Italy
SOLD OUT
Join Suzanne for a week of “La Dolce Vita!” in one of Tuscany’s most charming Renaissance regions.
Just 15 minutes from Lucca, our secluded hilltop retreat center will be our own personal “small village” overlooking the forests, vineyards, olive groves and mountains. We’ll have exclusive use of 3 separate houses with rooms furnished in local Tuscan style, picturesque scenes from every window, and a communal area with outdoor terrace and panoramic views. We’ll have use of several indoor and outdoor yoga spaces, a salt-water swimming pool, and even a Turkish sauna. Vegetarian group meals will be prepared by our own private chef featuring regional specialties using local organic ingredients.
The charming town of Lucca is nestled in a lush valley just northwest of Florence, its charming medieval architecture connecting visitors to its rich layers of history and many enchanting legends and tales. We’ll bike through the village, enjoy a Puccini opera together and visit the fames villages of Cinque Terre… and, of course, our adventure will include a visit to a local winery and the option of a Tuscan cooking class.
The Tuscany region is a perfectly magical backdrop for an immersive cultural and yoga experience. Please reserve soon – space is limited.
Your retreat begins in Lucca, Italy where we will meet and transport the group to Il Bhorghino, your home for the week. A supportive yoga class will be followed by a chef prepared welcome dinner overlooking the luxurious pool and gardens. Your next days will have daily classes with your teacher, a biking / walking tour of the colorful city and countryside, an evening at the enchanting Puccini opera (Lucca is the proud birthplace of Puccini), a visit to a local bio organic winery, plus an afternoon exploring Cinque Terre.
During your free time you may choose to just relax and reflect, schedule a massage, learn to make homemade gnocchi at the villa, explore the medieval architecture of Lucca while sipping coffee in the Piazza.
In a nutshell, the nearest International Airport is Pisa which is just 18 miles from Lucca. Florence is 50 miles and Rome is 162 miles. All have regular trains and buses running to Lucca. (Rome is the longest at 4.5 hours) and there are easy options to luggage storage if you arrive before 3:45pm.
We know many of you will arrive early to Italy and / or may have a car rental. The group pick up from Lucca is included but if you need special assistance (for example you prefer a private pick up from the Pisa airport at your own expense) we can assist.
Read more about transportation options
TRANSPORT OPTIONS – GETTING TO AND FROM IL BORGHINO
(we will send you this document in PDF for with links embedded upon request)
Address: Il Borghino
Via della Chiesa XIV, 886, Pieve Santo Stefano, 55060 Lucca
GPS coordinates: Longitude: 10°27′ 20,4″ E (10.455532) Latitude : 43°53’17,0″ N (43.888085),
Google Maps: Use Google Maps driving directions from the Autostrada A11 Firenze – Mare. Take the exit marked “Lucca EST” for Il Borghino (27 minutes)
Yoga in Italy Mobile: + 39 340 480 8255 or +39 391 101 4198
Arrival Day – Pick-up: Check-in time at Il Borghino is strictly 16:00. On the day of arrival, there will be one scheduled pick-up from Lucca to Il Borghino from the Lucca Train Station at 15:45 – the meeting point is Hotel Rex next to the Gelateria Veneto on the right hand side when you come out of the station.
Our drivers will have a sign for “Yoga in Italy” or else they will ask you if you are here for “Yoga”. Transfers outside of the scheduled pick-up time and location will be at your own expense. Please make sure you have notified your retreat leader or Yoga in Italy of your arrival time. If you are arriving late and would like a taxi to be booked on your behalf, please let your retreat leader know.
Departure Day – Drop-off: Check-out time from Il Borghino is strictly by 09:30. On the day of departure, there will be one scheduled drop off to Lucca Train station at 09:30 or earlier, depending on the requirements of the group. Airport Transfers or other transfers outside of the scheduled drop-off will be at you own expense. We ask that you notify us of any special departure requirements two days prior to the retreat ending.
Flying into to Italy
The nearest airport to Lucca is Pisa international Airport “Galileo Galileo” – 18 Miles from Lucca.
Florence International Airport “Amerigo Vespucci” is 50 Miles from Lucca.
If you are flying into Rome, Fiumicino Airport is 162 miles from Lucca.
Regular trains and buses run from both Pisa and Florence airports to Lucca and are very reasonably priced. Trains also run regularly from Rome airport but the trip is much longer and takes around 4.5 hours.
