Please sign in to post.

My, How things have changed....since January

Back in January, I had posted our great plans for our spring and summer travels.
summer travel plans Italy to uk

Today would have been the end of week two. As many others know, unraveling and cancelling plans is way less fun than the planning part. At this point, I’ve cancelled mist things that have a financial consequence, either to obtain a refund, or voucher. Last week the ferry was cancelled to Croatia, so everything from Italy to Bratislava is now cancelled.

While I don’t think it’s likely, the Prague to Scotland plans remain intact, on the chance we can travel in the EU in July/August (we are Italy residents). The Prague apartment refund is a voucher, so some incentive to keep that reservation. The ferry from Amsterdam to England is only refundable via voucher if the ferry line cancels. (Service suspended now, but who knows for July). We have until June 26 to cancel Hadrians wall hiking tour to get the deposit as a voucher.

Assuming all our travel plans made back in January are a bust, I’ve been pleased at the responses for the reservations that were clearly non-refundable. While we will end up with about $2000 in vouchers, that we may or may not use, it’s something other than, “sorry, you’ve lost your deposit, you get nothing”. Still waiting on about $850 in credits on our credit card, which we’ve been told will take 60-90 days.

But as Italy opens up and allows travel for pleasure between regions, we will have a unique opportunity to see parts of Italy with just a few other tourists. So still hope of planning some travels here this summer.

Posted by
4086 posts

We wish the three of you well on your gentle, scaled back journey home. So glad you are safe and looking forward to seeing different places and just seeing differently in the upcoming months as you prepare to travel back.

Posted by
7053 posts

How much longer can you stay in Italy on your current VISA? In other words, can you ride out the travel restrictions back to the US?

Posted by
1638 posts

Our current Permesso di soggiorno expires August 8, so we will submit our applications to renew for another year this week.

Posted by
1087 posts

Hi, Karen. While very disappointing, it sounds like you have made the best out of the unwinding of your plans. Hope you have fun making and executing new in-Italy travel plans. I look forward to reading about your new discoveries. Hope year 3 is as full of fun as your first two years in Italy

We're still waiting out the travel bans on the "wrong" side of the pond but the Italian government extended our visa validity to a year from the usual 3 months. We'll make it sometime before its expiration next June, I hope.

Posted by
603 posts

Hi Karen,
I've been following your adventures since you moved to Italy. I was wondering if you are planning to relocate back in the US for good, or just stay for awhile in the US and then head back again. By the way the Monterey Peninsula is as beautiful as ever. We were there in mid March just before the shelter in place came into effect just in time for a visit with my mom.

Posted by
1638 posts

Rob in Cal,
Our plans are to move back to US permanently. When we decided to do this adventure, we saw it as a way to live inexpensively, yet travel a lot. On average we have travelled about 1 week a month. And since we have some rental income from our home, we can live here and travel for less then living in Monterey County without traveling.

In 12 months, we took 11 different trips, ranging from a day or two to three weeks- from Feb 2019 - January 2020, here’s all our trips:

Skiing in Switzerland; Ivrea, Italy; Zermatt, Florence, Luca, and Maremma Tuscany; Lucern and Berner Oberland Switzerland; Verona and Padua; South Africa safari and Cape Town; Hiking in Switzerland, Florence; hiking in Dolomites; Bologna, Rome, Puglia, Matera, San Marino; Salzburg, Budapest, Vienna; and the last trip, skiing the Dolomites.

Since the last two months have just been staying home with no travel, no going out for anything, we now have a clear view on how inexpensively we can live here.

Monthly expenses:

$875 rent

$300 intl health ins

$175 ATM withdrawals

$500 credit card for groceries, dog food, etc.

Less than $2000 a month (and we drink 5 bottles of wine a week) and average of $2000/ month for travels.