Mrs. Toucan, Boston
Age and Occupation: 25, Full-time Research Assistant, Part-time Graduate Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Actuary
Engagement Date: February 18, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: November 07, 2007
Venue: St. Catherine of Genoa, Jin Asian Cuisine Restaurant
About Me: I’m a Gemini to the extreme. On one side, I’m a girly girl. I read countless bridal and fashion magazines, and have an obsession with keeping up with the latest Hollywood gossip. On the other side, I’m a sports fanatic. Despite being a full-time bride-to be, full-time research assistant, and part-time student, I’m also a full-time Red Sox fan from spring training to October, and a full-time Patriots fan from mini-camp to February. I devote almost as much time researching my for fantasy football team as researching for our wedding!
Honeymoon Anxiety
April 3rd, 2008 @ 5:20 pm by Mrs. Toucan
A few months ago, Mr. Toucan and I put down our deposits for our Italian honeymoon. Italy, in my mind, is the most magical and romantic place in the world, and I was finally going to go - and on our honeymoon! We’re planning on spending 11 nights split between here:
Venice [image from here]
Here:
Florence [image from here]
And here:
Rome [image from here]
I’m really, really super excited to go to Italy, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel a little financial anxiety, especially with the US dollar to Euro rate looking like this the past 3 months:
US Dollar to Euro [image source here]
Eeek!
Luckily, we knew that the US dollar was losing value when we booked our trip, so we cut a stop (Amalfi Coast) and a few days off our original planned trip in case the dollar continued to dip. At the same time, I would like to kindly request that the US dollar make a comeback - like, right now.
Anyone else feeling financial anxiety over the decreasing value of the US Dollar?
58 Responses to “Honeymoon Anxiety”
You should never cut the Almafi Coast. That is the pinnacle of an Italian trip. Been countless times and fall in love everytime.
Yes! It’s one of the reasons I’m still on the fence about a medit. cruise. 
Italy! How wonderful! I’m sure it will be splendid and romantic and wonderful!
I’m a little embarrassed to admit, though probably not the only one, but I don’t really understand what it means that the US dollar is decreasing. I know it’s not good, I just can’t get my mind around it. I’m not dumb, just not too swift in the money side of things, which whould make my economist FI groan and shake his head I’m sure.
UGH. So gross. I’m sad to not go to Europe for a while…I just can’t do it. Props for booking early! Italy is so so wonderful, you’ll love it!
We are also going to Italy for our honeymoon! Going to Florence and Umbria, and definitely worried about the dollar. We tried not to go crazy with hotel rates, but I wish we could have booked them at the current dollar rate, instead of the euro! (we pay when we get there at all the hotels). Have a great time and can’t wait to see pics!
Not about the US dollar right now since we’re going to Hawaii, but finances in general are freaking me out right now. We had a scare yesterday where FI’s financial planner said that he actually couldn’t take very much out a certain account that he had planned to. We were relying on that to pay for our honeymoon so we almost, much to our dismay, scrapped teh whole honeymoon (an hour of crying ensued and FI actually teared up a little too!).
After taking another serious look at our finances we decided with a very strategic financial plan over the next 5 months (don’t spend a dime unless absolutely necessary, being our plan) we should be able to save up enough.
any other financial strategies people are using to save up some money???
I’ve done that trip - it’s fabulous!
Keep in mind the Y-axis on that chart you posted. Yes, the $ sucks right now, but it’s only fallen about 4 additional cents to the E in the last several months.
Between the USD:Euro and Alitilia possibly going bankrupt, im freaking out about our Italian honeymoon too!
I just came back from Europe, one of the best things we did was to go to the bank and buy Euros a month before our trip since we saw the dollar going down every month and it didn’t look like it was gonna go back up. Another tip is to use all the coins in Europe, they don’t exchange them for US $ when you get back.
Touc, I share your depression with the sinking dollar.
