This question is geared at those who have just returned from Italy.

We have heard rumours that cost of dining out has increased significantly in the last couple of months. I am trying to pin down whether this rumour is true. We will be heading off on our holidays soon, and I need to know whether I should expect to cut my vacation short.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Hi luvtofly, may I suggest that you repost this question putting something in your title along the lines of "Cost of Drinks and Meals in Italy". You will get more responses from travellers that have just returned from Italy.

Inflation has certainly hit Italy...I know that from numerous Italian friends. Even buying groceries have given them a headache.

There is always a way to save money however. Buying softdrinks at cafes is usually more expensive then ordering a glass of wine.

Buying food for a picnic at lunchtime is certainly less expensive then sitting down at a cafe.

Buying bottle water at the grocery store is less expensive then ordering it at a restaurant.

There is no need to order all the different plates, appetizers, pastas or soups, meats and/or fish etc. unless you want to eat that much.

If you have a hotel or B&B where the price includes the breakfast that will save you some money.

And hopefully some recent travellers here on Fodor's can give you some good tips.

But again, or at least in the future, do show the country that you are asking about in your title for the best results.

And wishes for a wonderful trip!

Thanks for your input, maybe we will have to think about more picnics, and renting an apartment instead of staying in a B&B.

Hello luvtofly, although I never have, many Fodorites here have rented apartments in Italy and have been so happy with their decision to do so. That would be another way I think to save some money. I sure hope that you can work out your trip to stay as long in Italy as you originally planned to. And I wish you a beautiful trip.

It is certainly true that meal costs have gone up quite a bit in Italy. As a ballpark figure, let's just say that an average dinner at a fancy restaurant would probably set you back at least -- at least -- 60/70 euro for two, with a jug of house wine. Loveitaly's suggestions are sound. More tips: many restaurants have cheaper menus at lunchtime.
Also, look out for what's called "happy hour" -- above all in and near Milan, but the thig is expanding. "Happy hour' here means that from 6 to 9 p.m. you can have a drink (any drink, including a cocktail), plus help yourself from an all-you-can-eat buffet, for approx. 5-8 euro each. Now that's a bargain!

Where in Italy are you going ? Some parts are more expensive than others. We were in Venice for our first extended stay there in June & it seemed more expensive than elsewhere in Italy. But in other places I've visited & re-visited, I haven't noticed prices going up significantly. I know of no reason why prices should have gone up in the last couple of months particularly. Italy generally is not a cheap country, though, compared with most of the other European countries commonly visited by tourists. Still cheaper than Britain, though !

In Italy, as pretty much everywhere else, there is a huge range in prices. Of course you could easily spend €60-70 for dinner for two at a fancy restaurant. Or much more. But you don't need to. We were in Italy in July and had no problem having dinner for two (including wine) for under €20 if we just had the primi plate (pasta, sometimes pizza). Sometimes we'd get one seconda (meat/fish) and salad to share in addition to the pasta. Then it would be €30 for two.

But we are not "foodies". We felt very well fed and satisfied at the prices we spent, but we have friends who we know would not have. Personally, with the amount of pasta you get for the first course I could never eat a second course. Of course I need to leave room for a gelato later.

I certainly would not cut my vacation short. If you really wanted to you could eat for even less by getting take out or self serve.

i have not just returned from Italy but couldn't resist a reply. I believe anywhere you can control your budget by where and what you eat. drink 'house' wine in restaurants, eat in more casual places, shop at the grocery stores. it does not require an apartment IMO or actual cooking, you can nicely set up lunches and snacks on the top of a dresser in your hotel room. i would never cut a vacation short, rather find other way to economize!

Our family of four spent two weeks in Tuscany, Umbria and Rome at the end of July. If we had a nice lunch at a restaurant, the bill was usually around 100 Euros, sometimes more depending on the wine and the type of restaurant. We had many meals at osterie that charge a fixed price, usually around 20 Euro, for several courses. Light dinners of pizza were 40 euro or under for all four of us.

Hi luv,

Grinisa's experience was the same as ours in 2003.

"We have heard rumours that cost of dining out has increased significantly in the last couple of months."

The good news is, that as usual, the rumors are wrong.

Did anyone say they ate at a certain place last year and again this year and the prices for the same meal had gone up significantly? I doubt it.

