aaah summer...and with that is vacation! How can you tour Italy, the fifth most visited country in the world without breaking the bank? To help you prepare for your Italian holiday, here are some tips to avoid unnecessary spending. While these tips are specific to Italy, many of them can be applied to travel in other foreign destinations. Do not carry anything in your pockets. Pickpockets are a real problem in Italy. Everyone I know whos visited Italy and didnt follow this advice has had their pockets picked. I also do not carry a purse but conceal my money and plastic in a flat pouch I wear around my neck under my shirt. If you do take a purse, put the strap over your head so that the purse is away from the street, and use a strap reinforced with metal. But that wont always help. A pickpocket lifted a friends wallet from her purse after bumping into her in St. Peters Basilica. Plan ahead Unless youre on an open-ended trip, youll want to make the most of your time. That means figuring out where youre going, how you can get there, where youll stay and what you want to see. check schedules on-line so you dont arrive somewhere when its closed and have to waste your time and money going somewhere else. ..Also, the USO in Rome has TONS of deals, tours, and activities on the cheap! Heres the kind of money/time saving information you can find online: •When to go. The off-season, of course, when prices for rooms are best. Italy is best avoided in August, when many Italians go on vacation and the weather can be beastly hot. •Places to stay. Read reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and Venere. Youre looking for price, accessibility, cleanliness, and availability of parking if youre renting a car or proximity to the train or bus station. •Expert advice. I consult the TripAdvisor forums. One of the regular contributors is Vagabonda, an expert on travel in Sicily whos answered my questions about the best ways to reach various destinations on the island. Ive redone my itineraries based on her recommendations, saving time and money. She provides invaluable advice, and its free! •How to get around. Once you figure out where youre going, you can quickly look up which bus lines serve your destinations and what times the buses leave and arrive. Read some guide books Read reviews of guidebooks on Amazon, then pick two of the best for your location. Youll want to know about local customs (Get that train ticket stamped! Yes, the restaurants charge for bread!) and youll want to know what all there is to do. Imagine going to Catania and not visiting the fish market -- one of the great open markets of the world -- because you didnt know it was there. Find the best hosts Bed and breakfasts are often the best value and come with the added benefit of -- if its a good one -- a gracious host who will facilitate your exploration and chat with you about your host nation over a delicious morning meal. Use public transportation Unless you have a reserved seat on the train, you must get your ticket stamped in the little machine before you board. If you dont, youre facing a hefty fine if the conductor checks it. After you hop on a city bus, get your ticket stamped in one of the little machines on the bus The city bus system in Rome is fantastic. (I havent taken the subway.) Its fun to take the train between cities. In Sicily, people depend on regional and local bus lines to get around, and its inexpensive. In a few cases, your better option may be the train. Pack light I travel with two outfits in my lightweight but sturdy carry-on backpack, plus the clothes on my back. I hate hauling luggage around, and I avoid paying those pesky luggage fees charged by the low-cost, high-fee European airlines because my backpack fits under the seat. Splurge on the right stuff I will never tell you to skip a lunch or dinner and instead have a piece of fruit or some cheese to save money. One of the many wondrous pleasures of Italy is the food. If you cant afford a sit-down meal at least once a day at a moderately priced restaurant, hold off on the trip and save more money until you can. If your still nervous about traveling, check with Outdoor Rec for some great 1-4 day trips, which might be more affordable. Have a great time!
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 05:16:13 +0000
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