Flights
Ryanair and EasyJet are the go to budget airlines specially if you want to fly from Bristol but actually British Airways offer competitive flight prices and a more extensive destination list with a more generous cabin carry on baggage allowance, only thing is flying from Heathrow but meet and greet prices are pretty good if you want to drive or good old National Express from Bristol Bus & Coach station always delivers.
https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb/
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
Have used this airport parking site a few times and so far so good https://www.ezybook.co.uk/
Trains
For train travel around Italy the best site to use to book tickets and check out timetables is TrenItalia….a lot cheaper than UK trains and always on time 🙂
https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Car Rental
Renting a car in Italy can be quite expensive compared to other countries in Europe but if you book early enough you will find available deals. We have used many providers in the past but DoYouItaly has been by far the best and cheapest.
If you are intending to drive a lot of miles then I would recommend taking out the damage excess waiver insurance which is usually only a few euros a day. I say this because some of the roads in Italy can be quite rough and dare I say some with more potholes than English roads !
Remember the more direct routes via the motorways will mean paying toll fees whereas if you prefer more scenic routes which will take longer then these are toll free.
Accommodation
Always worth a visit to TripAdvisor to check out reviews and guest photos rather than the accommodation owner’s photos. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/
Booking.com is our go to site to book accommodation as many properties can be booked with no upfront payment, small deposits or full payment at property options. Also many offer free cancellation should your circumstances change. Booking.com now also allows flight and taxi booking so everything is on one site.
A definite tip is to book early and if you find somewhere you like with free cancellation then BOOK IT… you can always cancel later if you wish but at least you have reserved the accommodation before it becomes unavailable. www.booking.com
Another tip is to email the accommodation direct if they have a website as they will often beat the Booking.com prices, so they save on admin fees and you save on your stay…everyone’s a winner !
We have also used Airbnb which has at times provided some really good deals, many accommodations offer a pay deposit now then pay in full later option. A good tip I think is to also select a Super Host if you can so you have a level of reliability and confidence when you book. www.airbnb.co.uk
All the above sites are also available on Apps for your mobile and a great travel companion app is Rome2Rio which will give you every option for travel from one point to another anywhere in Europe and beyond using train, bus, taxi, metro and even walking ! https://www.rome2rio.com/
Money
If you need cash then you all know the places to get your Euros, Dollars, etc. but for ease and security I recommend the Monzo card and app. It’s free to apply for with no fees and is one of the best cards to use when abroad. Use like a normal visa or mastercard when buying meals, drinks, goodies, etc and pay no charges. You only pay the exchange rate and can even withdraw cash at ATMs without charges.
I like it because there is no overdraft facility so if you unfortunately lose the card or it gets stolen then only what’s loaded on the card at that time will be lost so a good tip is to transfer money from your bank account to Monzo every couple days or whenever you need it. www.monzo.com
Not telling you how to suck eggs but remember to always pay in the local currency and not to let the shop/restaurant offer to pay in pounds sterling…..you will end up paying a lot more at their much higher exchange rate.
Bristolians Abroad 