cmc05ad

This article has a 10 day trip in April/May to Italy costing about 1300-1500 dollars. Does anyone think it can be done cheaper?
http://noambit.typepad.com/my_weblog...n-approac.html

CasaDelCipresso

yes but all depends on your luck with grabbing a great flight I think...I've found flights, even in August, for around $500-$600 (RT NY-Rome) - my upcomming March-april trip was $500 with taxes and fees)...and if you rent an apartment it can be very budget friendly...but will only work if there's more than one person travelling ;-)same with a car...works out well with a few people...but not with only one

suze

Depends. Where you you flying from? How cheap of a place are you willing to stay?

cmc05ad

I would be flying from Tampa Fl or there abouts. And I'll stay as in as cheap a place as I can without sacrificing safty. My guess is that no matter what I will need to fly to New York first?

jenblase

Miami has international flights (on AA) to London, Madrid, and Barcelona so that might help you out!

ellenem

You might connect through New Yrok, Newark, Miami or Atlanta to get to Rome. Delta, Alitalia, and Continental are codeshare partners and might offer some options.

suze

Look into staying in hostels, convents, or an apartment to keep costs lower than the usual hotel bill.

ira

HI C,

There are airfares NYC/Rome RT for about $756.

This leaves you about $75 pd for lodging, food and xtras.

Your correspondent is planning on $25 pd for hostels and very low budget meals.

It's doable.

suze

No, I don't think it can be done cheaper and still be fun!

There's a basic amount it takes... Italy is simply not cheap. And the euro exchange stinks. Plus this poster needs to fly to NYC first from their home, so additional airfare expense on top of NYC/Rome.

How often do you get to Europe? For me, I would wait until I had a bit more money saved up instead of trying to do it the absolute rock bottom budget possible.

Sher

CMC. Zoom airlines has flights from Ft. Lauderdale to London and I believe the service starts in May.

I was seeing flights for around $750 return.

Then you could catch a low cost carrier to a destination in Italy.

cmc05ad

Thanks for all the advice!

CasaDelCipresso

I don't think it's really that rock-bottom at all (!)

Italy is REALLY not expensive if you stay out of the big cities (i.e. I ALWAYS BLOW my budget on meals in Rome!!)...

flights can be found with a bit of searching for around $700 - you need to keep an eye out and you need to have flexible dates, but really should not be a problem. (from NYC, I OFTEN fly for about $400-$600 RT w/ taxes - it's not THAT much to get from FL to NY)...

easy too to find a nice apartment in a historic center of a small (ish) town for under $600 for the week...so I'm saying $300 (just assumming you're not travelling alone - would be cheaper per person if it's a family of course)...

now we're only up to $900...if you're in an apartment, no need to eat EVERY meal out...once a day and maybe a nice treat of gelato ;-) and, obviously, tickets to a few tourist sites here and there...but still under the $1500....and not really roughing it at all.

rex

<< Zoom airlines has flights from Ft. Lauderdale to London and I believe the service starts in May. >>

Rather than getting yourself to FLL, you can fly nonstop to Rome - - from Toronto - - starting in May also, on Zoom.

Various May dates available for $709 (CAD), all taxes and fees inclusive.

Best wishes,

Rex

suze

Good point about double occupancy! cmc~ Are you traveling with someone?

I most often go solo, so that's what I was basing the $1500 being minimum for 1-person, 10-days, including everything, starting in Florida.

Sher

But Rex, she lives near Tampa not Toronto if I understood correctly.

WillTravel

Using the RailEurope train ticket costs, as it does on that page, will mean you pay somewhat to much more than you should.

NeoPatrick

I too read through this wondering -- is this one person or per person for two? Big difference in pricing, in my book.

Sher

I glanced through that article and it mentions camping.
She is going to Italy with her Father and they are going to camp?
Not cmc but the author.

suze

Truly, the answer to this question depends entirely on 1 person or 2 traveling together.

For a solo traveler, for the $700 airfare and $600 apartment (as mentioned by previous posters)... that's $1300 right there! Nothing left for transportation, sight-seeing, meals, admissions, etc.

Christina

That article was talking about prices for one person, I think. It was pretty obvious, as the author was quoting airfare at around $700-800 from NY to Italy and then around $50 a day (pretty impossible) for food and room. There were some other things in there, but $1300 was definitely not the price for two people, in May, that wouldn't be possible, as it included airfare.