Reading aboutÌýluxury hotels in the Venice lagoon, aÌýMichelin star restaurant in ModenaÌýor the seasonÌýfashion week in MilanÌýcan be both inspirational and misleading at the same time, as you start wishing for a week of 'Dolce Vita' andÌýwonder if you can experience it on a budget.Ìý
We think it is possible to enjoy the best Italy has to offer irrespectively of the amount of money you can spend for your holiday to the Bel Paese. Once you decide how much you can budget for your trip, you can start planning your unforgettable Viaggio!
We hope these tips can offer you good pointers while planning and booking your next trip to Italy.
1. ChooseÌýoff-the-beaten track areas.ÌýÌýFrom theÌýCasentino Valley in TuscanyÌýto theÌýValsuganaÌýin Trentino, from theÌý³§²¹±ô±ð²Ô³Ù´ÇÌýarea in Apulia toÌýWestern Sicily, there is just so much more to Italy than Rome, Florence, Venice and Amalfi. ÌýSo many wonderful locations which have been overlooked by the tourism industry for years and are ready to be explored.Ìý
2.Take your holiday during low season. ÌýEspecially, if you do not want to miss out on the major tourist destinations such as Florence, Rome, Venice, Amalfi etc, keep in mind that hotels offer relatively more affordable prices during the low season. High season usually includes: Easter week during the spring, Christmas and New Year's Eve, and other ½ûÂþÌìÌà national holidays like the 25th of April, 1st of May, 15th of August. Hotels and agriturismi will be less amenable to offering discounts as they know they will get an influx of ½ûÂþÌìÌà customers. Also restaurants will be more crowded.
Ìý3.ÌýAgriturismiÌýandÌýB&BsÌýoffer great value for money.ÌýToday, manyÌýAgriturismiÌýandÌýB&BsÌýoffer superb facilities, Ìýgourmet food, delightful bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms and the advantage to be officially registered with the local tourist board, which means they have to maintain certain standards and prices.Ìý
4. Save on entrance fees to museums by visiting on days where free entrance is offered, for exampleÌýevery first Sunday of the month. ÌýMoreover, each year the Ministero dei Beni Culturali organises theÌý, you can also enjoyÌý"La Notte dei Musei"Ìý(Night of Museums) the European Night of Museums and the many events organised by individual cities known asÌýNotte Bianca, all offering free entrance to museums and archeological sites. We usually remind our audience about it with a dedicated article.Ìý
5. Look out for 'tourist cards', often wrongly spelled as 'touristic card', that offer access to public services at reduced prices.
6. Try self-services, rosticcerie (where you can buy freshly made local specialties or homy food to takeaway), pizzerie, piadinerie and trattorie for great value. For dinner go for anÌý"aperitivo rinforzato"Ìýto enjoy both drinks and food. Talk to the locals and find out which resturant they prefer when they go out for a meal.
7. Book withÌýindependent tour operators.ÌýTry organised tours for small groups – Italy offers a wide variety of organised tours with or without activities such as cookery, language lessons or walking. Prices are all inclusive and the quality of what is on offer is great. It allows you to discover a place with costs clearly defined by the tour package value.
8. Get as muchÌýinformation about the placeÌýyou are visiting beforehand and, even if you are not going on an organised tour, try to define anÌýfor you. Good planning and information will ensure that you better enjoy your holidays and avoid expensive costs such as having to spend the night at the first hotel you find because you did not book in advance or expensive taxi trips because you got lost!Ìý
9. Look forÌýself-catering accommodation. You'd be surprised at the number of hotels/agriturismo that also offerÌýÌýstudio apartments or rooms for even just a couple of nights. This allows you to save on restaurant costs - andÌý½ûÂþÌìÌà supermarketsÌýand food stores offer fantastic value for money with fresh produce that does not need any preparation. What can beat a mozzarella and fresh tomato salad with a rich collection of prosciutti, salami and cheeses on the side. You can alsoÌýtry one of our recipes.Ìý
10. Join ourÌýQuestion & AnswerÌýÌýsection and ask before you travel – there are many knowledgeable members that can help either by virtue of actually living in Italy full time or visiting there very often.
Do you have any tips for a great ½ûÂþÌìÌà holiday on a budget?
