3 steps to budget your family holiday.
And a huge SPOILER ALERT!

So, all the Corona-thing is settling and fading in Europe; numbers are in the negative trend and people are cautiously re-opening everything again.
Sounds great!

So you allow yourself some self-indulging dreams about the coming holidays.

We did then some readings for you and found out on the economy page of Dave Ramsey some good suggestions:

1. Choose the top places you’d like to go.
On the surface, this may seem the easiest (and most fun) step of all. But it does bring with it some extra questions. Does the budget limit where you can go? Does your destination affect whether you plan it yourself or hire a travel agent? Drive or fly? Make sure to be clear on this one because the more you know, the better you can plan and the more expenses you can anticipate.

2. Set a budget.
The vacation is the finish line. Here, you mark out the steps it takes to get there. Determine how much you want to spend on everything from hotels to gasoline to souvenirs and meals. If you decide something is too expensive, scale it back or cross it off the list. Get your plan in place so you know your plan of attack.

3. Look for deals.
You can find websites all over the internet that can help you score deals on hotels, amusement park tickets, airline travel and so on. Make sure you look for bargains after you set the budget for two reasons. First, once you know what you want to spend, you have a better idea of where you can save. Second, it’s a great morale boost to see that you are coming in under budget (once you have one) when you find a deal.

BUT... BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?

We went through some blogs and we specially liked the Momshoppingnetwork hints:

All the above will be highly influenced by the ages of your children. Talking about what they like will help you decide if a potential destination will be a good fit.
Think about their interests, hobbies, and activities. Anything and everything that might shed some light and help you decide if your idea is a good idea for everyone.
Another thing to think about when planning is if there is a huge age span between your kids. You'll want to make sure there is something for everyone on your trip.
You want the younger kids to have fun but at the same time don't want to bore the older kids. You might have to have a day where you cater to each age group, and the others will have to patiently enjoy the activity, whatever it may be.

If you want to know more we also suggest you to see our previous blogs:

3 tips for travelling to Italy with children
1 place you must visit outside Rome

SPOILER ALERT:
Do not miss tomorrow’s blog: Why you should let your Tour Operator to take care of all this, while you relax.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

3 THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND

And a FREE e-book for your children.

As this 2020 virus is relenting the grasp on Europe and Asia you are thinking that it is not a bad idea to dream and make plans - at least – about leaving on holidays as soon as you can. So keep in mind these THREE IMPORTANT THINGS:

Photo by Explorica

General sentiment

As you can see in this article from Forbes, there is today  in Europe a sense of normalcy and perspective that seems to be lacking in the United States. "Despite the challenges, it won’t be this way forever," says John Lovell, president of leisure travel and supplier relations and networks at Travel Leaders Group. "Travel and tourism is a highly resilient industry that has come back again and again from diseases and natural disasters."

Industry watchers like Lovell predict a quick bounce back for tourism, despite the current doom-and-gloom headlines. They point out that travel rebounded quickly after other pandemics and disasters, including 9/11.

"You have to assess your own risk tolerance, take reasonable and prudent precautions, and make smart decisions about your travel," he adds. "Right now, there are amazing travel deals to destinations all over the world."

Health

At the same time, the official Schengen website you are remembered to consider two important points. These are completely appealing to common sense, and do not sound like ominous or discouraging: these are facts.

Your age. The elderly, especially those over the age of 80, are the ones most endangered for complications of the coronavirus disease, whereas ages 10 – 39 have shown relatively low fatality rates (approximately 0.2%). That does not mean that you have a lower chance of infection if you are younger, only that you have a lower chance of the disease becoming fatal. You can still become infected and spread the disease around.

Your medical history. People with pre-existing conditions are also more susceptible to become seriously ill from the coronavirus than those who were previously healthy. If you suffer from any respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc., you should reconsider traveling.

Family

Of course in RHI we understand that you are concerned about your children during your  “family time”. So we would like to share – as promised – this little FREE E-BOOK

to talk and explain to your children about this peculiar and demanding stage in their lives.

The book – aimed primarily at children aged 6-11 years old – is a project of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, a unique collaboration of United Nations agencies, national and international nongovernmental organizations and international agencies providing mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings.

Google Images

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
We are soon coming to celebrate with you!

Rome celebrates today the 2.773rd birthday since her fundation.

Rome's birthday celebrations for Natale di Roma include usually the historical re-enactments featuring costumed parades and gladiator fights.

This day, known as Natale di Roma, is the annual birthday celebration and it is based on the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC.

