Italy Trip - Crazy?

Scoobz0202 · 06-12-2009, 01:32 PM

Hey guys, Longtime lurker, occasional poster here..

Just some background information on this trip. First, I am twenty-one years old. A buddy of mine (also 21) is doing an internship starting August 16th thru late December in Germany. He is working on some military base at a camp for children. On the weekends though he is allowed to travel and as a result he decided to get a train pass so he could hit up wherever he wanted in Europe. Sounds like a dream internship to me... He had made a comment about how some of us should come over and visit him. The catch is that we are all poor ass college kids.

Two buddies and I looked online and saw airline tickets were $650. Cheaper then I thought they would be. We thought about it, and decided by penny pinching the next few months we could probably save up $1000-$1500 on top of the airfare. That money would have to be for accomadations and what not, so it wouldn't just be spending cash to blow.

My question to the general masses is this... As a twenty-one year old I have no need for a penthouse sweet. I have no need to go over there and return with sweet stuff from Italy. I want to go over there to basically fulfill a dream. I have always told people how when I got older and was rich as fuck (haha) my dream was to just travel the world, and end up living in Italy as that was the one country that everything I knew about it (stereotypes play a part I'm sure) just screamed at me as my ideal place.

I never imagined that I could possibly go there at the age of 21 with a small group of friends. We would all be on small budgets like that. My question is this, is it possible? I joked with friends that if its necessary I would sleep on a park bench. And that may not be a joke if it came down to it. Or are we just being stupid and dreamy? Is that just not enough money? Like I said, I am wanting to go there have the perfect mixture of history and fun, no need for excess spending. Can this be done?

lordscarlet · 06-12-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Hey guys, Longtime lurker, occasional poster here..

Just some background information on this trip. First, I am twenty-one years old. A buddy of mine (also 21) is doing an internship starting August 16th thru late December in Germany. He is working on some military base at a camp for children. On the weekends though he is allowed to travel and as a result he decided to get a train pass so he could hit up wherever he wanted in Europe. Sounds like a dream internship to me... He had made a comment about how some of us should come over and visit him. The catch is that we are all poor ass college kids.

Two buddies and I looked online and saw airline tickets were $650. Cheaper then I thought they would be. We thought about it, and decided by penny pinching the next few months we could probably save up $1000-$1500 on top of the airfare. That money would have to be for accomadations and what not, so it wouldn't just be spending cash to blow.

My question to the general masses is this... As a twenty-one year old I have no need for a penthouse sweet. I have no need to go over there and return with sweet stuff from Italy. I want to go over there to basically fulfill a dream. I have always told people how when I got older and was rich as fuck (haha) my dream was to just travel the world, and end up living in Italy as that was the one country that everything I knew about it (stereotypes play a part I'm sure) just screamed at me as my ideal place.

I never imagined that I could possibly go there at the age of 21 with a small group of friends. We would all be on small budgets like that. My question is this, is it possible? I joked with friends that if its necessary I would sleep on a park bench. And that may not be a joke if it came down to it. Or are we just being stupid and dreamy? Is that just not enough money? Like I said, I am wanting to go there have the perfect mixture of history and fun, no need for excess spending. Can this be done?

Hostels are actually much nicer than the stereotypes in most cases. You can definitely look at that as an option. You also might want to search for a plane + train option for getting there -- there are some European airports that are significantly cheaper than others.

DaddyTorgo · 06-12-2009, 01:50 PM

how long do you want to go there for? how many places do you want to see?

you could certainly sleep in hostels, or hell at the age of 21 you could probably do without sleep some nights and enjoy the nightlife

DaddyTorgo · 06-12-2009, 01:50 PM

i think you gotta do it!

bhlloy · 06-12-2009, 02:01 PM

Hostels in Europe are very cheap and usually pretty good. If you don't mind really skimping on food and extras, I think you can easily do it for the prices you are talking about.

Passacaglia · 06-12-2009, 02:02 PM

Flights from Chicago to Rome are at records lows now -- I've seen some for like $470, but that's for November. And definitely check out youth hostels.

RomaGoth · 06-12-2009, 02:07 PM

Do it while you have the opportunity. You might kick yourself later if you don't try it.

Galaxy · 06-12-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Hostels in Europe are very cheap and usually pretty good. If you don't mind really skimping on food and extras, I think you can easily do it for the prices you are talking about.

Skimping on food in Italy (not saying five-star or a multi-course expensive dinner)? Isn't that one of the draws of Italy?

Drake · 06-12-2009, 02:16 PM

You can eat cheap in Italy if you look for the mom and pop places (and definitely go for the house wines).

bhlloy · 06-12-2009, 02:24 PM

Exactly. The better food is actually the cheaper in a lot of places in Italy. If you are willing to go off the tourist routes, you can find much better food than if you spent $30 on a meal at a well-known place.

Mustang · 06-12-2009, 03:50 PM

Why just Italy?

If I'm 21 and going over there with a few friends, I'm getting one of those train passes passes and hitting up a few countries.

molson · 06-12-2009, 03:53 PM

Excluding airfare, $1500 for a week (or even 10 days) in Italy is totally do-able.

If you were just going to do a 5-day thing in one city, you could get by on way less.

Definitely do it. Some people might tell you that it's not worth it if you're on a budget, but the first few times you leave the country, just walking around the city is worth it. Get a cheap hotel, some cheap booze, and wander around Rome. Anything you can afford beyond that is gravy.

