Italy is among the most expensive, favorite destinations of Israeli travelers and travelers from around the world at all budget levels. You can travel in Italy on a relatively low budget and save on every step and you can travel in Italy like kings and spend a fortune on shopping, restaurants, luxury hotels, first class travel and unlimited attractions. Whatever budget level you choose – if you want to travel smartly and not spend unnecessary money, it’s enough to know a little about this very touristic country and plan the trip in advance, so that you can be sure that you only spend money on what you really want.
One of the things that can help you travel economically is to know the price differences within Italy. For example – the north is more expensive than the south, the big and famous cities are much more expensive than the towns and villages and you can find quality hotels, with considerable price differences, if you choose the right location. Such a location can be reflected in the difference of a twenty minute drive from the more expensive area and save you significantly. Even pre-booking a hotel stay online can save you up to 40 percent of the price of the stay.
It is possible to travel in Italy at different levels of budgets and in different styles of travel, as well as in completely different regions of the land of the boot, therefore a trip to Italy can be conducted on a very wide scale of prices.
A trip to Italy for the average traveler
Costs of accommodation in an average and pleasant hotel, a light lunch at a street food stall for example and dinner at a nice restaurant, along with travel in a rental car, can reach about 150 euros per day per person. Although this price is not really low, it is the average price for a trip at a sufficient and pleasant level, which can be suitable for families for example, or for a couple who is not looking for pampering and luxuries and also for those who are traveling alone.
Mid-level hotels in Italy can be very expensive, especially if you plan to arrive at the height of the tourist season and even more so if you plan to travel to the main tourist cities, such as Rome, Venice, Milan, etc. In any case, booking in advance, through the websites, will allow you to find hotels at relatively low prices and you can also find rooms at a price between 100 and 200 euros per couple.
The food is without a doubt one of the reasons to travel to Italy and it provides one of the most exciting and interesting parts of the trip, but even here you should have your hand on the pulse and remember that you can buy wonderful food in markets and delicatessens and sit down to a pampering picnic with excellent cheeses, wonderful breads and a selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, in a public garden , or even on the side of a street. For those who want to eat in a restaurant – lunches are usually cheaper than dinners and the general food costs can amount to 30 euros per person per day.
Travel – Car rental is the preferred solution for many travelers in Italy, especially if you are traveling with children, or simply want to be comfortable, but car rental, like many other things in Italy, is not a cheap business. The rental cost may also reach 100 euros per day, depending on the season in which you arrived, and if you did not book the car in advance – the price will increase accordingly.
A trip to Italy on a low budget
Although Italy is not considered a cheap travel destination by any standards, it is possible to travel there even on a relatively low budget. It is important to remember that the south is cheaper than the north and perhaps choose the travel destinations according to the prices used in the different regions.
Even for the accommodation services at the lower levels – such as for example hostels for backpackers, the accommodation costs decrease the more you book in advance and preferably via the Internet. Accommodation in hostels can cost between 20 and 40 euros per night per person, depending on the level of the room and you can also sleep in campsites and reduce costs even more.
Public transportation in Italy offers plenty of options – you can travel by train, at prices that vary according to the level of class you book, and you can travel by bus, tram, subway, and more. In the big cities it is recommended to get around on foot in any case and many important sites do not allow vehicles at all, so a trip without a car in Italy may be a little more challenging, but full of convenient and affordable solutions and options. Even reserving seats for the train will be cheaper if you do it in advance and via the Internet.
Food – travelers in Italy on a low budget can enjoy food bought at the local supermarket, or markets and delicatessens and occasionally eat at cheap restaurants, or order from the business menu. You will be surprised to discover, for example, that precisely in Rome, which is shockingly expensive, you can find cheap and high-quality places to eat and you should check where the best and cheap food stalls are wherever you go.
If you manage to adhere to proper and economical conduct, you can travel in Italy even on a budget of about 50 euros per day per person.
