Itinerary - 2004 Tour
The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra
presents a
wonderful cultural exchange tour at great value!
Northern Italy
Lombardia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagno, Toscana, Umbria, Le Marche, Lazio
Enjoy scenic Northern Italy. See Milan, Verona, Cremona, Vicenza, Padua, Venice, San Marino. Swim in the Adriatic at Rimini. Tour Florence, bike Lucca, visit Pisa, San Gimigniano, Siena. Hike the Via Del Amore in the Cinque Terre. Walk all over Rome. Sample chianti in Perugia. Explore the hill towns of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio.
16 days - A Musical Journey
June 26 - July 11, 2004
$2500 per person
(Meet us there for only $1500)
Cost includes round-trip air fare, lodging in 3-star hotel double rooms with bath and daily continental breakfast, transportation in 7-passenger self-drive rental vans. Price does not include insurance or personal expenses (e.g. tours, museum tickets, laundry, meals, etc.)
Call (703) 264-9891 for information
The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra welcomes any person who likes to have fun and has the stamina to keep up with a very active, adventurous group on this, our fifth international trip. It is imperative that we have your deposit right away, even though we have not yet finalized all the details of our trip. Thanks for your understanding!
Your Travel Highlights:
While the exact price and precise performance schedule and itinerary are still under development and will remain subject to change, the orchestra expects to have concert, dance, and music festival performances in the vicinities of Milan, Florence, Orvieto and Rome. The group will be able to make optional day and overnight excursions, swim at famous beaches, and take sight-seeing, wine and gastronomic tours throughout the region. While the orchestra is rehearsing or performing, other tour members may participate in independent sight-seeing activities. Except for performers, all activities are optional. Sleep in, relax or do your own thing. (Ask someone who accompanied us to Provence in 1997, Paris in 1999, New Zealand in 2000, or Southern France in 2002! Most are coming again.)
Itinerary - Northern Italy:
Saturday, June 26 - Assemble at Dulles at 2:40 PM. Check in baggage and instruments. Depart Washington DC via Alitalia flight AZ623 at 5:40 PM direct to Milan. Get some sleep.
Sunday, June 27 - Milan/Treviglio - Arrive at Malpensa airport at 8:00 AM. Pick up from Auto-Europe one manual transmission air conditioned rental sedan, three manual transmission air conditioned 7-passenger minivans, and one manual transmission (air-conditioned) 9 cubic foot cargo van. Load heavy baggage. Drive 85 km east towards Bergamo and Brescia to Hotel La Lepre, Via Caravaggio 37, 24047 Treviglio (39 0363 48233). Settle in for three nights. The afternoon and evening is free for independent small group and individual sightseeing. Possibilities include Autostrada bus tour, late mass at the Duomo in Milan, spin on Taurus in the Galleria, La Scala Opera and museum. See the Last Supper at Santa Maria della Grazie church (closed monday). No concert tonight. Sample Grappa and enjoy and evening of jazz in the Navigli District. Return to Treviglio.
Monday, June 28 - Treviglio - (Many museums closed) Possible day trips - (1) Drive north to Varenna on Lake Como. Take a day steamer to Bellagio. Bike down the hill (Cavalcalario Club 031-964-814.) Back to Trevilglio. OR (2) Drive to Lugano, Switzerland (Jazz Festival). OR (3) Visit Sirmione on Lake Garda. OR (4) Check out Stradivarius violins in Cremona. Sample Soave, Bardolina, and Calpolicelle wines. Drive on through Mantua. Check out a Palladian Villa. Visit Ferrara. Bike the wide paths around the medieval city walls. Pass through Bologna, then drive southeast to Faenza to see the ceramics. Arrive in Ravenna. See the mosaics at the Basilica San Vitale. OR (5) Visit Verona's roman forum and arena, see Romeo & Juliet's balcony at Casa di Giulieta, 23 via Cappello. OR (6) Day trip to Piemonte - Shop for a Fiat in Turin. Visit Piazza Castello and the Duomo San Giovanni to see the famous shroud, walk along the Via Po, see the Mole Antonelliano. Drive east, passing through Ivrea, home to the battle of the oranges in February. Continue to Aosta for Roman ruins and woodcarving. On to Courmayeur. From nearby La Palud, ride the cable car p Mont Blanc (and down the other side to the famous ski resort Chamonix in Switzerland.) (Food = Bagna caoda, rosotto, pocini mushrooms, fontina cheese, white truffles. Wine = Barolo, Barbera, Asti Spumante, Cinzano Vermouth. Horse riding, adventure sports = canoeing, bungee jumping, soaring, ballooning?) return to Treviglio. rehearsal this evening at our hotel.