Captain2711 · 06-12-2009, 03:57 PM

I wouldn't go to a Hostel. Hostel's can be dangerous. I once saw this movie about these kids that go to a Hostel, and then get kidnapped from the Hostel. I believe it's called "Getting Kidnapped in Europe."

molson · 06-12-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain2711

I wouldn't go to a Hostel. Hostel's can be dangerous. I once saw this movie about these kids that go to a Hostel, and then get kidnapped from the Hostel. I believe it's called "Getting Kidnapped in Europe."

cartman · 06-12-2009, 04:33 PM

I had a huge expense account when I lived in Italy, so I never tried the budget approach.

But it can be done. For prices, you have to multiply the price in Euros by 1.4 to get the equivalent in dollars right now. So that 8 Euro lunch is really around $12. The hostel recommendations are very good. Treat them like a room in Vegas. Basically a place to sleep and take a shower while you spend the rest of your time out and about.

Klinglerware · 06-12-2009, 04:54 PM

Yeah, it's crazy. That's why you should go. No matter what happens on the trip, you will remember it fondly years down the road. If you think that the trip is feasible even in the slightest, you could be kicking yourself for not going.

Finally, I've been to Europe both as a kid fresh out of college doing the Eurail thing on a shoe-string and as a "grown-up" expensing the whole thing for work. From my experience you can have a lot of fun whether money is an object or not. In many ways, even though I now have more money to spend to "live large" or whatever in Europe, that money will never be enough to recapture the excitement of traveling on my own in Europe for the first time.

MrDNA · 06-12-2009, 04:59 PM

If you don't do this, you will seriously regret it for the rest of your life. Your money can go a loooooooooot farther than the travel industry would have you believe. GO GO GO.

Galaxy · 06-12-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDNA

If you don't do this, you will seriously regret it for the rest of your life. Your money can go a loooooooooot farther than the travel industry would have you believe. GO GO GO.

And the value for your dollar in terms of what the travel industry is offering can't be beat.

Izulde · 06-12-2009, 05:25 PM

Yeah I'd say to definitely go. It's cliche but the memories will literally last your entire lifetime.

Marc Vaughan · 06-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Go for sure - you can do Europe on a budget fairly easily - look at hostels and suchlike and eat where the locals eat rather than tourist traps and you'll be amazed how far things will stretch (plus imho the local restaurants are generally better anyway).

PS - Try and take in Venice while you're over there.

Scoobz0202 · 06-12-2009, 07:07 PM

Thanks for the encouragement for sure.

We are planning on ten days. The kid I am talking about is able to leave his place in Germany on weekends so we planned on getting there on a Friday, spending that first weekend with him. Then the week following doing whatever the fuck we wanted while the following weekend he would come back and we would then fly out on Monday.

Our plan right now (VERY flexible) was to fly into Milan and travel south and fly out of Rome.

But really... we have no idea what we want to do while we are there. We just want to have a lot of fun (alcohol) while seeing as much of Italy as possible. Another buddy and I both have this love affair with Italy so we want to see as much as possible.

The tricky part is the getting from the northern part to the southern part. Since we are on a budget we need to figure the cheapest route. Interested in finding out how much the train route would cost.

So roughly, we are looking at ten days. Late November, early December.

Any more suggestions on how to balance the history with the fun and going from the north to the south would be great.

Thanks again guys. I can't wait.

EDIT: Thinking about it it just seems like there is so much to do. There is so much history, and so many awesome (or I would assume awesome) cities to visit. From pictures I have seen it just seems like it is quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth. So the scenery is what I am looking forward to. Also, it's free to look at mountains

.

So basically, put yourself in my shoes. You are going from the north to the south. We are down to party. We are your typical college kids who love getting fucked up. But at the same time, I am in love with the history of Italy. What would you do to balance that, and how would you do it in ten days.

Scoobz0202 · 06-12-2009, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

Why just Italy?

If I'm 21 and going over there with a few friends, I'm getting one of those train passes passes and hitting up a few countries.

Good point. I would say that is a possibility. The big thing would be money. Add the airfare and the pass together and that might be a pretty penny with our budget. But definitely will look into it.

Will probably end up just doing the ten days in Italy, because as I have mentioned, that is the one country I have always dreamed of visiting. I have never been out of the country, so like you guys have said, I could regret this for the rest of my life if I do not do it. We got to.

Scoobz0202 · 06-12-2009, 07:16 PM

triple dola -

Plane tickets. We decided we would order them August 1st because right now we dont have the disposable cash so we figure that would give us plenty of time to put back money from our paychecks without having to take all of our money from our checks and ruining our summer.

My question is this, will the plane tickets be skyrocketed by August 1st, or pretty much teh same with a slight increase?

Klinglerware · 06-12-2009, 07:22 PM

A couple of thoughts:

You'll be surprised how chilly it can get November/December. On the other hand, it will be off season (fewer tourists, off-peak prices, but the downside may be shorter hours on the touristy stuff).

When I went on my honeymoon, we booked rail on-line via Trenitalia. Trenitalia is known for being a little dicey (for example, at the time, we had to physically pick up our train tickets even though we purchased on-line. That's a little touch-and-go when you know next to no Italian, and the ticket agent looks at you blankly. But it all somehow works out, that's all part of the "adventure" of travel, I guess). Booking on-line directly on Trenitalia worked for us because we had a single destination. In your situation, I would look into getting a rail pass ahead of time. A lot of tourist rail passes are only available if purchased here in the US.

Klinglerware · 06-12-2009, 07:28 PM

Dola - don't forget about the super-budget airlines in Europe (e.g. Ryanair). See what airlines of that type service Italian cities. That might be as good or better than the train. But on the other hand, the train will still deposit you in a central location and offer you flexibility, which the plane may not.

k0ruptr · 06-12-2009, 07:39 PM

Just to add, If I had this opportunity at all I wouldn't pass it up, and Yea I'd probably fall asleep drunkenly on a bench or 2 while I was there. Even if I didn't have to!