ErinSea, what it means in a nutshell is that each dollar buys fewer and fewer euros– when the euro came out $1 was worth 1.5 euros, now it’s the exact opposite. So, if something is priced at 10 euros, it meand that it costs $15 dollars– ie. everything costs 50% more
Touc, my biggest suggestion is to STAY AWAY from any restaurant that says “menu touristico”. Get off the beaten path and there are WONDERFUL bargains to be had– as well as awesome food.
In the evenings, look for enotecas (wine shops) that put out a wonderful spread of cheeses, olives, bruschetta, etc. that are free with your purchase of a glass of wine.
If you can, try to learn a little Italian, so you are not stuck with places that only offer menus in English or have English speaking staff. The BBC website has a good free online course (http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian ).
Also, while some of the museums are pricey, there are many that are free or nearly free. Booking in advance and/or getting a multi-site pass saves money too. In Venice, you should get the multi-day vaporetto pass. And while riding in a gondola has a romantic reputation, in truth the water is pretty unsavory and I think taking the vaporetto all the way out to the Lido in the late afternoon and then securing yourself a seat up front for the sunset ride back into the city is far more breathtaking. For the gondola experience at a fraction fo the price, ride one of the stand-up traghetttos that cross the Grand Canal at various points.
I’ll look in my book and email you some more suggestions for Venice and Rome. I haven’t been to Florence yet, but plan to on our trip in November!
Yes-the FI needs to make a trip to the UK in August, and we were hoping to make a vacation out of it. Not happening now. I’m just hoping he can still make the trip-I am disappointed I can’t go too-he’s never been before.:) I am glad you can still have your honeymoon.
We’re going to southern Spain after the wedding. We too are frowning and frowning over the dropping dollar. The big honeymoon is going to cost more now than it would have a year ago but it’s the only time that we’ll really have this opportunity I think. As long as our budget allows some espressos in little villages and many glasses of wine I’ll be happy. I just want to sit and stare at the landscape and watch people go by.
Tell me about it! We are also going to Italy/Greece for our honeymoon (18 days) and the thought of how weak the dollar is very sad. Luckily we were able to use hotel points for all of stay so that helped a lot. I feel your pain (anxiety)….
Argh, yes. We’re going to Madeira (off the coast of Portugal), and I’m worried — we thought our budget would be fine because most things besides lodging wouldn’t be that expensive, but “not that expensive” means something new now.
Ooo how exciting! I just got back from a 9 day trip (where we also got engaged!! :)), where we were in Rome for 7 and Florence for 1 as a day trip. Definitely make reservations ahead of time, for all the major sites!! The lines are a complete headache and the reservations are well worth the extra euros- and they give you more time to see more things!! Also, consider staying in B&B’s- they are often cheaper, cuter, and sometimes (like happened with us!) they’ll give you a free night as a present!
Lastly, be sure to budget more for food than you think… meals are not served as we are used to them (salad, veggies, main course, and whatever all for one price) but each dish by itself- which adds up quickly!!
Good luck, and bring good walking shoes- because you’ll be doing a lot of that! And don’t forget about those nice afternoon naps 
I feel for you ladies who are going to Europe for the honeymoon. Thankfully FI and I did the whole Europe trip (Paris-Venice-Florence-Rome-London) thing a few years ago so my preferred honeymoon destination is Hawaii since I’ve never been =P. But seriously, I thought the dollar was bad back then…who woulda known it’d be so much worse now!! But you can still have fun without breaking the bank =)…we had a great time and stayed in very fairly priced and good quality private lodging with our then student budget. It’s all about that research, research, research!
You know… I think beanchar is a gift from somewhere- she always has such useful/optimistic information! Everything she’s said up there is spot on.
I’m always worried about the conversion rate- I haven’t been earning any euros (:-( ) for over a year, and my American savings is depleting so fast due to the cruddy dollar.
