Yale, anything is doable if you really want to do it. Look into packages for airfare and hotel to find a deal. Some airlines have great packages and will allow you to be quite flexible. You really cannot beat some of them and if you get a fantastic deal ( mostly in the off season), you have only to worry about the incidentals. It will take research to discover entry fees and public transportation costs, but it is not difficult. There are always good inexpensive restaurants in every city - or buy food at the local store or deli or street vendor. The point is that you will not starve. I cannot tell you what to skip - you really need to determine what you want to see then make your budget. There are so many great things you can see not enclosed in museums and best of all they will not strain your budget.

I enjoy reading the journals of travellers that can give me specific facts, (rkkwan, for example) ie.how much is the ticket, what bus do I take and where is it located. Those things help me save time and that is a valuable resource on vacation.

Hi Yale,

I have read your original post, and all the ones that followed. Ignore the ugly.

Almost six years ago I took my first trip to Italy, and I was on a tight budget. These are the things that helped me save money:

1) Staying in hotels that are out of the city limits a bit drastically reduced the cost. Some hotels have complimentary shuttles that get you into the city, you may take the bus, or if a taxi. Even with the fee of a taxi, I saved a considerable amount of money.

2) It is not difficult to find a good meal for a fair price in Italy. I always do my research before I go, and then ask the hotel I am staying with for their recs.

3) Watch the airfares from your city of departure constantly. You will then know what the norm is for your area. Buy when you think it is low, when it is within your budget, and don't look back. Fly open jaw (into one city and out of another) this will save you the expense of training back to your point of origin, and it will save you valuable time. Open jaw tickets used to be quite a bit more expensive, they now can be about the same price as a regular ticket.

4) Italy is one breath taking moment after another. That was my souvenir. I had no desire the first time to purchase anything except some small sketches that to me were priceless.

5) Start saving now, it is amazing how much you can put away!

6) Trust me, while there you can budget accordingly, I came home with $500.

7) Do go, and do enjoy!

:) Tiff

1. How many days would you recommend for a trip like this?
10 days because it will take you at least a day to get there from the US.
2. How much should we budget each day?
100-120 Euros a Night for B&B's. Try venere.com. and 80-100 for Food & Other Expenses. If you take guided tours they are more expensive.
3. What are the cheapest (while still being clean and comfortable) places to stay?
B&B's or Apt Rentals.
4. What can we truly skip and what are the highlights we shouldn't miss?
You can skip Pisa, Amalfi coast (for your first visit) and Cinque Terre. Just hit the main three, Rome, Florence and Venice
5. How should we travel from place to place?
Either by Train or Rent a car. If you rent a standard car it isn't that expensive.
6. When is off-season and will that save us some money?
Off Season is Winter. Fall is very busy and October rates are still high. Your better off going in the Winter or Spring but the weather will be iffy.

The best way to get to Italy cheaply is via London or Paris. These are cheap gateway cities. Fly from wherever you are to London and then take a low cost carrier to your first city. You can then take the train or a car to your next 2-3 cities and fly back on a low cost carrier to London and then back home. The open-jaw flight will save your lots of time and money. Try Ryanair.com and Easyjet.com.

Planning a trip to Italy in May...trying to figure out what to do in a short period of time. Is it reasonable to think we could do the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain and possibly the Mausoeum of Augustus in 1 day?? Has anyone been to the Baths of Caracalla?

yale - I'm no expert in travelling to Italy (maybe expert in researching though) because I'm planning myself, but reading your questions makes me suggest the following based on what I've came upon. Base yourself in Rome for a week in an affordable apartment where you can plan at least plan one meal a day, pack picnics and stock snacks and water, etc. Maybe pick another city (Venice or Sorrento) and find an apartment where you can take day trips from there. Buy a train pass if your day trips surpass the cost of point to point train tickets. Research previous threads with "budget" in the titles. Do google searches to find out admission costs and passes that combine several entrance fees. Go just before, or just after peak season.

