nancy

I've heard this so many times now, I'm wondering if this is really the case. One recent poster said a 30% jump. I was so ecstatic (and feeling a little guilty) about the price of wonderful meals in Italy two years ago, and it sounds like those days are over. I understand that it would be a rational move on the part of merchants, but if so, aren't Italians up in arms too? It certainly affects them as much as visitors...Thoughts?

xxx

I'm not certain how the prices are chosen in Italy now that they've adopted the Euro. But it just seems more expensive to me because the value of the US dollar is dropping in relation to the Euro. Last year when the lira was still in circulation, the US dollar was twice the value of the lira. Therefore, a meal that cost 35,000 lira would be $17.50. <BR><BR>It seems like the whole of Europe is expensive for visitors from the US now.

Tony Hughes

Speaking to sibling Hughes on a regular basis, she informs me that prices took a steep rise immediately after the introduction of the euro - as expected. Happened in Britain back in '71 when decimalisation was introduced/imposed.

Cristina

Well some things have gone up a little (not a steep rise) and some are a little cheaper. It all averages out in the long run.

Tony Hughes

Name 7 items that have dropped in price. And dont bloody make them up, cris.<BR><BR>

Cristina

My aren't we snotty.<BR><BR>Bread, pasta and mayonaise are 3 things off the top of my head. If I looked at grocery receipts I could probably find 20 more. <BR><BR>Since the dollar has fallen so much, things may seem more expensive to those converting but for those of us who get paid in Euro/lire and use them, prices all even out. <BR><BR>Oh I know another, the plumber. His hourly price was lit. 50,000 but now he charges 25 euro (if paid in cash).

Robyn France

Greetings,<BR><BR>We had a marvelous time in Italy just a few weeks ago---but the prices had definitely taking a hike since the euro. We are used to budgeting for meals in particular and we felt that lunches, in particular, were much more expensive than we had paid in previous years. It was still fun and not unreasonable, just more.<BR><BR>Take care,<BR>Robyn France

Amalia

One other price that actually dropped -- a tract of the A1 went down .11!<BR><BR>As for the rest is seems as most everything else went up.

nancy

Thanks, all. I particularly appreciate the comments from Italian friends, since it is always difficult to separate general dollar decline from other price issues. Other European comments?

gergirl

I live in Germany, where everyone is calling the Euro to Teuro (Teuer is german for expensive). There have been many programs on TV lately about the cost hikes. Fruit and vegetables are on average 14% higher, meat is 7% higher, etc... People are really upset about it. Alot of the lesser expensive stores (Ikea, Real) are posting the prices in DM and Euro to prove to their customers that they are not doing this to avoid anger. Outside of these few places, for the most part, prices are higher, especially in restaurants. This is also the case in France. At least the rise of the Euro against the dollar offsets the price of visiting the US!

xxx

Gergirl is right on target, I also live in Germany, and the plain truth is that folks got greedy. As I work for an international corporation, whose tax base is in America, I am paid in dollars. For the first time in four years I am now perusing the internet at jobs back in the states. The $/euro exchange rate is affecting me greatly.My apt has gone from 485.00 with the steady rate for the DM, to 600.00 a month with the decline of the dollar. I can't afford much more of this. My German friends are not real happy about the new currency either. It does have its advantages, eliminating the mental math of exchange rates on trips, etc but the long run is that it doens't appear to be evening out for me.

Alice Twain

According to the Italian press, prices in Italy have had rises connected to the euro that do not exceed the 1.30%.

Tony Hughes

No crista, I'm just me. Do a search, learn and apologise.

Helen Donegan

I find everything a lot more expensive here with the Euro and have heard many people say the same. People are in a kind of limbo, they don't remember the prices from before Janunary very well but they know their wages aren't covering the same amount any more.

Kay

I just got back from Italy, France and Spain. I thought things were more expensive. For example, the hotel room I booked in Italy was apx. $200 more than it was 2 years ago (the same hotel & the same room.) Meals seemed to be more expensive everywhere.

Lenore

I take it that was not per day, Kay?

[email protected]

In order to know if prices have risen, you just have to look at the inflation rate. There has been a very slight inflation rise after in the coming of the Euro in all Eurozone countries, it has been way under 1%. I doubt people could really notice such a change. But of course they noticed that their grocer has marked the price of eggs 20% up and their cafe owner marked the price of lemonade 40% up. So, they came with the idea that all the prices went up 30%, which is obviously nonsentical<BR>

Alice Twain

There is one more factor that myust be cosidered: until a few months ago 1 euro was worth 0,87 Usd, while now the exchange rate is almost 1:1, so that wisitors buying in dollars and coming from the Usa spend more dollars in Europe for the same product or service while the price in euros has not changed.

Hans H

As far as I know, the prices for services, especially in restaurants, pubs etc., have steeply risen in Germany because of the Euro. Other prises have risen not because of the Euro but becuase of other reasons (for example fruit getting more expensive because of bad harvests). Other goods, for example consumer electronics, have fallen. Since people more often buy a beer than a stereo player, nobody recognizes the advantages but only sees the rise of prices. From a statistical point of view, average prices havent't risen significantly. <BR>But since tourists normally deal with the service industry, they will feel the increase of the prices.

christina

don't worry about the lifted prices in italy. you should see how expensive switzerland is. and they are def. not part of euroland. o.k. it was allways expensive, but now it's too much. naturally the us dollar isn't anymore the same to the euro as to the lire, but this could make it possible now for europeans to travel to the states. <BR><BR>i wouldn't worry too much, but if you have to travel on a budget, you might maybe want to look before where you eat and how much it would be or figuring out better the prices for goods you will shop.<BR><BR>tanti saluti<BR><BR>christina