Italy Away - 1st April 2009

[Beal Feirste]

will be missing ya then

a few of us are flying belfast-milan (EI) on the tues evening, then milan-bari (EZY) first thing wednesday morning. Intending to stay in a cheap milan airport hotel for tues..

flying back bari-gatwick-belfast on the thursday evening.

We were originally going to go that way and stay one night milan but decided to pay slightly more to ensure 2 nights in Bari. It will be great craic no matter what way you go.

Slan

[gufct]

How many are flying out on those times?

How many do you think Ryanair will be able to bring back on the return flight?

How many spare aeroplanes do you think Ryanair have lying around?

Do you do anything other than moan pointlessly?


Talk about "Pot Kettle Black" .Ill probably get an infraction over that.

[galah]

anyone flying to bologna aerlingus on the tuesday and getting the train down to bari the same day?

Will ye pick us up in Rome along the way?!!

[Greenforever]

Getting the Ryanair flight directly home on Thursday morning. The flight home was nearly 200 Euros but I don't care. I don't mind doing the planes, trains and automobiles on the way out, but coming home all I want to do is get back as quickly and as easily as possible, so it's well worth the money in my view.


I reckon the flight out will be only half full, reckon loads will avail of the return flight for the same reasons as you, I certainly would except im paying for 4 so it is pricy. Reckon the return flight will be full in no time, Scrooge O Leary wont be happy :D:D:D

[jaykay]

Just a heads up for anyone travelling to Dublin for the early flight to Milan on the Tuesday - Bewley's Dublin Airport is doing rooms for 50 euro. They have a shuttle bus to the airport and charge around the same as the DAA long stay for parking.

[gufct]

Looks like all the hotels are fully booked.Friends of mine had to book a campervan as they couldnt get anywhere.

[Claret Murph]

Looks like all the hotels are fully booked.Friends of mine had to book a campervan as they couldnt get anywhere.

I would say you are quite right gufct , I had a couple of rooms ready to be booked on Monday but Mrs Claret didn't like them and now it looks like we have a chance of sleeping on one of my mates floor for the night as everywhere else wants a 3 day stay at this late stage .
I may have a look around on the day of the match otherwise it's plan B .:confused:

[Sligo Hornet]

I would say you are quite right gufct , I had a couple of rooms ready to be booked on Monday but Mrs Claret didn't like them and now it looks like we have a chance of sleeping on one of my mates floor for the night as everywhere else wants a 3 day stay at this late stage .
I may have a look around on the day of the match otherwise it's plan B .:confused:

FFS Murph........should have stuck to Plan A and left her at home!!;)

[BaZmO*]

I reckon the flight out will be only half full, reckon loads will avail of the return flight for the same reasons as you, I certainly would except im paying for 4 so it is pricy. Reckon the return flight will be full in no time, Scrooge O Leary wont be happy :D:D:D
Well they've copped onto it now. Flights to Bari are now at €175 and Flights back are now €250

€475 return after taxes.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Well they've copped onto it now. Flights to Bari are now at €175 and Flights back are now €250

€475 return after taxes.

Seeing at they started at €400 return it's not that huge an increase

[BaZmO*]

Seeing at they started at €400 return it's not that huge an increase
An 18.75% increas to be precise but that's no the point I was making, if indeed I was making one. The point that I was making was that the return flight has jumped up in cost significantly compared to yesterday.

You can't really blame them though. They're just trying to discourage people from booking the one flight and would rather see people take both flights in the one booking. Sure I was even gonna take the return flight home myself because the return trip for us is very Planes, Trains & Automobiles but it would've just cost too much.

[Sligo Hornet]

An 18.75% increas to be precise but that's no the point I was making, if indeed I was making one. The point that I was making was that the return flight has jumped up in cost significantly compared to yesterday.

You can't really blame them though. They're just trying to discourage people from booking the one flight and would rather see people take both flights in the one booking. Sure I was even gonna take the return flight home myself because the return trip for us is very Planes, Trains & Automobiles but it would've just cost too much.


And your point is?;)

[BaZmO*]

And your point is?;)
Sometimes Guinness, sometimes Heineken, although I am partial to those cloudy German Beers that you get in the fancy glasses but they're normally metric.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

An 18.75% increas to be precise but that's no the point I was making, if indeed I was making one. The point that I was making was that the return flight has jumped up in cost significantly compared to yesterday.

You can't really blame them though. They're just trying to discourage people from booking the one flight and would rather see people take both flights in the one booking. Sure I was even gonna take the return flight home myself because the return trip for us is very Planes, Trains & Automobiles but it would've just cost too much.

