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

Fri, 11/11/2016 - 04:01

" we ....... would be doing quite a lot ourselves as I am an electrician and Mel is a joiner. ..."What little I know about the ½ûÂþÌìÌà system - you could have problems doing it yourself. I know of 1 UK electrician that managed to get his qualifications/experience 'accepted' by ½ûÂþÌìÌà Authorities - it took years - speak to your Comune about what they will accept from a non-italian registered 'expert'

Tue, 10/25/2016 - 16:10

"Is there a direct debit system that can be used to pay regular bills such as electric and water etc?"Yes - I pay Gas, Water and Electric bills by direct debit from my ½ûÂþÌìÌà Bank account - probably the only reason I have an ½ûÂþÌìÌà bank account at all.The ones I cannot pay by DD are the IMU/TASI  bill which i used to calculate using an on-line Calculator, http://www.amministrazionicomunali.it/imu/calcolo_imu.php ,   but for the last couple of years the Comune have sent the bill [F24 Form] to my English address.  I then sign the F24 Form and scan and email it to my bank for them to pay.Hope this helps

Mon, 10/24/2016 - 15:14

Idon't have contact details for ENEL - but I experienced something similar when the Water people turned up to disconnect my holiday home [for non-payment of a 12 Euro bill 5 years ago]I was 'saved' by local ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs.  One stopped them from cutting me off, by explaining I was not resident at the place, and could they wait for a few days whilst I was contacted - luckily the water people agreedHe then contacted a close friend of mine, as he himself spoke no English.  My english speaking friend contacted me and the water people and sorted everything out - all I had to do was get my ½ûÂþÌìÌà Bank to pay the outstanding bill.  It took about 2 weeks to fully sort out.There was no way I could have done it without an ½ûÂþÌìÌà friend to do it for me [the main thing is that he, as an ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, knows how to work the system]SO - can you get a local person, who you trust, to mediate for you? [daft thing was - when they finally read the water meter - I was 120 Euros in credit]

Mon, 10/10/2016 - 04:39

Obviously, your background, [in strictly legal terms], is Austrian - not ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.However, your ethnicity is ½ûÂþÌìÌà - so why bother telling anyone differently?If you do decide to 'come out' as an Austrian, this may helphttps://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Traditional+Austrian+Clothing+Men&view=detailv2&id=920434AA032FB3F48F63F1CAF977BF9FA019A612&selectedindex=3&ccid=yNVnuB%2F3&simid=607990284500797392&thid=OIP.Mc8d567b81ff7d12685cfc432ff3ed271H0&mode=overlay&first=1

Sun, 10/09/2016 - 06:53

".....I couldn't help being struck by the feeling that the purpose you intended them to serve when you wrote them was about making yourself feel exclusive as one privileged to have a car in Italy...."I wish - I'm non-resident, so no carYou might consider buying one in France or Germany - no problems there

Sat, 10/08/2016 - 05:04

Sorry you thought my comments were poisonous - I thought I was being realistic...These may helphttp://www.understandingitaly.com/living-content/motoring.html/community/post/buying-car-non-residentshttps://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Articles/Travel-Leisure/Buying-a-carhttp://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-italy-car-purchasehttp://www.langhe.property/article-buying-a-car-in-piedmont-italy.html Note what they all say about 'Residency' Good Luck

Thu, 10/06/2016 - 03:54

If you are not 'Resident' in Italy, don't bother trying to buy a car - you won't be able to register it, [or insure it]. Its one of the many quirks of the ½ûÂþÌìÌà system that even owning a property in Italy won't make buying a car possible - you have to be Resident[In theory, this ½ûÂþÌìÌà practice is illegal under EU rules, but since when have ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs followed them - unless it suits them to]

Mon, 10/03/2016 - 10:18

Work out the total Value - divide by 2, and sell 1 or 2 houses and do a cash balance - she then hold at least 1 house [possibly 2], and you have some cash I don't think you can force her to sell

Mon, 10/03/2016 - 09:23

Why not give her first choice of Property to own outright - you have second choice, [which you sell] and you share the income from the third.

Fri, 09/23/2016 - 06:22

"So my question is, if i were to buy a kitchen and bathroom here in the uk,and transport it here to do myself, are the plumbing fixings compatable with ½ûÂþÌìÌà plumbing componants." Why not buy the kitchen and bathroom in Italy [cheaper than UK] and fit it yourself?