Yes, I know the currency difference between the US dollar and the Euro is crazy. An acquaintance recently returned from Italy and told me she paid $30.00 for a simple breakfast with coffee. Then told me her eggs were cold!
All I could do was hug her and roll my eyes. She thought she would be able to make all of her arrangements online and take care of all of her excursions while in Italy. Well, yes she was able to make all of the arrangements, but at a cost. Turns out the itinerary I prepared for her, in the long run was much less than her "piece it together"plans.
The first issue was her hotel stays. She chose decent accommodations and made her deposits for the hotels online. What she failed to take into consideration is the fluctuation of the euro caused the pricing to rise and tax (vat) was not included. Also, breakfast was not included. She chose the wrong option online and the hotel would not change the reservation because the breakfast offer was a "website" special only. I guess she really could not go back to the website to complain.
The second obstacle became registering for tours while in Italy. A few of the tours she wanted to take were not available for the days and times she hoped for. Unfortunately she missed out on a lot.
She now realizes the value of using a professional travel consultant to plan her next trip, even if it appears to be more expensive at first look. She took another look at the itinerary I prepared and sees she was penny-wise and pound foolish.
My next blog....Getting the biggest bang for you buck in Europe...
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