How to have a budget vacation in Italy

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Little tricks, knowing which you can safely go to Italy and not be afraid to go broke.

Multi-stop flights, hitchhiking, couchsurfing, house sitting and supermarket food are all cheap but damn tiring. Most of them just want to take a break from their daily activities, and not be overwhelmed by every penny. These tips will help you save money on travel, but at the same time, it is great to relax and get a lot of new experiences.

Transport

Railway

It is the most convenient, safest and most economical way to travel around the country. Italy does not have a monopoly on rail passenger transport, so prices and conditions can be compared with different providers, for example on the Trenitalia and Italo websites.

On the Trenitalia website you can find discounts on hotels and attractions, special offers for families with children and couples. Both companies are running sales and offering discounts on tickets. From Italo you can buy a ticket for the Rome - Venice or Venice - Milan train for only 9.90 euros. No catch: these trains run in the same way as regular trains. You just have to adjust to the schedule - trains leave on certain days and hours.

The price of a ticket for the same route may differ 2–3 times. It depends primarily on the class of the train. Passenger (Regionale), fast passenger (Regionale veloce) and intercity (Intercity) trains are usually cheaper than branded high-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciaargento), but they also run slower. If an extra hour on the road is insignificant for you, but savings of 15–20 euros - yes, feel free to choose a more attractive option.

The date of purchase also affects the ticket price. The sooner you buy it, the cheaper it will be.

If you bought a ticket at the train station in the self-service terminal or at the ticket office, do not forget to validate it in special green vending machines located at the train station or in the passage to the aprons. Please be aware that traveling with an unpunched ticket can result in a fine.

By buying a ticket online, you save time and money, as you have the opportunity to choose the cheapest fare in advance. In addition, such a ticket does not need to be punched.

Taxis and scooters

Do not try to hail a taxi in Italy with a wave or a thumbs up. The maximum that awaits you is an ironic smile. Taxis (which, by the way, are white) can be taken at specially designated parking lots in squares, near popular attractions and shopping centers.

Thanks to a powerful taxi union, Uber will be much more expensive than an official taxi. However, in Italy there is an application called MyTaxi, through which you can call a car at regular rates.

Then there is Scooterino, an Italian startup created by a 24-year-old native of Rome. The app, which works in Rome, Milan, Genoa and Florence, will help you get from point A to point B on a scooter. Scooterino functions in a similar way to BlaBlaCar, that is, it is more of a way to split the cost of a trip between driver and passenger, so the price will pleasantly surprise you. Maneuvering in traffic jams on a nice motor scooter, you will surely feel like the hero of the movie "Roman Holiday".

Bus, metro, tram

The cost of a standard ticket in Italy for one trip (Biglietto semplice) ranges from 1, 2 to 2 euros. It doesn't matter if you are going to drive one stop or drive to the other end of the city. Within 90-100 minutes, you can change from the bus to a tram or metro using the same ticket. This is why composting is a must.

There are also 24-, 48- and 72-hour tickets and a weekly pass. If you plan to travel a lot by bus, metro or tram, it will be more profitable to purchase a travel card. And thanks to the Moovit program, you can build routes based on public transport timetables. The app works in Milan, Rome and Naples.

Do not ride a hare. Conductors, of course, are not found on every route, but if it turns out that you are traveling without a ticket, you will have to pay a fine of 50 euros or more. If all the ticket punching machines suddenly fail, you must write the date and time on the ticket with a pen.

Automobile

Compare prices on different car rental aggregators such as Auto Europe, Economy Car Rentals, Rentalcars. It often happens that it is cheaper to rent the same car from local Italian companies (Sicily by Сar, Maggiore, Noleggiare) than from international ones (Hertz, Avis, Budget, National, Dollar, Europcar). However, you need to carefully read the rental conditions and reviews.

It is best to rent a car if you want to explore the Italian province. For example, the fields and wineries of Tuscany, the cozy towns of the Amalfi coast, medieval castles and secluded beaches of Sicily are ideal for a road trip. In large cities, for example Rome, Florence, Milan, it will take a lot of time, money and nerves to find a parking space and get stuck in traffic jams. There are also quite strict restrictions on traffic in the historic center.

In order not to get caught up in the money, watch the signs.

The most dangerous in terms of fines is ZTL (Zona traffico limitata - a zone with limited traffic). It is a white circle with a red border. Such signs are usually installed at the entrance to the historic center of Italian cities. The average fine is € 80 plus a traffic violation fee (about € 25), which is charged by the rental office. Surveillance is carried out using automatic cameras, so it is almost impossible not to get caught.

If you are unlucky and you find a fine on your windshield, pay it immediately at the nearest post office in Italy. If the fine is paid within 5 days from the date of receipt, you are entitled to a 30% discount on the amount of the fine.

Save money on a GPS navigator by downloading offline maps of the area you need to your smartphone in advance, for example, using the Maps.me application. And don't forget to take a car charger for your phone in this case.

MAPS. ME - Offline maps, navigation and routes MAPS. ME (CYPRUS) LTD

Food

Cafes and restaurants

A snack in a cafe on the tourist streets will not please you with either quality or price. You can only order a glass of wine to enjoy a beautiful view of a square or landmark.

For an affordable, tasty meal, book a restaurant on TripAdvisor's The Fork app. Discounts in it range from 20 to 50% depending on the day and time. Plus, you can view restaurant ratings and independent reviews from TripAdvisor users.

Some Italian restaurants have a surcharge called Coperto. As soon as you sit down at the table, extra euros will be added to your bill. If you want to have a quick snack or just have a cup of coffee, this can be easily done at the bar counter or at special high tables without seats. So no fees will be scary.

