Daily Budget

In my opinion if I were to travel to Italy I would estimate my budget to be around 2,000 Euros this is because of the food , shopping, accommodation, activities, attractions and other things I might do in Italy. Also I would bring 700 Euros for emergency money just in case something happens. 

Five A's

Attractions – The big attractions that you will encounter in Rome Italy would be the coliseum, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter’s Basilica, Spanish Steps, Vatican City, St. Peters Square, Pinco Gardens, Tiber Island, Ostia beach, and many other attractions. The coliseum is a very famous building in Rome Italy.

The Coliseum got constructed in AD 72 and it was completed AD 80. Emperors used the Coliseum to entertain the public with free fighting. The fighters were usually slaves and prisoners. The coliseum is still here to this day and it brings in a lot of tourism.

The Trevi Fountain is the most beautiful fountain in Rome Italy. When tossing a coin into the fountain the water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it when u toss a coin into the fountain you should toss it over your shoulder with your back facing the fountain.

St.Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world. This building is in the centre of Christianity. This church in located in the Vatican City.

Vatican City is completely surrounded by Rome. The Vatican City has many sites to see in it such as St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican museums, gardens and many more sites to see.

St. Peter’s square was built in the 17^th century. It is a grand entrance to St.Peter’s Basilica. The Egyptian figure in the centre of the square was installed earlier. The square has a lot of history and many different sites to see.

The Pincio gardens are located on top of Pincio hill.  The gardens feature other attractions such as obelisk and the water clock. The gardens are popular for its unique and beautiful views over Rome.

 The Tiber Island is very special because it is well known for healing since the era of roman republic. The island is very small that is shaped like a boat. The island is connected to the main land by two bridges.

Ostia Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Rome. The beach is only 20 miles from the city. You can climb sand dunes or even do some fishing. Some parts of the beach are private so you must be careful as to where you are going.

Access - To get around the city of Rome there are many ways to travel. You travel in Italy by bus, train, rent a car, boats, taxis, and if you are very adventurous you could even rent a moped to get easily get place to place. Rome Italy is a very nice city but it is not the best for travelling in cars because there are cars everywhere and it is very hard to drive around Rome since the streets are very busy. Most of your travelling in Rome will be on foot since most of your activities and attractions are a good walking distance.

Accommodations- For accommodation in Rome Italy the hotels are very high priced so the best decision would be to stay in a hostel or even rent a house. A hostel is a good choice because for a budget traveler the prices are very reasonable and you can also get to know people from around the world. Hostels can range from eight dollars to thirty dollars. These prices are very good for many budget travelers. You can also get a private room for a price of fifteen dollars to fifty dollars. If you are planning on travelling to Italy a hostel would be one of the good choices to make.

Activities – There are many activities to do in Rome Italy, Activities such as walking tours, go to many of the museums, bike tours, bus tour, shopping and many other activities. Bike tours are the best way to see the city of Rome. The price for each person is 35 Euros which is a reasonable price. Bike tours can range up to 3 hours and there are breaks in-between. There may be some activities along the bike tour. Shopping in Italy is very popular.  Milan Italy is well known to be the fashion district of the world. There are many different types of high end designers around Italy such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci and many more. There are many museums to see in Rome Italy. The most popular museum in Italy would have to be the Sistine Chapel. It is recognized for its amazing painting on the ceiling. The ceiling was painted by Michelagelo 1508 and 1512. The chapel is the largest chapel built within the Vatican. This place is usually crowed and to avoid the lines buy tickets online.

Amenities –Many people when they travel to a different country they need some personal amenities to be met. Some amenities when traveling to Italy people may have questions such as. Is the country a clean place? Do I need to bring my own plug ins for hair dryers etc? Will I be able to understand people? Do I have to have a special permit to drive in Italy? Before travelling to Italy make sure you do your research and you will be fine when travelling. 

Travel Motivators and Travel Barriers

Some travel motivators while travelling to Italy maybe that people want to try the different types of food, visit some of the famous monuments and museums, learn some Italian, visit family, shopping or even learn some history about Rome. People may want to visit Italy for its food because there is nothing like their food in our countries and their food is amazing and always is fresh. The monuments and museums can be a motivator because people want to see the different sites and view the beautiful buildings and views to see in Rome. Travelling to Italy could be a great opportunity for people to learn some Italian and be introduced to a unique culture. Some people could travel to visit family. Shopping is a main travel motivator in Italy because their fashion is so unique and beautiful. People could also travel to Italy to learn some history about Italy. The best way to learn history is to go to the actual country itself.

  Some barriers while travelling to Italy may be that the prices seem to be very expensive, the language, the amount of tourists, and the food. The prices can be very expensive so the expensive prices of items could drag people away from travelling to Italy. In some areas in Italy people may not have very good English so that might pull people away from travelling to Italy because they might not want to travel to a foreign country where you might have to learn a bit of a new language.  The number of tourists that travel to Italy may be a bit of a turn off because most people don’t want to travel to a country where it is crowded and major line ups. The food could also be a turn off because most of the food in Italy is pasta and pizza but if you are travelling to Italy and don’t want to eat pasta and pizza make sure you do research and find places where you can eat other food.   

Climate

The Climate when you travel to Italy in the summer months the temperatures can get very hot. The temperature can gets up to 30 degrees the lowest estimated temperature it can go to is 20 degrees. The month that I will be travelling in will be July and the precipitation is very low the maximum estimated rain fall is 15mm.  Make sure that you wear sunscreen and keep hydrated. 

