Italy

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Posted by 10102009Bride

We also want to go to Italy

Are you booking everything yourself or using agents? Any recomendations?
Thanks

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We are booking everything ourselves. I spent a lot of time researching flights and hotels but was able to get really good prices. I used booking.com for most of the hotel rooms. We also booked a private walking tour/cooking classes for 6 days/5 nights.

We are spending 3 days in Rome and then we are taking a 12 night Med. cruise. fm me if you want info.
good luck

there are many ways to see Italy that cater to all different price ranges. i have been there twice both seeing italy in very different ways.

if you dont want to do the tourist thing, an option for you might be staying along the Amalfi coast but that will definitely cost way more than 5k. it also depends on how long you plan on staying. hotels will probably be around 200-300 per night.

i have to disagree with the poster who said to stay at a 'known name' hotel this is not true, you can get absolutely amazing hotels with real italian charm without it being a horror. you just need to do your homework and definitely seek out a travel agent. i have a number for one if youre interested, FM me. - i can also recommend a few hotels in rome, florence and venice.

i think the absolutely most affordable way to see italy on a budget it a cruise. carnival is known for having amazing european cruises, not as much as 'the fun ship' as it is here in the US. unfortunately as of right now they pulled all their ships out of Europe for 2010, due to the economy.. this might change so check the website.

a cruise in may will probably cost you anywhere from 700-1200 per person including taxes and port charges. and then expect to pay 600-900 per person for flights. and then spending money. the best thing about the cruise is that it includes all your meals, which can definitely add up, unfortunately it doesnt include alcohol, so factor that in as well.

all in all, i think its totallllllly doable. and i think the best way for you to see italy without being on a strict tour. theres time to relax and enjoy each other while at sea and at night but still see sights during the day.

we plan to go on a cruise as well. we havent decided if we are going to go for a 2 week crusie and thats it or one week and then one week traveling by land. decisions, decisions...

if you have any questions FM me. or if you would like the travel agents name and number let me know!

hth... wow that was long LOL

as for cruise port charges, i think you should jsut call the cruise line and ask them for all the $$ details. get all the 411 before you decide. i know ppl who have done the mediteranean cruise before and I havent heard them complain about unexpected bills, so it cant be that bad. FH and I are actually considering this ourselves (since Australia/New Zealand seems to bee too much )

If you are interested in just driving around and exploring yourself and you are interested in Sicily, FM me. FH and I went last October and it was amazing! We had no idea what was there before we booked, but we loved it. Its definately not as touristy and not as urbanized as mainland Italy, but it is relaxing and gorgeous and wonderful! You can definately see the entire island (and some of the mainland) in like 10 days. We were there for 6 days and saw about 70% of everything. (P.S. We are not even sicilian, just wound up getting a great deal so we went. lol)

HTH!

hi,
I'll be going to Italy for my HM in a couple of weeks! We'll be going to Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast, but unfortunately we spent more than 5K. I think you may be able to pull 5K, but it will be close. A TA did give us a quote for just around 5K late last year at decent hotels, but it did not include transfers between cities.

I would definitely call up some TAs, ask them if they have any packages for your price range and go from there.

Good luck!