Tuesday, June 29 - Treviglio - Day trip by train to Venice - Journey east through Brescia, Verona, Vicenza and Padua (Servini Chapel, Basilica of St. Anthony, Giotto's frescoes in Cappelle degli Scrovigni), to Mestre. Buy a Vaporetta $10.50 24 hour pass and ride the #82 Vaporetto through the Grand Canal all the way to San Marco / Villaresso via Rialto. Have an overpriced Bellini in Harry's Bar. In St. Mark's Plaze, pick up maps at TI (Tourist Info) and buy a $11.00 Museum card at the Correr Museum. Feed the pigeons, see the Doge's Palace and cross the Bridge of Sighs to the Piombi prison, visit St. Mark's tomb in the Basilica San Marco (golden mosaics, Tintoretto), and climb the Campanile. Cross to Dododuro by traghetto and visit the Accademia Gallery, (the Peggy Guggenheim modern art collection is closed). Buy carnival masks at Ca'Macana, Calle delle Botteghe 3172 Dosoduro. Visit the Chiesa Santa Maria Frari (Titan) in San Polo (more masks at Botega dei Mascarei, Calle del Cristo 2919 San Polo.) Visit the Chiesa dei SS Giovanni et Pietro di Castello is today just past the Arsenale. There's a gondola yard on the Zattere side of Squerodi San Trovaso. Visit the lagoon islands. From the San Zaccaria dock near the bridge of Sighs (Fondamente Nove), take Vaporetto #12, or #41 to Murano (glass museum) and on to Burano (Lace museum is closed) and on to Torocello (oldest church Santa Marie dell' Assunta) Drive Soave and Bardolino. Late lunch at caffee Florian in the Piazza San Marco? (a Gondola ride costs $62.00) Return on the 3:00 PM train to Treviglio. Concert Tonight at our hotel!
Wednesday, June 30 - Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Drive four hours south, seeing Parma along the way, to the Park Hotel Chianti, LOC Pontenuovo, 50028 Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa (39 0558 070106) 20 km south of Firenze. Settle in for four nights. (Jack phone Florence 055-294-883 to reserve entrance at Uffizi and Accademia.) Supper in Poggibonsi. Return to Tavernelle.
Thursday, July 1 - Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Day free for sight seeing in Firenze. (Museums by appointment.) See the Duomo, Baptistery (Gilded bronze doors), Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower.) Walk north to the Accademia (David). Walk south to the Piazza della Signora with it's Uffizi Galley (and Palazza Vecchio for extra fun, try the "Clothing the Body" guided tour at the Museo del Ragazzi.) See also the Bargello Museum (sculpture), Churches of Santa Croce and San Lorenzo. Cross the Ponte Vecchio (goldsmith shops) to explore the Oltrarno with the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens (See the anatomical was models at La Specola.) Hear Gregorian chant at Cespers in San Miniato. Concert and parade tonight in Poggio a Caiano. (Stefano Cecchi 348-741-9396) (Medici residence, walled village of Artimino) Meet our agent, Maggie Baccarelli. return to Tavernelle.
Friday, July 2 - Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Day trips (1) Visit the US WWII cemetery on the Via Cassia near Tavernuzzi. Drive Northeast through Feisole (and it's Roman theatre and villas.), Pistoia (Villa Gargoni), and Montecatini to Lucca. (Puccini's home) with it's 12th century churches. Bike the ramparts on top of Lucca's medieval walls. (Rent bikes in Piazza Santa Maria. $2.10 for one hour gives you two laxy circuits.) Wine: Vermentino. Visit marble quarry in Carrara Colonnata.) Drive north to Rapallo. Take a quick side trip to La Spezia to visit the Cinque Terre. Swim at Monterosso all Mare. It's market day in Vernazza. Sample sweet Schiacchetra wine in Corneglia. Try cliff diving in Manorola. Hike the Via dell' Amore to Riomaggiore. Try "Trenette al pesto" seafood spaghetti supper there. Late return to Tavernelle. OR (2) Morning say trip east toward Livorno, visit the "field of miracles" in Pisa. Park for $1 per hour outside the town wall and walk one block to Campo. Buy $2 ticket for the Duomo only. ($15 and a two hour wait to climb the leaning tower.) See the Baptistery (acoustics, it leans too) and Cemetery. On the way home, check out Leonardo's inventions in Vinci (wine: Vino Santo?) Visit the Pinocchio Park in Collodi. Return to Tavarnelle.
