alan h's activity

Questions Asked

Tesco and Eurotunnel[Copied from another Forum]If you shop at Tesco you'll probably be rewarded with Cash Vouchers.  What you may not know is that you can exchange these for 3x their value with Eurotunnel.

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 16:50

ITALIAN GENEALOGYI am researching my family tree [all UK based], and belong to a Genealogy Group here in the UK - its part of the U3A [an organisation for 'retired persons who want to do things rather than sit at home all d

Wed, 01/04/2017 - 05:24

Cancelling a Eurotunnel Booking I have had to cancel a return trip on Eurotunnel [Car + 2 + Dog], as I have to go into hospital for an op.The booking was 'non-refundable'.I rang them to cancel and they confirmed it was non-

Thu, 05/26/2016 - 08:00

IMU - Its still around I thought this had disappeared in the new tax system, but my Comune website says the first payment for 2014 is due by 16th June Paid it via my bank today - emailed them the F24

Fri, 06/13/2014 - 08:56

Looks like the days of the easy/cheap trip to italy through Switzerland are numbered. Apparently, the Swiss government has decided to raise the cost of the vignette to 100 Swiss Francs for 2015. They are introducing a two month vignette for 40SF,

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 15:58

Petrol prices in France are now comparable with the UK, except on the French Autoroutes.One option is to fill up at the L'Eclerc superstores with their SP95 E10 petrol [its a petrol with some ethylene in - generally used in France - which is OK fo

Thu, 07/11/2013 - 04:25

For a change this year we drove down to Italy via Besancon  [avoiding most tolls by taking some good french non-motorways.]However - Besancon roads are in total chaos as they are digging them up to lay tram routes - this will take about 2 more yea

Wed, 07/10/2013 - 16:44

Can you help?I've just completed making a 'variation' of Limoncello. The only change is that I dispensed with the lemons, I and substituted Sloes that I picked here in the UK at the end of last year.

Sun, 01/20/2013 - 09:10

In today's GuardianRyanair have announced their credit card will now be liable to the same charges as other credit cards - so the end of no charge bookings

Sat, 11/10/2012 - 09:07

Comments posted

Wed, 04/14/2010 - 13:01

" the right people to sell your geometra on the idea of a Sewage Treatment Plant are the (Italian) people who would sell it to you"   Is it an italian company that makes the STP? - or were you buying in one from abroad

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 12:41

[and that is not uncommon in Italy], your chances of getting the necessary approvals from the Commune will be remote   Good luck

Answer to: Camper van
Tue, 04/13/2010 - 12:30

but, remember to book ahead for decent sites in high season

Answer to: Newbie
Mon, 04/12/2010 - 12:59

"2. Accessibility to and from airports." Remember [especially if flying 'budget' airlines] that routes change - sometimes just for Winter, but also sometimes forever   Where my place is [up North, so not where you are looking] there are 4 airports within 2 hrs of the house [5 if you include Geneva] and you can drive there in a day [if you're mad/desperate] or by easily get there by train in under 24hrs

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 18:15

We've used them a couple of times now - big plus point - no coach parties! http://www.norfolkline.com/ferry/ Very good boats, food not bad

Sat, 04/10/2010 - 15:31

Dover - Dunkirk  [cheap ferry service - very good Lille - Belguim, - Luxemburg [fill up with petrol] - metz - Nancy - mulhouse - Basel - lucerne - St Gotthard Tunnel [or pass - pretty and adds about 30 minutes or so] and on into Italy No charges on roads until you get to Switzerland, where you need the annual vignette [buy on line] Then pay in Italy

Thu, 04/08/2010 - 04:20

"But, aside from fruit growing considerations - could you cope? 900slm can be pretty restrictive November through February: think snow chains or complete isolation. Before you take the plunge make sure you live there for at least a month in the 'brutta stagione'." Now that is what I call good advice. I recently spent a couple of days snowed in at my holiday place in northern Piedmonte [at about 650m] - loved every minute of it - so relaxing  BUT my Italian neighbours were  bemoaning the weather and how disruptive it was,  You do need a different mindset when living there, as opposed to holidaying

Answer to: Renovation
Fri, 04/02/2010 - 08:28

Marco If UK based - if the pound rises in the meantime, UK based buyers of Italian property also lose out that way.   I bought when the  Euro was about 65 pence - if I sold now ][at about 90p] for what I paid then [in Euros] I'd make about 38% profit - [and the place is worth more now that 8ish years ago.] Now - if the reverse happens and the pound rises again [a big if at the moment] the reverse effect would occur for UK based buyers now.  In fact, as an investment for Italian based people, it would most probably pay to buy in the UK by converting your Euros to pounds

Tue, 03/30/2010 - 18:07

It takes between 3 and 5 hrs for the train journey from Ttrapani to Termine ImereseApparently there is a bus from the airport to the train station [and on to Palermo] http://www.terravision.eu/trapani_palermo.htmlBest site for train times is the [German!!] Rail Planner site http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/enSome general info http://italianpropertyconsultant.co.uk/2009/05/04/trapani-airport-tps-si...