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• When packing, place your passport, air tickets, travel insurance documents, contact numbers and any other important information in a pouch or bag that's easily accessible, and carry it with you on your flights. Once you've arrived at the resort, place these important documents in the room's safe, or if an in-room safe is not available, in a safety deposit box at the resort's front desk.
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• If you expect to arrive at the resort before the designated check-in time, pack your swimsuit, sunscreen, flip-flops or sandals and other beach gear in a carry-on bag. If your room isn't ready when you arrive, at least you can still hit the beach or pool. The front desk will store your suitcases for you until you can check in.

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• If your resort offers an upscale restaurant that you plan to visit, pack dressier clothes and shoes for a nice dinner.
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• Bring a light jacket or sweater -- sometimes evening breezes off the water can be cool.
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• Sunscreen with a high SPF is a necessity in tropical climates. Consider bringing a hat or visor as well, and don't forget the sunglasses. If you expect to do any hiking, you might also add insect repellent to the list.
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• Scuba divers should bring their diving certification card.
• A few resorts offer horseback riding along the beach. If you plan to do this, bring long pants.
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• Pack a deck of cards or a portable game into your carry-on bag for long delays and layovers at airports. This is especially useful if you're traveling with kids.
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• Bring camera film or memory cards and extra camera batteries from home, as these items can be pricey if purchased at a resort.
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• Pack an extra pair of contacts or glasses.
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• Put prescription medicines in your carry-on bag, in case your checked luggage is delayed.
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• Pack a few of your favorite CDs if your room has a CD player.
• If you have a laptop computer and you want to stay connected to home or work, find out if your hotel has in-room or wireless Internet access. Always carry your laptop onboard your flights.
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excerpt from Arthur Frommers Budget Travel magazine!

Fifty Money-Saving Tips for a Trip to Italy from $90 a Day

The days when Italy was an idyllic, dirt-cheap destination for good food and countless treasures have passed, but there are still inexpensive ways to enjoy its wonders as well as its incomparable dolce vita. With some flexibility and advance planning, a moderate budget can go a long way. We're here to show you how to get your trip together and get on the road.

This is where you'll find money-saving hints, insider information, contacts, and expertise accumulated over the authors' innumerable fact-finding trips. You'll enjoy your trip even more knowing that you're getting the biggest bang for your buck, easily keeping your costs for accommodations (let's say breakfast is included), lunch, and dinner to as little as $90 per day. (We assume that two adults are traveling together and that, between the two of you, you have $180 to spend. Traveling alone has other pluses and drawbacks but usually turns out to be slightly more expensive, mostly due to the hotel factor.) The costs of transportation, activities, sightseeing, and entertainment are extra, but we have plenty of insider tips to save you money on those activities as well.

It's hard to go wrong in Italy and so easy to go right if you give some heed to the following tips.

When to Go

1. So the weather isn't always a perfect 75°F and the skies aren't always cloud free. But off-season Italy promises the biggest cuts in airfare, the beauty of popping up at small hotels (more discounted rates) without needing a reservation confirmed 3 months in advance, enjoying the blessed absence of lines at the museums, and finding the local people less harried and more accommodating.

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May to June and September and October are the most pleasant months for touring Italy -- temperatures are usually mild and the hordes of tourists not so intense. But starting in mid-June, the summer rush really picks up, and from July to mid-September, the country teems with visitors.

August (with July a close runner-up) is the worst month. Not only does it get uncomfortably hot, muggy, and crowded, but the entire country goes on vacation from at least August 15 to the end of the month -- and a good percentage of Italians take off the entire month, leaving the cities to the tourists. Many hotels, restaurants, and shops are closed -- except along the coast and on the islands, which is where most Italians head.

From late October to Easter, most sights have shorter winter hours or close for renovation periods, many hotels and restaurants take a month or two off between November and February, beach destinations become padlocked ghost towns, and it can get much colder than you'd expect (it may even snow). The crowds thin remarkably, especially outside the Big Three tourist cities (Rome, Florence, and Venice).

In mountain towns and ski resorts, high season is from mid-December through mid-March; low season is June, when many hotels are closed (which is a shame, for there's great hiking in the mountains during June's warmer days).

High season on most airlines' routes to Italy usually stretches from June to the end of September plus Christmas/New Year's week. This is the most expensive and most crowded time to travel. Shoulder season is from the Easter season (usually late Mar or Apr) to May, late September to October, and December 15 to December 24. Low season is generally January 6 to mid-March, November 1 to December 14, and December 25 to March 31.

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