I, too, think you should get Rick Steves book. They fit your style of travelling very well and will give you enough information to figure out what would be of interest to you. He does focus on the kind of regional highlights that I think you'll find helpful. Really. And he gears it to budget trravelling, so you will get good information on where to stay, too. Although my style of travelling isn't quite like yours, I've found his books helpful in providing an outline for my own plans.
Paule

I've never been quite as "fast" a traveler as you are, and I've slowed down even more after several trips, but I do understand what you are asking for and don't think there is anything wrong with that travel style if that's what you like. Certainly all the tour group people do it all the time. I personally hate tour groups and would definitly suggest you NOT do that. Sounds like you are independent enough to do it on your own, and it will be MUCH less expensive.

Ira's 18 day plan is just about right but if you really need to shave some time off I think you could get by with:

Rome 2 nights (if you skip the Vactican, other wise you will need three). In two days you can see all the things on your list. Be sure to spend time in Piazza Navona).

Florence - I spent 6 nights there and didn't feel I had enough, but I know some people who have seen the highlights in 2 nights. If you are trying to shave time skip Pisa. It's not going to fall down and it looks exactly like all the pictures you've seen of it. Nothing in Italy has disappointed me, but if I had to pick something, Pisa would be it. I'm glad I went, but it wasn't on my first trip and I had plenty of time.

Venice - 3 nights. You don't need to do any museums to have a wonderful experience in Venice. Just wander around. Obviously Piazza San Marco, the Grand Canal, the little canals, and there are some wonderful small churches with great art in them (same is true for Florence - small churches with art at least as fabulous as that found in museums).

Those three can be done by train. To see much of Tuscany you need a car. For two people it's a toss up if renting a car or doing the whole thing by train would be cheaper. You have to price it out. But if you decide against a car you could do Orvieto and Siena easily by train and day trips to San Gimignano, etc. It's just a different experience and most people prefer to do it with a car. If you do get a car for the whole trip remember to factor in the cost of parking in the cities.

CT can be seen with one full day.

Hotel prices are definitly cheaper in July and August than in May, June, Sept and Oct. By a lot! I've been to Italy three times in July and will do it again. I stay away from August because I guess I believe all the stories about how crowded it get in August. July wasn't too bad.

I've had no trouble finding double rooms in nice, clean hotels and pensions for under €100. Start with Venere.com, itwg.com, et. The biggest money saver is food. Eat pizza (this is Italy!) and lots of picnic meals. And when you do go to restaurants only get the pasta. Even my husband who is a big eater was usually satisfied with just a plate of pasta. Fill up on gelato. With breakfast included in the room rate, we easily eat for under €50 a day for two. Obviously, you can also easily spend three times that.

Slow travel can be wonderful - there's a whole web site devoted to it. But there is nothing wrong with a "highlights" trip either - you will very likely decide there are places you want to return to.

re: what not to miss. You have some good detailed advice here! More thoughts:

Venice -- don't miss wandering around for hours soaking up the atmosphere. Listen to the sound of the water lapping, look at the amazing colors of the buildings, watch the Venetians going about their business. Early morning and late at night are magical. In addition to sights others have mentioned, I like the church of Santa Maria della Salute for its amazing location on the mouth of the Grand Canal.

Rome -- Nightime is great. Walk around (Rick Steves has a good night walk of Rome in his guidebook) and check out the lit-up monuments and fountains and all the other people, Romans and tourists, who are out. Eat in a cafe that catches your fancy. Have a nightcap or an espresso or a gelato in the Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori or any other bustling piazza.

By the way, the Mouth of Truth (not open at night) is not that out-of-the way, so go there if you loved "Roman Holiday" and want to take a photo with your hand in the mouth. (I did!) As for churches, San Clemente is one of my favorites -- a church built on top on an ancient temple. Layers of history!

Don't miss the Sistine Chapel. If you aren't interested in all the other art in the Vatican museums, go anyway, and just walk through everything and then spend as much time as possible looking at the ceiling. A small pair of binoculars comes in handy. Try and nab a seat on the side of the chapel and just enjoy!

