-Hi Everyone,
I need some serious help!! I will be traveling for the first time to Italy with my 16 year old daughter in August and we will be doing Italy's great cities tour with Globus tours. I am not sure how much money to take.

1) What is considered reasonable spending money per day including lunch and dinner?
2) Do I take more cash or preferably atm cards, credit cards and travelers checks?

For anyone that has done this tour, is Italy as expensive as everyone tells me? I am really worried concerning the $$$ issue.

Please advise and thank you very much!

Hi,
I am going on my own in August as well, and will be in Europe. I have done extensive reasearch on this topic ( as well as many others) and spoke to some fellows who just got back from travelling to Europe, and one who used to live over there.
They ALL recommend that you rely on cash machines. The exchange seems to be better. You may want to have some travellers cheques as a back up, BUT, be forewarned that most placed do not want to cash travellers checks, and those who do, charge a HUGE fee for cashing them, even the banks charge a huge fee for cashing them.
If you are planning on using your bank card, make sureyou notify you bank that you will be using it in Europe, otherwise they cut off your service for security reasons.
As for the cost and spendng money, depending on how many extra tours you want to take, will decide on how much you wan tto spend. From my understanding, there is so much to see that you do not need to spend a whole lot!

Enjoy!
If you have any other questions, drop me a line

SUE

Thanks nursesue for the information!

When are you going on your trip and what part of Europe are you traveling to?

Hi,
I fly out of Vancouver Canada on August 21st. I am doing the "Traditional Grand European"with Globus. I am going to London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Germany, Swizerland, Austria, Veinna, Venice, Rome, Floerence, Monocco, Lyon and Paris.
Havae you decided what your doing? I have some awesome websites I can hook you up with if you want.

Candygirl,
I have recently done the Traditional Grand European tour with Globus, which included Venice, Rome and Florence. Loved Italy, you will have a ball.
In relation to your query about meals, I would thoroughly recommend the optional dinners / lunches offered - all of the optional meals in Italy were magnificent, and huge meals. Usually cost 50 - 70 euro from memory, but well worth it as you normally get something 'extra' as well as the meal (ie a night tour of Rome, cruise to Burano in Venice etc). . Lunches were not overly expensive in our experience, plenty of places to get something quick and simple for around 5 euro.
Nursesue, I see you are doing the Traditional Grand European - brilliant tour, you really do see an enormous amount in the 19 days. If you have any questions on the tour, please ask.

Brendan,
How long ago did you do the traditional grand tour? I have alot of questions for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,I just got in from work, so I will make my list and
post it in the next day or so

Nursesue,
I did the TGE from 27th April - 15th May this year. I see from your posts you have many of the same questions and worries that I did! My tour was part of a 7 week trip in total, my first overseas venture. Fire away with the questions, happy to help if I can.

Brenden,

I sent you a private message because I had quite a few questions. Let me know if you got it.

Thank you again

Hi Candy,
I sent you a email back from a private email, let me know if that was you

Sue

ATM is best , no extra conversion fee's with most. Check with your card before you leave. They are everywhere and are easy to use.
Meals are as expecsive as you want them to be.
Many fine meals are $ 10 to $20 off the beaten path. If you walk one block away from tourist path you will do much better. Most smaller places are family run and provide execllent value for your money.
If it calles itself RESTURANTIE expect to pay high dollor.
Most have menu's posted outside.. .. ..read before you go in.
In Italy placeds to eat are identified by what they are called.
BAR.. .. .. .. ..sandwiches coffee and cold drinks as well as beer and wiskey
Pizzarea.. .. ..small meals as well as pizza

Look up what names of places to eat are called in ITALY

Candygirl,

I see no one answered your question about "how expensive?" I just got back from a European tour and my answer is it's more expensive than two years ago. The dollar has dropped to about .80 Euros, which is significant.

You will probably spend about 30 to 50% more for meals etc than you would in the US. Think of eating in a convention center or in a ball park, and you will be about in the price range.

The good news is that most places you'll go to will take credit cards, you'll just be paying for your meals longer.. .. .. .

Have a grand time, we did.

Walt C

sorry you had a bad experience. Did you go with GLobus? What does SOTC stand for? Tell us more, you are making us nervius when you say you had a bad time. What was wrong!!!!!