Eaglesfan27 · 06-12-2009, 08:00 PM

I did a similar trip to this in 1995 in which I slept on trains (bought a Eurorail pass), in youth hostels, and once on the street (when the hostels were full.) I spent 12 weeks in Europe for a few grand that I had scraped up and had the time of my life, although I was flat broke by the end of the trip and couldn't afford to do any of the usual "tourist" type stuff. Also, I'll second Venice.

sterlingice · 06-12-2009, 09:03 PM

I went last year with my parents and we stayed in hotels almost all paid for my mom's hotel and flight points so I can't help with the hostel issue. But my parents had made the trip before so I have some hints from our trip and from them that might help.

I will caution starting off: things there are pricier than you expect. The exchange rate does hurt quite a bit as Italy has somewhat substantial inflation. And that doesn't even account for the fact that the Euro is about $1.40 to 1E (around $1.50:1 when we were there).

We weren't rolling into giant, expensive restaurants but we were, for the most part, staying in the more "touristy" parts of Rome and Florence. I realize you pay for that location, but, for the most part, that's where you're going to be because getting around for cheap isn't easy. Similarly, tho, you don't want to skimp- part of the experience of Italy is the food. In our entire time there, our food ranged from good to amazing- we never had a bad meal. I have never been anywhere else like that.

Speaking of Rome and Florence- that's where we spent most of our time. With "only" 10 days, you're going to be limited to how much you can see. You can either "see" all of the country from Naples up to Rome up to Florence up to Milan and spend half of your time traveling so that you miss a lot or you can specialize a bit more.

We did Rome 3 days, Pompeii 1 day, Florence 3 days, and Rome 2 more days. That worked quite well but I think putting any more there would be a stretch, especially on a transportation budget. Pompeii is worth it, if you like history but getting there can be tough- my parents arranged a driver service through our hotel but I got the impression that was something like 100E, so $150 and that doesn't include what it costs to do things that day.

Rome is one of those "you could spend a month there and never see it" type places. We stayed near the Spanish Steps the first time so it was close to a lot of the big iconic tourist locations- Colossum, Arch, Pantheon, Palatine hill, that crazy shopping street, various fountains, etc. The second time we were there, we went to Vatican City, however, I think we walked 6 and 7 miles the last 2 days. It's a ways away but the art is worth it.

Florence is all about the art. The Academy is kindof underwhelming until you get to the room with David, which makes the trip easily worthwhile. The Uffizi is great- Botticelli's pair (Birth of Venus, Primavera) were my favorite and I think I just looked at those a half hour between the two, but there's a lot of famous art there. There's also the Bargello that is all sculpture. Lots of "ninja turtle art" in the city.

One of our days "in Florence", we went out to the countryside there to visit some relatives of ours and see Vinci- it's beautiful countryside. Our day down to Pompeii, we also visited the Amalfi Coast which was gorgeous and what you think of when you hear the word "Mediterranean".

Traveling between Rome and Florence, we took the high speed train. They have a great system and I wish we had one like it here in this country. If you're going to do a lot of traveling in the country, it's definitely the way to go. I don't know the cost, tho.

Oh, and, for the love of God, don't fall for the stupid "take a picture with the centurions in front of the colosseum" scam. My parents warned us about it- there are people who dress up and gesture tourists to take picture with them and then they'll charge you like 20E for that "privilege".

I wish I could add more right now, but I'm tired from the week (and a great hockey game keeps interrupting me

). It was an amazing trip and I'd absolutely love to go back.

SI

stevew · 06-12-2009, 09:18 PM

Go now
Eventually real life will happen. You'll be 33 some day. Possibly underemployed with a wife and 2 kids and wished you did cool stuff while life was easy.

Sent you a PM btw. Can make the Reds happen.

lordscarlet · 06-13-2009, 07:26 AM

some advice:

Reviews of vacations, hotels, resorts, vacation and travel packages - TripAdvisor
TripIt | Online travel itinerary and trip planner
Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Airfare & Discount Travel Deals - Kayak.com

Those should hopefully get you started.

Nugget699 · 06-13-2009, 08:23 AM

Mate, I moved to Sweden by myself from Australia at the age of 21 with next to no money and am currently happily employed and loving life. I have since traveled Europe by myself and loved every minute of it.

Don't think it's a silly idea to go sight-seeing at 21. Just make sure you have similar tastes as your mates. Some may prefer to check out the museums and the buildings whilst others just want to par-tay and hook up with loads of Italian chicks. If need be even consider going by yourself. I love traveling by myself.

Senator · 06-13-2009, 11:49 AM

Look up Amanda Knox for me when you get there ok, she's real fun.

Scoobz0202 · 06-13-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator

Look up Amanda Knox for me when you get there ok, she's real fun.

She looks hawt.

Scoobz0202 · 06-13-2009, 11:58 AM

Thanks again guys. Definitely a lot to think about.

RendeR · 06-13-2009, 12:03 PM

Defintely try to go, life is too short to miss out on opportunities like this, you can do the normal adult bullshit later.

Scoobz0202 · 06-13-2009, 12:15 PM

Yep. We talked about it last night and barring any big roadblocks down the road its happening.

I referenced your guys responses a lot as well, so you guys definitely played a part in our final decision. The "you will regret this if you don't" type responses really made us think and decide that, yes, we are starting to get past the stage in our life where we can do whatever the fuck we want without having to really think about our current situation getting in the way.

To repeat a thought I had earlier, anybody with a lot of travel experience know what the difference in airfare will be on August 1st compared to right now?

