zola

taralnathan:

I won't judge you either way if you attempt to share meals in restaurants. It could cause you some problems or anger some of your fellow tourists. In any case, that's your call.

But if, YOU REALLY WANT TO SAVE MONEY ON MEALS?

In all the cities such as Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence and many smaller ones, look around or ask the hotel clerk for the location of a discount super mart as soon as you arrive (they're much smaller than in the states, but they're there). You can buy some bottled water, meats, cheese, chips, fruit -in short any or all the things you would normally find in a food mart. Also look for a panificio (bakery), many of which incidentally serve inexpensive mid-day meals, where you can get fresh bread, rolls etc. Then, make some of your own lunches. There are several piazzas where you can sit and enjoy or simply eat while you walk.
If you have a mini-frig in your room (since you're on a budget-budget, maybe not), stock up for a few days. Otherwise, just do it on particular days.
Making one of your daily meals can add up. Yet, even if you just buy snacks or bottled water at the food mart, the better price than at your hotel or at the sights can save you Euros, too.
Hey. Maybe you'll then use those savings for your evening meal, at which time you won't have to share.

NYCFoodSnob

<i><font color=#555555>"I ignore rude comments from people who think thrifty is the same as cheap."</font></i>

I wasn't being rude. I was being absolutely sincere. And I wasn't speaking only to you, the OP. Many other people read these threads, and what I say can help them.

I have no idea what you (the OP) meant by "thrifty." I can't read minds. However, check your Thesaurus. Cheap and stingy rank high among thrifty's synonyms. So I don't think I'm off base at all.

<i><font color=#555555>"usually it's because the serving sizes are so large"</font></i>

There was definitely no mention of that clarity in the first post. Unclear writing is unclear. I stand by everything I wrote, whether it applies to you or not.

zola

A further suggestion:

There were buffet-style restaurants the last time I was in Florence and in Rome (one even close to the Vatican and another not too far from the Coliseum). The food quality was pretty good- certainly better than you'd find in the states- and the price was right. No "service included" charge either. I'd like to see someone stop you from sharing your food in one of those places! Ha ha. Anyway, they're another practical option to save on mid-day meals.

taralnathan

@zola, that's good advice and something we plan to do. So we can splurge some days and eat in others.

@NYCFoodsnob, your posts are more rude than actual help. You insult people instead of giving advice. And you waste my time and others with your diatribe. Try doing something useful or considerate for someone else for once. You might find it feels just as good as putting others down to make yourself feel important.

NYCFoodSnob

I guess with a thread title, "Spending money in Italy?," this thread really isn't about food portion size.

kybourbon

A car would be a hindrance for Venice/Florence/Rome. You can't drive in these cities as the centers are restricted to residents mainly (Google ZTL Italy for the no driving zones). Even small hill towns restrict their centers, but don't have the traffic cameras to send you tickets after you return home from crossing into the zone.

Additionally, parking is expensive and if you were staying somewhere in central Florence, you would have to keep your car parked outside the ZTL (30-40€ per day). Most of the bigger highways are toll roads and gas is much higher than the US.

A car would be nice for hill towns if you are staying in the countryside a few days. One day rental are not economical as they are often as much as three day rentals. You need an IDP to drive in Italy available from AAA. You could also do day trips from Florence by public transport to some hill towns or book a local day or half-day tour.

Trains between Venice/Florence/Rome run about 45€ each leg (you can get advance purchase discounts if you are sure of time/dates).

Restaurants have a cover charge most of the time - coperto. It's per person (set up and bread) and a couple of euro usually. You may also see a service charge of 15%. Bottled water is the norm and is a few euro. Sitting outside can have higher prices than inside. Some places will have different prices for standing at the bar (coffee/snack), sitting inside or sitting outside. Usually getting off the main piazzas will result in a bit cheaper places, but not always.

nytraveler

For better food at reasonable prices avoid restaurants right near major sights and anyplace that has either menus in 12 languages or menus with pictures of the food - all will be tourist traps.

You can certainly drink tap water if you learn to ask for it - it's perfectly safe - but may not taste very good. We always order both wine (1/2 bottle for both of us at lunch and a bottle at dinner - as well as a large bottle of fizzy water - you can get still water if you prefer - but figure out if you prefer the taste to tap water).

Sharing courses is fine as long as you are ot buying the "menu" mentioned above. This is 2 or 3 courses for a set amount and no restaurant will hare that - since it's already a great deal. They will usually share a la carte things ordered - as long as it's not just sharing one tiny item.

And do understand that for beverages and sandwiches there are different prices based on where you eat - standing at a counter cheapest, sitting inside more, sitting outside still more.

