Spello is a medieval town, and as with all medieval towns, parking can be an issue. It is not as bad
in Spello as it is in Spoleto and other villages, where you have to park way down the hill and enter the village
by foot.
In Spello, you can park in the Piazza della Repubblica, which is only a few minutes' walk from Casa Spello,
and pay 60 cents per hour. This is paid parking from 9 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 8 pm. It is
free parking from 8 pm until 9 am the following morning. So, if you pump the meter at 8 pm for two hours,
you are good until the following morning 11 am. You will get a receipt from a nearby machine, and you
place this receipt on your dashboard, which clearly shows the time it will expire.
However, only a few meters away from the Piazza, outside the city wall there is free parking all day
and all night. This is where most of our guests park. When you meet our key holder, she will show you
where to park.
There is no telephone available at the house, but there is a public telephone
in the Piazza, and telephone cards are 5 euros for 180 minutes to call the U.S.
(We recommend that guests download Skype on their laptops before arriving in
Spello; it is only $.03 per minute to call someone on Skype or free if you use
their video-conferencing!) Please see the section below on how to use your
cell phone.
Maybe. To use your cell phone in Italy, you need to find out from your provider
whether your phone is blocked by your provider, and whether you can get a SIM card
when you get to Italy and insert it into your cell phone. We have had many guests
who have done this successfully, but we cannot guarantee it for all cell phones.
Alternatively, you can purchase an EDICARD, which is a tel card that
allows you to call outside of Italy; about 180 minutes for a 5 euro card. You
can use this card from any public telephone and/or any landline free of charge
once you dial the access code given on the card.
Another option is to download Skype onto your laptop. This is what many
of our guests do, including the owners. (see also "what about Phone service?" above.)
There are regular trains which go to both Rome and Florence. The ride for either takes
approximately two hours. The train station in Spello is located at a 5 minute's drive
from Casa Spello or a 15 minute downhill walk from Casa Spello.
I have never been able to purchase tickets online, and there are ticket machines in most of
the big train stations. The Spello train station, however, does not have a ticket selling
machine, so you need to buy the train ticket elsewhere. Two places in Spello that sell
train tickets are the newspaper vendor across the street from the only gas station in
Spello, and the tobacco store next to Bar Consolare in Piazza Kennedy. Both of these
places are open daily, but it's recommended to purchase your ticket a day before your trip.
Getting on a train without a ticket will man a fine of 50 euros. You also need
to stamp your ticket at the yellow stamping machine in the station before you board the
train.
(New!) We now have an arrangement with a nearby facility, so that guests of Casa Spello
may use their pool for a nominal fee. It costs 5 euros per person, and is free if you
have dinner in their restaurant (by the pool). It is about a 10 minute drive from our house.
Here is a photo
of their swimming pool.
Spello is a wonderful town, an ancient Roman settlement
that became an industrious village during the Renaissance. Today it offers splendid
views and sights, and warm traditional places.