Scoobz0202 · 06-13-2009, 12:23 PM

dola -

Things we are thinking right now:

1. The big one. What the fuck do we want to do while we are over there. Try and hit up as much as possible with the obvious benefit being we would see a lot, but do we really want to have to rush. Or just hit up one or two areas for the entire time.

2. What time do we want to go. Late october? Early december? Somebody mentioned earlier about it getting chilly and that showed some of my ignorance on the weather over there as I thought it was 70 most of the time

Wonder if the decision on when we should go would also be tied to where we go? If we spend most of our time in Rome would the weather there, temperature wise, be a lot better in late November then the northern part of Italy? Also, we don't plan on going any further south then Rome so does the temperature really matter? We don't really plan on hitting beaches up... Obviously we need to educate ourselves on the country as there is a lot more to this then I figured originally. Also, one thing that plays a part in that is that the later we go the more money we could save up.

3. How long should we go? Ten days? I have very very limited airline travel. I have only flown once that wasn't with my family, and that was just to Florida. If we order plane tickets are we set on those days or can that be flexible? If we get over there and want to stay say.. an extra five days.. can we push back our departure or will that be really expensive?

4. What do we need to book ahead of time? Do you book hostels ahead of time or can you just educate yourselves on where a lot of them are and just show up on that day? Travel in the country.

A lot of this will fall in line when we figure out where we are going I am sure. And I am sure more questions will come up that we need to figure out.

Just having these worries and questions is thrilling...

Dutch · 06-13-2009, 01:02 PM

I'm going to Rome this summer (when I get the time). Granted, it's a family trip but I'll be glad to report back what I learn if you haven't already left.

We haven't decided when to go, but sometime in August or September.

sterlingice · 06-13-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nugget699

Mate, I moved to Sweden by myself from Australia at the age of 21 with next to no money and am currently happily employed and loving life. I have since traveled Europe by myself and loved every minute of it.

Don't think it's a silly idea to go sight-seeing at 21. Just make sure you have similar tastes as your mates. Some may prefer to check out the museums and the buildings whilst others just want to par-tay and hook up with loads of Italian chicks. If need be even consider going by yourself. I love traveling by myself.

Very, very important but it sounds like you guys are working through that stuff. I think if you want to "see the world" and see the sights while they want to just party because "it's Europe!"- it's not going to be worth it as you will always be fighting about what to do.

SI

cartman · 06-13-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Yep. We talked about it last night and barring any big roadblocks down the road its happening.

I referenced your guys responses a lot as well, so you guys definitely played a part in our final decision. The "you will regret this if you don't" type responses really made us think and decide that, yes, we are starting to get past the stage in our life where we can do whatever the fuck we want without having to really think about our current situation getting in the way.

To repeat a thought I had earlier, anybody with a lot of travel experience know what the difference in airfare will be on August 1st compared to right now?

There isn't much difference once you get more than 3 weeks away from the departure date. However, that is a pretty blanket generalization. Airline fares are some of the most complex and convoluted things ever created by man, and often times make no sense. But the general rule of thumb is the cheapest fares are usually available 3 weeks or more from the departure date.

Quote:

dola -

Things we are thinking right now:

1. The big one. What the fuck do we want to do while we are over there. Try and hit up as much as possible with the obvious benefit being we would see a lot, but do we really want to have to rush. Or just hit up one or two areas for the entire time.

If you were planning on flying into Milan, the city itself isn't a huge tourist attraction. There are a few "checklist" places to see, such as The Last Supper, the Duomo, the original Galleria, and the Castello Sforzesco. Just outside of Milan to the north is Lake Como, which is a spectacular area to visit. Heading south out of Milan, the next big city is Florence. There is a ton of stuff to see there, such as Michaelangelo's David, the Uffizi gallery, the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and numerous other sites. About half an hour away is Pisa, with the famous leaning tower. A lot of folks, after heading to Florence, spend a lot of time wandering the Tuscan villages on the way to Rome. Once you get to Rome, there is more stuff to see than you will have time to visit. The big sites are the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Obelisk, the Pantheon, the Acquaducts, the catacombs, the site of Circus Maximus, etc. And all of these are just the tip of the iceburg.

Quote:

2. What time do we want to go. Late october? Early december? Somebody mentioned earlier about it getting chilly and that showed some of my ignorance on the weather over there as I thought it was 70 most of the time

Wonder if the decision on when we should go would also be tied to where we go? If we spend most of our time in Rome would the weather there, temperature wise, be a lot better in late November then the northern part of Italy? Also, we don't plan on going any further south then Rome so does the temperature really matter? We don't really plan on hitting beaches up... Obviously we need to educate ourselves on the country as there is a lot more to this then I figured originally. Also, one thing that plays a part in that is that the later we go the more money we could save up.

The worst time to go is in August, because most of the country takes off most of the month for vacation, so most small places are closed. October would probably be fine, but as you move into mid to late November and December, it does get pretty cold in the northern part of Italy. We had heavy snowfall a few times in Milan when I was living there. Even farther south, in Rome, it can get chilly in the evenings in November.

Quote:

3. How long should we go? Ten days? I have very very limited airline travel. I have only flown once that wasn't with my family, and that was just to Florida. If we order plane tickets are we set on those days or can that be flexible? If we get over there and want to stay say.. an extra five days.. can we push back our departure or will that be really expensive?

The answer for how long is "as long as you can". Ten days would be about the minimum for what you've expressed interest in seeing so far in this thread. As for the plane tickets, you are pretty much bound to the dates you pick, especially with budget priced tickets. The change fee could be as much as the original price of the ticket.

Quote:

4. What do we need to book ahead of time? Do you book hostels ahead of time or can you just educate yourselves on where a lot of them are and just show up on that day? Travel in the country.