If you would like, I can send you some fantastic and economical restaurant recommendations for Rome. I’ll also be in Florence soon and will look for some great places for you there too…
The best advice I can give you is to hit the bars- which serve everything from cocktails and beer to cafè. Depending on what time of day you go you’ll get free food with your drink order. If you go in the afternoon, get a cafè and it will come with a plate of cakes and cookies (only if you sit down, not stand at the bar! But the difference in the price is nominal). If you go between 6-9 at night it’s Aperitivo time- order a cocktail, and you’ll get a plate of appetizers. All bars are different, but there have been nights were I’ve had one or two drinks, filled up on the finger food goodies, and not needed a full dinner. One of my favourite bloggers, recently did a few great posts on the Italian Aperitivo. Hope you’ll find some useful info here: http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/
Get yourselfs off the beaten path when looking for restaurants. A good general rule is not to go into a restaurant that has an menu in English outside. Trattoria style restaurants are always cheaper. Order pasta, risotto or gnocchi every chance you get (if you like them!). These are all “primi” (firsts) the cheapest, most filling thing on any Italian menu. You should look for restaurants that have a “primi” section comprising of dishes between 6-10 euro. Any more, and you’re paying too much.
At pizzarias you should not pay more than 7 euro for a pizza margarita (5 euro is even more appropriate for a margarita, but where you’re going it will be hard to find!). Pizza makes the perfect lunch or by the slice snack!
Finally- there is no need to tip in Italy. If it seems like someone is expecting a tip, they’re preying on the fact that you’re foreign and may not know better. Don’t tip anyone, except only in the MOST FANCY restaurants where you have a private waiter (not very common, so you probably wont encounter this).
If there’s anything I can help you with or you want recommendations send me a message!
Buon viaggio e buona fortuna!
Grazie mille, carrieitly– molto gentile!
Mio marito ed io erano abbastanza fortunati di habitare in Italia per un anno e sempre renderemo almeno ad un viaggio là ogni anno, non importa come debole il dollaro diventa. Abbiamo imparato come a faccialo “on the cheap” e, onestamente, è la nostra droga!
Dove vivete in Italia?
(mie scuse per l’italiano debole, sono un po “rusty”)
Oh yes, I feel you about the dollar! I’m currently studying abroad in Spain, and I usually withdraw 100€ at a time… and lately I’ve been looking at my online bank statement kind of laughing at how much the dollar was worth when I first got here, compared to how much it’s worth now… although, it’s really more of a sad laugh!
I was told that the prices for shopping here would be amazing before I came here… but, unfortunately, with the dollar dropping, the deals weren’t really as good as I expected… *sigh*.
Such great tips! I second the bits about good walking shoes (SO key) and going off the beaten path for food — food blogs and food columns that write about Italy or highlight it from time to time will have excellent suggestions for all budgets.
The tip about B&Bs is fantastic too. We stayed at a great one in Rome and our hosts, who also happened to speak English, were extremely welcoming and helpful…once we arrived, they sat us down, gave us a map of the city and pointed out the must-see locations, restaurant and bar recommendations, and places off the beaten path for us to check out. I don’t think we would have had as great a time in Rome without their wonderful help (and amazing breakfast). Places like that will definitely be much more accommodating and will go out of their way to help you out vs. a hotel or hostel.
Also do some research on museums and see if there is a way to get discounted fees (booking online, arriving on a certain day…). You can even get into some for free at certain hours on certain days.
I miss Europe!
I too second that request for the US dollar to come back up. We just moved to Canada from the US and while we’re making “more” money here now based on the exchange rate (yay!), the money we had saved and saved and saved in the US is now worth tons less if we move it up here (BOO).
Wow beanchar and carrieitly..that is some of the BEST advice I’ve ever read!
We are planning on doing Europe (london/paris) in Dec. But FI’s parents are going in Sept! I’m definitely passing this info to them too!
Do you two have blogs?? Great info! THANKS!!!