Culture Shock

Before you travel to Italy you should have some knowledge in Italian. At some restaurants and other places in Italy you might encounter people who might not speak fluent English. So you may have to speak some Italian for them to understand you. The food in Italy is amazing many people when they think of Italy they always think about pizza and pasta but Italy is much more. In Italy some of the museums don’t allow photos being taken so travelers have to respect their rules. In Italy they do drive on the other side of the road. If you are a traveler that is planning on travelling to Italy make sure that you remember to drive on the other side of the road. 

Arrival Accommodation

After your arrival in Italy most of you would want to sit back and rest up before your adventures start. The cheapest way to spend your nights in Italy would be in a hostel. A hostel is a much cheaper way to spend your time in Italy instead of spending tons of money in a high priced hotel. A hostel is different from a hotel because a hostel has a bit less privacy than a hotel and in a hotel you have more privacy but you have to pay for a washroom separately. The neat thing about a hostel is that you can meet new people because you share a room with other people. So there isn’t much privacy. The hostel that seems like a good choice to choose is Hostel Lodi. It will cost me 73.65 for me stay there. The hostel Lodi is located in a peaceful residential area of San Giovanni. This hostel is perfect for people that want to get away from the busy traffic and people have a quick access to the centre of the city where the main attractions are. This hostel appealed to me because it is a reasonable price and the reviews on the hostel seem to be very positive. This hostel also seems to be a good choice because they have a great number of staff members working 24/7. The hostel includes free luggage room, breakfast and linen. The hostel also includes no curfew, 24 hour reception, 24 hour hot showers, car parking, lockers in dorms, internet, safety deposit, tours/travel desk and credit cards are accepted. To get to the hostel from the airport you can take a cab to your destination it can cost 10 to 25 Euros depending on how far your destination is. 

Health and Safety

When travelling to Italy there aren't very many health risks but there is a chance of getting a case of the bird flu. Bird flu was found in swans southern parts of Italy such as Sicily. But there is a low risk of any human coming in contact with any infection. Travellers must have precaution around wild birds and caged and domestic birds should be avoided. Italy can have very mild weather in the summer time and travellers may get heat stroke. To avoid heat stroke make sure that you drink tons of water to keep you hydrated and also to keep your self protected with sun screen. Travellers may encounter travellers diarrhoea because of the change in diet or eating foods that are too rich. Poultry and egg dishes should be cook thoroughly.

Travel Warnings

There are no Travel warnings for Italy. If you are in trouble when you travel to Italy and you need to contact a Canadian Embassy the address is :

Embassy of Canada
Address: Via Zara 30, Rome 00198, Italy
Tel.: 39 06-854-442911 or 39 06-854-441
Fax: 39 06-854-442912
E-Mail: mailto:rome.citizenservices@international.gc.ca
Internet: http://www.italy.gc.ca/

Requirements For Canadian Travellers

Before you travel anywhere you should think about getting travel insurance because it covers theft, loss and medical problems when you are travelling. A travel insurance can also cover you for cancellations or delays on your flights.

In Italy there is theft pocket pickers and bag-snatchers do operate in most cities. The most popular cities are Naples and Rome. To avoid getting pocket picked wear a money belt, wear bags close to your body or have a camera on your body so it is harder for them to snatch them, if your hotel has a safe use it. Also keep your eye out for women and children that are poor and beg for money. They like to target people at tourist sites, shopping areas and train stations. If you ever are approached by a group of these people walk the other way or yell Via Via (Go Away!).

Some travellers when they travel to Italy they might get a blood clot this is because the plane rides can be too long. The main symptom of blood clots are swelling or pain in the foot, ankle or calf. To avoid getting a blood clot on a long plane ride you can walk in the cabin for a bit, flex and release the leg muscles while sitting, and drink lots of fluids and try to stay away from alcohol.

For women travellers Italy is not a dangerous place to travel to. But if a women is travelling by herself she should take some precautions. When travelling alone is some of the parts of the country be prepared for unwanted attention. Also watch out for men with wandering hands. To avoid these types of men either turn away from them or if they start fondling with your behind make a fuss and say che shifo (that's disgusting). Women who travel alone should also use their senses. Such as not walking alone at night and look for hotels that are in central area's. Also women should dress appropriately not dress in skimpy clothing.

Currency

The Currency used in Italy is called the Euro. In Italy the prices of items can be very expensive. If you are thinking about renting a car when you are in Italy the prices can be very expensive the estimated price can be $120/day. This is because the high price of fuel and plus the car. In Italy you should check your receipts to make sure that there aren't any hidden costs or extra costs on your bills. Hotels are also very expensive so it is a good idea to stay in a hostel or another form of accommodation. The prices of food can be expensive as well so the smartest thing to do is to cook for yourself this could cost you five to ten euros a day. Unfurtantly for us shoppers clothing in Italy is expensive but if you have the money then you can buy whatever but for some of us the prices are too expensive so we have to window shop.The prices of most items we need on a daily basis are expensive in Italy make sure that when you are travelling to Italy that you pack the correct amount of items that you need on your trip.

CAD/EUR Interbank Rate +/- 0% Jan 12, 2012
CAD		EUR	CAD		EUR	CAD		EUR
1		0.77	15		11.58	45		34.73
2		1.54	20		15.43	50		38.59
3		2.32	25		19.29	100		77.17
4		3.09	30		23.15	250		192.93
5		3.86	35		27.01	500		385.86
10		7.72	40		30.87	1,000		771.72

EUR/CAD Interbank Rate +/- 0% Jan 12, 2012
EUR		CAD	EUR		CAD	EUR		CAD
1		1.30	15		19.43	45		58.29
2		2.59	20		25.91	50		64.77
3		3.89	25		32.39	100		129.54
4		5.18	30		38.86	250		323.85
5		6.48	35		45.34	500		647.71
10		12.95	40		51.82	1,000		1,295.41