I'd book as much as possible ahead of time. Do a little bit of research on the hostels, some of them have curfews where you can't get back in after a certain hour. I like the peace of mind of knowing I have a place to stay once I get somewhere. If there are any must see tourist spots on your agenda, booking ahead of time can save you a two hour wait in line.

Quote:

A lot of this will fall in line when we figure out where we are going I am sure. And I am sure more questions will come up that we need to figure out.

Just having these worries and questions is thrilling...

Most definitely. Keep the questions coming!

sterlingice · 06-13-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

2. What time do we want to go. Late october? Early december? Somebody mentioned earlier about it getting chilly and that showed some of my ignorance on the weather over there as I thought it was 70 most of the time

Wonder if the decision on when we should go would also be tied to where we go? If we spend most of our time in Rome would the weather there, temperature wise, be a lot better in late November then the northern part of Italy? Also, we don't plan on going any further south then Rome so does the temperature really matter? We don't really plan on hitting beaches up... Obviously we need to educate ourselves on the country as there is a lot more to this then I figured originally. Also, one thing that plays a part in that is that the later we go the more money we could save up.

Can't help you much on fall weather, but we went in mid-late February and it turned out to be good. We weren't really dodging rain but it turns out that was just because we were lucky- we only had rain 1 day but it can happen a lot more at that time of year. My parents really liked going at that time whereas previously they had been in the summer. The weather ranged from chilly- at Pompeii it was 45 and windy so bring a good jacket- to very pleasant- 60ish for a couple of days in Rome. Having weather on the cold rather than warm side was great for as much walking around as had to be done. Finding laundry can be an interesting experience in another country so not going through your clothes quickly is important. You have a limited amount of space in your luggage and you will probably want to bring back some souvenirs for yourself and others so that limits your clothes space and if you have to do laundry, either you pay through the nose for someone to do it for you or you spend one of your days in a great once-in-a-lifetime trip in a laundromat.

So, in short- you're either fighting hot weather or rain. If you can get lucky and get cool weather with no rain- that's the best of both worlds as it won't be peak tourist season, will be pleasant, and lines will be shorter with lower prices.

Quote:

3. How long should we go? Ten days? I have very very limited airline travel. I have only flown once that wasn't with my family, and that was just to Florida. If we order plane tickets are we set on those days or can that be flexible? If we get over there and want to stay say.. an extra five days.. can we push back our departure or will that be really expensive?

Cartman hit this nail on the head- as long as you can within reason. Also, he's dead on about flight change fees. You're basically going to have to plan it in advance and hope you planned right.

He was also right about plane costs- until you get up to a couple of weeks in advance, they shouldn't move. There are caveats to that, tho. I just saw a bunch of airlines this week announcing that they were cutting international travel for the rest of the year so might want to check on seat availability. That's a double edged sword, tho- if they're cutting flights, it means fewer people are traveling so if even fewer people travel than they think, there are great deals to be had.

Frankly, if the prices now seem reasonable to you, go for it and lock in. For something like this, I would try to wait a month- see what the price is now and if it drops substantially, jump on it the minute it happens. If not, buy the fare at the end of the month for the same price. The danger, of course, is that it could jump up by the end of the month. But then you wait and hope it drops down again. Again, it's a crazy waiting game.

Also, play around with flight dates. Maybe Tuesday to Saturday costs more or less than Saturday to Thursday. I don't know why, but a lot of times there are different prices for different days of the week due to demand.

If your travel plans are flexible, you can always try priceline and hotwire to save some bucks. Bidding for travel doesn't have much help for bids on international flights. Tho if you want to splurge for part of the time in Rome to put yourself in a good location you can get a 4 star hotel there for under $150 a night but again that's kindof expensive. Heck, if you stay out by the Vatican, there are some 4 stars going for $80 a night. There are some caveats toward how bidding for hotels works on Priceline- you aren't guaranteed room for more than 2 people (and hotel rooms are small there so more than 2 people would have to make some changes), etc. Still, if you know what you're doing and are flexible, you have a chance to save a lot of cash or stay in much better accomodations.

Don't cut things too close! On our way back, our flight from Newark ot Kansas City was canceled and we had to stay in Newark for a night. No big deal coming back, tho I missed a day of work. But imagine if that had happened on the way there. Build in a lot of time for that connecting flight because the amount of flights cancelled for stupid reasons like not enough airline personnel or "your plane that went from San Fran to Denver to Chicago to Atlanta to New York today got delayed so we can't get you on your Atlanta to New York leg" because the airlines are cut so very thin.

Quote:

4. What do we need to book ahead of time? Do you book hostels ahead of time or can you just educate yourselves on where a lot of them are and just show up on that day? Travel in the country.

My parents handled a lot of this so I don't know. But they mentioned that for a lot of the big attractions which have long lines- you can get tickets in advance and save a lot of valuable tourism time. Find a legit website that can hook you up with these things- tho I know that's very nebulous and how do you know they're legit. I like the use the TripAdvisor forums to hook me up with info, tho standard internet rules apply- if one person is suggesting it, who knows, but if you see it appear again and again from different people, it's probably legit. In fact, abuse the TripAdvisor forums- they are filled with lots of experienced travelers that can help you with details from "how can I best get tickets" to "how can I get around" to "reviews of particular hostels". I've used them quite a bit in planning my last couple of trips and I've been mostly steered right.

SI

Marc Vaughan · 06-13-2009, 06:17 PM

Oh and if you're brave and in no rush - consider getting a EuroRail travel card (presuming they still do them), they allow you to travel all over Europe as your whim takes you ... fantastic fun if you're able to take the time to do so imho.

http://www.raileurope.com/rail-ticke...7139&WT.srch=1

Sgran · 06-19-2009, 09:49 AM

You have enough money to do it.

