come on, really?!
Somebody hit my car.
As if I needed that right now.
And I'm pretty sure he did it on purpose. I could be wrong, of course, but talking to him afterward, I got the distinct impression that he thought that a hard-working pickup driving salt-of-the-earth kinda man should not have to share the road with a young guy in a [_____], and a little bump was just what I needed.
His truck was barely scratched. Judging by the $1600 bill the last time I got a few scratches removed, the dents in mine are going to cost me a fortune. Maybe his (or my) insurance will pay for it, but it has already been a colossal hassle. I'm annoyed.
In other, much better, news, a friend called to invite me to go to Italy with him in the near future. I can't afford it right now, but I really want to go. I have a couple trips within North America that I've been wanting to do (NY and Montreal top the list) but I feel like those can be done more spur-of-the-moment when a great fare pops up, because the friends I want to see will always be there no matter when I go. I would only do Europe if a friend asked me. I haven't taken a day off work since I started over 1.5 years ago, so I should probably do it.
Also, this friend would be AMAZING to travel with. He is one of those people who soaks up experiences and really appreciates life. He'd savor the food. He'd want to run up a hill and spread out his arms and sing. He'd want to explore the little alleys and visit the local shops where the owner only speaks Italian. He's never been outside the US, so it would be wonderful to see Italy through his fresh eyes.
Does anybody know of a way to get discount airfare from Los Angeles to Italy (Rome, I guess, but Milan, Venice, Florence or even Genoa would do, if it's cheaper)? My credit card has this absurd policy that I can't pay the difference between the miles I can use and the full cost of the ticket. So I can't use my miles. Away.com isn't finding me any great fares. What to do, what to do.
As if I needed that right now.
And I'm pretty sure he did it on purpose. I could be wrong, of course, but talking to him afterward, I got the distinct impression that he thought that a hard-working pickup driving salt-of-the-earth kinda man should not have to share the road with a young guy in a [_____], and a little bump was just what I needed.
His truck was barely scratched. Judging by the $1600 bill the last time I got a few scratches removed, the dents in mine are going to cost me a fortune. Maybe his (or my) insurance will pay for it, but it has already been a colossal hassle. I'm annoyed.
In other, much better, news, a friend called to invite me to go to Italy with him in the near future. I can't afford it right now, but I really want to go. I have a couple trips within North America that I've been wanting to do (NY and Montreal top the list) but I feel like those can be done more spur-of-the-moment when a great fare pops up, because the friends I want to see will always be there no matter when I go. I would only do Europe if a friend asked me. I haven't taken a day off work since I started over 1.5 years ago, so I should probably do it.
Also, this friend would be AMAZING to travel with. He is one of those people who soaks up experiences and really appreciates life. He'd savor the food. He'd want to run up a hill and spread out his arms and sing. He'd want to explore the little alleys and visit the local shops where the owner only speaks Italian. He's never been outside the US, so it would be wonderful to see Italy through his fresh eyes.
Does anybody know of a way to get discount airfare from Los Angeles to Italy (Rome, I guess, but Milan, Venice, Florence or even Genoa would do, if it's cheaper)? My credit card has this absurd policy that I can't pay the difference between the miles I can use and the full cost of the ticket. So I can't use my miles. Away.com isn't finding me any great fares. What to do, what to do.
posted by Matt at 8:53 PM
18 Comments:
Hey Matt! Italy sounds AWESOME! You'll love it there! My trip was amazing, and I only went to Florence and Rome. I definitely want to stay longer and travel to more places the next time I go.
You can try SideStep.com -- they give you fares to look at right away. And they find the lowest for you from ALL the major airlines. :) Good luck with the fares!
I loved Italy! It's probably my second home, haha.
Yeah, SideStep is great, another thing you might want to do is buy your tickets ahead of time, too.
Jonathan.
SideStep is great - but also try to see if there are any courier services looking for people to deliver packages for them - sometimes they will give you free airfare in both directions to hand deliver stuff (all legal of course) - not many strings attached
I have never heard of a courier service using people they don't know, but it might be worth a shot. I sent a couple of out of print books to a friend in Italy, and the package took a little over two months to clear customs.