One thing we enjoy in Rome is sitting in one of the cafes facing the Pantheon in the late afternoon, ordering a drink and watching the world go by. Some have free small munchies - but you need to check. (I always go for a campari and soda - but you can get bottled water if you want.)

zola

taralnathan:
Sorry. I didn't see your post, indicating where you'll be traveling and that you'd be staying at apartments not hotels, before I posted my entries. You're nonetheless welcome for whatever you find useful. In any case, the E200/day you also noted for meals and sightseeing should be more than enough (really), particularly since you are making it a point to stay within a budget

Peter_S_Aus

Breakfast. Croissant / brioche and a coffee will cost about three euro, if you stand at the bar. Tremezzini (sandwich) costs about two euro. A filled roll for lunch is about four euro. Dinner for two would be about 30 or 40 euro, depending where you eat.

Bottled water at a table is about 3 euro.

Transport and museum entry varies, and you should be able to find those costs on line.

We spent two months in an apartment in Venice, with a side trip to Cinque Terre, bought gifts, bought drinks, ate at restaurants once or twice a week, museums and vaporetto tickets. Costs worked out at about 120 a day, excluding apartment rental.

No meals at "white table cloth" places though.

vincenzo32951

>> Unclear writing is unclear. <<

Agree. For instance, insisting that "thrifty" and "cheap" mean the same thing.

LR220

Is it a custom to have a drink with every meal in Italy? My friend and I do plan to drink, but sometimes we might just want to pass on that during lunch (though it's rare that we would actually sit down at a restaurant for lunch for half the trip).

I agree with the sentiment that if you want to be thrifty with meals, don't sit down at a restaurant, especially ones that only have a few tables. I think it's disrespectful to the restaurant. From personal experience, a friend once ordered only water at a fairly fancy restaurant because she was cheap without a shadow of a doubt and had her dinner on the street. We were appalled, it was so embarrassing for us. We also noticed that others were getting better service compared to us and that most likely had to do with the fact that we occupied a table for four (group of 3), but only 2 ordered something.

MonicaRichards

LR220, custom to drink with every meal? I don't know about that, nobody is going to think twice if you don't. I just drank at lunch and dinner because I was on vacation and I could!

kawh

almost everyone in italy takes credit cards now... small towns, small businesses... our last trip, we found that we used well under 100E cash a day between the two of us . just make sure you have a card with a chip and most will let you charge.

bilboburgler

Drinking in restaurants, it depends a fair bit in which country you are in. However in Italy I've never (never) had any lack of respect for not drinking. Sitting in a restaurant and not ordering food would be considered a bit odd, but no booze would just not be a problem.

rosecity15

One of the greatest deals in Florence is in the cafe on the top floor of the public library - the Caffetteria delle Oblate. When I was there a few years ago, I stopped in around 6:30 pm and they had an aperitivi buffet - for just 8 euro. And that included a beverage. Great deal and the view from the cafe was lovely!

vincenzo32951

>>Sitting in a restaurant and not ordering food would be considered a bit odd,<<

I'd say that's a rule than transcends cultures.

snowgirls

1) About 95% of the hotels we stayed at included a big buffet breakfast. It is good value for you to know that
2) Lunch was always a take out meal, either from local markets or grocery chains.The Italian grocery stores had lots of great take out and food items too.dinner.http://blog.studentsville.it/living-...our-euro/.Some nobs may turn up their nose at going to a grocery but I loved it. What an adventure trying out new things in each city!
3) I took a travel kettle so I could have drinks anytime I wanted in my room. I am frugal and figured I could save on that and did.
4) We are not drinkers either. I ordered the salad appetizer as my main, hubby ordered an entre and we shared with no issues ever.E120-150 a day would be at the top of what we spent. Its such a great country.

bilboburgler

"would be considered a bit odd"

a cultural issue vincenzo, when a Brit says "would be considered a bit odd! he means "stark raving mad" in American English.

Pegontheroad

I am not frugal in anything when I travel. I do try to find a nice hotel for $100--$125, but other than that I just spend what I want and then pay for what I charge when I get home.
Luckily, my wants are generally reasonable and few.

Since I travel alone, I don't usually eat dinner in a white-tablecloth-restaurant. I find it difficult to eat three full meals a day, anyway, so I usually have a late lunch, and then I generally buy a roll, some cheese and yogurt and have dinner in my room.

I would love to just take a roll and some cheese from the breakfast table, but I think that would be rude as well as unacceptably cheap. I've thought about asking the hotel proprietor for permission and paying extra for it, but I've never done it.

annhig

when we have rented apartments in Italy, we have found that it's more or less as cheap to eat breakfast out than it is to eat it in, by the time you're bought a couple of pastries, the juice and the coffee; I've managed to sit down to eat it too, all for €3 though €5 is more common.

Then lunch can also be pretty cheap, as Peter says though if you are prepared to eat your main meal at lunchtime, good restaurants often offer cheaper set menus which enable you to eat well for less. Whether you drink more than water with it is of course entirely up to you. And with your apartment to eat in at night, you could look out for rosticeria which sell roasted and grilled food, meat and vegetables, at very reasonable prices, that you can take out.

Talking of water, in Rome look out for the public water fountains where you can fill your water bottles with some of the best water you will ever have tasted. Take a spare bottle with you, and you need never run out!