When booking your flights, we recommend you plan your arrival time in Lucca for around 15:45pm, to coincide with the free group transfer to Il Borghino.
If you are arriving in Italy before the retreat or staying on afterwards, please refer to the bottom of this document for some accommodation recommendations.
Baggage Storage at Pisa Airport, Florence Train Station or Lucca
If you arrive early on the day of arrival for the retreat or have some time to kill at the end of the retreat, it is possible to store your luggage at one of the following locations:
Pisa Airport – You can store you luggage at the airport for around €7 for each piece of baggage. Check out the luggage storage details here.
Pisa Train Station – If you are taking the train instead, there is also a “left luggage” or “deposito bagagli” office at Pisa Centrale station where you can store your bags for a small fee.
Lucca
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There are several locations in Lucca where you can store your luggage. Tourist Office Piazzale Verdi – near the bus station |
Bike Hire Shop / Left Luggage – 30 mt from the train station |
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Opening times: Nov to Feb: from 09:30 to 17:30 March to Oct: from 09:00 to 19:00 Tel: 0583/583150 e-mail: info@luccaitinera.it |
There is a bike hire shop 30 meters outside the station (on the left hand side if you are looking towards the walls of Lucca) with a sign for “Left Luggage”. |
Florence Train Station – You can store your luggage at Florence train station – Santa Maria Novella. Look for the sign which says “Left Luggage” or “deposito bagagli” located on the ground floor. It is open from 6.00am until midnight. Contact 055 235 2190.
Luggage Storage – Florence Airport – There is no luggage storage facility at Florence Airport.
For further information about getting to Il Borghino, please refer to the information below.
From Pisa Airport to Lucca
The nearest airport to Lucca is Pisa international airport Galileo Galilei (18 Miles from Lucca).
The airport offers direct flights from all major Italian and international airports, and low-cost (Ryanair – Easyjet and others) connections with European cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, London Stansted and Gatwick, Liverpool, Bristol, Paris, Madrid, Oslo and others.
BY BUS: From Pisa airport there is a bus service to Lucca stopping in Piazzale Verde. The first bus is at 05.55 and the last is at 21.00. The bus stop is located just outside the arrival terminal and the journey is about 50 minutes. Look for the blue “VAI BUS”. You can see the timetables for connections HERE. Make sure you look for LINEA E3 – Lucca-Santa Maria Giudice-Ripafratta-San Giuliano Terme-Pisa. You can buy tickets from the information desk (Arrivals area) in the passenger terminal.
BY TRAIN: From Pisa airport, you can take the automatic PeopleMover train to Pisa Centrale Train Station and then take a train to Lucca. The PeopleMover train service is available from 06:00 to midnight 365 days of the year at 5 – 8 minute intervals. The train stop is located just in front of the Departures Terminal (hall check in A). Ticket price is €2.70 one way. Journey time is approximately 10 minutes. More info about the PeopleMover train service HERE.
Once you reach Pisa Central Station, you can reach any destination of the Italian railway network. You can buy your train ticket to Lucca, which includes the PeopleMover train service ticket price, at the Airport Information Office (Arrivals Hall).
Trains to Lucca run approximately every 20 – 30 minutes, with a journey time of around 20 minutes. Timetable and prices at www.trenitalia.com
BY TAXI: From Pisa airport a taxi to Lucca cost about 80 – 90 euros and takes about 35 minutes.
Refer to Google Maps for detailed driving instructions from Pisa Airport.
From Florence Airport to Lucca
Florence International Airport “Amerigo Vespucci” is 50 Miles from Lucca.
BY TRAIN: From the airport you can take a city line airport shuttle bus “Vola in Bus” every 30 minutes to the central train station in Florence (Santa Maria Novella) and then take a train to Lucca. Shuttle buses from the airport run from 6:00am until 11:30pm and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The bus stop is located just outside the airport in Via Guidoni. Tickets may be purchased on board and a one-way ticket costs around 5 Euros. The train from Florence to Lucca takes about one hour and a half and costs between 7 and 11 euro. Timetable and prices at www.trenitalia.com.
Alternatively, you can take a bus from just outside Florence train station. The journey will take 1 hour and 45 minutes. One-way fare to Lucca is around 5 – 7 euros.
