Some notes about our Italy trip
 

We just returned from our two week trip to Italy/Sicily and I wanted to thank everyone for answering some specific questions I had especially about the trains and using AmEx card. I felt I should post some observations rather than a trip report, so here goes: <BR>1. What to wear in Europe is such an issue here and such a non-issue there. No one cares what you are wearing. We probably saw more locals than tourists wearing gym shoes and jeans. Also, the Italian women, both young and older, wear very tight clothing;<BR>2. Many people ask for restaurant recommendations. IMO, it was more of a hassle looking for a suggested restaurant than it’s worth. Besides, we had found some of the best restaurants on little side streets that we just happened on; you can’t get bad food in Italy, especially Sicily;<BR>3. Some logistics for the Scavi tour—the directions from the Scavi Office said to go to the right side of the Basilica (as you are facing it); when we got there, the guards on the right side said we needed to go to the left side which is correct although we found out from some Americans waiting there that you must check all your things on the RIGHT side; after checking our things and returning to the left side, I realized that I had checked my purse with my money and had no way to pay for the ticket; back to the right side, get my money, and back to the left side where I just made it in time for the tour;<BR>4. Domus Aurea (in Rome) was one of the most interesting things, besides the Scavi Tour, that we saw—don’t miss it;<BR>5. If you get to Palermo, see a performance at the Teatro Pupi (Puppet Theatre); we went to the one next door to the Centrale Palace; for 5 euro per person it was unusual, but great entertainment; <BR>6. Do not buy gold in Florence; my daughter asked us to bring her back a gold crucifix and chain and since I figured Florence was THE place to buy gold, I bought it there. When we got to Palermo, we saw the same thing for almost half the price.<BR>Everything turned out great and I worried needlessly before we left – about the train, about the credit / debit cards, etc. etc. We never did have to use our AmEx card, although be advised to call your credit card company and let them know you will be in Europe. Citibank put a stop on our card (very embarassing at the time) after our first day in Italy, but I was able to call their 24-hour number and straighten things out. Any questions, I’d be happy to answer.<BR>

Hi Angela<BR><BR>Am leaving for Italy next monday.<BR>have gone through many phases of stressing and worrying and keeping hoping in the back of my mind that everything will turn out okay since I did not specifically book a lot of tours to help us get oriented or see major sites (this is our first time in Europe).<BR><BR>i'm wondering if you had booked any tours (we have our reservations for the scavi tour and that's it). or did you just wing it with a map and hope for the best?<BR><BR>thanks.

Hi Angela - Glad to hear you had a good trip! Would like to know where you stayed in Palermo. And can you provide a website?

Angela..We too are leaving on Monday! One question......Did you use any of the Italian phone cards to call the USA? I guess they are easy to get and cheap...but my question is - -are you able to use them ok without understanding Italian instructions from the recorded operator?...is there a choice of a prompt for English instruction? We have a sick family member at home and I am freaking out about not being able to call home! Thanks.

Christine,<BR>There is a choice for English. I recommend going with one of the better-known companies. MCI makes a card, for instance. (Ask for Em-Chi-Eye ["chi" as in "cheese"]). The card has a tiger (tigre) on the front. <BR><BR>You have to be careful with the off brands because there are all sorts of tricks about use from a cell phone as opposed to a fixed phone. <BR><BR>Some of the off-brand cards are obviously for countries such as India and Pakistan. You will eventually get to the English selection but it could second or third in line. <BR><BR>Good luck.

Hi there Angela<BR><BR>we are from Australia and will be going to Palermo at the end of the year and was hoping to get info on some realy cheap accomodation for a family of 4. Can anyone help.<BR>Lea

Angela,<BR><BR>We're glad you had such a great time. And I'm really not picking, but please don't tell people not to buy gold in Florence. The fact that you found a cross in Sicily cheaper doesn't mean that people shouldn't buy gold in Florence or anywhere else for that matter.

Btd: don’t stress and worry, really, you will have a great time even if you don’t do any tours at all. There are plenty of monuments, museums, and other points of interest that you can see without booking in advance. We booked the Scavi tour and a few days before we left, I booked the Domus Aurea tour.<BR><BR>Holly: we stayed at the Centrale Palace in Palermo which is a 4* hotel although the prices are not all that much. This was our splurge hotel while we were there. It is a Best Western, so if you go to their website, you can find it there. <BR><BR>Christine: we have an AT&T phone card which I used, but haven’t seen my bill yet. We did not use it frequently, we stayed in touch with our family through email. I’ve heard the phone cards that you buy in Italy are a much better deal.<BR><BR>Dee: sorry I offended anyone about buying gold in Florence, but I thought I should at least let people know that the prices there are usually more than what you can find elsewhere in Italy.<BR><BR>Leann: sorry I can't help with cheap accommodations in Palermo. There is a 3* hotel that is mentioned by GAC on this forum which when we walked by looked very nice called Hotel Massimo. It was in a very good location as well.<BR>