kittpom

I'm planning a trip for 2 for 14 days in Italy and I'm trying to estimate the buget. I've never been and can't imagine how much it should cost. Any idea?

Thanks For your help

capxxx

The price will be comparable to a similar trip in the U.S. except for your airfare...

Hotel rooms in the popular cities will cost you $100-200++ per night (but even the low end will be comfortable). Hotels in smaller towns and rural areas might go as low as $65/night, if you look hard.

Your meals will be cheaper than comparable meals in the U.S. You usually get a free breakfast (at least bread and butter and coffee, sometimes granola and yogurt, sometimes meat and eggs) at your hotel.

Transportation. Well, how much travelling will you do? How many different places are you staying in? Will you rent a car or go by train? You can check some websites to get an idea of what things cost.

Souveniers, museum passes, concert tickets, only you can decide.

But you won't be too far off estimating what you might spend on a U.S. trip, and then adding the airfare.

mulifat

Disagree with previous poster. Comparable meals will be more expensive in Italy than the US. The dollar is quite weak and you can expect a 20% premium over what would be if the dollar and Euro we equal. Modest, decent accommodations in good locations will probably average 120 to 150 Euros mper night, or $145 to $180 USD. Splurge hotels easily over $200 USD

nytraveler

Do not expect prices to be comparaable to the US - and the difference will depend on where you're from.

You will be visiting major world cities and prices will be considerably higher than a small town in the US - partly due to the fall of the dollar vs the euro and partly due to location (think prices similar to NYC).

$100 for a room in a major Italian city is a very low budget - hotels will likely be old, rooms small and amenities limited. Many hotels will include a continental breakfast - but if you want more than a roll and coffee plan on paying extra.

You can travel at many different price points depending on your expectations and willingness to compromise.

But I would expect a pleasant hotel in a central location to be at least $200 per night. Food can vary tremendously - if you're willing to do a sandwhich or a pizza in a cafe it can be inexpensive. But full dinners in a nice restaurant will be at least $100 per couple.

So - you need to lay out your itinerary, gather as much info as possible (web sites of major attractions will provide info on entrance fees), figure out how you will travel (just train from city to city or rent a car to see the counryside) and add it all up.

To get a rough idea on hotels check out venere.com.

Or - you could tell us what your budget is and we can make recos.

rkkwan

I went to Rome, Florence and Milan over Christmas holiday. I'd say that cost in Italy is lower than I expected, and maybe about the same or just higher than what it is in Houston.

Now, hotel is a wildcard. We got a true 4* in Milan for $133 on Travelocity, which is a pretty good deal for three, including breakfast. In Rome/Florence, the three of us shared a room in a 2-3* and it's also about 115-120 euros, including breakfast & tax.

That'd be more than some cities in the US, but not others (Boston, NY, San Francisco, etc).

Transportation is cheap. 1 Euro for bus/subway ride (including free transfer for 75 minutes). Just slightly more expensive than Houston ($1), but much cheaper than NY. Intercity trains and regional buses are also very cheap. <$30 on Eurostar train from Rome to Florence or Florence to Milan. [AMTRAK from Washington to New York is like $80; more on Acela Express.]

Food portions are smaller than in the US, but no tax, and in some eateries service included. You won't have stuff to bring home, but when you travel you don't want to bring leftovers to your hotel anyways.

So, in general, some things cost more, some things less. Not very expensive.

RufusTFirefly

$100 for a hotel room is pretty low budget in major American cities, too.

tuscanlifeedit

We don't spend 100 USD for dinner. Of course, we tend to be careful, but that price is high for us, and we eat a sit down meal for dinner every night. I would say we average about 100 USD per day for food for the two of us. I don't drink, but my husband might have a 1/2 carafe of house wine on occasion.

150 a night will get you comfortable accomodations, if you choose. Someplaces higher, some lower.

A rental car is expensive, but you can check prices on autoeurope.com.

We go to Italy once or twice every year, and this is what we spend. I know people who spend more, and I know those who spend less. Your tastes and preferences have a lot to do with it.

Budman

The word "budget" can be very subjective. How much can you afford? What are you willing to spend? Do you want to do the Apartment for a week or hotels every night? Are you renting a car or going by bus/train?

Food? Depends upon your eating habits. You could get by on $100 a day.

julies

I haven't been to Italy in nearly 30 years, but I have been to nearly all other parts of Europe recently. Is Italy really this much more expensive than the rest of Europe? Or, are your travel standards really that much higher than mine? We have never paid more than $100 per night in any major European city (Paris, Seville, Barcelona, Budapest, Prague, Vienna etc). In more rural areas we can usually find something nice, clean, convenient and somewhat charming for about $70 a night. In fact, thus far I think that in many ways it is still cheaper to travel in Europe than in the US because I can find an acceptable and interesting place to stay cheaper than I could in the US.

We too are thinking of a trip to Italy, but you guys are now telling me that Italy is much more costly than all the other places I've visited. Could be that you are all referring to a lifestyle that is much more plush than I think is necessary for us. I guess Kittpom needs to figure out where on the spectrum s/he fits in as far as travel style.

rkkwan

No, Italy is definitely not more expensive than most European countries. Well, maybe except in Venice.