BY BUS: From the airport, you can take an extraurbane bus to Lucca. There is a dedicated bus stop immediately nearby the airport and you can see the timetables for connections HERE. The journey will take approximately one hour.
BY TAXI: A taxi from Florence airport to Lucca should cost between 130 –150 euros and takes about one hour and a half.
From Rome Airport to Lucca
Rome Fiumicino Airport is 162 miles from Lucca. From the airport, take the mono-rail to the arrivals hall and once you have your baggage, follow the signs for “Stazione FS/Railway Station,” located on the second floor. Take the Leonardo Express airport shuttle service that runs directly from the airport to the main train station. Trains depart every 30 minutes from 06:35 -23:35 and the trip takes about 30 minutes. The cost is 15 euro and can be purchased either from a news stand or one of the automated machines. Make sure you validate your ticket before you board, at one of the validation machines located at the start of each platform.
When you arrive at Rome central train station, you must purchase a ticket to Lucca which will involve taking a fast train (the “Frecciarossa”) to Florence and then a regional train to Lucca. The fast train must be booked and seating is allocated whereas on the regional trains, you can sit anywhere you like. Both trains take around 1.5 hrs. Once again, remember to validate each ticket before you get on the train. When you arrive in Florence, take your baggage off the train and walk to the main hall to find out which platform (“Binario” or “Bin”) your train to Lucca is leaving from. Normally, you have around 10 – 15 minutes between arriving in Florence and departing for Lucca. Total travel time from the airport to Lucca is around 4.5 hours.
Prices and timetable are at www.trenitalia.com.
Accommodation options in Lucca if you are arriving early or staying on after the retreat
If you are arriving in Italy before the retreat or staying on afterwards, we recommend the following bed and breakfasts and serviced apartments.
1. Il Seminario – Bed & Breakfast www.luccabedandbreakfast.com
2. Evelina – Bed & Breakfast www.bedandbreakfastevelina.it
3. Casa San Jacopo Giardino B&B www.casasanjacopo.wordpress.com
4. La Gemma di Elena Bed & Breakfast – www.lagemmadielena.it
5. Antica Residenza del Gallo – Bed & Breakfast – www.anticaresidenzadelgallo.com
6. La Romea – Bed & Breakfast – www.laromea.com
7. Anfiteatro Bed & Breakfast – www.anfiteatrolucca.it
8. Centro Storico Bed &Breakfast – www.inluccabedandbreakfast.com
9. Casa Paolina – www.casapaolina.it – these are serviced apartments
10. Hotel San Luca Palace – Close to the bus station with great sized rooms. www.sanlucapalace.com
11. Antica Bifore Bead and Breakfast – www.anticabifore.com
- Comforable walking shoes
- Comfortable clothing (for both warm and cool weather)
- A couple of nicer outfits if you’d like for evenings out
- Bathing suit
- Sunscreen
- Yoga clothes
- Adapters for electronics
private room / shared bath:
We have two spacious private rooms for 2 women that share one bathroom,
SOLD OUT
double occupancy shared room / private bath:
We have double occupancy rooms with 1 or 2 beds and private bath.
SOLD OUT
SINGLE OCCUPANCY private bath:
SOLD OUT
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- 7 nights accommodations
- group pick up and drop off in Lucca, Italy on the first and last day of retreat at set times
- Yoga Classes with Suzanne
- An evening in Lucca at the Puccini opera
- Local bio-organic Winery Tour with wine and olive oil tasting
- Guided bike and walking tour of Lucca
- A day trip to Cinque Terre
- Meals (6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 6 dinners)
- Travel to Lucca, Italy
- 1 Dinner out and 1 Lunch
- Optional activities: Cooking Class, Massage
- Gratuities you might like to offer drivers, guides and center staff
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended – see travel Guard Link)
A $695 deposit will secure your space and we would be happy try to match you with a roommate.
If you place a deposit, the balance due will be set to charge in equal installments starting the month after deposit through February, 2022 unless other arrangements are made.
We HIGHLY recommend that you consider purchasing Travel Insurance. Travel insurance companies like TRAVEL GUARD offer policies that insure your investment in case you need to cancel (including “cancel for any reason” coverages), coverages for expenses incurred due to to weather & travel delays, personal property loss and emergency travel medical. Please review policies carefully to choose the coverage you need.
We recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment. Trawick International and Travel Guard are two providers that we recommend. Please review policies carefully to ensure they provide the coverage you need.
