In this video I discuss some tips for getting lower airfares, car rentals and hotel prices. I also discuss what to watch out for on some popular discount sites. A trip to Europe can be very expensive but can also be very reasonable with some planning and work on a computer before you go.
Investigate all discount sites and make a list of costs. Pick the ones that offer what you want for the cheapest amount. Sit back and watch my YouTube video on some tips I use:
Ciao
– George
Bari is a seaport city on the Adriatic Sea. It has a beautiful old town. As you enter Bari, it’s a large city. as you approach the old section, which is on the sea, you must park in lots at the edge of the old section and walk in. This area is pedestrian and Vespa only. The streets are narrow and wind around. It is easy to get lost but we used GPS on our phones to find our hotel.
Once we found the hotel, we were surprised to see it was closed until 4 pm. We had to walk our suitcases back out to the car. Then we explored and had some lunch. The city has a wonderful Piazza in the old section which comes to life at night. There are great restaurants here that can get very crowded.
After a good exploration, some lunch and some Limoncello, we retrieved out bags and headed for the hotel again. The owners of the hotel also owned a small restaurant across from the hotel. They gave us a plate of cheese and bread.
That evening we tried a restaurant in the Piazza and was rewarded with a great meal and a show of Italians parading by. This is what we love about Italy. Don’t rush! Don’t have a tight agenda! Visit a few places but get to know them well. Enjoy the local foods and wines. Observe the locals. Enjoy life more and be less stressed! This is Italy!
…Most of all be romantic!…
– George
Where to stay is a big decision. There are many types of places to stay in Italy:
Once you decide on what type of place you prefer, investigate options in the cities you will visit. Use sites like TripAdvisor to get other people’s opinions of the property. Remember that their opinions can be very different from yours. We never worry about negative reviews that say small rooms. We expect small rooms in Italy.
Be sure to investigate where your hotel/rental choice is located compared to the sites you want to see. Try to get centrally located hotels (these can be the most expensive but will save time going and coming to the sites).
Booking your hotel with airfares on discount sites like Orbitz can get you a discount on the hotel. Check multiple sites and compare prices. Look at pictures posted of your choice and determine if it is the right choice for you. Booking hotels on discount sites usually charge your card when you book not when you arrive. Hotels in Italian are Albergo or just Hotel (the H is always silent in Italian).
If breakfast is not included do not pay extra for it. Breakfast in Italy is very cheap. You find a bar near your hotel (they are everywhere). At Italian bars you can get Caffè (espresso), Cappuccino, Coffee Americano (an espresso in a larger cup with more water) and mastery choices. A Caffè and cornetto will cost you between 2 and 4 Euros ($2.20 to $4.40). Italian croissants are called cornetto. They come plain, filled with chocolate or jelly and filled with cream. Pastries in Italy are not as sweet as in America. They are delicious.
Tomorrow we will look at car rentals for your trip if you plan to drive.
George & Jo Anne
There is no place better to leave your heart than Positano. Positano is a small city of steps, lots of steps (about a million) and two roads:
Positano has a population of only about 4,000 people. There are no trains here so you will need a car or bus to get here. There are busses from Sorrento going East and Salerno going West. You can fly into Naples to the north-west or Salerno to the East.
The land here is steep mountains starting at the sea and continuing up. It is amazing that a city was built on these steep hills. You can take steps up and down everywhere. From the top to the beach is about a thousand steps. You can also walk the one-way road up or down. It is steep but very walkable. You will pass hotels, restaurants, great little shops and bars.
There is a local bus that is inexpensive. It starts on the one-way road in the center and goes out to the Amalfi Coast Road. It turns left and climbs up the hill to the top of Positano. It then turns left onto the beginning of the one-way road and continues back down to the center.
There are many ferries that leave from the big beach to Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Amalfi, Salerno and many really small cities in between.
First view of Positano from Amalfi Coast Road
The 104 steps up to our rental
A porter carrying 100 lbs of luggage up the 104 stairs
View of sea & city from our rental
The big beach
Duomo on the big beach
Looking back up the one-way road
Lovers lane – a walkway between the big & small beaches
The small beach
From our rental looking up at the Amalfi Coast Road
Beautiful views everywhere
Ancient tower to light a fire and warn of Pirates
Bump on roof filled with sand to keep summers cool and winters warm
Positano is very romantic. A must stop for all our romantic readers. You can find great food, gelato and wine. The hotels and B&Bs have great views. Enjoy!
