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Planing a trip to Italy

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Alexander69, Jan 29, 2013.

  1. Alexander69

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    Ok as the title says I am planning in going to Italy alone or with a frend or maybe boyfriend by them. Anyways my parents like I've said many time have cut me off which I don't care anymore I don't want their money I'm working now anyways I have never planed a trip on my own ive gone on tons but never planed any. Anyways I was looking at the cost if travel packs and OMG I never realized how much things were like I never paid for things myself you are and I never cared how much anime thing was but now that I'm working my first job and its not paying a lot...... OMG and I went and looked at the cost of first class, executive what vet you want to call it flights and I was like are you shitting me..... I always fly first class seats and when I saw how much they cost I almost crapped. Like I make $10.25 an hour so like I can't afford that that's the first time I've ever said that :O ANYWAYS I saw a travel pack to Italy for 2 weeks in September for $3,435 that's the flights and hotel for 2 weeks now to me that's seems like an awesome deal oh ya I want to go to Florence but ya it sounds like a good price now like I said I've never planed a trip or ever inquired on how much it costs so I'm posting this asking if this travel package is a good price? I heard they have group travel? Like you go with a group or something and its cheaper? If anyone has any knowledge on this stuff HELP :frowning2: :slight_smile: because I really want to go but I don't want to alone and if I do ask my parents to pay for it.... Well they would just plan that as our vacation in September idk if they already planed a trio for them I don't know I don't ask and they don't tell me till the week before. But then I also feel bad because tha is our only family time together is vacations so UGH I'm mind fucking myself right now!! But ya if you know if the travel package sounds good ley me know THANK YOU! And I don't even know if I will make enough myself to go yet :O
     
  2. fuzzyfeet

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    Welll generally that's not like a terrible price if it includes flights and hotels-- cause 2 weeks in Italy is actually a pretty long time and also plane flights are getting super expensive now. But if you're making 10.25 an hour it will take ALOT of hours to save up for that!! And I would suggest taking a friend with you unless you've traveled by yourself before and know what that's like.
    Also Florence is a gorgeous beautiful place so go there any way you can!!
     
  3. Rexmond

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    Italy? Sounds awesome. Loads of good looking, hairy men there. In fact 1 of 2 teachers whom I find attractive is from Italy. :astonished:

    Must be scary doing something big like this on your own for the first time! I would definitely go with a friend and/or bf. I think in the UK, flights are cheaper but I don't know for 2 lengths time. Hope you do find a solution though, and have a good time! Sorry I couldn't help.
     
  4. Live Love Smile

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    Italy is amazing. Have you ever heard of EF Tours? That's what my school went with.
     
  5. robclem21

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    Don't forget the price of food for 2 weeks and travel once you get there... and anything else you want to do while you are there. Hotel and flight are only half of the costs you will have to consider
     
  6. BudderMC

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    ^ to add onto that, you'll want to make sure you have even MORE money than you'll think you'll need.

    Worst case scenario: being stuck in a country with a language you don't speak and no money to your name. Easily avoided with lots of extra cash in your pocket. A credit card is also probably a good idea, for emergencies.

    And you can save a ton of money by not staying in the nicest hotels or flying first class. Seriously - calculate the difference between the standard options and the most luxurious options, then decide for yourself whether those hundreds of dollars is worth it or not.
     
  7. Harve

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    [YOUTUBE]eKFjWR7X5dU[/YOUTUBE]

    Except Canadian, less coherent and with bad paragraphing.

    (sorry)
     
  8. starfish

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    I think it will be good for you to pay for the trip yourself. Gives you a goal to work toward, and the satisfaction of paying for it yourself.

    Where traveling with another can save money is on the hotel. If you share the room you can split the cost.

    Also don't be afraid to stay in the cheaper hotels, all hotels look the same once you close your eyes.

    I once got an upgrade to First Class for $25. It was nice, but I don't think it is at all worth what they charge for the seats.
     
  9. Harve

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    P.s., despite my comment it is actually a really good idea and I don't see how basically anyone wouldn't benefit from travelling to almost anywhere.
     
