Getting to ICA Italy

We are located in the town known as Monte Castello di Vibio, and it is located in Umbria, Italy. Ground transportation is provided with your session, but should you miss the group bus getting to Monte Castello is relatively easy by public transit. For more information, see below.

Please be aware

The town is sometimes listed as “Monte Castello V” and that there is another Monte Castello in Tuscany. 
We also like to remind all guest that when traveling in to ICA and around Italy, make sure to have your passport on you and easily accessible at all times.

Airport Pick-Up (with your group)

Participants are required to meet for the tour bus (marked Provenzani) at the Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) no later than noon on the arrival date for your session. If you are not at the location below by noon, we must leave the airport without you and travel to Monte Castello becomes your responsibility. At the Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), you will pass through passport control and then collect your baggage. When you exit the baggage claims area, you will pass through customs, proceed through the glass doors and turn left – you are in Terminal 3. Straight ahead, on the Ground floor, you will see a café and an information desk marked “Meeting Point.” Please wait at the Meeting Point at the appointed time. A representative from ICA will meet you and walk you to our bus.

Getting to ICA Italy (on your own)

If you are a part of a group but miss the group transportation, don’t panic. Getting to Monte Castello is relatively easy. Before heading to Monte Castello, call the ICA office! If you are calling from an Italian phone, use  (336)490-4264 as is.
If calling from a U.S line, use 011-39-336-490-4264.
We will discuss the best way for you to get here by public transit. If you prefer, we can send a driver to pick you up within 2 hours, the cost for this service is €200.
Travel by Car
The drive from the airport to Monte Castello is easy and non-stressful, generally you can make the trip in 2 ½ hours.
  • Exit airport to ROMA: this puts you on a straight road (A7) into the city.
  • Exit A7 for FIRENZE: this puts you on the G.R.A., a circle around Rome.
  • At the top of the circle, bear right for the exit for FIRENZE, and head north onto A1, the Autostrada. Take a ticket at the tollbooth.
  • After about 40 minutes, exit for ORTE. Pay the toll (€ 3,40 cash or credit card) and follow the sign for TERNI - PERUGIA. Stay on this road until the road divides: left for Terni, right for Perugia.
  • Exit right for PERUGIA - CESENA, onto E45, towards PERUGIA. After 30 minutes or so you'll see Todi up on the left.
  • Exit for FRATTA TODINA-MONTE CASTELLO V. toward Fratta Todina/Monte Castello V.
  • Go about 4 km. You'll see the sign for MONTE CASTELLO on the left. Turn here, and go up the hill. Benvenuti!
  • When you reach the very top of the hill you will see a stone wall to your hard right and a probably blocked entrance into the historic center. Park along the wall to the right and call to let us know you have arrived.
  • From the north, take A1 towards Roma, exit at VALDICHIANA, follow signs for PERUGIA / TERNI / ROMA (E45), exit at Monte Castello di V. and follow the signs up the hill to the village.
Travel by Bus
If your arrival doesn’t match the bus schedule, or if you miss the bus, you can get a train to Fratta Todina-Monte Castello from Termini Station in Rome. The trip will take longer - anywhere from three to four hours, but if you think of it as an opportunity to see the countryside, it’s not a bad trip.

First you must get to the Termini Station in Rome from the Airport.

There is a train station at Aeroporto Fiumicino, and you can take your airport luggage cart up the elevator to the second floor of the airport and go to the train station. The Leonardo Express costs €14 and is a direct train to Termini Station and leaves every 30 minutes.

Alternately, you take the Terravision bus to Termini Station for €4, with departures every 30 minutes. Get your boarding pass at Terravision Desk inside Terminal.

When you reach Termini, pay attention to your belongings! Termini station, unfortunately, is a notorious spot for pickpockets. The best thing is to remember is not to talk to beggars or strangers and to keep your personal space to a comfortable level. If you do feel harassed or are uncomfortable with someone, you can shout -Aiuto! (Ah-YOO-toh), which means HELP! You will find that Romans don't like thieves or scammers any more than anyone else and work hard to keep their city free of them. Most likely, you will be surprised how many civilians and police may run to help you and the individual bothering you will most likely run away.

You can buy a ticket for the next phase of your journey at the ticket office at Termini, or at one of the kiosks in the main area. You will want to get a one-way ticket to Fratta Todina-Monte Castello. Check the times and get the first available train. Since there is no phone at Montecastello station you should call us before you leave Termini with your expected arrival time.

En route to Monte Castello, you will change at Terni for a local (smaller, slower) train to Montecastello. Ask at the ticket window what time the train leaves. Walk through the underpass and up the stairs to Platform 5. If there's a wait for the train, you can go into the cafe and have a coffee or a drink. The ride from Terni to Todi, a beautiful trip through the country, takes 40 minutes. They don't announce the stops on the train; if you can't see the station signs from your window, ask the nice people around you to tell you when you reach Todi.
Travel by Train
Travel by bus is the easiest way to get to Monte Castello from the airport, or from Rome. There is an express, 3hr bus operated by SULGA to a stop called: Todi, Pian di Porto. The bus costs about €18, and an extra €7 per bag if you have more than two. From Todi, Pian di Porto it is a 15 minutes drive to Monte Castello and we can have our driver pick you up there for a fee of €10.

To get to the bus From Terminal 3 at the Fuimicino Airport, face the glass doors at the front of the airport and go to the right. Walk all the way through the airport to the end. As you exit the airport, continue to walk in the same direction. Ahead of you, you will see the area where busses park.

Check the SULGA schedule online or at the stop for arrival times. When you reach the bus, tell the driver you want to go to Todi, Pian di Port. They will help you to put your luggage under the bus. On the way, the bus stops at Stazione Tiburtina in the center of Rome. While you wait, you can have a coffee, a drink, or a sandwich at the bar. Be sure to remind the driver you are re-boarding the bus to Todi, Pian di Porto.

At Pian di Porto, you’ll get off the bus and will see a gas station on one side of the street. The owners of the station are very nice and are accustomed to visitors to Monte Castello coming here. From this point, call one of the numbers at the school and we will arrange for someone to pick you up. While you wait, have a coffee or a glass of wine and we’ll be there shortly.
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    Photography Credit: Sarah Slade
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