The whole thing sucks big time. My husband and I are going to Spain in May to eat at at the famous El Bulli restaurant. The meal will be expensive as is, but with the dollar going down, it’s going to be even more expensive. Ugh..
karebearlbc, if you want to email me at beanchar@hotmail.com, I will send you the little guide that mr beanchar put together for some friends traveling to Italy for the first time.
Also, I didn’t mention it above b/c it sounds like Touc already has her reservations, but if they are going to be in one place for any length of time, your ILs should look into “self-catering apartments”. Basically you can get a whole apartment for less than the price of a hotel room.
You have the added benefit of being able to cook a meal or two at home– and enjoy the fun of going to one of the glorious Italian markets. There are even ones that only require a single night stay– we booked a great one in Verona when we went to the opera there.
beanchar, you’ve got mail-;-)
thanks so much!!!!
even more of a reason for me to feel better about my minimoon which will be right here in the US of A.
though i must admit that it wasn’t even a year ago when the mention of a honeymoon came up and i didnt retort that i would settle for nothing less than a destination that required a passport….sigh..
I feel your pain!
I am actually planning my destination wedding on the Amalfi Coast, specifically Positano. Our honeymoon includes the Capri Islands and Rome and only Venice, if the value of the dollar goes up.
I DO cringe everytime I hear the value of the dollar is weakening. ugh, but just remember, your honeymoon is only once, although may make a financial strain for a bit, those memories last forever.
Add me to the list of Italy-honeymoon planners getting more and more distressed about the dollar!
Beanchar, we have always been planning to do a self-catering apartment (after doing that in Paris years ago it’s now my favorite way to travel). Do you have a recommendation for a good apt. agency for Italy (probably Siena, Bologna or Rome but we’re open to location)? For anyone headed to Paris, I used http://www.lodgis.com and they were great . . . tons of photos of each apt. so you can check everything out and pick your favorite.
Congratulations on booking your honeymoon! Italy is amazing, you’re going to have a great time. I just went with my best friend and it was magical - I imagine it will be even more so on your honeymoon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a rise in the value of the dollar.
I lived in Italy for a few months, and have been back twice. It is my favorite place in the world! Just for the sake of romance, I would cut Rome down in time and go to Amalfi, Cinque Terre, or Tuscany instead…it is so incredibly romantic and special. Rome is really a very big city, and while it has it’s small romantic spots…it’s a big dirty city and isn’t nearly as romantic as the smaller more charming towns.
Rome is a gem in its own way, so if you go to Rome, be sure to plan another trip back to do the romance locations. It’s the most beautiful country in the world!
I’m Italian and I think you booked a beautiful honeymoon, but you have to pay attention to the prices here. Naples (Capri) is, for example, cheaper than Venice. Venice is very expensive also for us! In Rome I love Trastervere, an area similar to a small town. If you need any information, email me! I will be happy to help a wb!
My FI and I planned and thoroughly researched an Italy trip about a year ago (before we were engaged actually). Those plans fell through because my grandma was very ill at the time and I was scared to leave the country in case she passed away.
Anyhoo, now that we are engaged, we originally thought we would dust off those Italy itineraries and start booking….until the dollar fell into the toilet completely. Ultimately we’ve decided on Seattle, Victoria & Vancouver but we will go to Italy SOMEDAY…*le sigh*
And here is a little tip for anyone that I picked up from a lady at my local Italian restaurant. I don’t know your itinerary but if you are going to Capri on this trip (via Naples) you should skip it and go to Ischia (pronounced ISS KEE UH) instead.
It is a little island nearby Capri and apparently it is amazing like Capri without all the tourists. This is the island the local Italians go to on vacay. Its big claim to fame is being gorgeous and having a ton of natural hot springs. All the swimming pools there are heated by these hot springs and beauty and health and relaxation spas abound.
omg!! I’m visiting London and Paris (in Paris now) right now, and while I love being here, I shudder every time my tummy rumbles. And it has been difficult turning my head away from the shops along the Champs Elysees. The exchange rate is kicking our butts!!! But still loving Paris!!