Saturday, July 3 - Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Day trip South through the hill towns of Tuscany. Take Chianti vinyard tours along the old Chiantigiana Road south of Florence. Visit San Gimigniano (Civic museum, Torre Grossa, wine: Vernaccia di), Volterra (Etruscan museum, alabaster), the Gothic walled city of Siena (Palio in Plaza Del Campo. Try pan forte.) Drivesouth along the Laurentian Road #438 to Montalcino (Try Brunello win, almond cookie "Ossi di Morte" at the enoteca La Fortezze - picnic lunch; or a vinyard tour at Villa Banfi, and the Abbey of Sant' Antimo), Pienza (best Pecorino cheese) and Montepublciano (wine: Vino Nobile di). Open Jazz Festival tonight in Santa Fiora near Grossetto. (Lucca Benucci 339-230-8262, Ruggiero Credcioli 347-858-5469 Gabrielle Niccolai 340-364-5367) Late return to Tavarnelle.
Sunday, July 4 - Rome - Drive four hours south to Rome (Early Mass at the Duomo in Siena?) and check into Motel River, Via Tiburtina km 25,00010 Pontelucano-Tivoli (39 0774 528281) for three nights. Supper in Tivoli.
Monday, July 5 - Rome (many museums closed.) - Day free for sightseeing. This morning visit the Sistene Chapel, the Vatican Museum (open) and St. Peter's Basilica. This afternoon take a CIT Green Line Bus Tour. Buy a combi-ticket someplace other than the Coliseum, then do the "Caesar Stroll" from the Coliseum over to the Captiolina Hill to the Pantheon (Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Mamartine Prison, Trajan's Column) See the Victor Emmanuelle Monument and Capitol Hill Museum (Palazzo Nuovo.) Visit the Pantheon. Do the "Dolce Vita Stroll" down the Via del Corso from the Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps. This evening, have supper in the Campo de' Fiori and desert in the Piazza Bovona, then throw a coin in the Trevi Fountian.
Tuesday, July 6 - Rome - Day free to complete your sight seeing. Try the Ancient Appian Way to see the Catacombs of San Callisto or San Sebastian. Day trip to see Ostia Antica. Swim at Lido di Ostia. Visit Etruscan catacombs at Tarquinia, the Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana in Tivoli.
Wednesday, July 7 - Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Drive 4 hours North. Return to the Park Hotel Chianti, LOC Pontenuovo, 50028 Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa (39 0558 070106) 20 km south of Firenze. Settle in for two nights. This afternoon return to Firenze to complete your sightseeing. Private Concert tonight in Greve/Pieve di San Cresci. (Duccio 335-812-1811) Return to Tavarnelle.
Thursday , July 8 - tavarnelle Val Di Pesa - Complete your sight seeing in Pisa, Vinci and Florence, or drive West to Cortona (Under the Tuscan Sun) into Umbria through Todi (most livable town) and Perugia (Umbria Jazz Festival, Etruscan tombs, chocolates) and continue north via Lake Trasimeno (Magione - copper and brass) to Le Marche. Concert tonight (Flute Trio on Terrace, Combo at Colombaio pool, Conert in Rose Garden) at Villa Dievole in Vagliagli north of Sienna. (Lucaa Benucci 339-230-8626). Return to Tavarnelle.
Friday, July 9- Orvieto - Drive two hours South to Orvieto. Check into the Hotel Europa, Via A. Gramsci 5, 05019 Orvieto (39 0763 305227) for two nights. Take the funicular to the top, visit the Duomo and St. Patrick's well. (Try Orvieto Classico or golden Sagrantino de Montefalco winde. Wine at the enoteca regionale, visit the Duomo where Corpus Christi Day originated.) Concert tonight in Aquapendente (Teatro Cordeschi - Senora Adenante/Giulio 800-411-834 or 0763-730-9201, north of Lago di Bolsano. Late spaghetti dinner in Onano. Wake up the mayor and see the castle. Late return to Orvieto.
