Be Ready!
This page helps you to be ready for the trip to Italy, please read it carefully.
FLIGHTS, ARRIVALS, DEPARTURES
Participants are encouraged to fly into either Naples (Capodichino) or Rome.
Arrival: Participants should arrive in Naples on the Sunday before the period chosen (i.e. the 18th June for the participants starting on the 19th). A bus will collect you on Sunday at 5pm at the main train station in Naples. The station is called Napoli Centrale. You will meet just outside the station, at Piazza Garibaldi in front of Burger King (message to previous participants: it’s the same spot we always used, but McDonalds has been replaced with Burger King). There are lockers in the station where luggage can be left should you arrive in Naples earlier.
http://www.napolicentrale.it/en/
http://www.napolicentrale.it/en/service/detail/left-luggage
By plane: If you arrive at the Naples airport, you should catch the airport bus - called Alibus - to the main train station (about a half hour ride). To be safe, you should not plan to arrive in the Naples airport after 2 pm on the Sunday.
http://www.napoliunplugged.com/naples-alibus-airport-shuttle
http://www.aeroportodinapoli.it/on-arrival/by-bus
By train: If you choose to fly into Rome, you can then take the airport Leonardo Express from Fiumicino to Rome’s Termini train station. It runs every 15 minutes, takes about 30 minutes, and costs 14 €.
http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Services/Fiumicino-Airport
From there, take a train to Napoli Centrale (aka Piazza Garibaldi). The trip between Rome and Naples can range between one hour and two and a half hours, depending on the train you select. We recommend you to take a high-speed train (which takes 75 minutes and is generally on time), rather than a regional one (which costs 12 €, but it runs infrequently, the ride lasts 02:30 hours, is often late, and the experience is not really enjoyable).
Regional trains are operated just by Trenitalia, while high-speed trains are operated by Trenitalia (the so-called Frecciarossa) and Italo. We recommend you to book in advance in order to save money (the cheapest fare with Trenitalia is 30 €, with Italo is 17,50 €, but both increase the closer you get to the day of departure) and be sure to find a spot in the train.
Aim to arrive in Naples no later than 3 pm, just in case you miss your train and need to take a later one.
If you cannot find suitable flights on the Sunday, we recommend catching a flight on an earlier day and using the time to explore the Bay of Naples. TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Trivago are good options to find the accommodation that suits best your needs.
Departure:
At the end of each block, excavation, osteology, and epigraphy participants will be dropped back in Naples, at the train station in Piazza Garibaldi, on Saturday at midday. Plan your flights accordingly. If you plan to fly on the Sunday, therefore, arrange accommodation in Naples for the Saturday night.
Pottery and restoration participants will make their own way back to Naples on the local train. It takes approximately 20-25 minutes and drops you at the Naples train station (Napoli Centrale). From the plaza outside (Piazza Garibaldi), you can take the airport bus to the Naples airport (it goes every 30 minutes and takes about 30 minutes). You (pottery and restoration participants) can leave either on Saturday or Sunday, as best fits your schedule. The local train starts running around 7:30 in the morning, so do not plan any departing flights earlier than 10:30am.
Contact: You MUST be accessible by phone and/or email. Everyone with a smart phone should download WhatsApp (free) and add Ferdinando’s phone number: +39 3395671190. Set this up before you depart, because the app works perfectly if you have just wi-fi, but needs to verify your number with the phone carrier at the first access. For communication during your program, we encourage participants to come with an unlocked phone and buy an Italian SIM card (it is very cheap and we can help with that).
Transfers: If you are participating in more than one program, and one is at Aeclanum and one is at Pollena, we will arrange your transfer between accommodations.
PAYMENT
We prefer bank transfer rather than Paypal, since the latter takes a percentage for each money transfer.
Bank Transfer:
Associazione Apolline
Account number: 1000/00074063
IBAN: IT83D0335901600100000074063
Beneficiary bank (BIC): BCITITMX
Bank name: Banca Prossima
Bank address: Via Monte di Pietà 8, 20121 Milano (MI) ITALY
Project address (if requested): Palazzo Cappabianca, via Caracciolo 1
80048 - Pollena Trocchia (NA), Italy
OR
Paypal:
Payment Timeline: We ask that you pay within one month of your acceptance, two weeks if you apply after April 1. We rely on your funds to purchase supplies for the project, and we need plenty of advance time. We know, however, that sometimes the upfront cost including flights and program is high, especially for those of you participating in multiple sessions or programs. If you are experiencing financial hardship, contact Sanda (secretary@apollineproject.org) to arrange an appropriate payment plan. We will do our best to work with you, as long as you keep an open channel of communication with us.
