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 Orvietto's magnificent, 13th-century Duomo is one of Italy's grandest cathedrals. The inside features a fresco series begun by Fra Angelico and completed by Luca Signorelli which is said to have influenced Michelangelo when he painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. -- Photo by James Wysotski, CANOE Travel |
As befits a charter member of Tightwads International, I keep careful tabs on travel costs. Every trip notebook -- and I have a drawer full dating back more than 30 years -- records such trivia as paying the equivalent of $2.70 for a light lunch for two in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1989, or shelling out $1.11 per litre for gasoline in France in 1992.
My wife and I used to do most trips on our own. Nowadays, we lean toward escorted tours, where most of the fixed costs are pre-paid. But I still jot down prices for such travel basics as meals and accommodation.
Our most recent holiday was to Italy last spring. I'd been shocked on earlier visits by some of the restaurant bills. Not this time, partly because I'd learned more about what and where to eat, partly because Italians seem to have made some changes of their own.
Most Canadians prefer a light lunch, and Italians appear to be moving in the same direction. The trick in keeping costs down is to avoid full-scale restaurants, where you are expected to order at least two courses, and use cafes, self-serve places and pizzerias.
A typical lunch for my wife and me -- a sandwich or salad, glass of wine, draught beer, plus the taxes and tip that are generally included in the bill -- cost 13 to 16 Euros, about $22-$28 Cdn. Substituting two coffees for the booze would have saved $4 to $5; substituting bottled water, $8-$10.
The popularity of pizza-place food has mushroomed. I didn't see any chains, but found lots of cafes and simpler eating places which also had an oven for making pizza and flavoured bread.
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Supper was usually an appetizer of pasta followed by a meat dish, and the bills ranged from $60 to $85. That included wine and a beer but no dessert or coffee.
Tip: House wine is inexpensive by Canadian standards and it's cheaper per glass if you order a carafe. A quarter-litre of house white at a neighbourhood eatery in Florence, for example, was only 1.80 Euros, about $3.05.
More Italians are drinking beer, which now tastes a lot like our own. Draft, to my surprise and delight, is widely available and cheaper than bottled.
But it's dearer than wine; I paid nearly $7 in Florence for roughly a pint. Liquor in a bar or restaurant is very expensive so take what you can from the duty-free at Pearson and consider replacing it with domestic -- as opposed to name-brand -- over there.
Tip: Italy is still largely a cash society. Many eating places, even big-city ones, don't take credit cards. Avoid embarrassment by checking for card symbols on the door before entering or asking before ordering. ATMs are plentiful, at least in cities, but aren't that reliable. It took three or four tries in Florence before finding one that worked.
Hotel rates, particularly in tourist hot spots, are much higher than here, and the rooms are likely to be smaller and not as well equipped. Our Rome hotel, the San Giorgio, quotes 224 Euros (about $380) for a double with breakfast. It's near the main railway station and gets a lot of tour groups.Visit bettojahotels.it.
In Florence, we used Hotel Silla, a quiet, 35-room hotel on the non-touristy side of the Arno river, about 10 minutes' walk from the Ponte Vecchio. Its charges 170 Euros (about $290) for a double with breakfast and taxes, which is considered reasonable for Florence. Visit hotelsilla.it.
SPECIALTY TOURS
Scotch Whisky Connoisseurs' Tour to Scotland, Sept. 10-24. Contact Ellison tours, 1-800-265-7024 or e-mail lindak@ettravel.com.