Events are usually centred in the Circus Maximus and include gladiator fights, the traditional founding of ancient the Roman towns when a trench or "mundus" was dug and offerings were thrown into it to encourage the gods to watch over its citizens and the final parade, that usually takes place along Via dei Fori Imperiali, with more than 1,500 costumed participants.

This year the celebrations will be online only; who would have ever thougt that such and Old Lady could be so social!

Soon we will be on the streets again; these days of lockdown will remain a distant memory and Rome will again open her motherly arms to welcome and embrace us all again; just like motehrs do to long gone cildren, gently whispering "you are finally back to Italy, I missed you".

See you soon!

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

3 TIMES: YOU WERE WRONG.

There’s something closer, bigger and cheaper.

Following our previous post on places around Rome, not far from it and accessible to everyone, today we propose Ostia Antica.

@ Livioandronico2013

You certainly know Pompeii, the city destroyed by the Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 79 a.C.

There actually 2 kind of tourists coming to Italy: the ones who already visited Pompeii and the ones that haven’t yet.

Any well lectured blogger or travel agent will no doubt confirm to you that, leaving from Rome, it will take you almost a whole day travelling to Pompeii, visiting, and returning to Rome. Sad, but true: a whole day of your holiday only to visit 3 or 4 hours and walking around in a really crowded place.

Here’s our tip:

OSTIA ANTICA, so you can stay in Rome and go to Ostia Antica: closer, bigger, cheaper.

Ostia Antica is a large archaeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia, that is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, 15 miles (25 kilometres) southwest of Rome. "Ostia" (plur. of "ostium") is a derivation of "os", the Latin word for "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but due to silting the site now lies 3 kilometres (2 miles) from the sea.[2] The site is noted for the excellent preservation of its ancient buildings, magnificent frescoes and impressive mosaics.

The most ancient buildings currently visible are from the 3rd century BC, notably the Castrum (military camp); of a slightly later date is the Capitolium (temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva).

Ostia itself was provided with all the services a town of the time could require; in particular, a famous lighthouse. The popularity of the Cult of Mithras is evident in the discovery of eighteen mithraea. Archaeologists have also discovered the public latrinae, organised for collective use as a series of seats that allow us to imagine today that their function was also a social one. Ostia had a large theatre, many public baths (such as the Thermae Gavii Maximi, or Baths at Ostia), numerous taverns and inns and a firefighting service. Ostia also contained the Ostia Synagogue, the earliest synagogue yet identified in Europe; it created a stir when it was unearthed in 1960-61.

So: why going to Ostia Antica?

1-            It’s closer to Rome: just 15 miles.

You’ll have a lot of spare time for more activities.

2-            It’s larger that Pompeii and just as well preserved.

Pompeii was buried in ashes and mud. Ostia was only abandoned.

3-            It’s cheaper.

No need to book a 3-hours-per-way expensive day-tour. Do you take kids with you?

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

NEED SOME FRESH AIR?
We have plenty of it, in Italy!

When it comes to thinking about your holiday in Italy you visualize, most probably, crowded places such as Piazza San Marco in Venice, or Galleria Degli Uffizi in Florence, or the strades of Colosseum. All those places where you have to make your way to see something and hope some group of other people will move away so you can finally post something worth on you socials, or just get a good look at it.

By Manuel Silvestri/Reuters

Some degree of frustration sinks in while you wait for the moment to capture something with your camera but you are tossed around, instead, by the crowd, moving stampede-like to somewhere else.
A hint of madness grips on you, as you try to find sense in the advertised "stroll among the narrow streets of" somewhere and "immerse yourself into the beauty of" somewhere else.
And you start wandering if you are going to spend the next days in your hotel room to gain some space and air.
You need fresh air.

Appia Antica natural park. The Hollywood walk of Rome. Home for international actors and producers.

So, starting from today, we will show you some venues around Rome, where to walk at ease, take a deep breath, enjoy the unfolding landscapes and soak into culture, tradition and, products.

We are pleased to introduce you: the CASTELLI ROMANI.

17 coats of arms for 17 villages!

Castelli Romani (Lit. roman castles) is the name associated with a large area south of Rome, where many small villages are nested on green hills, mostly famous for the production of excellent wines, going under the names of the same villages: Frascati, Marino, etc.
These towns were originally built around someone's castle; be it a fortification or a luxurios villa.
We invite you to have a look at their official website to discover and organize your excursion.
In a little bit more that a half day you can have some scenic views of Roma unfolding at your feet below, from the hills and the amazing parks located there.
All in total comfort, without crowds and allowing you to feel the relax you came here for.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

NO EXCUSES!
It's Friday, and you know it!

