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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]
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?
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!
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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!
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