Note that there's a huge range of travelers on this board, with a very wide range of budget. Some people are comfortable with &lt;$100 hotels, which I'm sure are plenty all around Europe, while others <b>THINK</b> those are dangerous dumps.

And there's also a variety of hotel deals out there, highly dependent on ways of booking and season. If you go right now, many Rome 3* hotels for about 80 euros, tax and breakfast included. But you won't find that rate during summer holiday.

Conversely, here in the US, on any weekend on most major cities, I can book a 4* hotel on Priceline for US$60, while a 2* Days Inn two blocks away charge $79. So, what's the real price of a hotel room in this US city? I don't know.

But again, overall, Italy is <b>not</b> an expensive country to travel in.

Doble_Vergasser

Airfare - be prepared to spend US$800 per person (but does vary depending on which of the three flying seasons you are in and where you are flying from.)

Room - Start at 120-150 Euro per night. You can do less (It is not the norm in Italy to quote or charge per person.) With two people translates to appx US$100 per night. Getting value rooms will require research on your part. Luxury rooms 300 - 450 euro (up to unlimited amounts).

Lunch - Sandwich 5 to 10 euro (US$ 8 to 13)
Dinner - Trattoria 50 Euro for two with pitcher of house wine (US$35 per person).
Coke (coca cola) - 4euro
Beer (Small) - 2 euro
Gelato (Single) - 2 euro

If you need a rental car, then $500 to $750 dollars.

You will need money for trains, souvenirs, post cards, film developing (maybe a better camera). In the end, two weeks should be about $5,000 total for two. But of course it is always possible to spend more money (hey Villa d'este is a possibility).

WillTravel

My Italy trip report from a year ago had very detailed cost discussions. I don't think it's necessary to spend a lot, but I did find that spending on the following increased my enjoyment. These are all per-person rates.

* walking tours (about 21 Euro each)
* proper sit-down dinners (or lunch) - generally one such meal per day (15-25 Euros)
* admission fees to various museums and sites (5-10 Euros, plus often an audiophone at about 6-9 Euros)
* nighttime classical concerts (15-25 Euros each)

So you can see that if I had a day with a walking tour, a museum admission with audiophone, a sit-down dinner, and a nighttime concert, that could add up to 75 Euros right there for one person. I like to travel cheaply, but I wasn't about to go to Italy and stay in my room (43-50 Euros per night) to save money.

bobthenavigator

I have a complete budget on 3 levels at www.slowtrav.com---for 2 people for 14 days--check it out.

kittpom

Were thinking of saving about 10,000 for two weeks. Do you think that is enough?

wilees

I am a budget traveller and except for Venice we spent about 155 Euros a day for a couple staying in double rooms at budget hotels. But we did not eat out at restaurants every day and only cheap ones when we did.

For Venice times by two.

If you want nice hotels and fancy meals then you could easily spend 400-500 Euros a day.

suze

For me 10,000 would be plenty.

Though we still don't know much about you (where you are flying from, what kinds of hotels you would be satisfied with, planning to stay in major cities or the countryside, rent apartments or hotel rooms, etc.).

That said, here's my guess-timate...

$2000USD for 2 plane tickets + $2800USD total 14 days double room at hotel &gt;200USD per night, which leaves approx 300 euro ($371USD) per day for 2 people's walking around money, transportation, food, and entertainment budget. That seems adequate, possibly generous, if not extravagant to me.

nytraveler

Basically it depends on your budget, standards and expectations.

There are some people who are happy with a very modest hotel with a tiny room in a not great location with the bath down the hall and few amenities. There are others who will be happy only in 5* places.

How are you willing to travel in the US - will you be satisfied at the Days Inn by the side of the highway, or do you want a Marriott/Hilton - or are you going for a Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons?

When you travel do you eat from a cooler in the car, stop at fast food/chain restaurants - or look for places with pleasant atmosphere and good food?

If you are staying primarily in major cities the prices will be closer to NYC than to a small town. And the dollar is low vs the euro.

And yes - there is a great variety of peple on this board. Someone above said they paid $100 for hotels in major cities. We rarely find anything under $300 (we like pleasant places with a room large enough to relax in in a central location - upper 3* or 4* - but definitely not the $700 or so for the Georges V) and we do have a real restaurant dinner with wine each night - but again not Michelin starred.

If you provide more info on your expectations people can give you a better cut at the budget.

ira

Hi kittpom
&gt;Were thinking of saving about 10,000 for two weeks. Do you think that is enough?&lt;

Very generous. Our budget would be about:

Airfare for $1400
Hotel for 125E/ nite x 13 = 1950
meals at 130E/day = 2000

kittpom

We would be fyling out of NYC so I figure 2000 for two. We really want to to the local thing apartment small hotel. Were getting married in Positano and plan spending 3 or 4 days with our family. Than were off but were also figuring in the cost of the wedding. If anyone knows information about getting married in a Italy. That might help to.

Thanks Kittpom

ira

Hi K,

Check airfares at www.kayak.com and www.mobissimo.com.

NYC is a competitive market.

Is there a reason why you want to be married in Italy. It is so much easier to marry in the US and honeymoon in Italy.