silly little questions (Italy this October)

muddlemand

I've managed to book a Real Holiday Abroad for the first time in many years, due to long illness. Last time I went away, the cheapo airlines didn't exist - so I am Rip Van Winkle - and in fact I've never booked a trip wholly by myself before. (Feeling like an 18yo without parents to advise me, although I'm 46!)

Apart from MSE's travel money article, I've used Wikitravel and that gives bus fares, entrance to the sights, etc, but some things I can't find anywhere online. I have a Rough Guide book but it's some years out of date, not new price you see! There's also a free app which is a map/guide to Pompeii (I don't do clever phones but my son has one), that was on Wikitravel too I think, and I'm going to hunt out a few more.

My 14yo on and I are going to Rome and Naples. Looking at spending money...

1 - I'm going to apply for the Halifax Clarity credit card, the best one for spending abroad, and I should be accepted. Is it better to apply now or leave it till a bit closer to the time? Can my credit score be affected by having the card without using it for these few months? Am I making a mountain of a molehill, and should just go ahead? I have a Santander 123 now, which I pay off in full by d/d; but until a few months ago I'd never had (or wanted) a credit card. I'm hoping to go overseas each year from now on, and would either keep this new one just for travel, or switch to the best deal that's out each time I go...

2 - Ditto with cash - anyone know whether rates look likely to be better if I leave it till September, or buy Euros now? Am I better to take travellers' cheques?

3 - Has anyone any idea what a meal for two (probably 2 courses, without much wine if any) costs - away from the tourist-trap streets, of course? I mean to eat student-y prices, that is, not flashy but nutritious and tasty. If my health was up to it, we'd be backpacking on a shoestring as in my interrailing days, so that's my approach to spending. (The one big extravagance will likely be a boat trip to Capri, or perhaps one of those horse-n-cart tours of the city or an open-top bus (can't believe the price of those, come to that (told you I was Rip Van Winkle, expecting 1980 prices )).)

4 - How about drinking water? What's the price of, say, a 500ml bottle? In fact I have no idea what that would cost from a kiosk in London; from Ocado I could get them for <40p! (And is it still unwise to drink water if you haven't seen it opened in front of you? Last time I was in Italy, the tap water was dodgy. I gather some things have changed but I don't know which things.)

I'm sure I have a few more questions but that will do for now. Thanks!

NiftyDigits

1. Sort it now...even though we have no idea when you are going.

2. We don't do currency speculation. Withdraw Euros when you arrive.

3. Bank on a minimum of 15€. Though of course easy to go over and under this. We bought stuff from supermarket delicatessens and made tasty meals for ourselves. Not just to save money, but to get a feel for our location.
Ferry to Capri is 17€ to 20€ each way for the fast boats. 12.70€ for the slow boat.
Supermarkets close to the main square for drinks and snacks.

4. They have supermarkets you know.

Owain_Moneysaver

Try the TripAdvisor forums for up to date advise.

However travellers' cheques are obsolete. Get a debit card that doesn't charge for foreign cash withdrawals and use that to get cash from machines. I think Italy uses credit cards rather less than the UK.

muddlemand

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Try the TripAdvisor forums for up to date advise.

However travellers' cheques are obsolete. Get a debit card that doesn't charge for foreign cash withdrawals and use that to get cash from machines. I think Italy uses credit cards rather less than the UK.

I hadn't thought of TripAdvisor, thank you. I thought they were only reviews tbh.

I assumed travellers' cheques were a thing of the past! but they were mentioned in the leaflet that came with our EHICs (yesterday!).

Thanks for the credit card tip. Wouldn't have occurred to me. But I hope there are debit cards that don't charge - the article here has scare stories of stupid fees on top of every withdrawal or spend. Ah me, more to research...

Oh, thought of question 5 - Tipping. Over here I usually think 10% give or take, is that about right in Italy?

muddlemand

NiftyDigits wrote: »

1. Sort it now...even though we have no idea when you are going.

October, that's in the thread title..

NiftyDigits wrote: »

2. We don't do currency speculation. Withdraw Euros when you arrive.

I wouldn't take anyone's ideas more seriously than someone I met at the bus stop, but if a dozen people think the same, I would take that a bit seriously. Better than no idea at all.