Usually these silly rumors come from people who had never even been to Italy before, but heard you could eat cheaply, went and ate at expensive places so they spread the rumor that prices have gone up.

Not unlike my clients who heard Portugal was a bargain, but came back from a week stay at the Ritz in Lisbon with a full time hired limo and driver and said, "we didn't think it was cheap at all". Duh!

The answer is obvious. If you had planned on spending $200 a day on meals and find it's running more than that, hunt up some cheaper places so you don't have to come back early. Pretty easy solution.

It's really like asking "how much does it cost for dinner in San Diego?" You can always eat on the cheap by going to smaller cafes or finding a fixed cost restaurant. For 3 of us, we could eat as cheaply as 30e for everything or over 100e depending on the restaurant. Also, adding wine or other alcohol makes a big difference..

Well, what do I know??? Nothing except the fact that my Italian friends in Italy have related to me over the past months that the restaurants that they have always gone to have become so much more expensive due to inflation. May I add these are restaurants that do not cater to tourist. But again what do I know? Cin,cin.

Hi, we just came back from Italy this July. I have been lucky enough to make it over there a couple of times each year for the past 3-4 years and I have noticed a difference in expense. However, I felt that the extra was just because of our weakened $$ and not because prices had taken a huge jump up over there. We spent an average of about $110 to $120 for two for dinner - but that was really going all out. You could most certainly have a wonderful time for half that amount. Any of the guide books will give you tons of options.

Just something else I though about, my family lives in Ireland and when I visit I find the cost of living (groceries, etc.) to be extremely high compared to the U.S. The difference is that they just buy (and waste) less.

I think you could just be selective and careful. One nice dinner out here and there supplemented by pizza etc. on other nights sounds like a fun holiday to me! Have a great time.

Hi Luvtofly, I came back from Italy in late July, and I didn't feel that eating out was expensive at all. My family of 4 (w/2 picky eaters) were able to devour 2 appetizers for the whole table, an entree each (we're talking 2 fish, 1 meat, 1 seafood pasta), and 2 bottles of water for no more than 50 Euros per night. I thought we did pretty good, as the same meal in NY would be much more (and we don't eat in expensive places). Lunch was even cheaper, but only because we all had pizza.

Don't cut your trip short due to costs. You're already in glorious Italy, indulge a little. If you really need to be on budget, then I say sandwiches at neighborhood shops, and pick up wine at a store. But eat at a restaurant at least once (just don't order the gelato at the restaurant, you'd do better in prices outside).

Enjoy your trip.

It's vacation - are you really going to cut it short (and how, exactly, would you do that without incurring penalties with the airlines that might cost you more than a few pizzas in Italy?) because restaurants are expensive? Hey! There are loads of ways to cut down on your food costs, not the least of which is having picnics with unbelievably yummy things from an Italian supermarket or fresh market or a variety of salumerie, pasticcerie, pizzerie, etc.

Cut the vacation short? I don't think so! Just use your head and cut the restaurant bills short by being creative. This is a no-brainer.

I have always stayed in self catering apartment/agriturismo when in Italy. I think I am fortunate to have found a small place in Umbria for next year for my family and my parents, it is a very small agriturismo with only 2 apartments, swimming pool and the cost also includes breakfast, the only luxury it doesnt have is aircon, but that has never been a requirement at the top of my list. The owners have an MPV and will for a cost do the airport runs, any day trips that we would like to go on, they will also provide any meals that we may require given enough notice . Lets hope that my holiday next year doesn't sound to good to be true but then again what do I expect for 1300.00 euros for the 2 apartments for the 2 weeks. I can't recommend it personally yet (as dont go till August 2006), but if you are trying to keep costs down then maybe it would be worth taking a look at. My dad has always had the opinion as long as you have somewhere clean and comfortable to sleep at the end of the day why pay the earth, you'll probably spend most of your time outdoors anyway.

Another thing to keep in mind (for breakfast and lunch mainly) is that is is much more expensive (sometimes twice as much) to sit at a table instead of standing at the bar/counter. My friend and I referred to this as "the sitting down fee." For example, a 1.5E cup of cappucino can be 3E+ if you sit at a table. We usually grabbed a pastry and coffee for breakfast, had a sandwich or pizza for lunch, and went to a restuarant for dinner, and I'd estimate we averaged no more than 30E per day in food, except for the few times we really splurged on dinner.