How to create a budget for Italy travel

The main constraints to your trip to Italy are money and time. People have more of each than they need. And even if you do have the money, chances are you won’t want to spend more than necessary. Budget questions are important when planning an Italy vacation.

It’s not easy to answer these questions. I cannot give you a single budget for Italy, and I can’t answer all your questions. I will try to help you determine the cost of your Italy trip based on what type of trip it is. You will also find money-saving tips and when I feel splurges should be made.

Remember, however, that the actual numbers I have listed below may be estimates or could have changed since I first wrote them. This guideline is intended to be a guide. However, you should double-check the actual prices as you go.

Let’s now take a look at how much each element of an Italy vacation costs.

Fly with Airfare

are almost always the largest expense, but it can vary based on the season and the airport you fly to.

Italy’s peak season is May-September, with occasional dips and spikes around Christmas and Easter. This is when it will be the most expensive. Winter months are the best for flights, with and January being the cheapest. This means you will have to endure some damp and cold weather. If you want to find a middle ground between not-super-expensive and not-super–cold weather, consider the shoulder seasons of spring or fall. The shoulder seasons of April and are generally considered to be the best.

It’s simple math: the further you are from your Italian destination, then the more expensive your flight will be. It is not hard to see why flights from North America to Paris, London, Frankfurt, or Frankfurt are so much cheaper than flights to Rome and Milan. It’s frustrating, but it’s the truth. If you have the time and enjoy puzzles, it is possible to create what I call a “two-step” plan for getting to Italy. This involves taking advantage of a low-cost flight to Amsterdam, then jumping on a European budget airline to take you to Italy.

If your itinerary is moving in one direction throughout the country, then you might consider “open-jaw” ticket. These tickets allow you to fly into and out of one city. Although they are more expensive than regular round-trip tickets, the difference in cost is often negligible. Open-jaw tickets are worth the extra expense if you don’t have any need to travel backwards and can spend some of your vacation time in transit within the country.

Actual Numbers: How Much Does It Cost to Fly to Italy?

Summer fares from the US east to Rome cost $700-800. Fares from the US west coast range from $1,000-1,200. Prices can be cut by half in winter. Fare sales are common, especially in shoulder and off-seasons. If you’re still looking for a deal and aren’t sure if there is one, then make sure to create an email alert with the booking engine of your choice. This will keep you informed about current fares and let you know when they drop or rise.

Accommodation

This line item can vary from a bed in a hostel dorm room to a five-star hotel in Venice. This line item is not like airfare. It is largely dependent on what you can control.

Accommodation follows the same high- and low-seasons as airfare. May-September is high-season, while winter is low-season. For seasonal holidays, there are mini-spikes or mini-dips in hotel price, but these spikes and dips are less frequent. There is a peak at which hotels in your desired price range will be booked well in advance, while others are higher for Easter and Christmas. Weekend rates may be higher in some cities because they are tourist destinations. Weekday rates in other cities will be higher due to the large number of business travelers.

Make your decision about what type of accommodation you are looking for, then do some research on the prices in the areas you plan to visit. You shouldn’t only focus on a star-rating. The star rating system for hotels is different in Italy than elsewhere. It’s also not consistent across the country. I would also advise you to look at other lodging options. Although some guesthouses and budget hotels are classified as “hostels”, they are not the same as what we would consider hostels. Vacation rentals are becoming more popular throughout the country.

A Venice hotel is a worthy investment because you only need to stay one night to really experience Venice. You should stay on the islands and not on the mainland. You’ll pay a bit more but it’s only one night. It’s Venice.

Actual numbers: How much does it cost to stay in Italy

Hostel dorm beds can be found for as low as $15-40 per night. The more popular ones are located in tourist areas. Prices rise if you need a private room. The 2- and 3-star hotels (I prefer to start my search among 2-star hotels) start at $80 per night, and can go up to $200. The price of a room can go up dramatically if it is luxurious or overlooks a major attraction. It’s possible to save money by choosing a hotel that is a bit further from the main attractions (just make certain it’s close to a Metro stop) or by opting for less-visited destinations.

Transport within Italy

There are many options for , which is something that’s not the case with some other places (I’m referring to the United States of America). You can rent a car in Italy for those who want to explore more remote areas. However, most tourists are well-served thanks to the country’s extensive train and bus networks (not forgetting the many boats that ferry people along the coast and islands). There are many transport options to suit every budget.

It is the best way to get around Italy for the least expensive and most convenient. Individual train tickets can be purchased as you travel, or you can purchase an Italy Rail Pass prior to leaving home. Each option has its merits, so it’s important to do some math before you decide which one is best for you. This is what I wrote in ” How To Decide Whether to Purchase a Rail Pass or Point to-Point Train Tickets in Italy.

is cheaper but it is not possible to travel from one area to the next using the national bus network. If you are traveling with a group, renting a car is more affordable. It can also prove to be an essential option if you have to travel to many places that don’t have train stations. You can also get “train + driver” rail passes that allow you to take the train most of your journey, but give you a few days to rent a car for when you reach Umbria or Sicily.

Public transportation is my favorite mode of transportation in a city. I prefer buses and Metro to walking if possible. To get to the city from the airport I prefer trains and shuttle buses, over paying for a taxi. If I have luggage, I will pay for a taxi to take me to the hotel or apartment. A few years ago, on a trip to Italy, I was able to get from Milan’s Malpensa Airport with two large suitcases and a carry-on bag. It took me 20 minutes to walk and the Metro. Although I did save money, I was still exhausted, aching, and cranky upon my arrival at my home. If you ask me, being frugal at one’s own expense is not math that adds up properly.

