Why I welcome the soaring costs of a holiday tipple

I thought I’d be a pretty cheap date on holiday abroad this summer. I’ve abstained from all alcohol for the past eight months, including my beloved Siglo rioja, as I get ready to become a mum. So I expected the savings we’d make by only one of us drinking while on our road trip through France and Italy to offset the crazily expensive road tolls we clocked up as we travelled through the Mont Blanc tunnel, passing over the top of Milan to get to Venice. Boy, was I wrong.

In most of the restaurants and cafes we visited it was actually cheaper to order a glass of wine than a soft drink. An Orangina was easily €3.50 in Annecy, Strasbourg and Lake Garda. But in Lake Como and Venice, things got silly. A can of Coca-Light (that’s continental for Diet Coke) while eating often cost €5. In St Mark’s Square one evening, we were stupid enough to pay €20 for a small bottle of water and an Amaretto.