Touc, if between venice and florence you’ll stop at bologna give me a call ok?
beanchar is our official weddingbee ambassador for italian tourism in the US, everything she and carry said is absolutely perfect.
i hope you’ll enjoy my country as much as I enjoy ti!
ciao ciao!
@Lori: I didn’t want to cut Amalfi, but having never been to Italy, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, we wanted to do the classics.
@beanchar: Thanks for the advice!!! I really appreciate it. I really wanted to look into learning a little Italian, but I’m not quite sure I have the time for it. Maybe lessons on tape 
@carrieitly: Thanks for your advice too! You gals are really fantastic! I definitely consider myself a foodie, so any restaurant recommendations would be FAB! Thanks for the blog link too! I’ll be sure to check it out!
@Lalitaly: Mr. T really wants to stop by Bologna! He always hears how amazing the food is there! We’re not sure we have the time or budget to stop, but we’ll see!
Again, thanks everyone for your advice and comments!
Hi Miss Toucan,
I am from Europe and used to travel once a month to Venice for work. I can recommend you to stay away eating out at tourists area especially for Venice. Even off the beaten path I once paid 5 Euros for a can of coke at a restaurant. I was with a co-worker and luckily it was a company paid meal but we both ordered two cans and it costs me close to 30 dollars just for 4 cokes. Be also careful. Sometimes the tourists areas charge additional fees just to add veggies or rice to your meal. We ordered fish and it just came out plane with lemon and no side dish. The waiter told us that it was not included.
Oh and usually they have a coperto charge which is just a few bucks just to actually sit down to eat. You will see it once you get the bill.
Also for Venice: hotels are very highly priced. The rooms are very very tiny and do often not give you the comfort of a US motel. Expect to pay around 300-400 dollars a night for a room in Venice. Do not book any Mestre hotels if you are not staying very long since the public transportatation connection is especially at night time so so. I have stayed at very horrible 3 and even 4 star hotels in Venice, company paid and I am from Europe so my expectations weren’t even high.
From all of my hotel experiences that I had in Venice the following one featured with a link on my website was by far the best and most romantic place and in addition it was reasonably priced. You can check it out at
If you want to keep the costs down you should try to rent a private appartment. We did that last year when going to Rome and it was way cheaper and much better than any hotel. Plus you get to experience the real italian life.
If you want to book a hotel especially in Venice make sure to check out the reviews under tripadvisor. They are really reliable. Have a great time. Venice is worth every penny!
your sight selection is already very nice! but if you travel by train from venice to rome bologna is a stop in the middle. i think it is worth a lunch. the food here really is fantastic (i gained a lot since i moved here infact!). and it is cheaper if you stay away from the city center, i can give you some “osterie” names
I’m actually honeymooning until june 16 (thayland for me, yuppi!!) but would be pleased to help anyway.
drop a mail at laura underscore igor at libero dot it if need anything!
ciao!
Me too, me too! We’re going to Rome and the Amalfi Coast in early July and I am just cringing over the weak dollar. Fortunately, our ground transportation and activities were pre-paid through our travel agent so if the US$ tanks between now and July, we’re ok. BUT, not on hotels — we dont’ pay for those until we check out! Which of course, is the most expensive aspect of our trip. I’m hoping to subsist on gelato, risotto and cheap chianti to keep food costs down
Absolutely. In fact, we cancelled our idea of honeymooning in Italy (the Amalfi Coast, too) and have decided to go to the Caribbean.
These things come in waves, and Italy will always be there, so we’re looking forward to a romantic anniversary trip there someday… just not right now.
If you have the chance, check out these two restaruants in Florence: Aqua al Due, Il Latini and ZaZa. All will get you AMAZING meals at decent prices - Latini might be a little more pricey. They are all pretty romantic places as well - have your hotel concierge make reservations if possible. Buon viaggio!