Florence -- even if you aren't a museum fan, you can easily see David (and the Slaves/prisoners). Walk around to see David from all angles, sit or lean against the wall and soak it all in, watch the art students sketch...truly a memorable experience. I love art, but at the Uffizi I still beeline to what I want to see. I plan it out ahead with a museum map (again, Rick Steves is helpful here) and head to what I like. If you're not sure, head for the Botticelli rooms.

Pisa -- One visit years ago for one afternoon was enough, but I am glad I did it. Friends I met up with on my last trip this past year had never been to Italy and the husband really wanted to see the tower. They spent a night in Pisa and had a great time. If it symbolizes Italy to you, then go.

re: time and money. Two weeks, three if you can swing it. Start researching places to stay now so you can get an idea of prices.

Someone mentioned eating standing at the bar/counter to save money. I agree, and usually inside is cheaper than outside, so choose your outdoor cafe meals for times you can linger and enjoy. Don't forget the old bread/cheese/fruit picnic lunch, either. You absolutely don't have to eat three sit-down meals a day. Pizza by the slice and other cheap options for a quick cheap meal are there; you just have to look for them!

You've gotten some great advice and I, too, think Rick Steves' Italy guide (and maybe his overview books "Europe Through the Back Door" and "Europe 101") would be good to help plan your style of trip.

I'll second that I've been pretty happy with his hotel recommendations - the descriptions are right on so you know what you're getting, and the locations are generally prime. The restaurants he lists have not impressed.

I agree that if you can't do 3 weeks, you need to skip some of the more far-flung places. I did Rome, Siena and Venice in 12 days and felt it was just right, FWIW.

Ditto San Clemente Church in Rome.
In Venice, we love spending the evening in San Marco Piazza listening to the "dueling" orchestras, usually 3. You can buy an expensive drink and sit at a table in front of one of the orchestras, or better yet, skip the drink and wander around the piazza from one orchestra to the other for free.

Thanks to all for your very helpful responses. I'll post again when I have my itinerary in order.

Yale,
I just came across your post and wanted to tell you not to be discouraged by some of the posts. In September 2004 my DH and I did a trip similar to the one it sounds like you are considering and it was fabulous!! We were in Italy for 9 days and it was a complete whirlwind but so amazing.

Here was the breakdown of our trip:
2 1/2 days in Rome. Saw all the major highlights: Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basicila, Borghese Gallery, Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Colloseum, Roman Forum, etc. I'm sure we saw other things too, but I'm not remembering them right now. In addition, we wandered around side streets, did some shopping, sat in little outdoor cafes sipping wine, enjoyed incredible meals etc. In Rome, we stayed at the Hotel Smeraldo for 120 euro a night. Its a great location right by the campo di fiori.

Cinque Terre for 1 1/2 days. We took the train to the Cinque Terre from Rome(we left in the morning and were there by noon). We stayed in Vernazza for 2 nights in a room for rent in a woman's home for 80 euro. That first afternoon we hung out on the beach, drank wine, watched the sunset and had an amazing dinner right on the water. The second day we did the hike to 4 of the 5 towns (we didn't go to Monterosso because it was the other direction). The hike was incredible. Beautiful scenery and it was fun to see all the towns. We stopped for a drink, focaccia and the best grapes we've ever had in Corniglia. Had another amazing dinner and sunset that night.

2 1/2 days in Florence. Took the train through Pisa to Florence and were there by early afternoon. We had to change trains in Pisa and were planning on taking a cab or bus to the leaning tower but there was a train strike that day and the train schedule was very uncertain so we didn't know when the next train would be and we didn't want to miss it. But, you could definitely see the leaning tower this way. In Florence, we stayed at a hotel right in the heart of the city for 100 euro. We saw the Borgello Gallery (I think this is what its called), the Uffizi, Accademia-definitely don't miss the David, the Duomo, the open air market, ponte vecchio, Piazelle Michaelangelo, lots of cool piazzas, ate amazing gelato and even better food.

2 1/2 days in Venice. Took the train from Florence to Venice. Left around noon and got to Venice by late afternoon. We stayed at a cool B&B right by the Accademia in Dosudoro. We had a room with a view of the Grand Canal for 120 euro. In venice, we saw San Marco's piazza and Basilica, took the boat to Murano, went to the Jewish Ghetto, the Jewish Museum, and wandered a lot down little side canals. By the time we got to Venice, we were pretty burnt out so we mostly sat in cafes and wandered down little side streets. We discovered many cool out of the way places.

