jahoulih

Just to elaborate, in the same period the U.S. dollar has declined from 2318 lire to 2173--a drop of slightly under 7%. The Canadian dollar has dropped 11% in the same period. So compared to a year ago, expenses in Italy are about 4% higher for a Canadian than an American.

travellyn

I usually budget about $150 per day for my husband and me. We tend to go for basic comfort rather than luxury, and under those circumstances, $150 is usually plenty. <BR> <BR>I research things pretty thoroughly ahead of time, but don't necessarily book lodging in advance from the USA, except for busy times and city centers. Often, we'll call ahead to the next town to reserve a place for that night. We stay in B&Bs or 2-3 star hotels, and use public transportation most of the time, occasionaly a rental car. Interestingly, we have never bought a Eurail pass. <BR> <BR>I would tend toward the April-June window for shoulder-season airfares and fewer crowds. We usually have a good time while travelling independently, and don't feel like we're missing anything.

canuck

Patrick...not sure but think we are taxed higher than in U.S. and so our "take home" pay would be less comparatively speaking. I also think you can write off more personal expenses ... for example I believe U.S. residents can write off their mortgage interest but we can't. In any case, glad you were able to make a visit to Canada..hope you enjoyed yourself!

Patrick

Canuck, yes we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Canada, thank you. I don't want to beat a dead horse (and why anybody would is beyond me), but if we paid the kind of taxes you did, I wouldn't be shelling out an additional $300 a month just for health insurance -- and a $5000 deductible policy at that!! It's so hard to compare apples to oranges.

Michael

Consider the travel options carefully. A 56 day lease of a Puegeot 307 diesel cost us about $28 (U.S.) per day. A longer lease would be cheaper. For long stretches a diesel is worthwhile, even if you pay a premium up front. Diesel was about ten cents cheaper per liter than gasoline and one goes farther on a gallon of diesel. For two people, I would consider a smaller car--we were happy with a Clio on a previous trip, but I would go with a Peugeot or Citro&euml;n because their diesel is said to be 20% more efficient than the standard diesel engine. At the same time, you should look into the cost of train travel and decide if you want a single lease or rent the car once you reach a central location. I suspect that a single lease would come out cheaper. BTW, if leasing for Paris, don't start the lease until the day you are ready to leave Paris or wish to take side trips. Parking is a problem.

Michael

I forgot one more thing. Parking is a problem in all big cities. Leasing a car may mean establishing a base which is not in the large city itself. Otherwise you will have to add the cost of daily parking ($20+ per day) to the cost of your lease.