Seven Tips for Saving Money on Your Italian Vacation, from Dream of Italy Newsletter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 12, 2008 -- The dollar make be weak against the euro, but that doesn’t mean Americans are giving up their Italian vacations. A Global Insight report predicts a 4.7% increase in the number of American travelers visiting Italy this summer.

Whether traveling on a budget or looking for luxury, travelers can implement these seven strategies to make their dollar go further, from Kathy McCabe, editor and publisher of the award-winning subscription travel newsletter, Dream of Italy (http://www.dreamofitaly.com):

1. Use new low-cost airlines for great introductory airfare deals. This month Italian airline Air One launches service from Chicago and Boston to Milan. Low-cost carrier Zoom Airlines recently started flights from Toronto and Montreal to Rome.

2. Use the Web to find and predict the best airfare deals. Farecompare.com and Farecast.com offer predictions on whether ticket prices for a particular route will stay steady, increase or decrease over the next week But when a good deal presents itself, snap it up quickly, as seats are nearly filled for summer travel.

3. Buy a package and save two ways. First, buying a combination of airfare, hotel, rental car, and/or train tickets almost always save over what each component would cost individually. Second, pre-paying in dollars before leaving home eliminates the risk of currency fluctuations of paying in euros in Italy.

4. Cruise the Italian coastline. Nearly every major cruise line will be cruising the Mediterranean this summer, and by climbing aboard, transportation, dining and accommodations costs are all covered with one price – in dollars.

5. Make a bid. LuxuryLink.com offers luxury hotel packages and villa rentals at discounted rates through online auctions, while Skyauction.com allows individuals to bid on air and hotel packages, coach and business class airline tickets, and hotel nights.

6. Skip the hotel. Instead, rent a villa or apartment. These cost much less per night and can even save money with fresh produce and goods bought at local markets and prepared in the villa or apartment's kitchen.

7. Get a tourist card, which can save big bucks on public transportation, as well as often including admission to many of the cities’ museums, churches and monuments.

"With these seven money-saving tips, travelers can concentrate on the beauty and history of this wonderful country called Italy and not worry so much about what's left in their wallets," says McCabe.

More money-saving tips for travel to Italy:
http://www.dreamofitaly.com/members/444.cfm

Dream of Italy is an award-winning subscription travel newsletter devoted to authentic travel in Italy, covering everything from cooking schools to villa rentals, new restaurants and hotels to specialty tours. Dream of Italy has been recommended by USA TODAY, National Geographic Traveler and U.S. News + World Report, among others. Yearly subscriptions start at $79 and include online access to over 50 back issues

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