Ooh, I’m so jealous! I did almost exactly that trip (Venice-Florence-Rome in 10 days) with my college roommate and it’s so fabulous. Ever since I’ve dreamed of walking the streets of Florence with my one and only. Unfortunately, when I met him he’d already seen Italy and really likes going new places on vacation. I’m working on convincing him that I will simply die if we never see Tuscany together
I’m in the middle of a two-month work-related trip to the UK and the dollar’s slide is so depressing. Thank god I’m getting reimbursed for all of this, this country is crazy expensive. (Although actually, the dollar-to-pound ration is about the same as it was last time I was here, in 2005 — British banks and US banks have such close ties I think the currencies tend to go up and down together. But it was expensive in 2005 too!)
Ooh, we did Rome/Venice/Florence for our honeymoon. It was the best trip of my life — so gorgeous, such amazing food (I swear, we did nothing but eat).
Most of the time, we just wandered around and did sightseeing on our own, but for some things (ex: the Vatican Museums, the Uffizi and Accademia in Florence), we booked our tours/tickets in advance and it was a HUGE help. It eliminated a lot of standing in line. I recommend selectitaly.com. They were extremely helpful, and when one of our tours in Florence was canceled due to a big event at the site, they emailed us to let us know and had refunded our money before we even know the site was closed for the day. In Rome, we also did a few walking tours with Discover Rome and they were great (very knowledgeable, English-speaking tour guides who were passionate about Rome and its history).
In Florence, I highly recommend Festival del Gelato. A friend of mine recommended it to me, and I thought, “Gelato is gelato,” but no, after we tried it, we went back every day until we left Florence. The best gelato I had in Italy.
I want to go back now.
How did you all book your Italy vacations? Did you do it yourself, use a travel agent or use a internet company that packages the vacation for you? Anyone used go-today.com to book a vacation? We’re wanting to do those 3 cities too but didn’t know the best way to book. Thanks for your help.
@Tracy: I used a travel agent for a couple of reasons.
1. Mr. Toucan and I don’t really know all that much about Italy.
2. We were visiting multiple cities, so it could get a little tricky.
3. It didn’t cost us any extra for someone else to do the work for us (TAs get paid referral commission from the places we booked).
I was in London recently and was quite taken aback by the undervalued dollar. As a rule, I could easily look at a price in London in euros), and double the cost for dollars.
Yes, I am too! FI and I are going to Greece and Paris next month for our honeymoon and we’re a bit nervous about how much credit card debt we’re going to wrack up while we’re there. Luckily we booked everything months and months ago, so we got better rates that what they’re offering now (especially on our hotel in Paris!), but it’s definitely still a worry. I’ve scoped out all the open air markets in Paris to get our wine, cheese, and breads for picnics. I wish I had the forsight and stocked up on Euros when we first decided to go to Europe. At least we’d be a little better off than we are now.
But at least we’ll have some amazing pictures and memories when we return from our expensive European getaways! And maybe I’ll splurge on something crazy while I’m there after a few glasses of wine!
Sucks about the declining dollar value!! GRRR! My FI is English, and the pound is seriously pounding the dollar (ha, ha - if only it were funny)! Makes it tough for when we go visit. Makes it really stink for your honeymoon - but I think you can’t beat Italy and it’s gonna be “amatzi”, even if you have to be more careful w/ your money.
We’re doing these three cities for our honeymoon in October, too! We’ve found a great place (I hope) in Rome, but we’re still trying to find something affordable and elegant in Venice. Florence will be a little easier, I think. I might email you, too, beanchar, if you don’t mind!
Sure, Mollie (and anyone else)– email away!
Amy H, I have tried to post a reply with a link and it keeps disappearing (not going into mod, just gone). For self-catering apartments, try
Homelidays. homelidays.com
We’ve used the site and had great experiences.