All funds are required in advance of your participation. We will not accept cash upon arrival. Whatever you do, please do not make us chase you down for payment (special note from Sanda: Returning participants, I’m looking at you. We love you, but please pay in a timely fashion).
Refund Policy: As stated above, your money goes directly to the very things that makes excavation possible (and fun), and thus much of the money is spent before your arrival. Also, legally, our status as a non-profit makes it complicated to refund what is actually a donation. Therefore our general policy is that we cannot offer refunds.
If you are concerned about this policy, consider investing in travel insurance in addition to, or together with, the health insurance that we require (see below for health insurance). Travel insurance is useful in any case, but if something unavoidable comes up, you may be able to recover the cost of your participation and flights from the insurance company - especially if you choose a policy with a “cancel for any reason” provision, but that provision usually needs to be chosen well in advance of your travel, so research it early. We would of course provide any necessary documentation in order to be of help.
FINALISATION FORM
Please follow this link to fill in the finalisation form:
https://www.apollineproject.org/participants/finalise.php
Please note that we need your ID photo as you are required by law to wear a badge during the activities. We also need to be aware of any health considerations in order to be prepared in case of injury or illness. It is of the utmost importance to provide a comprehensive picture of your health situation, since even simple issues - such as regular medication or hay fever, just to mention the most common situations we have experienced in the past - can affect your daily activity and need to be taken into account. These can, of course, have an impact on the workflow of the entire team. If you are a returning participant, please provide this information again, since it is visible just to the directors and the secretary during the time of your participation and then is deleted for privacy.
AECLANUM PROGRAMS
Daily schedule: During weekdays we start on site at 8.30 am and work till 1 pm, with a short break at 10.30. Lunch is 1-2 pm. In the afternoon we work from 2 pm till 6 pm, with a short break at 3.30. In the afternoon session, participants will often be doing laboratory work in addition to excavation.
Accommodation: You will be staying in a former school in dormitory conditions (Istituto comprensivo statale “R. Guarini”, Via Bosco 23, 83036 - Mirabella Eclano AV, map here). The facilities are functional but fairly basic. There are showers, a laundry machine, and a kitchen on site, with cooking equipment (pots, pans, etc…). Should you require a private room we would suggest that you book yourself a room at one of the local hotels at your own expense - the Hotel Aeclanum is very close to the school and the site.
Food: A reminder that food is not included in the program cost. Passo di Mirabella has several good shops and two very large supermarkets in a shopping mall. Cooking for yourself is easy and fairly inexpensive but should be budgeted for. There are also local pizzerias and a couple of restaurants.
Internet: There is no internet in the accommodation but wifi is available in some of the cafés, bars and restaurants near the accommodation. We encourage participants to come with an unlocked phone and buy an Italian SIM card (it is very cheap and we can help with that).
Weekends: Students are free to explore the region on the weekends but connections are not easy. It is possible to catch public buses to nearby Grottaminarda, Avellino, and Benevento. Naples is difficult to get to on a weekend, however, and we recommend that if you want to visit the sites of the Bay of Naples you book some extra days at either the beginning or end of your stay for this purpose. A private bus can be booked, should you want to plan a weekend trip, but this costs about 350€ per ride (which is not unreasonable if lots of people are interested).
Essential Equipment: If you are excavating at Aeclanum, you MUST bring a trowel and steel-toe boots (not composite toe). The latter are a matter of safety and are required as part of our permit. Trowels and boots are not locally available, so you MUST have them with you when you arrive. Further necessary items are listed below, under the section heading “What to Pack”.
Each archaeologist usually keeps his/her own trowel and marks it with her/his name. Trowels are wonderful tools that embody a lot of fun excavation memories, and archaeologists become quite attached to them. Take a look at this website to get an idea:
http://www.assemblage.group.shef.ac.uk/2/2trowel2.html
The archaeological world is divided into two opposing sides: users of WHS (now produced by Spear & Jackson) and users of Marshalltown. We would recommend the WHS, produced in Britain and proudly used all across Europe. You can buy your 4" trowel at any ironmongery in Britain for £12, for those of you from the UK.
If you want to buy online and browse for gadgets (but you really don't need them on our site!), here are a couple of interesting websites:
http://www.archaeologytools.co.uk/
http://www.strati-concept.com/ (our favourite)
You can also get both trowels and boots via Amazon. Please order them several weeks in advance of your program.
POLLENA PROGRAMS
Daily schedule: Each program has its own particular schedule, but in general we start at 8.30 am and work till 1 pm, with a short break at 10.30. Lunch is 1-2 pm. In the afternoon we work from 2 pm till 4:30 pm, with a short break in between.