A pampering trip in Italy for lovers of luxury and on a tight budget
Italy offers plenty of pampering and rich and expensive experiences for tourists and it is very easy to spend huge sums on a trip to the beautiful land of the boot. If you have an unlimited budget, or at least a very large one, for the trip in Italy, you can easily spend at least 250 euros per day. Such a daily cost will allow you to stay in luxurious luxury hotels, meals in quality restaurants, internal flights and car rental.
Food – travelers with money can indulge in Michelin restaurants, or other excellent restaurants, where the cost of a meal may reach 200 euros per person, but of course worth every cent.
Accommodation in a luxury hotel can reach a price of 400 euros per night, with the price obviously depending on the season and increasing as you get closer to the peak of the tourist season, to the famous cities and the more touristed areas.
Organized trips in Italy
Since Italy offers everything tourists can ask for and much more, an organized trip is not really necessary, but if you want someone else to plan everything for you and lead you with a group of travelers, who will host you for company, know that the costs can reach 70 euros for the guide only, for a day trip.
Prices of tourist attractions in Italy
Italy offers a wealth of tourist attractions, including wonderful museums, ancient palaces, amazing and important historical sites as well as amusement parks, water parks, zoos, ski vacations, water activities and much more.
The prices vary according to the type of attraction and the length of time suitable for enjoying the entertainment, so entrance to the Colosseum, for example, costs about 6 euros per person, while entrance to Park Garda may cost, depending on the season, about 30 euros per person, a gondola ride in Venice also reaches prices of 80 euros per person And even more, and so on.
It is possible and recommended to find out the prices of attractions before arriving in Italy and even purchase the tickets in advance online, which may sometimes allow you to purchase a combined entrance to some attractions and reduce costs, especially if you are traveling as a family with children.
Domestic flights in Italy
There are dozens of airports in Italy. Almost every large or central city has an airport. A significant part of the airports also provide service for international flights and all of them offer domestic flights.
The big advantage of a domestic flight is saving time, but it is important to remember that the trips between the beautiful regions of Italy are also an enjoyable part of the trip and only if you really want to see attractions that are far from each other, you should take a domestic flight.
The costs of domestic flights, of course, vary depending on the distance between the destinations and may cost, more or less, around 50 euros one way.
Important general tips
- Italy is considered an expensive country, certainly in relation to Israel but also in relation to other European countries
- The currency used in Italy, as in most EU countries, is the euro
- The northern region is much more touristic and for you also more expensive, but the southern region is full of attractions and wonderful and interesting landscapes and you should try to travel there
- The trains in Italy are very comfortable and loved by the Italians as well, but keep in mind that they are also relatively expensive
- To save on food costs and also enjoy the amazing variety that Italy has, it is recommended to eat at street stalls and pizzerias and occasionally buy groceries at the market and prepare a picnic for yourself, or prepare a cooked meal for yourself if you are staying in an apartment with a kitchen
- You can book guided tours in the major cities. They are often interesting, but cost several tens of euros per person
- Instead of renting a car for the entire duration of the trip, you can stay in a central hotel, which has easy access to all the attractions on foot, or by public transportation and occasionally rent a car for a day trip
- Driving on most intercity roads in Italy is subject to a toll
- Trying to avoid paying for the trip could lead to high fines and it’s really not worth trying the enforcement system in Italy
- It is important to make sure to park only in the permitted places and avoid
- entering with a vehicle the places that prohibit it
- It is possible to drive on non-toll roads and save costs, but keep in mind that this will slow down the journey
At the end of the day, almost anyone can find a suitable budget for a trip to Italy, by public transport, on foot, by car, with or without domestic flights, with horribly expensive attractions, or with reasonably priced attractions that should not be missed.
Whether the budget is low or unlimited – Italy offers an abundance of beauty, excellent food, wonderful attractions and a wonderfully service-friendly environment adapted to tourists.
