Anyone with a clean UK driving license interested in driving my car from Umbria to the UK, and/or back, in July so I can get it MoT'd? It will have been serviced and it is fully insured with European breakdown cover. I am just not confident enou
If anyone is looking for a reliable, honest and hardworking guy to do any building, decorating or general renovation work in the south-west Umbria region (Citta Della Pieve), I know just the man. His work is good and his charges are reasonable. P
Travelling from Reims to Parrano, Umbria. Can anyone advise the best, shortest & cheapest route with minimal use of toll roads through France etc, accepting that we will use the autostrade through Italy. Thanks.
Can anyone help or know someone who can sort this out for me – cheaply!?I think I need to apply for residency in Italy. However, I will not be a ‘full-time’ resident, maybe up to or just over half the year for the time being.....
Recommendations please.... Where, other than Ikea, would you advise the best place to buy good second hand or new furniture in or near western Umbria. Anyone moving and hove some for sale? I need beds, sofas, kitchen cabinets, appliances etc.
Just about to arrange Saga motor insurance... cheapest for 365 days European travel. See this site.... http://www.money.co.uk/car-insurance/unlimited-european-car-insurance.htm They also offer all-in breakdown insurance, including European cover for £60, only £18 more than Green Flag, so I will go for that too for convenience. I have insured with Saga before I hate to say ;-( and you have to be careful as they really hike their prices up after a year...
but.... Hey guys, I am trying to do this on "the cheap"!! Hence trying to avoid motorway tolls as much as possible too... Thanks for the advice though.
Some members have suggested travelling via Hull from the north of England, which sounds agood idea rather than travel 250 or so miles down to the south coast.... Guess a trip through Belgium would be necessary? Therefore, can anyone recommend a good route down to Umbria from Hull via Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, as short as possible, but not motorways all the way! Yes I know I could 'Google' or 'TomTom' it, but I am looking for opinions and advice from anyone who may do this journey regularly and know all the pitfalls.... Thanks.
Will do... Maybe we could start a car share amongst members who live in the same area... just to keep the thing running..... I would be quite happy for someone to offer drive it over for me for a mutually agreeable sum if they were heading my way anyway(!!!). Or a friend coming to visit maybe... a 2-3 day leisurely drive through France or wherever, then fly back. That's my problem.. I just would not fancy driving all that way on my own... bit of a wuss now I am a poor pensioner! I will have to put some feelers out...
All very interesting... I am more & more tempted to purchase a 5-6 yr old diesel Fiat Punto or similar, here in the UK & drive it out & back from Italy once a year (or ask a friend!). I would not SORN, as their tax band is low. Sounds the best option if I continue to trip out to Italy 6-7 times a year... Any recommendations re Insurance companies that would insure for 350+ days out of the country, apart from the names mentioned here: Saga, NFU or Asda?
So sorry Badger...... If anyone ever needs advice re sick/abandoned/injured wildlife, just contact these guys..... http://www.brentlodge.org/ I make no apologies for advertising.... This Charitable Trust near Chichester, was founded by my uncle over 40 years ago. They do wonderful work and will gladly offer all the help they can without actually being able to see or admit the creature... A "like" or a "share" on Facebook would be greatly appreciated if nothing else.....
This was a regular flyer I get from 'gardenbargains.com' here in the UK, just happened that way... Your suggestion is highly unlikely anyway Steve.... as all cookies & history are cleared from my mac several times daily especially at the moment as it keeps crashing! At £3.30 per 50-65cm plant, I do not think that is expensive & I will be bringing them, not sending them. There are very few plant outlets near me that I know of, so for the time being and until I get to know the area better, I would prefer to buy/bring or send things that I am unsure of being able to get in Italy, from the UK to save time and hassle. My trips to Italy are somewhat limited to weeks here & there, rather than months at the moment so time is precious, especially during this renovation period. Give me a chance Ram, I have only had the place just over 5 months!! A good watering system? Errrr... No! My neighbour will kindly go around with her can while I am not there, but that's about it! It costs a lot extra to have an outside tap/hose doesn't it?
I forgot about Oleanders.... Tried several times to grow them in pots in the UK, always lost them, despite covering them with fleece every winter. Good idea, thanks Gala. I looked at the temperatures for my region of Umbria yesterday.... 19 degrees! Here in the UK it was zero and if you factor in the wind chill, it felt like -12! You cannot imagine how cold it felt & we are all heatily sick of it! PS.. Just had an email 'offer' of 6 x Oleander bushes for £20... what a coincidence! My suitcase will be full of plants next visit... Glad I didn't book RyanAir!
