I would suggest you wait until after your holiday. Cartilage piercings are usually pretty troublesome so I wouldn't dream of adding chlorinated (and dirty) pool water into the equation.
I've got 3 cartilage piercings, have had 4 in total.
Yes, they hurt, how much depends on your pain threshold.
Yes, cartilage piercings can be a bugger to heal. Upto a year for healing (and that's discounting any granulomas you get).
As easy to clean as any other piercing, generally.
I paid £30 for my conch.
Again, swimming in my book, is a complete No-Go until it is FULLY healed.