@beanchar: Grazie mille a lei! Sono molto fortunata! Italia e una delle mie droghe-e Irlanda e l’altra! Sono felice che vieni spesso in Italia!
Noi viviamo in Giulianova, in Abruzzo (lungo la costa Adriatica).
Il tuo italiano è buono! Il mio è pessimo!
@karebearlbc: Thanks! Hope it helps! I sent a looong old email to Toucan with other tips- if you’d like I can forward it on to you! Let me know! I don’t have a blog, but would love to start one, loving sharing!
@pasadena: Completely agree with you about Trastervere. Check it out!
@Lalitaly: Ciao dall’Abruzzo!
@Shannon: Festival del Gelato rocks my world!
@Mandymorgan: In London you would have been using British Pound Sterling, which is approximately two pounds to the dollar. The euro is a bit better, but still sucks at about 1.60euro to a dollar.
Check out http://www.xe.com for the best place to track currency changes.
Anyone looking in to booking their hotel for Rome- PLEASE check out Hotel Raffaelo! http://www.hotelraffaello.it/ It’s in a great area, very reasonable prices, and the concierge/manager, Gianfranco Carocci is incredible. I booked my company there for a Christmas trip and this man took care of us so well! He has great restaurant recommendations and the hotel is very clean, with friendly staff. It’s a boutique hotel too, so the rooms have lots of character, and the decor is fantastic. I will always stay here when I’m in Rome!
hi! i just got back from that EXACT itinerary! just one thing - in venice, some restaurants charge you by the GRAM so the price in the window is per gram - you can see where many tourists walked away pissed off! (luckily, our cute b&b owner warned us beforehand - which brings me to - check out the B&B Fujiyama! Run by a SUPER nice owner and is in a great location, close to a water bus stop and at $100, can’t beat the price - and super clean! and breakfast too)
oh and i definitely agree with shannon - we bought everything in advance and wasted no time in line! it was great! especially do it for the uffizi!
sorry - more venice advice to keep costs low is to ask for the closest grocery store - we bought lunch there everyday - a bottle of water, small salad, and a panini came out to 5 USD!
yup we are going to Ireland and doing a self-tour around the country. We are so afraid we won’t be able to afford the gas to actually make it to all the places we want to go. Also because we are going it on our own, we have to budget for food and the additional charges of renting car while under 25. Really sucks!
@Melissa: make sure to rent either a compact or a diesel, and don’t pay the $$$ for an automatic if either of you can drive stick. The charge for an automatic car in Europe is about triple that of a standard.
When I lived in Ireland I had a teeny Toyota Yaris. I would take it on road trips and could make it all over the country (literally, Dublin to Galway, Galway to Cork, Cork to Waterford, and back up to Dublin) on less than two tanks.
talk about honeymoon anxiety..we have a big trip planned to hawaii and then to some of the nt’l parks in the northwest, and so far TWO of our flights have been canceled b/c the airlines have ceased operations!! I’ve had to file disputes w/ the credit card company, and figure out how to rebook legs of flights.. agh! What a PITA.
hi, i just got back from our belated honeymoon to paris, venice, florence, and rome 2 days ago. we paid for our trip and all the tours in advance in dollars, which helped a lot. yes, the weak dollar does make things expensive!!!!! but we managed by eating at the restaurants where the locals eat which was cheaper with better food. instead of exchanging for euros here in the states, withdraw them from an atm when you’re there. you’ll get the best exchange rate for the day. also, check your credit card conversion fees for each transaction–visa is usually 1% but beware of added fees by the credit card company. we had a wonderful time and i’m sure you will too! venice was absolutely breathtaking!
That’s a great point given by Kim above. Certain credit cards will add on a charge - one of mine was 3%!! - for any foreign transactions. IMO that’s total BS. Call your credit card companies and find out what their foreign charges fee is. Last time I went to England only Capital One didn’t add on that fee. But check, b/c it’s ridiculous to have to pay 3% of your foreign charges just because.