Thanks Ram, all is clear.. Great advice as usual... appreciated, I even got it twice!! I did plant a few small pyracantha around the fence and soon realised that there would be no hope of an English country garden! Solid clay... in that area anyway. Did you mean Bay or Laurel? The land is also sloping, so hoping to terrace it with the help of a guy with an excavator! A few stone walls as I gather a load of stone is relatively cheap to buy, some Olive trees, a vine over the pergola and that will be about it!
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Just about to arrange Saga motor insurance... cheapest for 365 days European travel. See this site.... http://www.money.co.uk/car-insurance/unlimited-european-car-insurance.htm They also offer all-in breakdown insurance, including European cover for £60, only £18 more than Green Flag, so I will go for that too for convenience. I have insured with Saga before I hate to say ;-( and you have to be careful as they really hike their prices up after a year...
but.... Hey guys, I am trying to do this on "the cheap"!! Hence trying to avoid motorway tolls as much as possible too... Thanks for the advice though.
Some members have suggested travelling via Hull from the north of England, which sounds agood idea rather than travel 250 or so miles down to the south coast.... Guess a trip through Belgium would be necessary? Therefore, can anyone recommend a good route down to Umbria from Hull via Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, as short as possible, but not motorways all the way! Yes I know I could 'Google' or 'TomTom' it, but I am looking for opinions and advice from anyone who may do this journey regularly and know all the pitfalls.... Thanks.
Will do... Maybe we could start a car share amongst members who live in the same area... just to keep the thing running..... I would be quite happy for someone to offer drive it over for me for a mutually agreeable sum if they were heading my way anyway(!!!). Or a friend coming to visit maybe... a 2-3 day leisurely drive through France or wherever, then fly back. That's my problem.. I just would not fancy driving all that way on my own... bit of a wuss now I am a poor pensioner! I will have to put some feelers out...
All very interesting... I am more & more tempted to purchase a 5-6 yr old diesel Fiat Punto or similar, here in the UK & drive it out & back from Italy once a year (or ask a friend!). I would not SORN, as their tax band is low. Sounds the best option if I continue to trip out to Italy 6-7 times a year... Any recommendations re Insurance companies that would insure for 350+ days out of the country, apart from the names mentioned here: Saga, NFU or Asda?
Thank you Angie & Robert... They need all the support they can get.
So sorry Badger...... If anyone ever needs advice re sick/abandoned/injured wildlife, just contact these guys..... http://www.brentlodge.org/ I make no apologies for advertising.... This Charitable Trust near Chichester, was founded by my uncle over 40 years ago. They do wonderful work and will gladly offer all the help they can without actually being able to see or admit the creature... A "like" or a "share" on Facebook would be greatly appreciated if nothing else.....
This was a regular flyer I get from 'gardenbargains.com' here in the UK, just happened that way... Your suggestion is highly unlikely anyway Steve.... as all cookies & history are cleared from my mac several times daily especially at the moment as it keeps crashing! At £3.30 per 50-65cm plant, I do not think that is expensive & I will be bringing them, not sending them. There are very few plant outlets near me that I know of, so for the time being and until I get to know the area better, I would prefer to buy/bring or send things that I am unsure of being able to get in Italy, from the UK to save time and hassle. My trips to Italy are somewhat limited to weeks here & there, rather than months at the moment so time is precious, especially during this renovation period. Give me a chance Ram, I have only had the place just over 5 months!! A good watering system? Errrr... No! My neighbour will kindly go around with her can while I am not there, but that's about it! It costs a lot extra to have an outside tap/hose doesn't it?
I forgot about Oleanders.... Tried several times to grow them in pots in the UK, always lost them, despite covering them with fleece every winter. Good idea, thanks Gala. I looked at the temperatures for my region of Umbria yesterday.... 19 degrees! Here in the UK it was zero and if you factor in the wind chill, it felt like -12! You cannot imagine how cold it felt & we are all heatily sick of it! PS.. Just had an email 'offer' of 6 x Oleander bushes for £20... what a coincidence! My suitcase will be full of plants next visit... Glad I didn't book RyanAir!
Thanks Ram, all is clear.. Great advice as usual... appreciated, I even got it twice!! I did plant a few small pyracantha around the fence and soon realised that there would be no hope of an English country garden! Solid clay... in that area anyway. Did you mean Bay or Laurel? The land is also sloping, so hoping to terrace it with the help of a guy with an excavator! A few stone walls as I gather a load of stone is relatively cheap to buy, some Olive trees, a vine over the pergola and that will be about it!