SAN REMO

San Remo is a beautiful and popular resort in Liguria on Italy's north west coast. The town, which has a population of 57,000, is celebrated for its mild climate and is often called the City of Flowers ("la Cittá dei Fiori"). The town is home to an international flower market and the production of olive oil is also a key element in its economy. San Remo is also widely accepted as the birthplace of the five-card stud variation "Telesina". It is dealt like normal five-card stud but with an additional final round where a sixth community card is dealt. The game is played with a stripped deck (8s and better) and flushes beat full houses.

The medieval old town centre, known locally as "La Pigna", includes the Russian Orthodox Church, the Romanesque-gothic Cathedral of San Siro, the Casino, the Borea d'Olmo Ducal Palace, the Villa Nobel and the Villa Ormond with its luxuriant botanical garden. Local attractions include an 18-hole golf course, horse-back riding, tennis clubs, and the ancient "Porto Vecchio" marina. Residents have included Monet, Garibaldi and Alfred Nobel.

HOW TO GET THERE

Air:
San Remo is very close to the French border and just 45 minutes drive (65km) from Nice International airport, which provides links with most major European cities. Some airlines also provide direct flights between US cities and Nice. There's a bus to San Remo from the airport which takes approximatively one hour and costs €27 for a return ticket. For taxi and car hire options, see below.

The nearest international airports in Italy are Turin (90 minutes), Genova (90 mins) and Milan (2 hours). Genova is served by Air Alps, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Air One, Air vallee, Alitalia, Belle Air, Condor, Iberia Regional, Lufthansa, My Air, Ryanair). At Genova, there's a shuttle bus to the main station every hour which takes 20 minutes and costs 4€.

Car:
Sanremo lies 130km east of Genoa and 65km west of Nice on the A10 motorway. Take either "Sanremo Ouest" or "Sanremo Est" exits. Other distances: Rome (650km); Milan (265 km); Turin (230 km); Florence (370 km)

Taxi:
From Nice: from €230 approx.
From Genova: around €250

Train:
The following are approximate train journey durations from cities in Italy and France: Nice (1hr 25mins); Genova (from 1h 50mins to 3 hrs 45 mins. A shuttle goes to the main station from the airport every hour, taking 20 minutes); Milan (3hrs 40 mins); Turin (4 hrs); Rome (7-11hrs); Florence (5 -9 hrs) Alassio (40 minus- 1hr 15 mins); Albenga (1hr)

Bus:
Diana Tours run a one-hour bus link from Nice Airport to San Remo, leaving at 11.30am from Terminal 1 and 11.45am from Terminal 2.

By Helicopter:
On request, Sagittario Tours can arrange bespoke helicopter transfers from Nice to San Remo. Please email travel@eptitaly.com. Approximate costs: €1,056 one-way; Return €1,920 (cost for helicopter, not per person; maximum number of passengers is five)

ACCOMMODATION

Players who have won full prize packages on PokerStars will be notified of their hotel details by email. You do not need to make a hotel reservation. If you have any queries, please email ept@pokerstars.com.

For all other poker players, media and anyone else planning to attend EPT tournaments, we are setting up a dedicated website for hotel bookings: www.epthotels.com. Please e-mail info@epthotels.com or call +34 93 352 1010 to take advantage of our special hotel rates.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Official language: Italian.

Currency:  the Euro (1 euro = $1.55 approx).

Banks: Most banks are open 08:30- 13:30 and 14:45 - 16.15 Mondays – Fridays. Automatic cash dispensers (ATMs) can be found through the town and at the casino. Some hotels will also exchange money (at rates generally higher than banks).

Visas:  Europeans do not need a visa to visit Italy. North Americans, Australasians and South Africans do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days. All other citizens should consult their travel agent or nearest British embassy.

International dialling code: +39 (the USA is +1)

Time: Italy is in the Central European Time zone. All tournament times are local.

Tourist information:  Guide San Remo