Saturday, July 10 - Orvieto - (For those that didn't get enough, trains depart for Rome at 7:33 and 10:09 AM and return to Orvieto at 2:47 and 4:47 PM - a 50 minute trip.) Visit Umbria. (1) Drive East through Todi, then North to the medieval town of Perugia (Etruscan capital, try baci - chocolate covered hazlenuts. Duomo houses Virgin Mary's wedding ring.) Visit Torgiano (Chianti Museum, Rubesco de Torgiano wine.) Drive East to visit Assisi (drive to top and park in the underground lot at Piazza Matteoti ($1.10/hour), see frescos by Giotto in Basilica di San Francesco.) OR (2) North of Perugia, visit medieval Gubbio (bird cage funicular, ceramics, hand gliding?), and Urbino (renaissance hill town, ducal palace.) Shop for pottery in Deruta. OR (3) Further North, visit tiny San Marino. Swim and enjoy the beach at Rimini. OR (4) Day trip south through Orte, then northeast through Narni (Amelia) and Terni (St. Valentine). Detour to the Cascate delle Marmore and Ferentillo (rock climbing, mummies at S. Stefano's). Then drive North to Spoleto (truffles, Teatro Romano, Festival of Two Worlds), Trevi (Tempio di Chatuno), and Foligno. OR (5) Drive West to visit Lazio. Swim in the hot sulfur springs waterfall at Le Cascatelle near Saturnia. Explore the hill towns of Pitigliano and Civita di Bagnoregio (pedestrian bridge). See the Monster park in Bomarzo. Concert tonight in the artist colony of Calcata (I1 Granarone - Marejke 0761-587-855) south of Viterbo. Repack gear after our concert. Catch a quick shower and repack personal suitcases.
Sunday, July 11 - Get up early! At 3:00 AM, drive two hours South to Rome's Fiumicino Airport. Turn in the rental vehicles. Depart at 8:00 AM via Alitalia Flight AZ 1022 arriving Milan at 9:20 AM. Depart Milan's Malpensa Airport at 10:30 AM via Alitalia Flight AZ 622 arriving at Dulles at 2:00 PM. Catch up on your sleep. Sort out our gear and head home. No rehearsal tomorrow night!
HOTS 2004 TOUR TO ITALY
Letter to Participants
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This letter is intended to let all those going with us know all there is to know at this time about our trip, and to provoke any questions or suggestions that anyone might have. Please check out a guidebook for Italy from the library and read it. Please think our trip through and be sure we have covered everything that concerns you, and provided for everything you might want to do. (Another good source of travel advice is www.ricksteves.com). You will waste your own time if you read your guide book for the first time en route. You'll need to know in advance what you want you see.
1. Our itinerary is not yet firmly established , and will ultimately depend upon the performance opportunities we develop -even en route. The itinerary described is what we would like to do and what we will try to do, time and opportunity permitting. Our concert schedule takes priority.
2. Our trip will cost each non-deviating participant approximately $2500.00. (This is an estimate which assumes that at least 18 persons will be making the trip, and that no more than 3 rental vans will be needed, and that the exchange rate will not change substantially.) Those who are making their own travel arrangements using frequent flyer miles or other discount tickets may meet us in Milan for only $1500.00 for the full two weeks. Other arrangements can be negotiated. There is no difference in cost between band members and those who are accompanying us.
If you need to come late or go home early, we will make the appropriate arrangements, but any additional cost over the standard prices will be at your expense.
Airline tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable once issued. Hotel and rental vehicle deposits are subject to a variety of fines and fees if changes are made after the initial commitments. Deposits are refundable when, and only to the extent that HOTS actually recovers them.
An initial deposit of $2500.00 per person is due immediately. Airline reservations must be finalized by 27 May.
3. The $2500.00 cost per person covers:
a. round trip air fare and any excess baggage and customs charges for our instruments and other musical equipment, etc.
b. hotel accommodations in double rooms with a complete bathroom in the room (Single supplements are possible.) These three78-star business traveler hotels are relatively new, clean, small and spartan, but adequately comfortable. You can pair off with roommates of your own choosing, or I will pair you off with a person of the same gender. You can swap roommates as we go along.
c. ground transportation - a seat in one of the six seven-passenger manual transmission self-drive vans (plus one 2 passenger cargo van) that we will rent (approximately one van per five persons.)
