{"id":801,"date":"2014-10-13T17:56:54","date_gmt":"2014-10-13T22:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=801"},"modified":"2022-02-04T15:23:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T20:23:52","slug":"italy-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/italy-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Travel to Italy on A Budget ($1000 or Less!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\"Shalee\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\tHow to Travel to Italy on A Budget ($1000 or Less!) \n\t<\/h1>\n\t

February 02, 2021<\/p>\n\t

\"italy<\/p>\n

It surprises a lot of people when I say Italy is one of the most budget-friendly countries I have been to. <\/p>\n

With that being said, I’ve also met people who have spent $10,000+ dollars in a single week traveling Italy. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\"italy<\/p>\n

Does Italy on Budget Mean Experiencing Less?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So What Does Italy on a Budget Look Like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Well…it’s easier to show you: <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"italy \"italy \"italy\"italy<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Travel Italy on a Budget: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Go in The Off-Season <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Tickets in peak season can easily be $1,500 dollars round trip. <\/strong><\/p>\n

We got our tickets in November for $550 round trip. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Our Airbnb in the peak season went for $350\/night.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our Airbnb in November was $197\/night. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Here was the view from our balcony: <\/p>\n

\"italy<\/p>\n

2. Calculate Estimated Cost Before Your Departure <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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: <\/p>\n

Flight: $550 <\/p>\n

Accommodation: $287 <\/p>\n

Leftover: $162.5<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\"italy<\/p>\n

3. Avoid Eating in Super Touristy Areas <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"italy<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Buy Yourself (Or Someone Else) ONE Nice Item <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Take Part in Free Activities <\/strong><\/h3>\n

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: <\/p>\n