This page will include ‘nuts and bolts’ such as flight times as well as a link to another page with suggestions for free time during the tour and little helpful hints. We will of course add to the pages more frequently as departure time gets closer. Do Bookmark this address and check from time to time to see if we have added anything new. If we’ve added some important information, we will alert you by email. About three weeks out from the trip we will send you your ‘pack’ containing your flight e-tickets, name badge, luggage label, the full day-to-day tour itinerary and our ‘what to pack’ advice. ( unless you are meeting us in Italy )
WHAT TO PACK : For our updated suggestions on what to take, CLICK HERE
PRE-FLIGHT, ARRIVAL & LOCAL REQUIREMENTS : There are requirements, at the time of updating.
DEPARTURE FLIGHT TIMES on 28th September & ARRIVAL INTO DUBAI ( Full Tour clients only )
ex Brisbane : EK431 departs at 9.00pm ( arrives 5.10am on the next day)
ex Sydney : EK413 departs at 9.10pm ( arrives 5.40am on the next day)
ex Melbourne : EK407 departs at 9.15pm ( arrives 5.15am on the next day )
ex Perth : EK521 departs at 10.20pm ( arrives 5.20am on the next day )
ARRIVAL INTO DUBAI
All of our flights arrive in Dubai within about 30 minutes of each other. Look out for other people with Music Lovers Tours badges and try to ‘clump’ as you come off your flight. We will try to let you know who else in on your flight. Dubai is a big airport but mostly well-signposted ! There are lots of assistants there if you need help too. You will walk off the plane and look for the Transfers signs, which will take you back into the Departure Terminal to await our onward flight. Do not clear customs
ONWARD FLIGHT :
29th September – EK 93 – Dubai to Bologna @ 9.30am ( arr 1.50pm ) ## (see below)
RETURN FLIGHT
19th October – EK136 – Venice to Dubai @ 3.50pm ( arr 11.35pm ) . We will farewell our ‘Land Only’ fellow-travellers at the hotel and the ‘Full Tour’ travellers will board our water-taxis to travel direct to the airport at 12 midday. On arrival into Dubai, you will again follow the signs to Transfers, wait a couple of hours and then board your flight home ( these details are on your ticket ) .
## All of our Full Tour clients are meeting us at Bologna Airport on the 29th September ( unless otherwise advised ). Our Land Only clients will meet us at the Hotel Posta, Reggio Emilia on the 29th. If arriving at the Reggio Emilia hotel, we should arrive around 4pm, so please arrive around this time ( or later ) and find us, as Stewart needs to do the Group check-in with his credit card guarantee and passport registration etc. Please do not ask to check in without us.
BUSINESS CLASS : If you have booked business class, then Stewart will do all of your bookings for the Emirates cars to collect you from home and take you home at the end of the tour. Stewart will send you a confirmation, so please double check the details in this, including the pickup address for your departure. You will see we have also booked your Emirates car for the transfer to the hotel in Bologna ( if applicable ).
FREQUENT FLYER : If you provided these details on your booking form ( for Emirates or Qantas ) we will have added these into your booking on Emirates. If you did not add in ( or have joined since ) then send it through as soon as possible and we will try to add it in now. Always check with the staff at check in also.
AIRLINE RULES FOR CERTAIN ITEMS : CLICK HERE to read about what you can and can’t take in the cabin with you ( and check thoroughly when packing )
NEW : OPTIONAL OPERA PERFORMANCES. We will soon be advising all the optional/extra performances and will use our credit card as guarantee against the bookings with the theatre. These cannot be changed and you will be able to make payment to us on the 29th ( during the trip from Bologna to Reggio ).
OPTIONAL TOURS : coming soon.
WHAT IS WHAT’S APP ? – This is an App that you can download to your smartphone if you have one. Just search for WhatsApp. The App is widely used in Europe for communicating as it uses the internet rather than expensive phone providers. (Internet will be free at our hotels.) It is also a great way for us to contact all of you while we are on the trip ( e.g. if we want to delay a departure time the next morning. ) If you are already on WhatsApp or would like to be, send us an email with your mobile number and we will make a note of it or send you an invitation to join our WhatsApp group.
FRIDGES IN ROOMS : Just in case you need to keep anything cold ( such as medication etc ), all rooms in our hotels have mini-bars. These do not normally have a freezer department, so if anything needs freezing this can be taken in a cool bag to reception and they will keep it frozen for you. Please let us know if this is the case so we can alert the hotel in advance.
ITALIAN BASIC GREETINGS : Italian 101 – For a few basic words to enhance your ‘Italian experience’ ( created by Stewart ) CLICK HERE.
START ON ITALIAN : If you’d like to do a little more, try the BBC Italian website — You’ll find useful little phrases, information and audio to download CLICK HERE
* For general tips on Italy & European travel CLICK HERE