E80/day for meals
 

My gf and I are spending two weeks in Venice, Florence, Rome and CT. Is E80 a day enough for food for the two of us? We are planning on breakfast at the hotels. and not eating at "nice" places everyday. Any money saving tips are appreciated.

First of all, I'd not eat breakfast at the hotels. They usually overcharge for what you get; coffee and a roll. Anyway, I enjoy finding a local place to have my morning coffee and roll; sitting outside, reading a paper, and people watching.

Picking up stuff or a picnic lunch at a grocery store is a sure money saver, as well.

To answer your question, you should stay close to your budget, if you cut a few corners for breakfast and lunch.

:-)

You can eat for E80 per day but you won't be stopping often for gelato, a glass of wine or coffee in a cafe. Try to budget a bit more so you can relax and enjoy Italy. Part of the pleasure is to stop in cafes and treat yourselves.

Money saving tips:

- Eat lunch at a bar, standing up.
- In Rome fill your water bottles from the many fountains rather than buying new bottles.
- Walk a few blocks away from the tourist sights where the food is less expensive and better.
- If traveling via trains, pack a picnic lunch before getting to the station as food on trains is expensive (if food is available). Bring water bottles as you can't drink from the tap.
- Don't buy coke or other sodas as they are expensive (they cost more than wine).
- In restaurants ask for tap water rather than buying bottled water.

nukesave - breakfast is usually free at hotels in Italy (almost every hotel I've stayed at in Italy had an included breakfast).

Depending what sort of hotel you stay at, though, breakfast might not be that good. (For me, it was good in the two 3* hotels I stayed at, and rather sparse at the convent I stayed at.)

I think 40 Euros per day per person is quite possible, and that is probably around what I ended up with. If you do end up at a place that serves a good breakfast, you can often get by with just a snack for lunch (I typically do).

I found that if I had a semi-decent breakfast, I could skip lunch and have a gelato in the afternoon, then have a good dinner.

Forgot to add, all of my hotels except 1 in Assisi included the breakfast at no additional cost.

If you are careful, I think you can do it. I wouldn't want to, but I think it can be done.

Sandwiches and fruit for lunch, for sure.

If you want a bag of cookies or something for your room or trains, shop in a larger grocery store. Prices will be lower.

Pizza or pasta for dinner.

You could squeeze in a gelato or coffee now and then, I think.

Stand at the counter. Usually, standing at the counter for a coffee will generally be cheaper than table service.

Walk away food like pizza al taglio in Rome is economical.

I'm sure that there are exceptions, but prices are usually posted in Italy, so you shouldn't really have a problem with figuring out which places have the prices you can afford.

Time Out's website is a decent place to search for budget eats.

I think Rick Steves' is known for budget recs, but I ate at one of his recommended restaurants once, in Paris, and swore of them after that.

Hi

Have your main meal at lunch time - it will be cheaper than dinner. Don't dine in touristy zones. Find out where the locals eat.

We would like to have a decent dinner every other or every couple of days. We are going on this trip to experience Italy, which includes the food but would like to do so on a budget. This means not eating in a decent place every night. If we come in under budget one day we have that much more the next. Does this sound possible?

mike, sure it sounds possible. There are nights when you can get pizza and maybe spend 20 to 25 euro.

When checking out places for dinner, be sure to check to see what the cover is for each person.

We once had a tasty dinner at cafeteria in Florence. It was cheap, and while not mind blowing, it was quite decent. Florence is a good place to eat cheap.

In Venice, alla Madonna has some well priced plates.

You can even graze for a day. Venice's cichetti places are a fun way to eat, and can be inexpensive. I am still thinking about a cichetti (o?) that was a piece of bread topped with a split fig, and a little prosciutto, that we had in Venice in '07.

Some places the very center of Rome will charge you a bit too much for a coffee or gelato, but there is some great gelato in Trastevere for 1 euro.

Many cafe/bars sell panini at low prices. (BTW, a single one is a panino -- panini is plural) As someone else said, stand at the bar, do not sit at a table, as the price may double or triple. But take care in the cities not to sit on church steps, etc. to eat a picnic, as too many tourists have been doing that and the Romans are upset about the clutter. I believe there even are restrictions on where you can sit and eat.

I dont' know what hotel prices you are looking at. You could rent a studio apartment for less a day than most hotels, unless you stay in hostels or something. Then you have your own little kitchen. Many of the cheap hotels have pretty sad breakfasts -- dry rolls with vile coffee -- so it's better to buy your own at a shop or cafe.