Italy On A Budget: Summer 2023 Travel Itinerary
For our budget friendly gals – you’ve come to the right place. Let’s talk Italy on a budget, because the European summer of your dreams doesn’t include coming home to an empty bank account. This Italy travel guide includes the budget-friendly tips you need to plan your trip – and a full list of things to see and do in Italy this summer!
Heads up: Links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click the link and make a purchase, we receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us continue to travel and share our experiences on this blog, and for that we are forever grateful!
Monterosso, Cinque Terre
Vernazza, Cinque Terre
Manarola, Cinque Terre
How To Travel Italy On A Budget This Summer
- Book roundtrip flights far in advance using WayAway
- Travel everywhere by train
- Book stays with kitchens and cook some of your meals in
- Find free excursions – hike, visit the popular free sites early in the day to avoid crowds, explore the churches
- Go with a group – traveling with others is one of the best ways to cut costs on accommodation, transportation, and even some excursions
Cliffside Dining In Manarola, Italy
Gondola Ride In Venice, Italy
How To Travel To Italy
If you want to explore Italy on a budget and you plan to visit multiple cities, it’s easier than ever to find affordable flights. We’ve recently started using WayAway, because this site allows you to select a departure airport and type the entire country into the destination tab, rather than one specific city. This way, WayAway will return results for every major city in Italy, allowing you to compare prices and find the most affordable flight. Plus, there’s a Price Alert feature so you can provide your email and receive updates when the rates go down.
When it comes to finding an affordable flight, flexibility is key. For this reason, it’s a good idea to book your flights far in advance, and before you book other things like accommodation and excursions. In reality, you can save anywhere from $500-1000 by finding a great flight deal. That money will be much better spent enjoying Italy than it would be on an overpriced plane ticket.
Venice, Italy
The Duomo In Florence, Italy
How To Travel Around Italy
Next, let’s talk about how to travel around Italy once you’ve arrived. Naturally, you’re going to want to play the field a bit and get to know multiple cities in Italy – because one is never enough. Just because you’re traveling Italy on a budget doesn’t mean you should have to compromise on the chance to explore all that this country has to offer. Fortunately, you can easily navigate the entire country by train, using the impressive Italian rail system.
Our biggest tip for train travel is to book your tickets in advance rather than at the station on the day of. We use Omio to search for trains and buses across Italy and find great deals. Tickets are significantly cheaper when booked online, in advance. During our trip to Italy, we found that we had booked tickets for 10-20 euros on trains that were charging 40-50 for day-of rides.
For this reason, it’s best to plan your italy travel itinerary before you go. You can spend time mapping out how you’ll get from city to city and wondering how long to spend in each place, or you can follow our complete 2 Weeks In Italy Travel Guide. Following this travel guide is the perfect way to fall in love with Italy. You’ll want to set dates for each city you plan to visit so that you can book affordable train tickets and accommodation in advance of your trip.
Venice, Italy
Vernazza, Italy
Where To Stay In Italy On A Budget
Italy is a hot commodity during the summertime – and prices rise to reflect this. While some will argue that the best way to travel Italy on a budget is to visit during the off-season, you might really want to experience Italy during the summer. After all, there’s nothing quite like a crisp Bimini cocktail, a dip into the crystal blue Italian waters, and an evening stroll through an Italian harbor as the boats dock for the night.
For those dead set on visiting Italy during peak season, the best way to find affordable accommodation is by searching rental sites like VRBO. Below we’ve listed a few affordable options for cute flats and cozy apartments, in some of Italy’s most popular destinations:
- Florence: Apartment near Duomo ($193 per night, sleeps 4)
- Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore Sea View ($214 per night, sleeps 4)
- Rome: Cozy apartment in the heart of Rome ($172 per night, sleeps 4)
- Venice: Super Penthouse ($154 per night, sleeps 6)
One of the easiest ways to make travel more affordable is to travel in a group! Book that girls trip, bring your family along, or use travel groups to connect with other travelers planning to be in the same place at the same time.
We often travel with anywhere from 3-6 friends and split the cost of accommodations like those above, which drops the price significantly. For example, the Venice apartment listed above can fit 6 people, which would make the cost about $26 per person, per night. Now your private accommodation is just as affordable as a hostel stay!
Florence, Italy
Florence, Italy
Where To Eat In Italy On A Budget
Listen, we know that eating is the #1 thing to do in Italy. No Italian summer itinerary is complete without some amount of splurging on delicious breads, wines, and cheeses (unless you’re GF/DF in which case, we feel you and Italian food can still be for you too!). When it comes to making eating out affordable, the best thing to do is to research a few restaurants in advance that have meals in your price range.