One thing I would highly recommend: ignore the people telling you to see a bunch of different countries during your trip. There is plenty to see in Italy for many weeks without getting bored. Americans have this need to conduct whirlwind tours just to run down the list of countries they visited when they return. Fight this urge! You will get much more out of your trip and save a lot of money in the process.

lordscarlet · 06-19-2009, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sgran

You have enough money to do it.

One thing I would highly recommend: ignore the people telling you to see a bunch of different countries during your trip. There is plenty to see in Italy for many weeks without getting bored. Americans have this need to conduct whirlwind tours just to run down the list of countries they visited when they return. Fight this urge! You will get much more out of your trip and save a lot of money in the process.

I agree here. It's hard enough to visit all the cities you want to in a single country much less multiple countries.

06-12-2009, 01:50 PM	#3
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	how long do you want to go there for? how many places do you want to see? you could certainly sleep in hostels, or hell at the age of 21 you could probably do without sleep some nights and enjoy the nightlife __________________ Get bent whoever hacked my pw and changed my signature.

06-12-2009, 01:50 PM	#4
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	i think you gotta do it! __________________ Get bent whoever hacked my pw and changed my signature.

06-12-2009, 03:50 PM	#11
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	Why just Italy? If I'm 21 and going over there with a few friends, I'm getting one of those train passes passes and hitting up a few countries. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

06-12-2009, 03:53 PM	#12
molson General Manager Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Mountains	Excluding airfare, $1500 for a week (or even 10 days) in Italy is totally do-able. If you were just going to do a 5-day thing in one city, you could get by on way less. Definitely do it. Some people might tell you that it's not worth it if you're on a budget, but the first few times you leave the country, just walking around the city is worth it. Get a cheap hotel, some cheap booze, and wander around Rome. Anything you can afford beyond that is gravy. Last edited by molson : 06-12-2009 at 03:57 PM.

06-12-2009, 03:57 PM	#13
Captain2711 High School JV Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Jersey	I wouldn't go to a Hostel. Hostel's can be dangerous. I once saw this movie about these kids that go to a Hostel, and then get kidnapped from the Hostel. I believe it's called "Getting Kidnapped in Europe." __________________ "If the Bible has taught us nothing else, and it hasn't, it's that girls should stick to girls sports, such as hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing and such and such."

06-12-2009, 02:01 PM	#5
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Hostels in Europe are very cheap and usually pretty good. If you don't mind really skimping on food and extras, I think you can easily do it for the prices you are talking about.

06-12-2009, 02:02 PM	#6
Passacaglia Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Big Ten Country	Flights from Chicago to Rome are at records lows now -- I've seen some for like $470, but that's for November. And definitely check out youth hostels.

06-12-2009, 02:16 PM	#9
Drake assmaster Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bloomington, IN	You can eat cheap in Italy if you look for the mom and pop places (and definitely go for the house wines).

06-12-2009, 02:24 PM	#10
bhlloy Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003	Exactly. The better food is actually the cheaper in a lot of places in Italy. If you are willing to go off the tourist routes, you can find much better food than if you spent $30 on a meal at a well-known place.

06-12-2009, 04:33 PM	#15
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	I had a huge expense account when I lived in Italy, so I never tried the budget approach. But it can be done. For prices, you have to multiply the price in Euros by 1.4 to get the equivalent in dollars right now. So that 8 Euro lunch is really around $12. The hostel recommendations are very good. Treat them like a room in Vegas. Basically a place to sleep and take a shower while you spend the rest of your time out and about. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

06-12-2009, 04:54 PM	#16
Klinglerware College Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: The DMV	Yeah, it's crazy. That's why you should go. No matter what happens on the trip, you will remember it fondly years down the road. If you think that the trip is feasible even in the slightest, you could be kicking yourself for not going. Finally, I've been to Europe both as a kid fresh out of college doing the Eurail thing on a shoe-string and as a "grown-up" expensing the whole thing for work. From my experience you can have a lot of fun whether money is an object or not. In many ways, even though I now have more money to spend to "live large" or whatever in Europe, that money will never be enough to recapture the excitement of traveling on my own in Europe for the first time.

06-12-2009, 04:59 PM	#17
MrDNA High School Varsity Join Date: Jan 2007	If you don't do this, you will seriously regret it for the rest of your life. Your money can go a loooooooooot farther than the travel industry would have you believe. GO GO GO. __________________ Norfolk Flame (Shiba) Jacksonville Bulls (UFL) R.I.P. *Ayr Bravehearts (FOFL)*

06-12-2009, 05:25 PM	#19
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Yeah I'd say to definitely go. It's cliche but the memories will literally last your entire lifetime. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

06-12-2009, 06:30 PM	#20
Marc Vaughan SI Games Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Melbourne, FL	Go for sure - you can do Europe on a budget fairly easily - look at hostels and suchlike and eat where the locals eat rather than tourist traps and you'll be amazed how far things will stretch (plus imho the local restaurants are generally better anyway). PS - Try and take in Venice while you're over there.