  10. castle walls

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    I would say that price you found isn't too bad.

    That is a great point! When I traveled to Italy, I spent more money than I thought I would.

    Italy is a beautiful country! I think you'll really enjoy it
     
  11. Alexander69

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    Coherent? What's I don't get it?
     
  12. Ben

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    Florence is expensive. If you want to travel and live in luxury, then you're going to need to spend a hell of a lot of money. Also, do take someone with you, preferably someone who speaks Italian—Italian public transport is difficult to navigate.
     
  13. Rakkaus

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    I spent a semester in Italy in 2011, living in Rome and traveling though mostly Southern Italy and Sicily.

    Anyway, I agree with the others that you should not be wasting money on first-class airfare or fancy hotels. Fly economy class (coach), stay in a hostel or affordable hotel. You're learning the value of money now and seeing that there are better ways to spend it.

    Do you just want to stay in Florence? If you're in Italy for two weeks, you might prefer to travel to a bunch of different places within the country. Do you speak Italian? If not you can try studying up a bit before you go. At least bring a phrasebook though.

    Italy is a beautiful country, of course, though quite diverse by region. Southern Italy and Sicily are warmer and more Mediterranean in culture, while Northern Italy is more European in climate and culture.


    While you can maybe find a tour group, traveling by yourself in Europe is entirely doable. I went to Austria by myself for like two weeks, stayed in a cheap hotel in Vienna which provided a nice breakfast each morning, walked everywhere, and planned everything out on my own, booking just a few tours to sites like Seegrotte and an excursion to Salzburg. By eating a big free breakfast each morning, I was able to save money and not eat again until the evening.
     
  14. Oddish

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    I'm telling you right now, if you don't speak the language, you will be lost. Completely. Also, travelling is always expensive one way or another.. but others have already mentioned that. Also remember you need your passport and visa, too. Without that, say byebye to the Italy trip or even exiting the borders of Canada. And that can take months to get.

    I was in Sicily and the southern Italy region almost seven years ago, so I don't remember it too vividly but my mother had a hell of a time trying to navigate around. If it weren't for my dad (who speaks Italian fluently), we would've been pretty lost. I wouldn't recommend travelling alone, ever.. especially in a country where English isn't spoken very commonly.
     
  15. Rakkaus

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    Well now, that's a bit too general of a condemnation. Traveling alone isn't for everyone, but it can be rewarding for some. It depends on the individual and the place we're talking about.

    I wouldn't recommend anyone go alone to say, Russia or the Middle East or Africa. But Western Europe can be alright, as long as you stick to centres of cities rather than go wandering into slums or rural areas. I would've been way overwhelmed trying to do St. Petersburg or Moscow on my own, but I got the most out of cities like Rome, Vienna, and Siracusa when wandering out on my own.

    You have to just be resourceful and able to adapt quickly to situations. I went to Vienna all by myself, I didn't speak German, I got lost frequently, and I didn't even have a cell phone or anything if I needed it, just a backpack and some maps. If the thought of wandering aimlessly around an unfamiliar city in the dark of midnight trying to find your way back to your hotel sounds like something you just wouldn't be able to deal with, then don't travel alone. If you start to panic then there's nobody to bail you out, the only person you can depend on is you.

    And I found ways to be resourceful and save money that were never even thought of when traveling with my parents as a child. When I booked my hotel, they offered to have a car pick me up from the airport for like 75 euros. No way. Instead I took the cheapest train from the airport for 3 euros and walked the few blocks from the train station to the hotel. I pretty much walked everywhere, as walking long distances doesn't bother me. If you don't like to walk, then make additional preparations for how you're going to get around and set money aside for that.

    Now if you're a girl obviously there are unfortunately some additional safety considerations to keep in my mind. But I did my solo trip at age 20, I'm a quarter-inch short of 5'7, a bit under 120 lbs, not physically intimidating at all. I didn't really have any problems. One time when I was on the outskirts of Vienna I had this creepy little guy, looked South Asian of some sort, follow me telling me to give him money. I just ignored him and walked briskly, didn't look back, until I got back to the city centre. Again, if you're likely to panic and breakdown in that sort of situation, then traveling alone isn't for you.