Yeah but that's usually the way they operate. Prices from €400 but then as people start booking and the plane gets full the prices will start to go up.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

HOTEL MERCURE

I had booked this place last week with hotels.com and got a call earlier on saying that the hotel had been in touch to say the hotel was actually booked up when I booked (which was a week ago). They booked me into another hotel for the same price (a much nicer hotel I must say) so I'm sorted but just for people to beware as I know some others had issues with this hotel cancelling or refusing to confirm the reservation (rumours of Ray Treacy booking the whole hotel from what I remember)

[BaZmO*]

Yeah but that's usually the way they operate. Prices from €400 but then as people start booking and the plane gets full the prices will start to go up.
I know

[ChrisRed]

I've managed to book flights

Liverpool - Pisa Tuesday 8.45,
Pisa - Bari Tuesday 20.55
Then coming back
Bari - Pisa 23.00 Thursday
Pisa - Liverpool 7.40 friday morining

Worked out at £90 with Ryanair. Bit of a ache waiting around but works out far cheaper. Some of us are also flying from Belfast which works out at.

Belfast - East Midlands
East Midlands - Pisa
Pisa - Bari
works out about the same price and flights time are at similar times.

Hope that is useful to someone.

[EastTerracer]

HOTEL MERCURE

I had booked this place last week with hotels.com and got a call earlier on saying that the hotel had been in touch to say the hotel was actually booked up when I booked (which was a week ago). They booked me into another hotel for the same price (a much nicer hotel I must say) so I'm sorted but just for people to beware as I know some others had issues with this hotel cancelling or refusing to confirm the reservation (rumours of Ray Treacy booking the whole hotel from what I remember)

What hotel did they book you in? I'm still battling with the Mercure but they have now come up with a room in the Victor (which seems to be a kip in comparison).

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

What hotel did they book you in? I'm still battling with the Mercure but they have now come up with a room in the Victor (which seems to be a kip in comparison).

Domina Hotel and Conference Bari Bari, IT

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

What hotel did they book you in? I'm still battling with the Mercure but they have now come up with a room in the Victor (which seems to be a kip in comparison).

Who did you book with it?

I think it might have been hotels.com who got me the room rather then Mercure. They were all apologetic. Sending me out a €100 voucher as well for the incovenience

[DeLorean]

Anybody else stayin in Bari Backpackers Hostel? I've a feelin it's a right dump but once there's a bed and a shower I suppose!! they were offering to collect us at the airport but wanted Credit Card details off at least 3 of us, bit much I thought!!!

[EastTerracer]

Who did you book with it?

I think it might have been hotels.com who got me the room rather then Mercure. They were all apologetic. Sending me out a €100 voucher as well for the incovenience


I booked directly with the accor.com website. I'll probably take the room in the Victor (its better than nothing) but I'll put them through the wringer first :mad:

We'll probably only be in the room for 3 or 4 hours anyway if our usual trips are anything to go by.

[jbyrne]

Anybody else stayin in Bari Backpackers Hostel? I've a feelin it's a right dump but once there's a bed and a shower I suppose!! they were offering to collect us at the airport but wanted Credit Card details off at least 3 of us, bit much I thought!!!

stayed in hostels on many a football trip and generally most are cleaner and better equiped than a lot of 3 star hotels.

for anyone still looking try bbplanet.it for bed and breakfast accommodation

[Greenforever]

:eek:the Mercure are refusing to honour our bookings as well made on bookings.com They emailed me today with alternate accomodation which I have politely refused. As they say watch this space:eek:


Seperately I will probably have a triple room that we wont be using in Best western in Bari, anyone interested please pm me.

[wooman]

anyone flying via Brindisi?

[ChrisRed]

Having a nightmare getting accomodation. 6 of us travelling. Anyone know of anywhere in Bari on the tuesday and wednesday?

[Rovers Maniac]

Same a sthat Chris, absolute nightmare. I always source the flights and accom myself but i have never seen this before. Will probably leave it a while or just end up booking out of town some place. I can see a good crowd travelling but nothing like what the travel agents must be suspecting.

[NeilMcD]

There is a lack of hotels in Bari. The scots found it hard to get rooms too. I was told by my Scottish mates to get in early with the hotels. Go on to ybig.ie and Tuff Paddy has a good link to a few BnB's

[Green Tribe]

Going to email a friend living in Bari to see if she has any bright ideas re:accomodation

[elroy]

Try bed and breakfasts, there is no chance of hotels at this stage.

Has anyone flown through heathrow recently? Have a choice of flyin into Heathrow for half 9 or 11, my flight to Italy from Heathrow is at 12:20, so is just under an hour and a half enough time to catch the connecting flight or would i need more time??