06-12-2009, 07:07 PM	#21
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Thanks for the encouragement for sure. We are planning on ten days. The kid I am talking about is able to leave his place in Germany on weekends so we planned on getting there on a Friday, spending that first weekend with him. Then the week following doing whatever the fuck we wanted while the following weekend he would come back and we would then fly out on Monday. Our plan right now (VERY flexible) was to fly into Milan and travel south and fly out of Rome. But really... we have no idea what we want to do while we are there. We just want to have a lot of fun (alcohol) while seeing as much of Italy as possible. Another buddy and I both have this love affair with Italy so we want to see as much as possible. The tricky part is the getting from the northern part to the southern part. Since we are on a budget we need to figure the cheapest route. Interested in finding out how much the train route would cost. So roughly, we are looking at ten days. Late November, early December. Any more suggestions on how to balance the history with the fun and going from the north to the south would be great. Thanks again guys. I can't wait. EDIT: Thinking about it it just seems like there is so much to do. There is so much history, and so many awesome (or I would assume awesome) cities to visit. From pictures I have seen it just seems like it is quite possibly the most beautiful place on earth. So the scenery is what I am looking forward to. Also, it's free to look at mountains . So basically, put yourself in my shoes. You are going from the north to the south. We are down to party. We are your typical college kids who love getting fucked up. But at the same time, I am in love with the history of Italy. What would you do to balance that, and how would you do it in ten days. Last edited by Scoobz0202 : 06-12-2009 at 07:11 PM.

06-12-2009, 07:16 PM	#23
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	triple dola - Plane tickets. We decided we would order them August 1st because right now we dont have the disposable cash so we figure that would give us plenty of time to put back money from our paychecks without having to take all of our money from our checks and ruining our summer. My question is this, will the plane tickets be skyrocketed by August 1st, or pretty much teh same with a slight increase?

06-12-2009, 07:22 PM	#24
Klinglerware College Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: The DMV	A couple of thoughts: You'll be surprised how chilly it can get November/December. On the other hand, it will be off season (fewer tourists, off-peak prices, but the downside may be shorter hours on the touristy stuff). When I went on my honeymoon, we booked rail on-line via Trenitalia. Trenitalia is known for being a little dicey (for example, at the time, we had to physically pick up our train tickets even though we purchased on-line. That's a little touch-and-go when you know next to no Italian, and the ticket agent looks at you blankly. But it all somehow works out, that's all part of the "adventure" of travel, I guess). Booking on-line directly on Trenitalia worked for us because we had a single destination. In your situation, I would look into getting a rail pass ahead of time. A lot of tourist rail passes are only available if purchased here in the US.

06-12-2009, 07:28 PM	#25
Klinglerware College Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: The DMV	Dola - don't forget about the super-budget airlines in Europe (e.g. Ryanair). See what airlines of that type service Italian cities. That might be as good or better than the train. But on the other hand, the train will still deposit you in a central location and offer you flexibility, which the plane may not.

06-12-2009, 07:39 PM	#26
k0ruptr Pro Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Las Vegas	Just to add, If I had this opportunity at all I wouldn't pass it up, and Yea I'd probably fall asleep drunkenly on a bench or 2 while I was there. Even if I didn't have to!

06-12-2009, 08:00 PM	#27
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I did a similar trip to this in 1995 in which I slept on trains (bought a Eurorail pass), in youth hostels, and once on the street (when the hostels were full.) I spent 12 weeks in Europe for a few grand that I had scraped up and had the time of my life, although I was flat broke by the end of the trip and couldn't afford to do any of the usual "tourist" type stuff. Also, I'll second Venice. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 06-12-2009 at 08:00 PM.

06-12-2009, 09:03 PM	#28
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	I went last year with my parents and we stayed in hotels almost all paid for my mom's hotel and flight points so I can't help with the hostel issue. But my parents had made the trip before so I have some hints from our trip and from them that might help. I will caution starting off: things there are pricier than you expect. The exchange rate does hurt quite a bit as Italy has somewhat substantial inflation. And that doesn't even account for the fact that the Euro is about $1.40 to 1E (around $1.50:1 when we were there). We weren't rolling into giant, expensive restaurants but we were, for the most part, staying in the more "touristy" parts of Rome and Florence. I realize you pay for that location, but, for the most part, that's where you're going to be because getting around for cheap isn't easy. Similarly, tho, you don't want to skimp- part of the experience of Italy is the food. In our entire time there, our food ranged from good to amazing- we never had a bad meal. I have never been anywhere else like that. Speaking of Rome and Florence- that's where we spent most of our time. With "only" 10 days, you're going to be limited to how much you can see. You can either "see" all of the country from Naples up to Rome up to Florence up to Milan and spend half of your time traveling so that you miss a lot or you can specialize a bit more. We did Rome 3 days, Pompeii 1 day, Florence 3 days, and Rome 2 more days. That worked quite well but I think putting any more there would be a stretch, especially on a transportation budget. Pompeii is worth it, if you like history but getting there can be tough- my parents arranged a driver service through our hotel but I got the impression that was something like 100E, so $150 and that doesn't include what it costs to do things that day. Rome is one of those "you could spend a month there and never see it" type places. We stayed near the Spanish Steps the first time so it was close to a lot of the big iconic tourist locations- Colossum, Arch, Pantheon, Palatine hill, that crazy shopping street, various fountains, etc. The second time we were there, we went to Vatican City, however, I think we walked 6 and 7 miles the last 2 days. It's a ways away but the art is worth it. Florence is all about the art. The Academy is kindof underwhelming until you get to the room with David, which makes the trip easily worthwhile. The Uffizi is great- Botticelli's pair (Birth of Venus, Primavera) were my favorite and I think I just looked at those a half hour between the two, but there's a lot of famous art there. There's also the Bargello that is all sculpture. Lots of "ninja turtle art" in the city. One of our days "in Florence", we went out to the countryside there to visit some relatives of ours and see Vinci- it's beautiful countryside. Our day down to Pompeii, we also visited the Amalfi Coast which was gorgeous and what you think of when you hear the word "Mediterranean". Traveling between Rome and Florence, we took the high speed train. They have a great system and I wish we had one like it here in this country. If you're going to do a lot of traveling in the country, it's definitely the way to go. I don't know the cost, tho. Oh, and, for the love of God, don't fall for the stupid "take a picture with the centurions in front of the colosseum" scam. My parents warned us about it- there are people who dress up and gesture tourists to take picture with them and then they'll charge you like 20E for that "privilege". I wish I could add more right now, but I'm tired from the week (and a great hockey game keeps interrupting me ). It was an amazing trip and I'd absolutely love to go back. SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!"