Don't confuse Coperto with tips - a service charge that is also sometimes charged at a rate of 10–20% of the total order.

Street food

The thrifty tourist's best friend is street food, especially since in Italy it is of high quality and variety. In every Italian city or region, you can taste your own version of street food, imbued with local flavor and traditions.

In Florence, be sure to try Panino al lampredotto - a boiled minced tripe in a bun. The taste is not for everybody, but it is difficult to imagine a more authentic and truly Tuscan dish.

In Sicily, in general, you can only eat street food and still not earn gastritis during your vacation - everything is prepared from fresh products right in front of you. Here are just a few dishes to try:

• Arancini is a national Sicilian fast food invented by the Arabs. These are ginger balls or cones of breaded rice. Inside there is meat, green peas, spices.
• Panino with liver (Panino ca 'meusa or Panino con la milza) - a soft bun sprinkled with sesame seeds on top, with pieces of spleen, lungs and sometimes veal trachea.
• Sfincione (Sfincione) - a kind of pizza with tomato sauce on a thick and soft crust.

Markets

To learn more about the life of Italians, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the city as much as possible and taste fresh farm products at affordable prices, visit the usual grocery market:

• In Rome, there is a market in the Testaccio area next to the MACRO Roman Museum of Modern Art (via Beniamino Franklin).
• In Florence - Mercato Centrale (Piazza del Mercato Centrale - Via dell'Ariento).
• In Palermo - Vucciria (Piazza Caracciolo).

Water

You can save money without harming your health not only on food, but also on water. In some Italian cities, drinking fountains are rescued. Buy a bottle of water once and refill it for free. So you will save money and will not pollute the nature with unnecessary plastic.

If you are in Rome, you can search for drinking fountains using the dedicated I Nasoni di Roma app.

I Nasoni di Roma fdm

Museums and cultural sites

Visiting museums is an essential item of expenditure for every tourist. Meanwhile, there are plenty of opportunities in Italy to enjoy art without spending a single euro.

Many state museums and archaeological areas are free to visit on the first Sunday of the month (Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Colosseum in Rome, archaeological area of Pompeii). There are also special offers: February 14 - two tickets for the price of one, March 8 - free admission for women. Museums often have free admission or a significantly discounted ticket for children.

Many priceless masterpieces of art by prominent Renaissance and Baroque masters can be viewed free of charge in Italian churches.

To avoid queuing, buy tickets to museums online on the official websites. This will save time, but not always money, as a booking fee (€ 1–2) may apply.

If you are planning to visit a large number of museums, it is better to purchase special tourist cards:

• Roma Pass in Rome (72 hours - 38.5 euros, 48 hours - 28 euros): free travel on public transport ATAC, free admission to one or two attractions, purchase of tickets to other museums at a discount.
• Venezia Unica in Venice (1, 3 or 7 days - from 21, 9 euros): depending on the class, it includes free admission to museums and churches, connection to the city Wi-Fi network, a single ticket for public transport.
• Milan Tourist Museum Card in Milan (3 days - € 12): Unlimited admission to the main museums in Milan (permanent exhibitions). A list of museums can be found here. You can buy and book a ticket to see the fresco "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie on this website. The card is sold at the entrance to the museums.
• Firenzecard in Florence (72 hours - 72 euros): allows you to visit any of the 72 museums within three days. Acts on both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Provides priority skip-the-line access to the main museums in Florence (excluding the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore). Children (under 18 years of age) visit all museums free of charge when accompanied by an adult cardholder. A complete catalog of all museums in Florence with opening hours, short descriptions and map locations can be viewed in the MuFI app: Museums in Firenze.

If you do not want to spend money on museums, walk more, get lost in picturesque alleys, explore parks and observation decks, look for sights hidden from tourists. Triposo mini-guides will help you explore the city on your own.

Hotels

Large chain hotels are quite expensive. A significant part of the price is the overpayment for the brand. Fortunately, Italy has a large selection of family pensions, boutique hotels, B & Bs and aparthotels at relatively affordable prices and friendly hosts.

A quick tip: first check the hotel prices on Booking or another popular booking site, then try to find the hotel's official website and compare prices. It often happens that they are lower on the hotel website. If you write to the hotel representatives directly by e-mail and ask for a discount, then there is a great chance of getting it.

Many people recommend booking apartments and apartments, but this option has its drawbacks, so you need to weigh the pros and cons. Look out for additional room cleaning fees or property deposits (this amount may be frozen on your credit card).

But for a long term (from four days) an apartment with a kitchen and a washing machine is the best option. Italians themselves book apartments and apartments through Airbnb. For longer rental periods (from 1 month) there are local Italian sites.

Excursions

Those who recommend saving on excursions and exploring everything on their own do not value their own time. Yes, you can and should walk, explore different historical areas, read guidebooks and articles to expand your horizons. But even if you read dozens of articles before the trip, without the help of those who live in Italy, you will not be able to get to know and feel the country 100%.

Modern excursions have gone far from the standards of the last century, when tour guides loaded tourists with memorized history, a heap of dates and meaningless names. For generations Y and Z, a completely different approach is needed - live communication, emotions, an element of interactivity and play. It is important for them to get impressions, not just information.

It is more interesting to communicate with the guide as with a friend who will share life hacks, show secret sights and romantic areas for a selfie-kiss, tell you where pizza tastes better and where shopping is better. As a result, by going on at least one excursion in a modern format, you will save time and see much more than if you were walking on your own.