How To Travel Italy on a Budget & Where to Stay
- by Ari Travels
Being one of the most expensive countries in Europe, Italy is still somewhere a lot of people dream of traveling. Italy is full of good food, beautiful landscapes, old cities and more. During my 4 days spent in Italy, I learned some ways to travel this country on a budget.
Tips on traveling to Italy if you're on a budget
When arriving at the airport, avoid calling a taxi to your accommodation. Take the train
The train is extremely convenient and you can get pretty much anywhere in Italy by using the public train services. They operate at many convenient times and the station is even connected right from the airport. Either book the tickets in advance or right at the gate to hop on the next available one. Trenitalia & Trainline are two of my favorite services for booking trains.
Fly into Rome
Rome is the cheapest airport to fly into when going to Italy. From there you can either fly to another destination or even opt for taking the train to save even more.
Budget-friendly accommodation in Italy
Stay at hostels
Accommodation in Italy is PRICY. Hostels will offer the best prices, plus you can meet lots of travelers and this can lead to new friendships and people to discover the city with. Making new friends is helpful for forming a group to split taxis and other activity prices with. Book a Hostel on Hostelworld to get the best prices!
Linked Below are my Two Favorite Hostels I stayed at in Rome
Take a free walking tour
Many Hostels offer this option or there are websites you can find walking tours on Google
Interested in a high-quality walking tour of popular cities? Check these out
Florence walking tour for only $3
If you choose to dine in, ask for tap water
Servers will automatically bring you bottled water at restaurants in Italy. Make sure you specify that you would like tap water instead to avoid the extra charge.
Reduce restaurant fees
There are lots of options for delicious pizza or sandwiches to go vs. having to go out to eat every meal
Rent a bike for about 15 euros per day to get around the cities vs. having to take a taxi
There are tons of bike rentals around major cities in Italy. Of course, biking sometimes might not be an option when wanting to explore the whole city due to how large they can be, but it's convenient when you want to get from place to place within a shorter distance.
Travel during shoulder season
Avoid traveling here during June-August. I would either go in late April-May or early September-early October. Prices will lower, but the weather is still great.
I hope this article was helpful! Please feel free to comment or ask me any questions regarding your upcoming trip. For more information about traveling to Italy, you can book a consultation call with me or request a custom itinerary by heading to this page. Happy traveling!
Train and hotel tips are very helpful