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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Italy tour ..we don't have enough cash?

393 replies

LaDolceVitafor200 · 02/09/2023 13:13

Afternoon!

I have been reading alot of holiday threads here recently which has prompted my own dilemma

Me and friend booked a very cheap Italy tour for 9 days 8 nights leaving next week. It's staying in 4 different Italian cities in basic B and B accommodation, local taxes and breakfast not included. B and B are all outside main towns we are visiting so an hour's travel.

We also have to pay for transport from airport each way , tour is self guided and just includes flights, coach transfers between 4 different cities and B and B

My friend is taking 200 euros and says she won't spend more, I'm getting worried this won't be enough, we also have to pay B and B local taxes etc

AIBU to tell her we both will need more cash , or has anyone been to Italy and found it cheap?!

OP posts:
DNLove · 02/09/2023 15:31

Is someone trolling here today? There's been a couple of these stupid posts of someone go on holiday with €15 for 6 months. Find any of these posts hard to believe, no one goes on holiday with no money.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 02/09/2023 15:33

Of course it’s not enough. Italy is very expensive.

BoobyDazzler · 02/09/2023 15:33

Are you sure she doesn’t mean €200 cash bit intends to spend more on her card? I never really take cash in holiday any more - most places take card.

Strictlyfanoftenyears · 02/09/2023 15:36

Clearly it isnt a cheap package trip..........

Desperatetime · 02/09/2023 15:39

I spent £450 for 4 days there on food and ubers

Scaryghost · 02/09/2023 15:44

We just came back from Italy and spent €200 a day and we had breakfast and evening meal as part of our package! It’s not cheap! Museums etc are not cheap to enter.

Therealjudgejudy · 02/09/2023 15:46

Italy is expensive.

If you dont do a breakdown and explain the costs to her, you will end up subsidising her holiday.

She is completly deluded

menopausalbloat · 02/09/2023 15:46

I'd cancel as it sounds like this holiday will end up costing you a heck of a lot of money.

Stravaig · 02/09/2023 15:47

Local transport, taxes, entry tickets, all food and drinks, anything else she wants or needs to buy ... €200 is only going to last for 2 or 3 days. So if this cash is the entirety of her budget, if she has no card, then you are going to be heavily subsiding her for most of the trip.

Also, who travels into the unknown with no contingency funds available!

My question, is this her ultimate plan, does she have form for being manipulative and using others? I'd be fuming.

Desperatetime · 02/09/2023 15:54

I must add that it didn't include entrance fees to attractions or day trips it was literally just on food and ubers

Desperatetime · 02/09/2023 15:56

That was for 2 of us not each

ploofmamoof · 02/09/2023 15:57

Your friend is an idiot. Unless you're up for subsiding most of her holiday, I'd be pulling out.

Mummyoflittledragon · 02/09/2023 16:04

I can’t believe your friend thinks this. I’d google some prices of cheap restaurants and the cost of food / water at supermarkets. You’ll also need to know opening times to be able to pay these cheapest prices otherwise it will be kiosks etc.

rainbowripples · 02/09/2023 16:05

That’s definitely not enough. I’m going on a 9 day trip to Italy where all transport, breakfast, dinner and evening drinks are included and I was thinking about taking 450 euros - does that sound enough to people? It’s travelling to various locations on the Italian riviera so there won’t be expensive museum entrance fees etc. I’ll just need money for lunch, daytime drinks and souvenirs.

Sgtmajormummy · 02/09/2023 16:09

Hotel tax was €2.50 per person per day last time I checked. Never heard of departure tax…
It’s your transport that’s going to be expensive. Italy is very car-centric and local buses aren’t great. You have to buy tickets from tobacconists unless you’re in a large city, then you might be able to use a QR code on board. Yesterday I paid €15 for an hour and 40 minutes on the train. Taxis are local numbers only, no Uber. I hope you speak some Italian.

Are you over 65? You’d get free entry to museums that way (clutching at straws). But book ahead for whatever you can.

Lovelybeansfromnextdoor · 02/09/2023 16:10

Therealjudgejudy · 02/09/2023 15:46

Italy is expensive.

If you dont do a breakdown and explain the costs to her, you will end up subsidising her holiday.

She is completly deluded

Italy is expensive

Compared to where? The UK?

IcedPurple · 02/09/2023 16:11

Italy is expensive. Particularly so in northern cities like Milan or touristy places. No way will €200 be enough for a holiday of 9 days. Even with accommodation provided, you could get through that in a weekend without being extravagant. €2000 would be more like it.

menopausalbloat · 02/09/2023 16:13

@rainbowripples
You should be fine with that.