    But solo travel really can be entirely rewarding in its own right. You get to see a lot of things, you're in total control of what you're doing, and at the end you have a feeling of accomplishment.
     
  16. prism

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    Is everyone ignoring the fact that he's planning a luxurious vacation after being financially cut off by his parents and working a $10.25/hr job...?

    It's time to be an adult and open up a savings account.
     
  17. photoguy93

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    Ok, here's my real world approach -

    Ask your parents if this is something that you ABSOLUTELY want to do.

    Besides that, you have A LOT Of things to factor in.

    First, I wouldn't do a package deal unless it is part of a travel company and you will get use out of that.

    If you just want to go with friends, then find a cheaper hotel or a place to stay. You can split the cost up.

    But you must get "luxury" out of your mind. It isn't happening. It won't happen. On 10.25 an hour, you would have to work for months and months. And do you have other bills? Or other incidentals?

    Then, you need to consider a whole list of expenses. (Just wanting to be real.)

    How are you getting to the airport? Once you arrive there, what about getting from the airport to your hotel? A lot of times, the airport is not in the city, or even connected to the city.
    What about health insurance? Does your insurance cover out of the country expenses? What if something happens? I know some people will say "oh, I never get sick." That's nice - but what if you do?
    Food. You have to eat! And mind you, things are more expensive when traveling abroad. On top of that, you'll probably be eating out, unless you have a place to stay that has a kitchen. I know that when I was in France, I probably spent 30-40 dollars on each dinner, easily. And there's breakfast and lunch! And you can't say "well, I won't eat." That's just stupid - you need the energy.
    Then, you do have to find a place to stay. That costs a ton. You do need to be safe!
    Tours? Seeing the sites? That costs, too!
    What about souvenirs? Come now, you'll want to bring your friends back some stuff!

    I didn't go hog wild when I was in France, and I'm pretty sure I spent 750-1000 American Dollars, in between food and souvenirs and everything else. It sounds like a ton, but over 2 weeks. And that only translates to about 500-700 Euros. So for a trip, that's a pretty fair amount.
    But the trip itself cost about 3500 dollars. So, in total, my family spent close to 5000 dollars for a two week school trip.

    I was planning a trip with friends. My friend, I said was for a reason.

    This trip is NOT possible.

    You cannot make this work right now. Once you work a lot, you will learn.

    What I would say is that you need to start small. Save up. Plan a roadtrip so you can see what it's actually like.

    Best of luck!
     
  18. starfish

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    I non-concur with that he should forget about this because he dosen't make a lot of money.

    He dosen't make a lot of money so he'll have to work his ass off and save his money to make it happen. I think that it is good for young people to learn to set a goal and work to it.

    I am not very familiar with Canadian tax rates, but I'll assume an effective tax rate of 20%, and another 20% for transportation and misc expenses. He is looking at about 570 hours of labor to pay for the trip. If he works 15 hours a week that will take about 9 months. So September could happen, but highly optimistic. I think September next year, is the earliest realistic target.

    Now Alexander, I know I wasn't that smart with money when I was your age. I spent every dime I could get my hand on and then some. Now your fancy car, and clothes, and lotions don't impress me. If you pull this off and pay for this trip with money you earned yourself it will impress the hell out of me. I am already impressed you went and got a job.

    Good luck.
     
  19. Gerry

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    I think this will definitely take some time to save up for it. It's probably best to go with someone else, going alone that far on your own and to a foreign country might not be the best idea, especially since you can get lost easily. Don't worry to much about flying first class. So long as you get there that's the main thing. Also, try for a cheaper hotel if you can and do some research on them online. If you're planning on going to Italy for two weeks, I recommend you check out a few different cities if you can. Brushing up on Italian will be very helpful, especially while using the public transportation.