Accommodation: The accommodation at Pollena Trocchia is basic, hostel-style communal living. There are two primary rooms with bunk beds, that can accommodate about 10 people per room. The house also has showers and a fully equipped kitchen. There are several rooms for lab work, multiple balconies, and a rooftop that provides great views in the afternoon and on nice evenings. A washing machine is available for use in the accommodation; clothes are dried outside on the line. Should you require a private room we would suggest that you book yourself a room at one of the local hotels at your own expense. We recommend the B&B SommaVesuvio, which is inexpensive and close to the group accommodation, but other B&Bs are available in town.
Food: A reminder that food is not included in the program cost. The local grocery is about a 15 minute walk away. Cooking for yourself is easy and fairly inexpensive but should be budgeted for. There are also local pizzerias and a couple of restaurants.
Internet: There is no internet in the accommodation but wifi is available in some of the cafés, bars and restaurants near the accommodation. We encourage participants to come with an unlocked phone and buy an Italian SIM card (it is very cheap and we can help with that).
Weekends: Students are free to explore the region on the weekends. The accommodation is ideally suited for regional travel. It is a short ride on the local train system, the Circumvesuviana to Naples (about 20-25 minutes, very cheap). From Napoli Centrale, you can explore Naples or go further afield to visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, climb Vesuvius, go to the beach in Sorrento, or explore a number of other sites and cities. Take care, however, when planning your trip, as the local trains do stop early in the evening and the bus (the only night option besides an expensive taxi) is unreliable. We can provide local train schedules once you arrive.
POMPEII POTTERY
In the past, participants have lived in small accommodations scattered throughout modern Pompeii. This year, you will live at the main accommodation (Cappabianca) in Pollena Trocchia (see above). We will provide stewarding and train tickets for the Circumvesuviana for your commute (about one hour) to and from Pompeii.
Daily schedule: The participants will take the 7.00 am train and will start the work in Pompeii a little before 08.30 am. A 30 minutes coffee break takes place at 11.00 am, the work ends at 02.00 pm, when the Superintendency’s depot closes. Please note that this arrangement, although dictated by the depot’s opening hours, allows the students to spend much time both in Pompeii as in Naples (which is covered by the train ticket provided), as well as allow volunteers to join the rest of the group in the afternoon at Cappabianca.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND TIPS (for all programs)
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
Apolline Project Headquarters and Residency
Address:
Palazzo Cappabianca
via Caracciolo, 1
80048 - Pollena Trocchia (NA)
Italy
Map here
Director's Contact Information
Dr. Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone
Phone number: +39 3395671190
Email: info@apollineproject.org
Note: In an emergency, contact the director first and foremost. The secretary will not be on site for the entire season, and for the most part will be abroad with a large time difference.
Please make sure your family members have this information before you leave. Send them this link, and copy it to them in an email or print it.
WHAT TO PACK AND PREPARE
For all programs
- sunscreen and hats.
- t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts (in case you have fair skin or it gets cold).
- comfortable trousers. You need to protect your legs. We don't accept half-pants/shorts on site. Trekking pants are better than jeans, as you want something that will allow you to move comfortably and won’t be too hot.
- steel-toed boots (only for excavation and pottery). As noted above (Aeclanum Programs), by law you need to wear these on site.
- trowel (for excavation only).
- We provide beds, mattresses and pillows. You will need to bring your own SHEETS, PILLOWCASES, AND TOWELS. A SLEEPING BAG might also be useful - if it rains it can get cold at night. The beds are small, twin, so basically any sheet size would do.
- Make sure that you have health insurance (see below).
- Vaccination. Last but not least, please make sure you have a tetanus shot. It is not compulsory but it is a good thing to have when working with metal tools (picks, trowels, shovels).
- Supervisors of individual programs may contact you about additional suggested items to bring. Please attend closely to their suggestions.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Bureaucracy
Before starting the excavation, we will ask you to sign a form in which you state that you have health insurance. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is enough for this purpose for Europeans, and it is free!
For Europeans: EHIC and other health insurance options
EHIC is the European version of NHS. If you have already the NHS card or you are a citizen of another European country, you can apply for it. Nevertheless, the EHIC does not cover everything, but it would cover any emergency treatment. In case you need extra care, probably it would not be enough. Please note that anything that does not require an emergency treatment, like pain in your eyes or stomach, can take quite some time to be checked with the free public service, therefore Italians just go to private doctors, who will charge you up to 50-80 euros per visit and will probably prescribe you medicines. Therefore please either make sure that your private insurance can cover these expenses or bring some extra funds.