Womencanlift · 02/09/2023 16:14

rainbowripples · 02/09/2023 16:05

That’s definitely not enough. I’m going on a 9 day trip to Italy where all transport, breakfast, dinner and evening drinks are included and I was thinking about taking 450 euros - does that sound enough to people? It’s travelling to various locations on the Italian riviera so there won’t be expensive museum entrance fees etc. I’ll just need money for lunch, daytime drinks and souvenirs.

That’s €50 a day, manageable but tight. You will likely be about €20 for lunch (even McDonald’s is more expensive than UK), about the same again for drinks (it is hot so we were buying bottles of water every couple of hours) and then you will have money for souvenirs too

Cramlington567 · 02/09/2023 16:15

I suppose if you were in a backpacker type mindset you could:

Coffee and croissant standing up 3 euros each

Lunch split a baguette and one or two of ham/cheese/olives from supermarket 6 euros each.

Dinner: bottle of cheap wine, pizza al taglio, maybe some fruit. 10 euros each. Sit in the park or beauty spot and watch the sunset.

Take a refillable water bottle and fill throught the day.

That is 19 euros.

Do all sightseeing on foot and no attractions with entry fees. Walking everywhere will make you hungry though.

Doesn't sound like so much fun. Every meal would be a makeshift picnic, no gelato, only one coffee a day.

Reminds me of Simon Wilson and his no money youtube videos. His fallback option was to go to McDonald's and blag a free burger. I would be too embarrassed to try it but if needs must.

RadishAndTwiglet · 02/09/2023 16:15

I am honestly baffled by these posts and feel like it's 1995 again where holiday options in Southern Europe were cheap.

Things have moved on. People need to travel much further afield if they want 200e lasting much more than a day.

I agree. I said it would need 100 a day, but I know DH and I would never manage it for that, or even try. We are not on a tight budget and holidays, for us, are not times to economise. I don't for a minute think it can't be done for much less than we'd spend, but you'd have to plan well, make very different choices on restaurants, use local buses instead of taxis or car hire, forego a cocktail or two before dinner.

But there comes a point where if you aren't prepared (or able) to spend what it realistically costs to get a great experience then it's a complete waste of time even going. And stressful. No-one wants to go through the hassle of travlling to a foreign country just to sit in a budget hotel room night after night eating supernoodles from the hotel kettle, and standing outside famous tourist attractions wishing you could afford the ticket to enter. You'd have a better time by staying at home.

Sgtmajormummy · 02/09/2023 16:16

In a restaurant, pizza, fizzy water and a dessert is €20 MINIMUM.

VickyEadieofThigh · 02/09/2023 16:19

Cramlington567 · 02/09/2023 16:15

I suppose if you were in a backpacker type mindset you could:

Coffee and croissant standing up 3 euros each

Lunch split a baguette and one or two of ham/cheese/olives from supermarket 6 euros each.

Dinner: bottle of cheap wine, pizza al taglio, maybe some fruit. 10 euros each. Sit in the park or beauty spot and watch the sunset.

Take a refillable water bottle and fill throught the day.

That is 19 euros.

Do all sightseeing on foot and no attractions with entry fees. Walking everywhere will make you hungry though.

Doesn't sound like so much fun. Every meal would be a makeshift picnic, no gelato, only one coffee a day.

Reminds me of Simon Wilson and his no money youtube videos. His fallback option was to go to McDonald's and blag a free burger. I would be too embarrassed to try it but if needs must.

How do you "blag a free burger" from McDonalds?

Janieforever · 02/09/2023 16:20

I just googled, it’s 3 - 7 euros per person per night in Rome and 2 -5 euros in the other cities. So they should budget forty to fifty euros for the tax.

airport transfers they will need to catch a train or bus. And make sure they know how to navigate to the b&b. They may not find much English in the burbs , so hopefully they speak some Italian.

im also really surprised anyone would book this without understanding what’s involved or the costs. This is far from a cheap holiday. Staying an hour outside the locations they wish to be in will be beyond painful.

it would be fine if they know what they are doing, are knowledgeable on local transport and areas, and have enough money to travel round and enjoy themselves, but the friend will barely be able to afford to eat. And she certainly can’t afford to visit any main attraction that’s got a cost,. They also need to buy water.

id drop out. Unless the op pays for her, it will be utterly miserable.

Therealjudgejudy · 02/09/2023 16:27

@Lovelybeansfromnextdoor in general. Many of people have pointed that out so not sure why you tagged me.

HTH