Would be ok in most airports but ive heard heathrow is mental most of the time.

[stojkovic]

anyone flying via Brindisi?

I was going to but dont think I can go at all now.

Lands at 21.00 and there are three trains to Bari between 22.00 and 23.00. Only takes an hour - 60 miles.

[Greenforever]

Try bed and breakfasts, there is no chance of hotels at this stage.

Has anyone flown through heathrow recently? Have a choice of flyin into Heathrow for half 9 or 11, my flight to Italy from Heathrow is at 12:20, so is just under an hour and a half enough time to catch the connecting flight or would i need more time??

Would be ok in most airports but ive heard heathrow is mental most of the time.

All Irish flights arrive in Terminal 1 Domestic, from here to Terminal 1 is 15 minutes, Terminals 2 and 3 are another 10 minutes and Terminals 4 and 5 are probably 20 mins further away.

You will need at least an hour just to go back thru the search areas and down to boarding gates.

Definitely recommend the earlier flight, and sure if you have time to kill you can have a few beers:cool::cool:

[Sligo Hornet]

There is a lack of hotels in Bari. The scots found it hard to get rooms too. I was told by my Scottish mates to get in early with the hotels. Go on to ybig.ie and Tuff Paddy has a good link to a few BnB's

Yeah ....trouble is they're in Rome!!:D

[elroy]

http://www.bed-and-breakfast-in-italy.com/pagina.cfm?ID=9842&IDregione=13

Try this website, got a nice B&B in the city centre for 80 per night for a double room. Looks decent anyways.

http://www.residenzasveva.it/
I booked this B&B and there is more rooms available but seems to be plenty more B&Bs available.

[rfkimble]

Finding somewhere to stay is a nightmare, def left it too late, any1 thinking of camping or know what the scots did, i reckon they brought similar numbers

[gspain]

:eek:the Mercure are refusing to honour our bookings as well made on bookings.com They emailed me today with alternate accomodation which I have politely refused. As they say watch this space:eek:


Seperately I will probably have a triple room that we wont be using in Best western in Bari, anyone interested please pm me.

not the Mercure however we booked 3 twin rooms, I confirmed by e-mail and by phone. hotel tried to up the price, then hotel moved us to 2 triple rooms and upped the price a bit more. The original price was their max on thwe website.

I threatened to write to the Italian tourist board.

Suddenly it is all a big misunderstanding and my emails were confused with another. :confused: Our original booking of 3 twin rooms at the original price is confirmed again.

[wooman]

not the Mercure however we booked 3 twin rooms, I confirmed by e-mail and by phone. hotel tried to up the price, then hotel moved us to 2 triple rooms and upped the price a bit more. The original price was their max on thwe website.

I threatened to write to the Italian tourist board.

Suddenly it is all a big misunderstanding and my emails were confused with another. :confused: Our original booking of 3 twin rooms at the original price is confirmed again.

Fukn chancers

[aidz1]

:eek:the Mercure are refusing to honour our bookings as well made on bookings.com They emailed me today with alternate accomodation which I have politely refused. As they say watch this space:eek:


Seperately I will probably have a triple room that we wont be using in Best western in Bari, anyone interested please pm me.

i received the same email from the hotel today. They put out some sh1te about the sysytem being down over the new year. complete bull. i had booked on booking.com
they are offering me a room in the Rondò Residence Hotel, which is a bit out i expect. the hotel are wanting me to cancel my booking on the booking.com website. F4ck that, what happens if i ignore their emails and turn up with my reservation??

[Sligo Hornet]

i received the same email from the hotel today. They put out some sh1te about the sysytem being down over the new year. complete bull. i had booked on booking.com
they are offering me a room in the Rondò Residence Hotel, which is a bit out i expect. the hotel are wanting me to cancel my booking on the booking.com website. F4ck that, what happens if i ignore their emails and turn up with my reservation??


http://i41.tinypic.com/2iaajch.jpg

[gspain]

i received the same email from the hotel today. They put out some sh1te about the sysytem being down over the new year. complete bull. i had booked on booking.com
they are offering me a room in the Rondò Residence Hotel, which is a bit out i expect. the hotel are wanting me to cancel my booking on the booking.com website. F4ck that, what happens if i ignore their emails and turn up with my reservation??


Don't cancel.

Start complaining. Complain to booking.com - not good for them that the Hotel is trying to renege. Try the Italian tourist board.

This is rubbish. They just see an opportunity here to cash in on the game.

It is not good for the reputation of a major hotel chain such as the Mercure that customers would be treated so shabbily. they were happy to sell their rooms at that price and should honour those sold before they realsied there was a match on.