George & Jo Anne
Europe – Satellite image – PlanetObserver (Photo credit: PlanetObserver)
When visiting a new city in Italy, we first walk the town to get to know it. We look for small interesting bars for breakfast. Yes breakfast is at a bar in Italy. You get your coffee and something sweet (cornetto – a croissant like sweet roll). Some Hotels include breakfast and even have American breakfasts as well. We like to eat like Italians when in Italy. Bars are also a great stop for lunch (panini) or gelato or an afternoon drink.
We also scout out interesting restaurants for lunch or dinner. In Italy we look for trattorias or pizzerias since the food is excellent and the price is usually lower than a restaurante. If we have rented a place with a kitchen, we enjoy cooking a meal once or twice. So we also look for small grocery stores that have fresh vegetables, cheese, bread and fruits. Cooking pasta with fresh vegetables in Italy is easy, fun and very healthy.
Next we look for interesting stores to visit on our walks. These usually have interesting owners that can give you a better prospective on the city. Some cities like Milan and Naples have a large Galleria (mall like) with shops. These are sometimes two streets covered with a glass roof and closed to traffic. Lastly we seek out major tourist attractions that we want to see while in the city. We also find the nearest public transportation in case of rain.
Which ever country and city you travel to, get to know the city, meet the people, enjoy their food and wine. Let yourself relax, loose the stress and be an Italian for a short while. Your body will thank you and you will have beautiful memories.
Italy is a country of beautiful designs and romance. Think of the ancient architecture of Rome or the modern Ferrari or the fashion of Milan. Italians love to design beautiful things. If you are in a large city like Rome, the old section is walkable. In small cities you can easily walk around and get to know it quickly.
Dolce far niente!
George & Jo Anne
Palace Hotel in Sinaia, Romania, 1971 (Photo credit: Rob Ketcherside)
Are you a big resort type of traveler or a small local hotel or maybe an agriturismo out in the country or a villa with many bedrooms and baths. We all have favorite places and types of places we like. We enjoy a local hotel. We are tired of big American hotels that don’t offer much. We prefer a family run small hotel with a private bath. The bath is one luxury we insist on. Jo Anne says “Camping is a hotel with one bathroom”. It is hard and expensive to get more than one bath unless you rent a villa. The villa is another great idea especially if you are traveling with one or more other couples. You each get a bedroom and possibly a bathroom. Kitchens allow you to partake in the local foods and cook a meal. The small hotels and villas allow you to interface with the locals better. Get to know the people, the food and the wine in each area you visit.
The other option we like is to rent someone’s home. In places like Paris and Positano we rented a home. In Paris it was a two bedroom and two bath apartment. We shared it with George’s sister and her husband. In Positano we rented a one bedroom and two bathroom home up on the hill. There were 113 steps to reach this place from the road but the views of the sea were spectacular.
Paris Apartment
View from balcony in Positano
George & Jo Anne
If you have a smart phone or are thinking of getting one and you are planning a trip to Europe, take it with you. We have an iPhone 6 Plus’ and call AT&T before going. AT&T offers reduced call costs in Europe, a data plan for Europe and texting for a fee and it costs only $30/month. The phones work fine. We have had no problems at all. If you are at a hotel with WiFi, you don’t need a data plan and can text other iPhones for free using the WiFi. Some apps that are useful are:
If you get lost just use your map app and plug-in your hotel address (get a card as you leave your hotel). Make sure you have it set to walk not drive (unless you are driving) and get instructions back to your hotel. You can use this to find museums, monuments and gardens as well or just an interesting restaurant.
The subway apps are fantastic. We used the Paris Metro App to find the nearest metro stop to where we were and then to plot a course on the metro to where we wanted to go. It tells you which direction to take train, how many stops to go, which trains to switch to and your final stop. The map app can then pick up from the metro stop to your destination.
Your smart phone becomes your European guide-book but so much more powerful than any book could be. Many apps offer a guided tour through a museum or monument. Make sure you bring your headphones.
What did we do before smart phones? Paper maps were so hard to use!
George & Jo Anne
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