I know that this itinerary isn't for everyone, but it is definitely doable. We were like you, we wanted to see everything we could possibly see and not break the bank. Most of our hotels served breakfast and we'd get something on the go for lunch. For dinner, we'd splurge for a nice meal. Beleive it or not, we did have time in each city to explore some side streets, to wander and just relax. We weren't sure when we'd be back so we wanted to pack as much in as we could. We used Rick Steves' Italy book and he seemed to fit our travel style really well. All of the hotel recommendations were exactly as he described them. We found that September was a great time to travel. The weather was still great and it didn't feel very crowded. In general, I think that September is a great time to travel.

Sorry, this kind of ended up as a trip review, but I wanted to let you know what we did and that it was an amazing experience, and definitely worth it.

Have fun planning!! :)

It's hard to find budget accomodation in Venice thats actually in the city - but here is a nice place to stay that gets good reviews. It's 50 -55 euro / night for a double and right next to the train station.
http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/venice/7495/

We used to travel for 14-17 days but as a manager I am having a harder time getting away from the office for a longer vacation.

Travel is my true passion in life and I believe that when given the chance you have to pack a little more into a shorter time frame in order to see the highlights...just don't make the mistake of not leaving time to savour the places you choose...this is the main fault of many bus tours. We are planning a 10 night trip in May and will spend 1 night in Orvieto (day of arrival drive from Rome to Orvieto), 2 nights in San Gimmy visiting Siena enroute, 3 nights in Montalcino, 3 nights Spoleto Umbria, last night Rome. We are not budget travelers..usually 3 star hotels or B&B. We managed to stay within an average cost of 100.00 Euros per night...larger cities like Rome, Venice and Florence will cost a little more while smaller centers like CT you can sometimes luck out. Venere is a good site and we also found many of our hotel recommendations on the www.slowtrav.com. We usually budget another 100.00 Euros per day for food and sightseeing (excluding transportation and gas). Some days you'll be under because your traveling and it will help to even out those days where you may spend a little more for a sightseeing tour. We usually do a picnic lunch, slice of pizza, Panni sandwich etc and will have a dinner out...not 5 star dining but usually a nice local trattoria establishment. Leave a buffer as you will likely go over budget. Amalfi is quite costly and really is going to add travel time to your holiday plan. If you are going to CT, I would skip Amalfi.

My plan for your trip would be:
Fly into Rome and spend a minimum of 3 nights (4 would be better if you think you will never return as St. Peter's and the Vatican will chew up one full day and you really do not want to skimp on time here).

Train from Rome to La Spezia in CT and continue to one of the Five Towns -spend 3 nights

Train from La Spezia to Pisa (stop for a few hours) continue on to Florence.
2 nights in Florence would be plenty for me...Duomo, David, Boboli Gardens. Uffizi was not my bag but if you really like Renaissance Art you will need to make time..a half a day.
I would perhaps do a side trip from Florence to Siena and San Gimagnano to see a taste of Tuscan Hilltowns and either stay in one of the two or stay in Florence for an extra 2 nights and do a side trip or two.

Florence to Venice on train. Stay 3 nights in Venice...do not miss the Doges Palace..very interesting. Venice is great to just wander around. Fly out from Venice.

That would be approximately two week holiday. You may want to look at the cost of a Italian rail pass and compare point to point tickets as well. The cost of rail in Italy is very cheap in comparison to other countries. The Eurostar trains are great and you will need to make a reservation for those trains. The trains in the CT were not exactly run with precision as far as time schedules go so be patient.

Air travel can be a very costly depending on the season...April/Early May or October would be slightly lower as would hotels...but it is not low season.

Rick Steves gives some good advice on lower cost accommodations. I believe for a two week hoiday you are looking at approximately $6000 or more. Can it be done for less...probably if you cut out some restaurant meals in the evening and select a few key museums.