Budget Travel: Italy

International travel often seems daunting to travelers. When someone thinks international travel to Italy, they think $1000 per person. I am about to break down a trip to Italy that is under $1000 per person.

For all my trips I focus on three main things: Flights, Housing, & Activities. Let’s start with flights.

Flights to Italy

I start with flights because they can be the most expensive part of the vacation. It’s good to be aware of peak times, and weather but I am about to show you how to find the cheapest flight options.

The least expensive flights to Italy I found for 2020 were in March. It was about $367 per person, I compare prices between a few flights. Then I looked at the weather to make sure it was what we wanted.

Flight deals up to 50% off to Europe

Housing

The next step is to find appropriate housing. I have used Hostels, Hotels and home shares. Recently I found that VRBO has better deals than other sites.

The first thing I do when looking at where to stay is look at the average hotel price. That way I know whether what I’m paying on VRBO is priced appropriately in the area.

For Hotels, the price ranged from $80-$318 per night. VRBO ranged from $97- $170 per night. while looking for places to stay you should consider other things you want to do. Do you want to be close to the train station for day trips? Or do you want to be in the heart of the city?

PRO TIP: If you connect with your host on VRBO the host may offer a ride from the airport. The first time I went to Rome our host offered to pick us up. I can’t promise every host will offer this, but they will give you the best options from the airport to their home.

Activities

This is my favorite part of planning a trip, and to be honest it is usually what inspires me to travel. Personally, to save money I look for volunteer opportunities. Often times when you volunteer, you will get a free meal and learn more about the culture than visiting a museum.