We booked the Meridien in Stuttgart at a cheap rate for our game in Sept 06. The hotel still honoured all the bookings and it turned out to be the German team hotel.

[lopez]

http://i41.tinypic.com/2iaajch.jpgDo you ever let up with your pictures of the more affluent parts of Watford? :D

[Green Tribe]

chris red etc - B+B emailed me with spare rooms...... Villa Grimaldi, email them below
GT


we have a triple and single room with the bathroom in common.the price is 100 euro a day for the triple and 40 euro a day for the single.the prices include breakfast and inner parking.if you need more rooms you can see on internet top class bari. best regards,

mariaelena grimaldi



----Messaggio originale----

Email: <villagrimaldi@libero.it>

[Sligo Hornet]

chris red etc - B+B emailed me with spare rooms...... Villa Grimaldi, email them below
GT


we have a triple and single room with the bathroom in common.the price is 100 euro a day for the triple and 40 euro a day for the single.the prices include breakfast and inner parking.if you need more rooms you can see on internet top class bari. best regards,

mariaelena grimaldi



----Messaggio originale----

Email: <villagrimaldi@libero.it>

Sounds scary!:eek:

[Cowboy]

Same thing happened to us and other groups. Booking.com is chasing it up with Accor, I'd ring them as the more complaints they receive the more it becomes apparent that this guy is trying a scam. PM me if you would like the name of the person in booking.com thats dealing with this. Its interesting that he is asking everyone to canel the booking.com reservation as why would there be a need to do this?



i received the same email from the hotel today. They put out some sh1te about the sysytem being down over the new year. complete bull. i had booked on booking.com
they are offering me a room in the Rondò Residence Hotel, which is a bit out i expect. the hotel are wanting me to cancel my booking on the booking.com website. F4ck that, what happens if i ignore their emails and turn up with my reservation??

[Cowboy]

From wikipedia "Villa Grimaldi was a complex of buildings used for the interrogation and torture of political prisoners by DINA, the Chilean secret police, ...":)




chris red etc - B+B emailed me with spare rooms...... Villa Grimaldi, email them below
GT


we have a triple and single room with the bathroom in common.the price is 100 euro a day for the triple and 40 euro a day for the single.the prices include breakfast and inner parking.if you need more rooms you can see on internet top class bari. best regards,

mariaelena grimaldi



----Messaggio originale----

Email: <villagrimaldi@libero.it>

[Paulie]

Finally got a bed. Myself and my mate have booked a single room each at the Hotel Moderno at 55 Euros each a night for the room which is grand. It seems pretty basic but all I want is somewhere clean with it's own toilet and shower. As far as I know it's pretty central and the reviews I've read say it's fine. Happy days.

[wexfordman]

i have my flights and accomadation booked (although the hotel is 15k north of bari)and iam an on the fai block booking list for the home games. This is my first away trip so i have emailed the ticket office to be put on the list for tickets for this match. what are the chances of sucessfully getting the tickets from the FAI?
as the fai give preference to people on the block booking list.

Anyway we probably will be able to get tickets in bari as we fly in on the monday.

[Colie]

Yeah , happened to me too. Booking.com seem pretty sound about it though, calling us & all that. I took the other room off miles out of town just to be safe. Hopefully we'll get something like free taxis or a free bar out of it, the latter being the preferred option.

[Greenforever]

Same thing happened to us and other groups. Booking.com is chasing it up with Accor, I'd ring them as the more complaints they receive the more it becomes apparent that this guy is trying a scam. PM me if you would like the name of the person in booking.com thats dealing with this. Its interesting that he is asking everyone to canel the booking.com reservation as why would there be a need to do this?


If you cancel the booking they're off the hook with bookings.com, bookings.com will be dealing with the Acor group rather than the hotel and should have a lot of clout.

Keep refusing to cancel and threaten legal action / contacting tourist board / putiing reviews on all websites like lonely planet etc

[elroy]

i have my flights and accomadation booked (although the hotel is 15k north of bari)and iam an on the fai block booking list for the home games. This is my first away trip so i have emailed the ticket office to be put on the list for tickets for this match. what are the chances of sucessfully getting the tickets from the FAI?
as the fai give preference to people on the block booking list.

Anyway we probably will be able to get tickets in bari as we fly in on the monday.

The FAI will probably get an allocation of about 5k. Id imagine there will be more than that travelling. But seeing as the capacity of the stadium is 58k, there should be no problem with tickets. I think someone pointed out that when Italy played Scotland there in the last campaign it wasnt sold out so should be able to pick up tickets over there.