airfare and food question

Wouldn't it be nice to know what ticket prices are going to do in the future? Sadly, there's no way to know. There has been recent news that fuel prices are projected to go up, and that can't be good for airfare. Good luck.

Airfare: it's like playing the stock market. You need a bit of luck, a bit of timing, and a bit of smarts. Start checking the fares religiously and when you find a price/route you can live with, buy it. Check both Sea-Tac and Portland airports, as well as any others you are willing to drive to. I typically find good airfare about 8 months before my trips but that doesn't really mean much. Food: Let's see here. Breakfast is provided, but rarely more than a pastry and maybe some cheese, and a coffee. If you're used to a more substantial breakfast, you'll need to budget in a mid-morning snack probably. For lunch, dinner, gelato, and other snacks, I would probably budget $30-50 per person, per day, assuming you are planning on 'casual' sit down meals. If you go for picnic lunches from the store or take-away pizzas, it would be less, but I figure better to over-estimate than under.

Oh, and FWIW, you have better odds of getting lower prices on Tuesdays. Something to do with when the airlines release batches of tickets, or something. Also, be sure to check lots of different sites, including the airline's own site. I never found any one site that had all the same flights available. The nice thing with your situation is that you could do round trip to Rome instead of open-jaw/multiple cities. I think you're likely to get a better rate going into and out of Rome. Do you mind if I ask why you're considering Naples?

As Michael mentioned, it's not good for future airfares if gas prices here at the pump are going to increase a bunch in 2011. When the Captain of a Triple 7 pulls up to the pump, well, it's a lot of gas. I'm told airlines buy aviation fuel in advance in large chunks, so the effect of rising gas prices on airfares may not be immediate. But if we're paying more at the pump, I'm guessing it can't be good for airfares.

Hi Michael- my sister will be getting married around Naples. Hmmm, sounds like I'll buy my airfare in advance for this trip. Thank you everyone for your advice!

Jennifer: I hope you're not buying your airfare in advance because of anything I said in my prior post about gas prices and airfares. I only know enough to know that I don't know what future airfares will be. It's way more complicated than just one thing.

As everyone has stated concerning airfares and its unpredictability, I suggest you buy when you find a price you can live with. Then, do NOT go back and look because it will drive you crazy. As for food, make sure the hotels provide breakfast with the price of the room. Also, we generally grab a slice of pizza for lunch or stop in a deli or butcher shop for a freshly made panino (sandwich). For dinner we go to a restaurant after checking with the menu posted outside. I have been traveling in Italy for 30 years and have never eaten in a temple of gastronomy, but have always eaten well for not a lot. Buon viaggio,

OOoh and some recommendations for Naples food, as I LOVE Naples food, make sure to have Sorbillo for dinner (it's, according to Napolitani, the best pizza currently). You can find it right in the heart of the old city, on pizza street as I call it (via dei Tribunali), or in the Spaccanapoli area as they call it. It's all pretty walkable, and don't let people scare you about crime in Naples. Walk around, take in the sights, it's a fascinating city! Di Matteo is also very good and famous, as it's same-family neighbor Dal Presidente (because Bill Clinton ate there). And of course, I can't leave out, Da Michele (which I don't think is all that great, but the Eat, Pray, Love woman Elizabeth Gilbert thought it was the best). Make sure also to eat Baba' al rhum, sfogliatelle, and drink lots of limoncello! Benvenuto al Sud!

Jennifer:
As to food budget, there is a lot of great advice here. My personal experience in October was about 76 euros per day for the two of us. We had a bottle of wine (moderately priced) every dinner, and about half of our breakfasts were included with lodging. Otherwise we ate pastry and coffee like the Italians in the morning, or when we had an apartment, "splurged" on yogurt and fruit. We drank two or three coffees a day (not cappucino for the most part), occasional gelato (plain, one or two scoops), and seldom spent more than 60 euros on dinner for two including wine. I think we did picnic lunches twice. We had a couple of meals in the 90-100 euro range over the course of a three+ week trip. We felt we ate very well, but not fancy. Laurel

Jennifer, Eat as much as you possibly can at breakfast. Take along some granola bars or packs of cookies for a snack. This will allow you to have a really light lunch, or possibly none at all with an early dinner. I would budget at least $20 apiece for dinner. Lunch can be around $6-8 if you don't pig out. But I'm telling you, the granola/cookies sometimes can do it, a hassle to pack but it can save some money, I do it all the time. The trick is to eat like a PIG at breakfast!! Whether you want to or not! ALso, soda is very expensive, if you don't like plain water, take some Crystal Lite packs for your water.