this looks to be a very handy lire/dollar conversion tip (suggested by rick steves(!) during an interminable pbs pledge break): <BR> <BR>apparently many spots in italy (shops, restaurants, etc.) are now listing prices in both lire and the euro. since the value of the euro is within a few cents of the u.s. dollar, all you have to do is look at the cost in euros and you’ll know roughly what it costs in dollars. <BR>

And in the last couple of weeks, the Euro has been really weak. It's now just shy of parity (i.e. 1.005 Euro = $1). <BR> <BR>Good for Americans and Canadians traveling to Europe!

Sorry, got that backwards: <BR> <BR>$1.005 = 1 Euro

I heard today that the Euro slipped just below 1:1 with the dollar today. That would make conversion a cinch!

Hi David! Are you the same person who had that great travel show on tv a couple of years ago? I used to watch it all the time, you had great pointers. <BR> alan

No Alan, it was just a pseudonym! I thought David Brancaccio was the guy on NPR's 'marketplace' program.