alba, italy

Could you remind us where Alba is? I'm pretty sure I' ve been there, but can' t remember. In general, for small towns in Italy, your. best bet is a lavanderia, where they wash, dry, and fold. You need to plan ahead, because they may need 24 hours.

Alba is in southern Piedmont; I've been there to visit but not to stay, so didn't look for a lavanderia. Italian yellow pages shows 14 listings for laundry businesses in Alba, but I can't tell if they are self-service or drop-off. You should be able to find some way to wash clothes though. My experience in a mid-sized town in Italy was the same as Rosalyn's. We hauled our dirty clothes all over looking for a laundromat and only found drop-off laundries. Next time I'll try that.

What else are you interested in for Alba? Last year, there were 4 hop-on-hop-off routes for bus tours of vineyards, wineries and small towns that left from Alba, but the website isn't updated so I'm guessing they don't run anymore. It's a clue to follow, though, to see if you can find something similar: sightseeing langhe roero wine districts.

Have you found a place to stay? What are you interested in doing in Alba? I've got a few ideas I could share if I knew your general plan.

I do not know about laundries in Alba but I guess if you bring it in the morning and ask to have it done for same day in the evening it should be possible.
Alba is in Piedmont, about one hour from Torino (Turin) and is world famous for its white truffle. In Italy it is also known for its Pallio ( much smaller than the one in Siena), the city is also in the Langhe region where the famous Barolo region is done. It's an opportunity to taste white truffle with a superb Barolo.
Enjoy Alba and take the opportunity to also visit Torino

There is, or at least there was last year. We stopped in at the tourist information office in Alba and the helpful women there gave us a map with the location of a self service lavanderia. We were checking for some friends that were visiting about two weeks after us. They ended up just using the sink and balcony at their lodging so I can't verify. Laundry facilities are not as plentiful as they are here. Go prepared to use the sink in your lodging with clothes that dry quickly. Good luck!

just to keep it private I have changed the post :)

jaesmom, You are going to have a fabulous time. You are extraordinarily unlikely to run into any significant problems, but it's just common sense to keep valuables you do not need either in your hotel room (locked in safe or at least locked in suitcase) or in something like a moneybelt. And keep your purse across your body, not just hanging from one shoulder.

I've never visited Alba myself so can't make any suggestions, but Google will cough up some good ideas. Trip Advisor alone lists 42 things to do in the city. One of your first stops should be the local tourist information office. They will be thrilled to have a visitor who is staying so long and will give you some good ideas on how to spend your time. You'll be able to really settle into the city and see how people live, plus have time for some day-trips to neighboring cities.

As for laundry, I always just wash in my hotel room. Did it for 4-1/2 months last year. Can't say it was fun, but it was cheap and effective. I do find it handy to take a couple of inflatable clothes hangers with me. You can often buy them at airports, or they are available online. I find that they help clothes dry faster and with fewer wrinkles. They are also useful when ones hotel is stingy with the hangers.

Hello Jaesmom:

I'm going to send you a personal message so check out your profile. Hope it might help!

Mother Duck