How to Travel to Italy on A Budget ($1000 or Less!) 

It surprises a lot of people when I say Italy is one of the most budget-friendly countries I have been to. 

With that being said, I've also met people who have spent $10,000+ dollars in a single week traveling Italy.

I'm not sure I could do that if I tried because I'm damn good at finding deals. I'm also really good at helping others do it, too. 

On my last trip to Italy, I went to a more luxurious section of the country called Lake Como. Most people automatically connect Lake Como to the famous actor George Clooney. It's true, this area is known for hosting the rich and the famous, but that doesn't mean it needs to be expensive. 

Does Italy on Budget Mean Experiencing Less?

Absolutely not. When I travel on a budget I always pick one area to splurge on. In Italy, I focused a majority of my budget on food and drink. And I'm not joking when I say we ate out 2-3 times a day on average. Not to mention the copious amounts of wine and cappuccino daily.

 

So What Does Italy on a Budget Look Like?

Well...it's easier to show you: 

 

 

 

How to Travel Italy on a Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide

 

1. Go in The Off-Season 

Tickets are always going to be more expensive during peak holiday months. With that being said, it's not a bad thing to travel to Italy in the slower months. If I'm being honest, Italy in the summer is one of my least favorite countries, while Italy in the fall/spring is absolutely magical. 

Why?

Italy in July is hot and crowded. When visiting Cinque Terre in July, conductors were shoving us into the trains in order to get the doors to close. We were backpacking through Europe and planned to say at least two weeks in Italy, but we dipped out after four days due to crowds. 

Slow season means empty Italian villages all to your, discounts on flights and accommodation, and the opportunity to experience the magic of one of the best countries in the world. 

Tickets in peak season can easily be $1,500 dollars round trip. 

We got our tickets in November for $550 round trip. 

Our Airbnb in the peak season went for $350/night.

Our Airbnb in November was $197/night. 

Here was the view from our balcony: 

2. Calculate Estimated Cost Before Your Departure 

This is something I do before every single trip. It allows me to look at the amount I have spent so far on flights, accommodation, etc. and therefore highlights my leftover budget for spending while on visiting. For example, this is what my pre-trip budget notes looked like for Italy: 

Flight: $550 

Accommodation: $287 

Leftover: $162.5

Now, I did decide I wanted to spend a bit extra, so I added an additional $100 to my food fund, bringing my total spending budget for the week to be $262.50

3. Avoid Eating in Super Touristy Areas 

Food is always more expensive and less authentic in major tourist areas. That's because they are catering to the masses of travelers in the summer. All it takes it walked a couple of blocks down a scenic Italian side street to find something that is equally, if not more, delicious at half the cost.

Now, with my budget guides I also say stay clear of spending to much on alcohol, but Italy is the best place in the world to enjoy wine...SO ENJOY IT. A liter of wine (6 glasses) is only 12 Euro anyway.

 

4. Buy Yourself (Or Someone Else) ONE Nice Item 

One of the biggest things I've learned while traveling is that snowglobes and tourist t-shirts are one of the biggest wastes of money. I can't tell you how many times I've bought some overpriced shitty souvenir only for it to sit in a forgotten corner or drawer the moment I got home. 

If you are going to buy something: be picky. Remember whatever you buy has to come through customs on the way back. I usually try to keep whatever I buy small and under $40. 

 

5. Take Part in Free Activities 

When it comes to Italy on a budget, it's all about taking advantage of free activities, which are actually not that hard to find. Here is my go-to list of free things to do while traveling: 

• Hiking
• Free Walking Tours
• Visiting Churches 
• Sightseeing 
• Garden/Park Walks 
• Sunset Chasing 
• Beach Days 
• Picnics 
• Read a Book a Cafe (OK this one costs like $2 but close enough) 
• Farmers Markets

 

6. Pack Everything Into a Carry On 

The lowest fare on a trip is always Basic Economy, which also does not come with free checked bags on international flights. Checking a bag one-way can easily cost $50. In order to avoid unexpected additional fees, I always back into a backpack (personal bag) and a carry-on. It might sound tough to do, but if I can do it carrying camera equipment, a drone, and all my other photography extras, you can do it! Not checking a bag also makes going through customs MUCH easier.

Coming back into the United States, those with a checked bag must pick their bag up and recheck it upon entry into the country. The lines for rechecking are often extremely long and stressful. 

7. Avoid Upgrading 

I know, I know, it might be tempting to upgrade to standard economy or pay the additional $60 to pick your seat on international trips, but to me, it is never worth it. I'm going to be uncomfortable and cramped no matter where I am in economy and I might as well be uncomfortable with more money in my pocket at the end of the trip. LOL 

 

 

Extra Tip: 

Create a 'Travel Fund' Before Your Trip 

I use the app Digit, which automatically withdrawals money from your bank account and puts it into a designated savings account. The app monitors how much you spend on bills average and withdrawals amounts based on how much is currently in your account. 

I love this app because it never withdrawals money if your account gets too low but will automatically add money back into your account if it detects it's been overdrawn in another way. 

To be honest, I never notice when it takes money out of my account. But having a fund of a few hundred extra dollars set aside for a trip ALWAYS makes a big difference.