Also, I have signed up for email notices on several of the major airlines. I was notified on a Wed about a flight to Paris on Friday for $395 round trip. Yeah it was last minute and crazy planning, but I pulled it off. If you know what you want to see and where to go ahead of time it really helps to take advantage of the last minute notification. I have had several emails about flights to Rome with similar short notice and around $400 round trip, but I could not take advantage.
Hi Matt,
Sign up for travel zoo and they are constantly sending out email notifications on great deals. Whether it be here in teh states or over in Europe. Check it out.
Paul
I have no idea about different travel websites, but if you're in the area, do come visit in Bordeaux. South of France is obviously not Italy, but hey, it's travel eh?
-patrick
Better website for bargain only webfares...
www.airfarewatchdog.com
They update it daily...adding fares they find as the day goes on. Rome is expensive right now...$995 for the summer (after taxes). There might be something better if you fly into Dublin/Paris/London and take the lowfare carriers.
Wes...the travel fanatic
Sounds like it would be great to go to Italy with this friend and a wonderful time to go.
Edreams often has quite good value fares, but some of these other suggestions sound very good too - and it's always worth exploring different dates and times.
Last holiday season I popped into Cervinia, Italy a couple of times while in Zermatt, CH. They are just over the hill (understatement; it's the Matterhorn) from each other. It was quaint.
I recently took a Capital One credit card in major part because it doesn't (yet) place a surcharge on international transactions. Most other major card issuers place a 3% surcharge on international purchases. In Switzerland, I easily withdrew cash from my bank account using my credit union ATM card (as opposed to a cash advance on a credit card.)
Perhaps you knew all of this from your previous European travels.
Mark
Hey
Just a thought but try get anywhere in Europe then grab a cheap no frills fare to Italy, try Dublin (Aer Lingus have a sale on and do connections to LA) or London then book with Ryan Air.
For a list of cheap airlines try cheapflights.ie
Alternatively get close to Italy and go by train the rest of the way, you might get cheap deals from France on TGV or Germany on Ice.
I've been to Italy and while its amazing there are other spots in Europe well worth seeing.
Cheap air fare? Sleep with the pilot!
Try travelzoo.com - they list the deals the airlines are currently offering without having to search every site yourself.
Along the lines of Andy's comments: Find the cheapest way to get to a major city in Europe ie Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid and then try EasyJet.com. Good luck and happy travels.
Ok perhaps I spoke too quickly about not knowing about what to do, having followed some of the comments since I posted.
Come into Europe any way you can, though flights to major hubs are more likely, I'm guessing, to be reduced than others. After that there are a multitude of websites like travelzoo, cheapflights.co.uk and others that can direct you to deals. I would always, however, avoid Ryanair simply because their planes give me a headache with all the garish colours, inept and rude staff, advertising all across the body of the aircraft and the shilling for various products (insurance, hotels, car rental, lottery onboard). EasyJet isn't much better but at least it's bearable. There are other low-costs like BMI Baby, Jet Airways, Brussels Airlines, Clickair, Wizzair etc. This website could be helpful:
http://www.etn.nl/lcosteur.htm
I can't remember from your previous posts whether you tried other methods when you were last in Europe, but train can be great, though it would eat into your time, but at least you depart and arrive in the city centre of where you're going instead of having to be miles away at an airport hours before a departure time.
-patrick
farecompare.com usually finds the best deals for me.
Just ask your parents for the money. Didn't they give you the car and your education?
Italy is a blast I have been there three times and loved it every time.Your cheapest flights will be to Rome from LA. Have you tried Orbits.com. They usually have good prices. Good luck and
Ciao
Onanite
British Airways have some great fares at the moment and you can transfer to Italy through Heathrow easily. Avoid the low cost options though, they just screw you with a tiny baggage allowance and loads of additional charges. Avoid Alitialia, a truely un-italian experience!!
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