Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your last day of travel. Passports must have 2 blank pages for the entry stamp.

Visa: Check the visa requirements for entry to Italy from your home country. If traveling from the U.S. or Canada, no visa is required for a tourist stay of less than 90 days.

ETIAS: The European Travel Information and Authorisation System is a new travel authorization that visa-exempt travelers will need to visit EU countries. It is not a visa and is intended for short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

As of October 2026, there is no official launch date for ETIAS. If the EU rolls out the program before your trip, those between ages 18 and 70 will need to complete an online application before the trip, and pay a €20 fee. We will keep you updated.

Recommended Airport: We suggest flying into Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and arriving at least one day before the retreat begins. FCO is roughly 2.5 hours by car to the retreat.

Transportation Options: Airport transfers are NOT included to offer the flexibility to pay for what suits you—rental car or shared ride. We suggest renting a car if you want to explore in your free time. Public transportation is limited, there are no taxis near the retreat, and private transportation is expensive. We’ll have a chat group for those who want to coordinate sharing a rental car.

Shared Van: The vans will depart at 12:30 p.m. on Sept 11th. The meeting point will be a hotel near Fiumicino Airport (FCO). The van cost will depend on the number of passengers. Expect to pay €140-190/person round-trip (includes a tip for the driver).

Other Airports: If you plan to rent a car, the following airports are all between 2-3 hours from the retreat: Rome Ciampino (CIA), Florence (FLR), Pisa (PSA), Perugia (PEG).

Venue Address: Località Le Pianore, 58044 Monticello Amiata GR, Italy

Check-In: 4:00 p.m. on Sept 11th. If traveling in a shared van from Rome Fiumicino (FCO), be ready to depart at 12:30 p.m. We suggest arriving at least a day early.

Check-Out: 10:00 a.m. on Sept 18th. If flying out of FCO on Sept 18th, book your flight to depart after at least 4:00/4:30. We recommend flying the next day, if possible.

For the safety and financial protection of all participants, travel insurance is required. Each participant should obtain a policy that includes trip cancellation/interruption and emergency medical coverage.

(Exemption in writing may be permitted in some circumstances)

We recommend Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage for maximum flexibility. CFAR is an optional upgrade to a standard policy that offers the highest level of protection if your plans change. Unlike standard trip cancellation insurance, which only reimburses you for specific covered reasons, CFAR allows you to cancel your trip for any reason at all and receive a partial refund.

How CFAR Works

- Must be purchased as an add-on to a regular travel insurance policy.

- Reimburses 50–75% of non-refundable costs (varies by policy).

- Must be purchased within 10–21 days of your first trip payment (varies by policy).

- You must cancel your trip at least 48 hours before departure.

To qualify for CFAR coverage, you must insure your deposit within the required timeframe. You do NOT need to insure your entire trip cost upfront. To keep your initial premium low, you can estimate your travel dates, insure your deposit, and adjust your total insured amount later as you make additional payments.

Le Pianore’s mountain setting offers a cooler climate than the lowlands. In mid-September, expect days in the mid 70s–mid 80s °F (23–29 °C), and cooler evenings in the low 60s °F (15–18 °C).

Property Accessibility: While the land of Le Pianore is mostly flat, it is set in the mountains with uneven terrain.

- There are a few steps to some bedrooms and common areas.

- A few steps do not have railings; there’s usually a workaround.

- The farmhouse, dining area, yoga room & pool are near each other.

- The strawhouse and yurt are a 1-minute walk across the grass.

Excursions: The planned outings have been chosen with consideration for accessibility.

- The towns of Pienza, Monteriggioni, and Bagno Vignoni are mostly "human-scale" and mostly flat.

- The thermal baths are part of a hotel and accessible to most.

- The waterfall pools require a short walk down some stairs and a dirt trail from the road to the river.

Yoga: Melissa and Steph teach slow-paced classes that prioritize true accessibility and choice. Expect slow-paced movement with a variety of options so that you can explore what feels supportive for your body. No experience with yoga is necessary. Beginners to seasoned practitioners are welcome.

If you’d like to talk through whether this retreat is a good fit for your needs, I’m always happy to connect!

Meals will be mostly vegetarian, but meat dishes will be available. They can cater to most dietary needs. They can accommodate gluten-free diets, but cannot guarantee they do not have a separate kitchen for severe Celiac Disease. Reach out to discuss!

Please make sure we have your updated dietary restrictions and allergies as the retreat gets closer.

The retreat center produces its own wine, and we are open to allowing reasonable alcohol consumption at the retreat (cost not included). At the same time, we want to be respectful of participants who prefer not to be around alcohol for any reason, including substance use recovery or personal preference.

Whether alcohol will be permitted at the retreat will be determined based on the group’s preferences, which will be kept fully confidential. If one person opposes, alcohol will not be permitted at the retreat center. Please be prepared for either possibility.

Guests are free to make their own choices regarding alcohol during outings.

Traits: Participants may identify as introverted, highly sensitive, neurodivergent, or a combination of these. Some simply appreciate the slower pace and flexibility to participate in ways that suit their intentions, energy, and social preferences.

Introversion can mean preferring smaller groups, more solitude, or time to recharge after social interaction.

High sensitivity involves deeper processing of sensory stimuli and emotions, and being more affected by your environment.

Neurodivergence is an umbrella term for ways of thinking, processing, communicating, or experiencing the world that differ from what’s considered typical. This can include ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other neurological differences.

Age: Our guests have ranged from 18 to 78, with most retreats tending to attract people in their 40s and 50s.

Gender: The retreat is open to people of all genders, though most identify as women.

Where people are from: Our European retreats tend to attract people from the US, Europe, and Canada.

Accessibility: Our participants tend to have a range of access needs and we do our best to make our retreats as accessible as possible. If you have specific needs or questions, please reach out to talk through what you need before you register.

We're here to help! If you have any additional questions or need more details about the retreat, please email us at retreats@insighttimer.com, and we'll be happy to provide you with all the information you need.