The MSE travel money article says rates are worse if you take cash out on your card overseas, or by going to a bureau over there. I was thinking I needed to sort it out ahead of time - hence wanting to know approx. prices so I can estimate a per-day spend (or rather make a best case and worst case estimate).

NiftyDigits wrote: »

3. Bank on a minimum of 15€. Though of course easy to go over and under this. We bought stuff from supermarket delicatessens and made tasty meals for ourselves. Not just to save money, but to get a feel for our location.
Ferry to Capri is 17€ to 20€ each way for the fast boats. 12.70€ for the slow boat.
Supermarkets close to the main square for drinks and snacks.

A sit-down meal is still a lot cheaper than here, then. Assuming you mean between two of us? (I should have specified.)

As I said, Wikipedia is good on fares and entrances etc (Capri for example). And yes, £20-30 for a single outing is an extravagance. We're not there for a glossy deluxe experience. Anyway we want to see the Blue Lagoon or one of the other grottoes; it may be the one place we use a guide.

I intend to do more or less what I did then, but need a feel for the costs - in the 80s we allowed £10/day to include all eating, entrance fees, bus fares etc (only the trains were paid in advance). I can't remember what we allowed for the room (never booked ahead) but it wasn't much more than that! I know these numbers are way out, but I don't know what's way "in". Truly, Rip Van Winkle.

I'm expecting to live on kiosk pizza and bread+cheese from supermarkets, with as much B&B breakfast as we can fit into ourselves since it's already paid for, but we'll need to sit down for one meal a day. My health won't manage sitting on walls or walking while we eat, every time. (If it was, we'd be self-catering.) When I used to go backpacking, cafe lunches (if not full-blown dinners) were about as cheap as grabbing supermarket bits anyway. Then there are ice creams etc, things we don't do on days out normally, but I don't want to be so penny-pinching as to lose the feel of holidaying.

Plus it's my son's first ever time and I do want him to feel the romance of a restaurant at least some of the time. Even if we only do it once (which I can't see being practicable), I want some idea how much to allow.

Plus he is in his growth spurt this year. And if I miss a meal I go faint and a day of the trip could be lost.

NiftyDigits wrote: »

4. They have supermarkets you know.

Not always in easy reach when dying of thirst - from memory.

NiftyDigits

muddlemand wrote: »

I hadn't thought of TripAdvisor, thank you. I thought they were only reviews tbh.

I assumed travellers' cheques were a thing of the past! but they were mentioned in the leaflet that came with our EHICs (yesterday!).

Thanks for the credit card tip. Wouldn't have occurred to me. But I hope there are debit cards that don't charge - the article here has scare stories of stupid fees on top of every withdrawal or spend. Ah me, more to research...

Oh, thought of question 5 - Tipping. Over here I usually think 10% give or take, is that about right in Italy?

It's also not true. I pay for most things there by CC.

NiftyDigits

muddlemand wrote: »

October, that's in the thread title..


I wouldn't take anyone's ideas more seriously than someone I met at the bus stop, but if a dozen people think the same, I would take that a bit seriously. Better than no idea at all.

The MSE travel money article says rates are worse if you take cash out on your card overseas, or by going to a bureau over there. I was thinking I needed to sort it out ahead of time - hence wanting to know approx. prices so I can estimate a per-day spend (or rather make a best case and worst case estimate).

You have misunderstood this. You'll get the best rates that way


A sit-down meal is still a lot cheaper than here, then. Assuming you mean between two of us? (I should have specified.)

Each

As I said, Wikipedia is good on fares and entrances etc (Capri for example). And yes, £20-30 for a single outing is an extravagance. We're not there for a glossy deluxe experience. Anyway we want to see the Blue Lagoon or one of the other grottoes; it may be the one place we use a guide.

I have a place on Capri. But as I don't pay for anything, I don't know the prices. But you can take buses and walk. It's still nice.


