Trip for 5 from NJ to Italy...budget question
 

I am just starting to think about our family vacation next summer and really want to take the kids (will be ages 17, 15, and12) to Italy. I was there in 2000 but it was with a tour that was quite rushed and I didn't feel like I truly got to immerse myself in the culture. We have a budget of about 9K and would be flying out of Newark, Philly, or JFK and would hopefully be about a 10-14 day trip. Can anyone help me determine if a trip to Rome, Venice, Florence, and Siena would be feasible on this budget? I would love to get to the Amalfi coast, too but I don't know that that would be too much to tackle for this trip.

14 days hard to do more than Venice, Florence and Rome with possible sojourn to Siena - forget Amalfi as it takes a day to get there from anywhere on your wish list and is super crowded in summer. Research trains - cars are useless in cities - Venice obviously but Florence and Rome have banned private vehicles from city centers and trains are much faster. Maybe rent car in Florence to tool around Tuscany for a few days. anyway for loads on trains check Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia and for lots on what to expect once on them - www.seat61.com- great tips booking discounted tickets on trains; www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

How about fly into Venice - 3 nights
Train to Florence - 3 nights
Siena and area - 3 nights
Rome - up to 5 nights

Try for 14 days for sure to do all that.

Is that five total or just you and the Kids? In any case $9000 is very little for 5 (or 4) if that includes airfares. Say you are lucky and can get R-T (preferably open jaw) for $900 each - spread over 14 days you'd only have a little over $60 per day per person.

And with 10 days (which would = 7.5 days on the ground) you'd have time for Rome/Venice or Rome Florence but not much more. That would get you a little over $90 per day pp - still not a fortune but a lot better than $60.

ps: to get Pal's 14 nights would mean a 16 day trip - even harder on that budget.

Yes, I was only considering what you could do in that time - budget seems low for even 10 days and air fares in summer can be really high.

Yes, we need to know if it is 4 or 5 people (two adults or just you)?

And confirm that needs to cover the airfares??

If that it the total budget, I think you need to shorten the trip (or raise the budget).

Do those 10-14 days include the two travel days (over and back)? In either case, I'd forget the Amalfi coast, which is not only hot and crowded in summer, it's expensive, and your budget is slim for a family of 5. You don't have extra cash to move people all the way south.

There are some simple ways to economize, of course (never let the kids order a soft drink, buy multi-city air tickets...), but I can't see 9k working even if that excludes airfares. Try totting up what an average day would cost you - accommodations (not easy with 5 people - you'll need at least two rooms or a huge suite or big apartment), train fares for 5, meals for 5 (even if you live on pizza and grocery store sandwiches and water), entrance fees to sights, local transport, the odd gelato or afternoon drink, cheap souvenirs. It adds up fast, and isn't fun when you're counting every euro.

My husband and I take a lot of 10-day trips in Europe, including to Italy. We consider ourselves to be thrifty travelers and do a load of research before making plans. We live in Europe, so don't have long-haul flights to pay for, but still we normally spend about 4k for such a trip, And that's for just two people - and hardly any gelati or snacks and very, very few souvenirs.

>>I think you need to shorten the trip<< . . . AND cut down to one or at very most 2 destinations. Transport around in-country adds up quickly.

didn't see StCirq's post. Ditto.

Oh - jeeze louise :)

The thread title clears up the number of people. It IS five . . .

Actually transport by train can be very cheap if book far enough in advance - if they take only two trips - Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome but yes to rent a car or do more trips out of question.

OK & thanks - 5 people. I see airfare JKF to Rome nonstops around $650pp (so 9000 - 3250 = 5750 left for lodging, food, local transportation, entrance fees, etc.)

$575 per day for the family on a 10 day itinerary. Stretching that out to 14 days is only $410 a day, so you'd have to be really economical in finding an apartment or inexpensive rooms to make your budget work on the longer trip. Possible but we'd be talking apartments, grocery store, picnic style, free tours, kind of a trip. Not hotels and restaurants or too many paid activities.

Airbnb or hotelworld.com Shop markets, grocery stores. I would skip Venice if trying to save money and concentrate on Tuscany/ Rome. I am on a lot of military travel forums and you would be shocked at how much an enlisted person can squeeze out of a euro. Check out The Beehive hostel in Rome. Scott's cheap flights, my niece gets cheap flights from NYC into Milan. Look at Pisa also. Bravo for doing this for your family. Don't give up.

Hostel for a family?

I think what I will do, based on the responses, is save up for the next summer (2020) so we can do it right. We do tend to travel frugally but I want this one to be different.

I think that's what I'd do as well. You don't need a fortune but with a family of five, more $$ is better :)

Who knows what the kids will be focused on in 2020. Don't give up so easily. We saw many flight deals this summer from NY/NJ. Google flights is a good source. Also check out Scott's Cheap Flights. Some of the info there is free, but our family found several deals from his premium service ($39/year). Often these are error rates (that will be honored) or deals that might be available for a day or two. I would forget hotels. In Italy, airbnb continues to be fairly unchallenged as it is in other European areas. We had a nice, spacious 3BR apartment last fall in normally expensive Rome for 7 persons for about $150/night via airbnb. Assume you can find flights for $500 each (and there were many under that in 2018 for those fortunate to be near NYC airports as you are)), that leaves $650/day for 10 days. Even for five people, that does not mean "frugal" travel, at least not my definition of frugal. You certainly don't have to consider hostels or starving. There are many inexpensive options in Italy. Visit a local market and put together some meals in your own apartment; enjoy great affordable pizza. Even with some rail travel or a car rental, there should be room for splurges.

Hostel for a family?

Yes, some are very nice like the Beehive in Rome. A family I know just did hostels in Japan. Airbnb is better with laundry and full kitchen. Whitehall is on about Scott's travel. My husband just subscribed to the 39.00 deal.

Maybe kids would like to stay in hostel and mingle with others their ages but I don't think adults would care no matter how neat.

Pal - lots of adults of ALL ages stay in hostels. Sometimes I wonder . . . never mind. :unsure:

The cost of airfare is the same if you stay 2 days or 200, so if the balance
only allows to a week, go for a week.

You say you want to a cultural immersion, so rent an apartment near a supermarket, and commute to the attractions.
Find a base in towns and places that have not yet been ruined by Rick Steves and mass Chinese tours

For example, you can rent a three bedroom apartment in Laspezia for about $US1000 for seven nights,. Florence is about 2.5 hours by train, Cinque Terre is easily reach by train or ferry.

An overnight in Sienna would not blow your budget

Based on your $9K budget you should have money left over to splurge on time near or in Rome.