Another week has come and gone in Italy and, probably, it's the same in the rest of the world.
It's been a busy week and we are re-organizing to be ready for the moment you'll decide to come back visitng. You know you will.

As we say in Italy: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, YOU PREPARE LIMONCELLO.
And we are ready to share it with you.

We Italians are famous for the "mamma mia!" expression and our turbulent attitude; but we have a secret weapon to defuse uneasy moments: happiness. It's in our DNA!

After the first moment of uncertainty and discomfort we are ready to face the situation with a lighter hart and the approach to it becomes more efficient as fear is no longer with us.
And of course the solution will come from the people, then from their families and then from their cities.
We sort out probles with elegance and style; it is a world-wide known fact.

The weekend is coming, but also the end of the bad times is.

Are you ready?

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country. Let's make it worth and pleasureable.

LUNCH TIME AND NO FOOD?
Come to Italy, we'll take care!

You like food, so your trip to Italy is half-way ready.

Food is for Italians part of an old-time tradition, radicated in the hard times of the first settlers, in the south of Italy.
Back then you spared your energies between cultivating land and defending it from the tribes around you. Eating was frugal and scarce, based on cheese, vegetables and some grains.

Eating well at home, or with friends in special occasions became a "must" for families to demostrate status and wealth.

So when in Italy remember: a meal is necessarily a relaxing moment, a reward, therefore, a pleasure.

Come to Italy, discover the variety of produces and taste local products. It's good for your health and your soul: there is every single town tradition in them, craftmanship, and love.

We are RHI, and we care about your time in our country; let's make it worth and pleasurable.

IT'S COMING: LOOK BUSY!
(You only have two weeks left).

Spring is here and two weeks is all you need to make your plans and pack for a nice spring-break in the beautiful Napoli and the enchanting surrounding areas.
The sun is already hitting and the temperature is rising and making Spring - the Love season - a perfect period to visit one among the the world-famous cities of the South of Italy.

The south: AT LEAST 400 miles from any place you've been warned of in the news.
The south: a place where just because you're a foreigner they'll love you most and offer all help.

Naples is the city tat inspired Johann Wolfgang Goethe to say: "In Neaples everyone lives in an inebriated self-forgetfulness. The same happens for me too. I barely recognize myself and I seem to be quite another man. Yesterday I thought: "Either you were crazy before, or you are now.""

Beyond the considerably vast choice of hotels and B&B's, the surrounding of Naples have a lot of campings that are well connected and can make a travelling family very satisfied.

And the food choice: we'll leave the blog @FoodDrinkDest to do the talking!

Stil not packing? So we'll resume it for you:

1 - Napoli is NOT among quaratined destinations.
The closest one is 400 miles away.

2 - There is plenty of charming B&B's and Campings.
Seasonal business means  no contagion possibility, AND a lot of family fun!

3 - Cultural, gastronomic, romantic & family-bound.
Whaterver you look for: start packing, no excuses.

We are RHI and we care about your time in our country: let's make it worth and pleasurable.

3 TIPS FOR TRAVELLING TO ITALY WITH KIDS

Italy has a name for being a "family" country; and we are not talking Godfather, here...

We italians adore our family and the most important part of it is the children. They are our future, our legacy and our pride and joy.

But when it comes to travelling with kids we also have questions and perplexities: too many museums? Will they like to spend time in an art city?

We propose you a reading in the website https://ournextadventure.co quoting: who needs to visit the Uffizi when the entire city of Florence is a walking museum? A favorite family-friendly sites included Boboli Gardens, Mercato Centrale, the carousel at Piazza della Republica, and Piazzale Michelangelo.

Italy offers will offer in many of its cities, if not all, big squares and large gardens; as Katherine Edwards points out in her blog: https://www.thelocal.it/20170322/parks-gardens-to-visit-in-italy-spring-nature-flowers-travel there is plently of spaces where to reconnect and bond with your loved ones in a magnificent display of nature.

So, when planning your trip to Italy with kids, remember:

1 - LEAVE THE STROLLER AT HOME.

Narrow streets and bumpy roads only make it a seldom used burden.

2 - PACK LIGHT

Those cobblestone streets and busy trains don’t have room for your gigantic luggage.

3 - GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH FOR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD
With pizza or pasta on nearly every menu, you’ll have little to worry about with picky eaters: the food in Italy is extremely kid-friendly.

See you soon around our beloved Italy!