EHIC. It is free and you need to apply soonish. You can read more here:
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1073.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=159
Even if EHIC is not an option, or you apply too late, the good news is that other travel health insurance can be pretty inexpensive and it covers huge expenses.
Outside Europe
If you are from the US and have insurance at home, call your insurance company to make sure of two things: 1) that they will cover you abroad; 2) that they cover excavation. Most do, but some consider it a “high-risk” activity and do not. Each policy is different. Travel insurance options are easily available for purchase online if you do not have appropriate coverage.
Notes on health situations and emergency procedures
Before moving to practicalities, let us stress that since we started in 2004 we have never had serious injuries on site. We are pretty strict about rules on what people can and cannot do on site, and this is usually enough to keep people safe. We have had a few minor injuries like twisted ankles (which can be prevented by using steel-toe boots that cover the ankles) and an irritated eye, caused by a tiny chip of volcanic debris. But most of the students wear cheap sunglasses on site, and they protect eyes from sunlight too! If have you have allergies or frequent sinusitis, please bring the medications you commonly use and please consider whether you are fit to work in the field or in the labs (both places are quite dusty!). While off-site, please take care of yourselves! Weirdly enough, we spent very many hours at hospitals, helping participants to recover from injuries (mostly to feet and knees) caused by careless walking/swimming after the working hours, or by the worsening of health situations which existed before your arrival. Please be considerate towards your body but also towards the people in charge of the project!
In the unlikely event that something happens, of course we have a first aid kit on site and at the accommodations. Also, hospitals are about 15 minutes drive from both our locations and we will be with you all the time. If that is not enough, we have a good network of doctors happy and ready to help and the director will personally assist you. So please feel safe.
FOOD PRICES
Again, a reminder, food is not included as part of the (low) program cost, but luckily food in Italy is generally very cheap and of incredibly good quality. Please take the following figures with a pinch of salt, because prices can obviously change. So, general figures first.
Overall we would say that you will spend max 10-15 euros per day for food, but of course it depends on what you eat and if you go often to restaurants (in that case the cost could double). Former participants told us they spent 35 euros for 5 days (they mostly cooked at the accommodation).
Nevertheless, here are some sample prices (of course in euros).
1 single espresso at the café: 0.90
1 small bottle of water: 0.50
6 bottles of 1.5 lt of water: 4-5
1 lt of juice: 1.50
1 panino at the supermarket near the site: 2.50-3 (the usual lunch choice in our team)
1 pizza: 3.50 (the simplest margherita) - up to 6.50 (the more stuffed ones)
If you go to a pub or a restaurant, you would spend 10-15 euros according to what you order; a standard pizza and a pint of beer is usually slightly less than 10 euros, so probably you would prefer to cook at the accommodation. It is cheaper and if you cook vegetables, it is also the healthiest option. Below is a short list of basic goods; you will not easily find non-Italian goods, but sincerely we never heard any foreign student complaining about that. The prices below are per 500 grams or kilos, but please consider that obviously you will need smaller quantities for a meal. A pasta dish is generally no more than 100 grams, for a vegetable dish you will never use more than a few hundred grams to make it. Anyway, below are approximate prices.
1 kg of fruit or vegetables: 2
1 lt of milk: 2
125 gr of yoghurt: 1
6 eggs: 2.50
500 gr of ground coffee: 5
500 gr of pasta: 2.50-3
1 kg of rice: 3
500 gr of tomato sauce: 1
1 lt of extravirgin olive oil: 5
1 kg of ricotta cheese: 9
1 kg of provolone cheese: 8.50
1 kg of Parmigiano Reggiano: 15
1 kg of salami: 9
1 kg of Parma ham: 18
1 lt of good red Italian wine: 10
1 kg of meat: 10-17
ACCESS TO SITES AS A TOURIST
Consider bringing your University card. If you are a member of the EU, most of the museums will grant you free access with it. If you have a statement from your University testifying to the fact that you study Classics/Art/Archaeology, it will give you extra free opportunities.
EVALUATION FORMS AND RECEIPTS
If your university requires that we fill out an evaluation form for you, please bring a printed version to site and present it to your main trench supervisor on your first day on site. He or she will give it back to you either during the last day of excavation, or will scan and email it to the appropriate person.
For certificates of completion or receipts of payment, email our secretary (secretary@apollineproject.org).
SOCIAL MEDIA
Let the people you care the most about know what you are up to. During the field season we upload several pictures every day on Facebook and Twitter. Let all your friends know about these addresses:
www.facebook.com/ApollineProject
www.twitter.com/ApollineProject
By “liking” and “following” us you will receive all daily updates. This is one of the largest communities online, help us grow it even more!