Actual Numbers: Italy’s Transportation Costs

You have many options when it comes to Italy Rail Passes. It all depends on how many days you need. At the top of the range, a pass that allows eight days of train travel within a month costs between $373 and $465 for adults and $304-373 for youth. For three days of train travel, a pass is good for $212-$264 for adults and $174-$212 for youth. Add up the price of individual tickets and reservations for each trip to determine if a pass is more affordable. (I will go into detail about the math of a rail pass and train tickets here. The cost of renting a car will depend on how big the car is and what season it is. An economy-sized (i.e. A car that is small in size (i.e., not too big) could be rented to drive around Tuscany for as low as $50-70 per night. It is important to note that almost all rental cars in Italy have manual transmissions – automatics are more expensive.

Food

Some people view food as merely fuel. I have met others. One man even said that he would not travel anywhere for good food, let alone cross the street to get it. If you don’t think this is you, skip this section. You’ll be satisfied with any cheap food you find in Italy.

For me, however, eating in Italy is part of my souvenir-gathering process.

Even if you don’t like caviar, budget-conscious tourists have good news: you can still eat well in Italy even without trust funds. It is not expensive to enjoy some of Italy’s most iconic treats, such as gelato, pizza, and espresso. Contrary to what the traditional Italian menus may tell you, you don’t have to order everything from each course: antipasto, primo and secondo, contorno and dolce. It’s not something that the Italians do, so why would you?

Italian food is best when it uses seasonal ingredients and local produce (both of which reduce transport costs). It’s a smart move to locate an outdoor market for food, even if it’s not necessary to have your own pantry. Knowing what’s available locally will allow you to make informed choices when ordering in the town’s restaurants. You’d also be smart to avoid restaurants that cater specifically to tourists with their menus-in-many-languages and hawkers out front telling you you’re hungry as you walk by the front door. These places are more likely to serve lower-quality food and have higher prices, often because they offer views of major attractions or are close to them.

A carafe is cheaper than buying a bottle of wine, and the quality of Italian house wine is exceptional. If you ask for water, you will be purchasing bottled water. Tipping in Italy doesn’t really exist (no, seriously), so don’t include the 15% tip in your food budget.

Actual Numbers: Italy’s Food Cost

A typical Italian breakfast includes a coffee and pastry. If you order a table, the same food will cost EUR2-3. Your hotel or hostel might offer breakfast for free. Pasta can be priced between EUR7-15 depending on where you live and what it contains. Meat courses range from EUR10-25 and meat courses are EUR10-25. Side dishes (vegetables and salad) are available from EUR4-10. Italians love to have an afternoon espresso. It costs EUR1-2, but it is more if you sit down at a table. A scoop of gelato can be had for EUR1-2. A whole pizza from Naples, one of the most famous pizzas in the world, may cost you EUR5. You can often get the same dish at a restaurant for less than dinner. This means that you can save money by ordering your biggest meal at midday. If you are looking to save even more money, stock up on delicious picnic items from the outdoor food markets, such as cheeses, cured meats and fresh bread.

Attractions and Activities

It is difficult to determine a budget for activities or attractions due to the variety of things that each traveler has in mind. One person may be content to just sit on a bench in a park and watch people pass by (cost – nothing). One person will be content to sit on a park bench and watch people pass by (cost – nothing! ), while another person may dream of flying over every major city (cost: astronomical!). You can narrow down your list and find out the cost of each activity.

To find out the cost of admission to the museums, art galleries, churches and monuments on your itinerary, visit their official websites. Some attractions have a fee, while others offer free admission on specific days or times. These are all great information to have in your travel planning. Even if the church does not charge admission, it is still expensive to maintain. Donations of one or two euros are always appreciated.

You should consider the benefits of a city pass to access the places you will be visiting. The Roma Pass will save you money compared to paying full price for the attractions you desire to see. Or will you not be able to visit enough to justify the expense? These passes can also include transportation which could impact your budget.

You can download audioguided tours of museums or follow a guidebook through a city. There are many DIY tours available. Even though there are many free tours, I still love taking guided tours. Expert guides make me feel more connected to a place and help me learn more about it. Although the cost of tours can vary widely, this is one area where I feel a bit more expensive. Don’t forget tip your guides!

Actual numbers: Italy’s Activity Costs

You’ll need to check the current admission prices at museums and attractions in your itinerary. Then, do your math. These are some of the top attractions in Italy, as of the date of writing.

Colosseum EUR12
Vatican Museums EUR16
Uffizi Gallery EUR14
Last Supper EUR8
The Leaning Tower of Pisa EUR18: Climb it
Pompeii EUR11
3-day Roma Pass EUR36

Souvenirs

This is your only option for determining the budget.

A genuine Deruta painted ceramic plate could cost hundreds, while a counterfeit Gucci handbag, made in China and not Italy, would run you less than EUR20 from a street vendor in Milan. For the price of a night in a luxury hotel, you could buy a beautiful piece of Murano handblown glass or a small statue of David for a few euros. It all depends on what you plan to bring home, and what you will be able to look back at years later.

Sometimes outdoor markets offer excellent souvenir-shopping opportunities, including cheap clothing, shoes, or leather goods. Italian police can fine sellers who sell counterfeit designer brands on sidewalks from cardboard or sheets.

It is possible to find clearance sales in Italy during the winter and summer seasons. Discounts are usually around 30% and then drop over the course of the sale period. You might find some bargains if you visit during an official sale.

Make sure you do your research on what you are allowed to bring home. This is especially true for wine and food, as certain foods can be confiscated by customs. In some cases you are limited in the amount of wine and food you can bring home. This is a matter of national law and you will need to check the rules in your country.

You might be more interested in “experiences as souvenirs” and take a class in Italy. It will give you many years of benefits. For example, learn how to make authentic pizza in Naples or to speak Italian in Siena. While you won’t be able to take home any souvenirs, learning experiences like these will last a lifetime.