A secret hideaway in Italy's magical Marche

By air
The nearest airport is Ancona Falconara which is 1.5  hours distant by car. Almost as convenient is Pescara, about 2 hours by car. Both are served by Ryanair from Stanstead and it is worthwhile comparing prices and timings when booking your flights.

Hire cars are readily available at both airports and Hertz have special booking arrangements that can be used at the same time as you book your flights on the internet, though thy are not necessarily always the cheapest.

Those wishing to visit Casa Donaldo as part of a tour can fly to Rome (BA and Alitalia), Florence or other airports.

By road
Those driving from Calais will find that the quickest route is through the Frejus tunnel, either using the payages from St Quentin via Soissons, Troyes and Montbard avoid tolls and enjoy the countryside of France. From Frejus the quickest route in Italy is via Bologna while the more scenic route is via Florence.

Those wishing to avoid tolls on routes in France (of several hundred euros in the case of large vehicles) can use the Dunkirk, Luxembourg, Saarbruken, Karlsruhe, Ulm, Innsbruck and Brenner Pass autobahn which are all free of charge (E8 for the Pass) but all autostrada in Italy are toll routes though much more economical than elsewhere. In all cases it is probably wisest to leave two days for these trips, staying overnight in the Alps. Suggestions can be made for reasonable comfortable hotels.

Both those using Ancona Falconara and the Bologna/Bari autostrada should follow these directions to arrive at Casa Donaldo.

From the airport follow signs for A14. Make sure you only follow the green signs to A14 that will take you to the toll gate. Forget all other signs otherwise you will end up on the coast road (a nightmare).

Once through the toll gate after taking ticket head south for Pescara (Toll autostrada so have a few euros on you (E3)).

Along A14 (about 30 miles) take turn-off for Civitanova/Macerata. Once through the tollgate you will see a roundabout ahead. Being careful to avoid right fork, turn left at roundabout. Follow signs for SS77 Tolentino/Macerata forking sharp right a few hundred yards over a small hill onto a dual carriageway. Take this road until junction marker KM14 turning to Sforzacosta/Ascoli Piceno SS78.

At the junction of main road turn right onto SS78. You should now be on the road to Sarnano-Amandola-Ascoli Piceno.

After you have passed through Sarnano, carry on to marker KM39. At Rustici, you will see a sharp left hand turn off for Monte San Martino. Turn left (If you carry on the main road you come to the next town of Amandola).

Now that you are on the Monte San Martino road, carry on (about 4 miles) down a twisty but beautiful lane until you pass a further sign on the left for San Venanzo (Don’t worry, you are going the right way!)

Carry on for several hundred yards, until you see a single wire crossing above the road. Turn right at the corner onto a farm (unmade) road. Go past the large oak trees and house on your right over the brow of the hill – pausing to drink in the spectacular view – and drive carefully down the hill. Fork right to avoid the neighbour’s drive and carry on to the bottom. Four wheel drive vehicles advised in wet/icy weather.

From Pescara use the A14 autostrada northbound as far as Porto San Giorgio and follow the P239 road to Molino. Follow the signs to the hilltop village Monte San Martino, go through the town (very narrow street) and follow the sign to Amadola/Sarnano for 3 miles until, soon after seeing a small corrugated iron barn store on the left you see the wire above the road. Then turn left onto the white road all the way down to the house.

By rail
There are frequent trains from the Milan terminus. Alight at Porto San Giorgio. It is then possible to catch a bus to Molino/Monte San Martino but then either a car should have been arranged or other transport booked in advance.