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

[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 .

[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 .

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

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