I intend to do more or less what I did then, but need a feel for the costs - in the 80s we allowed £10/day to include all eating, entrance fees, bus fares etc (only the trains were paid in advance). I can't remember what we allowed for the room (never booked ahead) but it wasn't much more than that! I know these numbers are way out, but I don't know what's way "in". Truly, Rip Van Winkle.

I'm expecting to live on kiosk pizza and bread+cheese from supermarkets, with as much B&B breakfast as we can fit into ourselves since it's already paid for, but we'll need to sit down for one meal a day. My health won't manage sitting on walls or walking while we eat, every time. (If it was, we'd be self-catering.) When I used to go backpacking, cafe lunches (if not full-blown dinners) were about as cheap as grabbing supermarket bits anyway. Then there are ice creams etc, things we don't do on days out normally, but I don't want to be so penny-pinching as to lose the feel of holidaying.

Plus it's my son's first ever time and I do want him to feel the romance of a restaurant at least some of the time. Even if we only do it once (which I can't see being practicable), I want some idea how much to allow.

Plus he is in his growth spurt this year. And if I miss a meal I go faint and a day of the trip could be lost.


Not always in easy reach when dying of thirst - from memory.

Missed the October bit

Blue264

Please check out the Campania artecard to see if it would be suitable for you, then check out the reviews of it on Tripadvisor. There appears to be some confusion about how and when to obtain the card.

http://www.campaniartecard.it/en/

Also, two of my favourite places are possible on your trip...

http://www.villasanmichele.eu/

http://www.villacimbrone.com/

I've heard lots of stories about the Blue Grotto being a huge rip off, but if it's what you want to do... Personally, the local bus ride from Sorrento to Amalfi (if you decide to venture that far) on a Saturday in worth a lot more than you pay for the ticket. There's every chance you'll see at least a couple of wedding processions, and the views on the trip are amazing.

muddlemand

NiftyDigits wrote: »

It's also not true. I pay for most things there by CC.

OK, that's useful to know - since we'll be in cities. Maybe in rural areas it's different. After 13 years in Wiltshire it still surprises me when a pretty large cafe or shop doesn't take any kind of plastic.

easteuropeantraveller

I followed MSE advice and got a Halifax CC. I found it worked great in Ukraine, Poland and Czech but it was routinely rejected in Berlin and Paris. No idea why -nowhere near its credit limit...

muddlemand

I nearly didn't spot that you'd replied too!

Blue264 wrote: »

Please check out the Campania artecard to see if it would be suitable for you, then check out the reviews of it on Tripadvisor. There appears to be some confusion about how and when to obtain the card.

http://www.campaniartecard.it/en/

I'll have a look at that in the morning.

Blue264 wrote: »

Also, two of my favourite places are possible on your trip...

http://www.villasanmichele.eu/

http://www.villacimbrone.com/

Ditto!

Blue264 wrote: »

I've heard lots of stories about the Blue Grotto being a huge rip off, but if it's what you want to do... Personally, the local bus ride from Sorrento to Amalfi (if you decide to venture that far) on a Saturday in worth a lot more than you pay for the ticket. There's every chance you'll see at least a couple of wedding processions, and the views on the trip are amazing.

I saw the Blue Grotto as a teenager so my memory may well be rose-tinted - and yes, online people have mixed feelings. I think I ought to show him Capri from closer-up than an outline in the bay, though... I may just ask local people when we're there if someone has a boat and could take us, but it would have to be one of my confident-haggling days! (and I can't predict how strong I'll be, if feeling lousy I won't be chatting much at all. Realistically I may feel lousy the whole fortnight; you don't know your limits till you reach them and I haven't tried anything like this since my health failed. However it's also realistic that I may feel far better than usual, with warm weather and the endorphins of having made it there!)

(Lying on beaches isn't in my nature, but it will probably be good for me in context, and my son has never done the beach thing and really wants to experience it - so once we get to the Bay of Naples we'll probably do alternate days lazing around, something like that. We got a whole week in a B&B for the price I was hoping to pay for a half-week so will be able to relax after Rome!)

In my teens we stayed on Capo di Sorrento, can't remember if we went to Amalfi - when I look at your links, I may recognise one of those villas too! The only one I remember is the Villa d'Este, if that's the one with loads of fountains. It was an educational holiday...