06-12-2009, 09:18 PM	#29
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	Go now Eventually real life will happen. You'll be 33 some day. Possibly underemployed with a wife and 2 kids and wished you did cool stuff while life was easy. Sent you a PM btw. Can make the Reds happen.

06-13-2009, 07:26 AM	#30
lordscarlet Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Washington, DC	some advice: Reviews of vacations, hotels, resorts, vacation and travel packages - TripAdvisor TripIt \| Online travel itinerary and trip planner Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets, Cheap Airfare & Discount Travel Deals - Kayak.com Those should hopefully get you started. __________________ Sixteen Colors ANSI/ASCII Art Archive "...the better half of the Moores..." -cthomer5000

06-13-2009, 08:23 AM	#31
Nugget699 H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2006	Mate, I moved to Sweden by myself from Australia at the age of 21 with next to no money and am currently happily employed and loving life. I have since traveled Europe by myself and loved every minute of it. Don't think it's a silly idea to go sight-seeing at 21. Just make sure you have similar tastes as your mates. Some may prefer to check out the museums and the buildings whilst others just want to par-tay and hook up with loads of Italian chicks. If need be even consider going by yourself. I love traveling by myself.

06-13-2009, 11:49 AM	#32
Senator FOFC's Elected Representative Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The stars at night; are big and bright	Look up Amanda Knox for me when you get there ok, she's real fun. __________________ "i have seen chris simms play 4-5 times in the pros and he's very clearly got it. he won't make a pro bowl this year, but it'll come. if you don't like me saying that, so be it, but its true. we'll just have to wait until then" imettrentgreen "looking at only ten games, and oddly using a median only, leaves me unmoved generally" - Quiksand

06-13-2009, 11:58 AM	#34
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Thanks again guys. Definitely a lot to think about.

06-13-2009, 12:03 PM	#35
RendeR Coordinator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Buffalo, NY	Defintely try to go, life is too short to miss out on opportunities like this, you can do the normal adult bullshit later. __________________ http://wotlabs.net/s...8/signature.png http://wotlabs.net/sig_dark/na/banichi18/signature.png

06-13-2009, 12:15 PM	#36
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	Yep. We talked about it last night and barring any big roadblocks down the road its happening. I referenced your guys responses a lot as well, so you guys definitely played a part in our final decision. The "you will regret this if you don't" type responses really made us think and decide that, yes, we are starting to get past the stage in our life where we can do whatever the fuck we want without having to really think about our current situation getting in the way. To repeat a thought I had earlier, anybody with a lot of travel experience know what the difference in airfare will be on August 1st compared to right now?

06-13-2009, 12:23 PM	#37
Scoobz0202 Pro Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dayton, Ohio	dola - Things we are thinking right now: 1. The big one. What the fuck do we want to do while we are over there. Try and hit up as much as possible with the obvious benefit being we would see a lot, but do we really want to have to rush. Or just hit up one or two areas for the entire time. 2. What time do we want to go. Late october? Early december? Somebody mentioned earlier about it getting chilly and that showed some of my ignorance on the weather over there as I thought it was 70 most of the time Wonder if the decision on when we should go would also be tied to where we go? If we spend most of our time in Rome would the weather there, temperature wise, be a lot better in late November then the northern part of Italy? Also, we don't plan on going any further south then Rome so does the temperature really matter? We don't really plan on hitting beaches up... Obviously we need to educate ourselves on the country as there is a lot more to this then I figured originally. Also, one thing that plays a part in that is that the later we go the more money we could save up. 3. How long should we go? Ten days? I have very very limited airline travel. I have only flown once that wasn't with my family, and that was just to Florida. If we order plane tickets are we set on those days or can that be flexible? If we get over there and want to stay say.. an extra five days.. can we push back our departure or will that be really expensive? 4. What do we need to book ahead of time? Do you book hostels ahead of time or can you just educate yourselves on where a lot of them are and just show up on that day? Travel in the country. A lot of this will fall in line when we figure out where we are going I am sure. And I am sure more questions will come up that we need to figure out. Just having these worries and questions is thrilling...

06-13-2009, 01:02 PM	#38
Dutch "Dutch" Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Tampa, FL	I'm going to Rome this summer (when I get the time). Granted, it's a family trip but I'll be glad to report back what I learn if you haven't already left. We haven't decided when to go, but sometime in August or September.

06-13-2009, 06:17 PM	#42
Marc Vaughan SI Games Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Melbourne, FL	Oh and if you're brave and in no rush - consider getting a EuroRail travel card (presuming they still do them), they allow you to travel all over Europe as your whim takes you ... fantastic fun if you're able to take the time to do so imho. http://www.raileurope.com/rail-ticke...7139&WT.srch=1

06-19-2009, 09:49 AM	#43
Sgran High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Budapest	You have enough money to do it. One thing I would highly recommend: ignore the people telling you to see a bunch of different countries during your trip. There is plenty to see in Italy for many weeks without getting bored. Americans have this need to conduct whirlwind tours just to run down the list of countries they visited when they return. Fight this urge! You will get much more out of your trip and save a lot of money in the process. __________________ What the hell is Mike Brown diagramming for them during timeouts? Is he like the guy from "Memento" or something? Guys, I just thought of something … what if we ran a high screen for LeBron?

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