Calling Mumsnet - Italy prices

[iklboo]

Hello ladies (and gents) - we're off to Jesolo next month on a half board basis. I was wondering if anyone had a rough idea about prices of a pint / bottle of beer, glass / bottle of wine and a rough guesstimate for lunch for me, DH & DS (not McLunch or British Caff 'n chips' Abroad, I mean) ?

Many thanks

And DH has just asked about one of those pre-loaded holiday money 'debit' card things - are they any good? We don't want to use credit cards or our bank cards abroad

I live in Italy. The south. Non touristy. Everything (and I mean everything) is up to 3 times more expensive than the UK.

So prepare yourself for tourist hot spots like Jesolo. Unless it's the pictures on a laminate card type of place that obviously you want to avoid. You need to find the places where the locals eat, trouble is in places like Jesolo there aren't many locals!

Just asked dp (ex chef who has worked in touristy places) he reckons you're talking 20 euro a head minimum for a tourist fixed menu kind of thing where you would be offered a choice of 2 different pasta dishes as a "primo" followed by a piece of fish and salad/chips or a breaded chicken breast etc with the same. You'd definitely be better off doing that, than going a' la carte and most of those type of menus will throw a jug of house plonk in as well. Like in the UK, unfortunately, you'll be paying extra for that bottle of water, can of coke etc.

Don't know about the pre-loaded cards. Italians use them a lot when they go abroad but don't know about within Italy.

There are a couple of MNers in the Little Italy topic who are further north than me (put a call out maybe for Rosa- she is probably the nearest to where you are going) and may have been.

20 euro a head for 3 courses and wine - cheaper than anywhere near me

Great, thanks for the ideas ladies.

But would you want three courses for lunch?

Be prepared to pay a cover charge as well.

Everything is 3 times more expensive???

that's certainly not my experience as a tourist. I'd say that eating out was marginallly cheaper than the UK. We've been to Tuscany a couple of times, Rome and Garda. We deffo don't eat 3 course lunches but you can get by at a reasonable price. Beer is expensive in restaurants, imho, but wine less so.

"I'd say that eating out was marginallly cheaper than the UK."

I think that depends on where you live. Compared to eating out in South Yorkshire Italy is much more expensive.

Well, I'm certainly not in a rich part of the country. Just saying what we found.

Probably won't be wanting 3 courses for lunch - maybe main and a pud. Something like €10 a head ish?

We tip when we eat out in the UK so a cover charge (unless it's over 10%) wouldn't be a deal breaker.

I think prices for food are comparable. Most pub meals around my way go between £8 and £13. Which is how much it seems to be in most of Europe. They do have set price meals more often which are good value. Wine is cheaper. Beers are more expensive. Spirits cheaper.
In terms of fast food eat what they have most of. In Rome it's filled rolls, in Venice it was pastry type things.these were the cheapest options respectively.
Buy soda from vending machines. Cheaper than bars and supermarkets even and ice cold.

Never used one of those pre loaded things. What happens if it gets pinched?

I take cash out of a cash point. I hide some of it in the room and take out what I need.

You don't need to tip in Italy apparently although feels rude not to.

Cheeses - apparently you call the travel company you got it from, they stop the card & PIN and courier you a new one out to your hotel.

Thank you - wine & spirits it is then . As long as I can get huge feck off bags of crisps in the shop for snacking on when I get wine munchies, that'll do me

The hotel has a snack bar / cafe but I was thinking of getting 'out & about' in the resort a bit more.

Now - red or white?????

I went to Italy ( touristy area albeit in the north) last summer and didn't find it expensive, particularly not 3 times more so than the uk.

When we travel we often use cards abroad as we would at home (tell your bank first if you are not a frequent traveller) but an alternative is to use a debit card occasionally to withdraw cash from ATMs. The exchange rates can be quite good and it's an easy way to keep track go what we are spending.

We were in the far south of Italy last summer and it was massively cheaper than UK for eating out

We holiday at my husband's parents place near Jesolo every year and it's not that expensive. Cheaper than the UK for sure. Most cafe/bar type places will do ham and cheese toasties, panini or tramezzini which is adequate for lunch. Beer by the glass is a couple of euros as is wine. The only thing that's expensive are more British drinks like gin, vodka etc. And it's a must to try Spritz with aperol.

We're off to Lido di Jesolo for the first time in a few weeks - staying towards the east of the resort. Would love to hear any tips or recommendations from iklboo if you're still reading this.

As a family we found italy expensive for eating out, there was a cover charge pp of around €2/3, which added up for 5 of us, minerals were expensive, wine was dirt cheap.
Supermarket food was cheap, things like plasters, compeed range were dirt cheap.
Taxis were even more expensive than here in Ireland. Gelatos were delicious approx €1.50/€2. Cakes in bakery's extortionate.

For lunches pizzas are fabulous and very cheap €6/€7.