These vans will be as fully insured as is possible (collision damage and theft waiver) and will be rented with the understanding that any member of our group may drive them. (We must take the time to make sure that each possible driver is signed up for each vehicle at the time we rent them. It would be a good idea for each driver to know what his own personal auto insurance policy will cover if he has an accident while driving a rental vehicle in Europe.)
These vans will be used for daily sight seeing excursions from the hotels according to the proposed itinerary, and to take the orchestra to and from its concerts. If you want to go where we're going, you must catch a van. If there are enough who want to go somewhere not on the itinerary, you can use one of the vans. If you don't want to go, or want to go somewhere else, you are free to go on your own. Rent a car or bike, or hike, or sleep in. It's up to you. (Be punctual, and tell someone else your plans. If you are late, we may assume you have elected to get to the next hotel on your own.)
d. certain miscellaneous common expenses (to be determined) - we have built in a small allowance for some "miscellaneous common expenses". We expect that fuel for our vehicles, road tolls, and similar common expenses will be paid from that allowance plus any money the band may earn on the trip. We will also use these funds to donate commemorative gifts to our hosts. (We plan to provide you with a "trip tee shirt" after the trip is over.) We plan to rent a cell phone for each vehicle for local calls so we can stay in touch with each other. (Buy a phone card to call home.) We will provide a steno pad or notebook to record these common expenses as they occur. We will reimburse them whenever it is practical.
4. The $2500.00 cost does not cover:
a. breakfast, lunch or supper meals or drinks and snacks. We will stop at good, but inexpensive restaurants whenever we want. Our hotels will provide a continental breakfast. For lunch, snacks, soft drinks and wine are available for purchase in a local supermarkets or convenience stores near the hotels. We plan to buy coolers to carry the ice, coke, wine, bread, cheese, fruit, lunch meat, etc., that you purchase for picnic snacks in each van. Some, but not all, of our suppers may be provided free by our concert hosts. Sometimes these meals are only provided for those who actually play in the band. Persons who have special dietary requirements (vegetarians, keeping kosher, etc.) are on their own, but can usually find what they need if they are reasonably flexible. You can eat very well in Italy for less than $15.00 a meal, and you can easily spend a whole lot more.
b. sightseeing expenses such as admissions to museums, churches, castles, bike rental, boat tickets, beach admission fees, hiring professional tour guides, etc.
c. personal expenses like laundry, hair care, shopping for presents, clothing, etc. Buy a phone card locally from the hotel or grocery store to call home. Share your card with others. (To call the US, dial 001 then the US area code, then the number. To have someone call you in Italy, have them dial 001, then 39, then the ten digit local number.)
5. You need to bring with you:
(1) Your current US tourist passport. No tourist visa is required as they will be stamped into our passports upon arrival if necessary. (Take a photocopy of the first page of your passport and stick it in your luggage in case you lose your passport.) We don't need work permits or other documents to play in Italy, as any money earned will be considered an "honorarium" or "gratuity".
(2) Your valid state drivers license. We will be driving our rental vans ourselves. Everyone who can drive needs to take a turn. All drivers must obtain an International Drivers License from the Tyson's or Fair Oaks offices of AAA for $10.00 plus two passport photos. They'll take the photos for an extra $8.00.) While these are merely a translation of your state drivers license, they are preferred by the car rental companies and are expected by the Italian police.
(3) Any personal drug prescriptions plus common over-the-counter medical/hygiene items you are comfortable with. (It is normal to suffer brief constipation, diarrhea, and sniffles when you visit a new environment.) There is nothing available in the US for which you cannot buy either an identical brand item or a closely comparable and equivalent item in Italy, but why bother if you don't have to? Bring sufficient toothpaste and makeup, etc., to last you for the two weeks. Bring an extra pair of prescription glasses. No immunizations are needed, bring your shot record - it's not really needed, but a good idea - also any notification of allergies to medicines, etc.. Bring along some insect repellent bug spray in your day bag. Bring some suntan lotion and sun screen. If you have trouble sleeping, consider bringing ear plugs. If you are taken sick or injured while on the trip, we will arrange for you to be seen by a local doctor.
(4) Your personal clothing and toiletries, cameras, etc. Pack light! You are authorized a total of 44 lbs packed in one suitcase and 12 lbs in one piece of carry-on hand baggage to be stowed under the airplane seats (no more than 22" x 14" x 9".) These are in addition to your instrument cases which will be paid for as excess baggage by the band. (The airline may be willing to allow you more baggage, but there will not be room for it in our rental vehicles.)