Restaurants close to tourist attractions are usually major deal breakers, and avoiding these will help you save money.
For example, when in Rome, we were so hungry after coming out of the Colosseum that we stopped into a lunch restaurant just across the street. This cafe had cases of food with no menus and no prices. Long story short, it wound up being the most expensive lunch of our entire trip, for the worst food and service we’d had. If you’re traveling Italy on a budget, seek out authentic Italian restaurants away from the top attractions whenever possible.
Finally, there’s nothing wrong with cooking in when you travel. There’s only so much pizza and pasta one can take, and the experience of shopping in a small italian market and cooking in your quaint Airbnb’s kitchen can be just as enjoyable as dining out. If you eat in for one or two meals a day, you will save so much money. This way, you can be selective about your meal out for the day, and enjoy it even more.
Trevi Fountain In Rome, Italy
Boat Ride In Venice, Italy
Budget-Friendly Cities In Italy
If you’re in need of a budget-friendly Italy travel itinerary, our 2 Weeks In Italy Travel Guide is made for you. This guide covers the cities of Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, and the stunning Cinque Terre. Below, we list a few budget travel tips for each of these amazing cities:
Rome
When it comes to Rome, there are quite a few expensive ticketed attractions. But there are also some amazing free attractions too. Visit famous sites like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps early in the morning to enjoy them without the crowds. Exploring the Vatican without a guide is as little as 17 euros, and the Colosseum is just 16 euros. If you know you want to do it all, definitely plan to book a pass like the Rome Tourist Card, which includes entrance to the Colosseum, the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Pantheon.
Venice
Of course, you have to splurge for the Gondola ride. This is a classic experience in Venice and one that most visitors long for. The best way to make this canal ride affordable is to go with a group and split the cost, and to barter with the gondolier. Prices for these boat rides are not set, and you can negotiate to make sure you get a good deal.
Florence
If you want to experience an authentic Italian city without the crowds, Florence is your perfect match. This medium sized city is known for its stunning Duomo, which is free to visit!
Florence is very walkable, which is another easy way for you to save money on transportation. The city is split by the Arno river, with most attractions (including the Duomo) falling on the same side as the train station you will arrive from. It’s a good idea to book your accommodation on this side of the bridge, but you’ll definitely want to venture across to the other side. Take the bus to Piazzale Michelangelo, a plaza that offers the best views of the city.
The Duomo In Florence, Italy
Beachside Cliffs In Monterosso, Italy
The Leaning Tower In Pisa, Italy
Pisa
Honestly, if you’re traveling to Italy on a budget, feel free to skip Pisa. We went to see the leaning tower, but quickly realized it’s the only attraction in the city. The restaurants were more touristy than authentic, and the city just didn’t sweep us off our feet.
If you really want to see the Leaning Tower and snap your pics like we did – you can take the train in and out in one day. Arrive in the morning, walk the 20 minutes to the Leaning Tower, capture your photos, and then head back to catch an afternoon train. Add Pisa into your itinerary after Florence, and before the Cinque Terre. It’s perfectly placed between the two to be a quick stopping point along your journey. You can wake up in Florence, spend your day visiting the tower, and be checked into a cliffside home in the Cinque Terre by nightfall.
Cinque Terre
If you’ve never heard of the Cinque Terre, allow us to introduce you to your newest crush. Correction, your next full on love affair. Often coined the Amalfi of the north, Cinque Terre is a series of five seaside villages set atop the steep Italian coastline. These seasonal towns are bright year round, but they come alive in the summertime. Visitors flock to the crystal blue waters; fresh, local seafood; and picture-perfect viewpoints.
Book your accommodation well in advance here, and plan to stay for at least a few days so you can explore all 5 of the towns. Corniglia is often the most budget-friendly town, as it has fewer restaurants and activities than the other 4. However, if you plan ahead and can find a good deal, we recommend staying in Vernazza or Manarola.
During the summer months, you can actually hike between the towns for free. This is one of the best free activities to fill up your day! Trains between the towns cost as little as 3 euros, or you can buy a day pass that allows you unlimited rides. Thankfully, the towns have a few hole in the wall restaurants offering cones of fresh fish and fried food for a fair price.
If we’ve sold you on Cinque Terre, check out our full Cinque Terre Travel Guide for everything you need to plan the perfect trip.
Monterosso, Italy
Monterosso, Italy
Wrap It Up
There you have it – all the tips you need to travel Italy on a budget this summer. Don’t get swept up in the heat of it all and spend way too much money during your trip, because you can travel to Italy on a budget! Overall, this is a 5-star 10/10 destination that’s great for a variety of travelers. If you’re looking to fall in love with new places, Italy is a great place to start.
xoxo,
Baggage girls
