:
To avoid petty theft or pick pocketing, especially in crowded city centers and markets, we suggest leaving any valuables you don’t need at home. Avoid wearing flashy watches or expensive jewelry. Wear a crossbody bag with a zipped compartment for your valuables and keep the bag towards the front of your body. If you have a backpack, wear it towards the front so someone can’t open it from behind you in a busy crowd.
Get an international data plan or eSim for your mobile phone:
We strongly encourage you to have an international data plan on your phone so you can always have access to Google Maps for navigation and WhatsApp for communication with your Ace Camps Travel host, in case you get separated from the group. See notes about mobile e-sims above in the Communication section.
People asking for money or selling small items:
It is quite common in Italy for people to approach you asking for money or offering to sell you a small item like a package of tissues, an umbrella or a phone charger. If the item is helpful, you are welcome to purchase it but avoid pulling out a lot of cash in front of the seller. If you don’t want the item, simply say no, or no grazie, shake your head and walk away. You don’t need to be rude, but you can be firm, especially if there are repeated offers.
This often happens when you are eating outside, someone will approach your table and ask for money or offer to sell something. These can followed up with repeated requests and even begging or saying they are so hungry, please help. A firm no and cutting off eye contact and resuming your conversation should have the person moving along in a few seconds.
MONEY
Cash + Credit Cards
The national currency in Italy is Euro (EUR).
Most places in Bologna take credit cards, but it’s useful to have cash on hand for tips and one or two places that only take cash. Additionally, public restrooms, including those in train stations often have a small fee that can only be paid in cash. It’s wise to have a few coins on hand for these situations. Almost all of the places we’ll visit will take credit cards, but there are a few, like the markets or possible the cheese producer that may only take cash.
You’ll want to get cash before we leave Bologna as we won’t be near any ATMs while staying at Il Borgo.
Most ATMs in Italy accept international cards. You should be able to pull money out of most standard ATMs without issue.
Gratuities
Tips and gratuities for your guides, group drivers, and group meals are taken care of by Ace Camps Travel. However, there are some places during your trip that you may choose to leave a tip if you choose to:
Hotel Porta San Mamolo: Ace Camps will take care of the hotel staff in general, but if you would like to leave something for housekeeping or a food server that has take care of you, we encourage you to do so on your own.
Il Borgo del Balsamic: Ace Camps will take care of the hotel staff in general, but if you would like to leave something for housekeeping or the breakfast staff, you can leave it with Vida, and she will ensure it gets to the right people.
Tipping standards in Italy are different than the US. If you are at a restaurant, you can leave a few Euros (round up - so if you bill was €37, you can leave €40). The same is true for taxi drivers, the tip is not expected but you can round up after receiving good service.
Some restaurants will include a service charge (servizio/coperto) in which case, you will not need to tip at all as it has already been included. The exception is at a fine dining restaurant, where you should tip between 10-15%.
WHAT TO BRING
Now onto the fun stuff - what should you bring?!? Below are some suggestions, based on our experience. Bologna is a large city and you should be able to find most items you’d need in case you forget something, though it likely won’t be the same brand or there won’t be as many options are you are used to at home.
When packing, keep in mind we’ll spend time inside and outside, walking, standing and sitting. Our cooking will be outdoors and we’ll tour several outdoor markets. We’ll also be in a van/bus so you might want a light sweater for those air-conditioned rides.
General
PASSPORT (make sure it has at least six months on it) and consider bringing a photocopy and/or passport photos. In the (hopefully!) unlikely event your passport gets lost or stolen, an extra set of passport photos can make it easier for you to get a replacement)
Travel plug adapters, You’ll most often encounter plug types C and F while in Italy
While you can’t bring meat back to the United States, you can bring vacuum sealed cheese, balsamic vinegar and wine home with you (and of course all other non-edible souvenirs!). We high recommend bringing a fold up, empty duffle bag with you and if you end up purchasing things, you can store your breakable items in your luggage and softer items in the duffle
You may want to bring an apron to wear while cooking
We will have a few longer van/bus rides as well as time to enjoy the gardens at Il Borgo. You may want to bring a book or small hand project you can do during your down time
Clothing
Layering pieces, including a light jacket, and scarf or shawl, for cool mornings and evenings, with warmer daytime temperatures
Rain shell and/or small umbrella (rain showers are always a possibility!)
Comfortable, supportive walking shoes for our tours and cooking days
Comfortable cooking clothing you don’t mind getting a little messy
Bathing suit (in case the small, unheated pool at Il Borgo is open and you feel like taking a dip)
Footwear
Comfortable and supportive footwear you feel comfortable walking in for moderate distances and on a variety of terrain - we’ll do walking tours over cobble stone streets as well as checking out cheese making processes on a farm and walking through wooded areas while we learn about Culatello.
Personal Items
Glasses and/or prescription sunglasses if needed
Earplugs (high quality foam or sleep focused noise dampening, such as Loop)
Refillable water bottle
Hand sanitizer
KN95 masks–in an effort to keep our group as safe as possible, you may be asked to wear a mask
Luggage
We will be traveling together in a van/bus so we ask you to keep your luggage to one carry-on, one regular sized check-in bag and a personal sized bag/backpack.
We recommend keeping important items in your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost en route to Bologna. We also suggest putting AirTags in your luggage so you can track their location, in the event they get lost in transit.
Weather
In October, the Emilia-Romagna region is generally mild in temperatures with daytime highs around low to mid 70s F and with lows in the evenings in the low 50s. Expect cooler mornings and evening and warmer days. We recommend bringing layers to accommodate the different temperatures and that we’ll be in and out of a van/bus. While it’s a generally dry month, it can rain, so pack something for an light shower just in case.
THANK YOU AND SEE YOU SOON!
Thank you for taking the time to review this information, we hope these details help with your travel planning and prepare you for your time exploring the Emilia-Romagna region. If you have questions between now and then, please continue to email us at hello@acecampstravel.com. See you in Bologna!