The orchestra will carry only one uniform - our standard black trousers, black shoes, white logo polo shirts. We won't bring tuxedos our red bow tie and suspenders outfit, or our blue aloha shirts. Bring along your T-shirts from previous trips. (We'll wear our trip tee shirts and baseball caps with black trousers for any parade - only one is currently scheduled.)
While there are some fine restaurants where informal clothing would be inappropriate, I do not anticipate dining there. Remember - no bare shoulders or shorts allowed in some churches. (Carry a shawl to wrap up in?)
We expect that the weather will be hot (near 90 degrees) and mostly dry and that we will be wearing shorts and soft tops most of the times. Carry a sweater for the airplane and a light weight "parka" with hood in case there's an evening breeze or a light rain. Buy an umbrella there if you really need it.. Bring a good pair of walking shoes. Bring sandals or beach/shower shoes. Don't forget black shoes to wear with your uniform.
There will be opportunities to visit self-service laundromats along the way and hotels often have coin operated washers and dryers (although doing the laundry may be inconvenient - you may have to stay up late to use them). Bring "per load" amounts of dry detergent in well-sealed plastic ziploc bags. Consider a stretchy clothesline to hang things to dry overnight. Electric current in Italy is 220 volt/50 cycle. Italy uses a European electric plug style. Plan to buy an adapter there. Hair dryers, irons, etc. must have a transformer. Hotels often furnish only minimal bath towels and no wash cloths. Bring what you need for the beach or buy it there.
Our luggage and our instruments will have travel to and from the airport and between hotels (and concerts) in our seven seven-passenger vans and cargo van. The extra seats in our vans will not have been removed to accommodate our bags. When our instruments, valuables, etc., are with us, we will have to take turns guarding our vans. We cannot leave them unattended.
Most transfers between hotels will be two to four hour trips, not counting sightseeing activities en route. Please plan to carry a day bag for your uniform, swim suit and toilet articles or whatever you need to clean up and change into after your swim. Carry plastic bags for your wet clothes. Be prepared to take turns changing in the vans.
You should also anticipate the space you will need for whatever shopping you intend to do along the way, although it may be better to have large or delicate items shipped home. (You can bring back up to $400.00 worth of goods including one bottle of wine duty free, and of course you can bring back more if you pay the duty.) If you purchase more than $100 US worth of goods in France , it will save you 10-15% value added tax if you have the items mailed or shipped home rather than carry them with you.
(5) Your musical instruments and supplies in their cases. Your instruments should be insured at replacement cost on your own home owners -renters - household goods policy against loss or theft in Europe. Call your insurance company and make sure there are no exclusions. (Don't tell them you're playing for money.) We will try to carry theft insurance against loss from the vans, but it may be difficult to collect.
We will bring all our large instruments (piano, bass, drum set), music stands and lights, and sound equipment. We will take footlockers into which we will pack our props and other band equipment including any tuners, wire music stands and your instrument stands and other similar loose items which do not fit inside your instrument cases. I'll collect these items at our last rehearsal. We'll rent a cargo van to transport them, and you can put as much of your luggage into the cargo van as will fit.
I need to know the manufacturer, country of origin, actual value, case dimensions, and approximate weight for each instrument in its case, so that I can arrange for them to be carried as "excess baggage" in the airplane's baggage compartment at minimum cost.
Since the band has no assets and no record of earning money, we are unable to obtain a surety bond, therefore we cannot obtain an "ATA Carnet" to prevent customs or tax problems. Each individual will have to carry his own instrument through customs as "personal professional equipment". I do not anticipate any problems, but - if you have it, bring the original bill of sale and proof of insurance to prove you owned your instrument prior to this trip. This may avoid customs problems.
(6) Money - change about $100.00 upon departure, and keep some dollars for your return. For security and as a backup method of payment, you may carry travelers checks in US dollars, but the local shopkeepers hate to pay the premiums on them and may refuse them. Credit cards work very well in Europe. Bring two. Call your banks to be sure you have international access. Use your bank credit cards to pay for groceries, gasoline and other substantial purchase, and use it with your PIN number for ATM cash machines.
(7) If you want it, travel insurance is available from Travel Guard International 1 (800) 826-1300 or from Access America 1 (800) 284-8300.