Italy on the cheap?

[Anonymous]

We are a family of six hoping to see Italy within the next few years. Realizing that there's no way to do this without spending a lot of money, but curious to hear tips from experienced travelers on ways we can save money. Would renting an apartment be less expensive than multiple hotel rooms? Are professional tours worth the money? How much time should we plan to spend in the country, and which areas are "must see" cities? What about off the beaten path areas?

[Anonymous]

Italy on the cheap is kind of an oxymoron. A great, great country to visit but not inexpensive.

Renting an apartment might be a very good way to go. Hotel rooms tend to be very small so you would probably need three rooms and an apartment would also give you to opportunity to buy food from some excellent purveyors without the expense of a sit down meal.

We took some great organized tours out of Florence with our then 4 year-old (this would not be for very 4 year-old however). I think professional tours can be very worth it. Some of the best tours I've been on have been through tour operators who use large vans instead of motor coaches. We always make it a point to also go an organized overview tour when we hit a big city. It gives us the lay of the land and an idea of what we want to see in more detail.

My guess is that the area to the south (Compania) is going to be cheaper and Sicily/Naples/Pompei has lots to offer. We found it cheaper to fly into Pisa than Rome and the area was worth seeing as well and it was a fairly reasonable city cost-wise. Kids love the Leaning Tower.

The big cities are going to be very expensive but they are worth seeing. I loved Rome and Florence. Can't say the same for Venice; we thought the vibe was too carnie and with a child in a stroller all the bridges over the canals were murder.

Why don't you go to the forums on Trip Advisor. We've planned lots of vacations partially based on feedback from local experts on that site.

Hope you have fun. I think if you can afford it, travel is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family/children.

[Anonymous]

You will quickly find that renting hotel rooms will be very pricey...many charge per person,not per room and that will add up quickly. Consider renting apartments or alternative options like doing a farm stay that would include food. Another thing to explore are campgrounds. Many European/Italian campgrounds have cabins to rent which are usually fairly cheap and most popular tourist destinations have campgrounds on the edge of the city. We used to live in Italy and here are some of our favorite spots:

Sicily...off the typical tourist track so more affordable than other parts of Italy. Some complain about it being rough around the edges, but we loved the authenticty, the food, and the people. Also, unbelievable ruins....some say more there is more to see there than in Greece! Our favorite places in Sicily include: Agrigento (Valley of the Temples), Siracusa (beautiful little city on the water with wonderful greek theater performances in the summer), Cefalu (pretty beach town). The festivals are also amazing...Easter, St. Agata in Catania, and just stumbling upon a town's patron saint festival.

Lucca...beautiful little walled town nestled between Pisa and Florence. Rent bikes and explore the town by riding along the top of the walls. Very easy spot for doing day trips to hike Cinque Terre (gorgeous!), the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the wonders of Florence, and all of the enchantments of Tuscany.


Venice...people either seem to love it or hate it. We loved it but I think that may have been because we visited during late October so nearing off-season. We rented an apartment along a canal and especially loved wandering the city in the late afternoon evenings when all of the crowds of tourists and cruise boat visitors excited the city. We had friends who did some glamping right outside of Venice and that might be a way to save some money while having a unique experience:

http://goglamping.net/europe/lodge-resort-canonici-di-san-marco-venice/

Rome is also fabulous city to explore with all of its energy, gelato, and history! And Naples with Pompei and Amalfi Coast are also stunning. There really is so much to do that the challenge will be to narrow down your search and I'd actually suggest just picking one or two areas of the country to focus on so you can truly embrace the Italian pace of life instead of frantically rushing from site to site in a mad dash to see everything. Be honest with yourselves and your kids about what you really want to get out of the trip and then start researching. You may be able to get some really good deals by planning far in advance, especially in terms of finding large houses/apartments to rent.


A few sites that might be helpful in planning your trip:

http://www.agriturismo.net/
http://www.ciaobambino.com/ciaobambinoblog/index.php/tag/Italy
http://www.travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Italy/italy.htm
http://soultravelers3.typepad.com/soultravelers3/italy/index.html

Italy is truly a fabulous place to visit, especially with kids. Have fun planning!

[Anonymous]

Another important tip for saving money....visit the local markets to purchase fresh, seasonal, local foods and have lots of picnics or have larger lunches in restaurants and make sandwiches for dinners.

Rick Steve's books are also helpful for finding interesting and affordable options in Italy.

Traveling in the fall and the spring months will also help you save money and be less packed with tourists.

[Anonymous]

Here's a totally different idea....take an Italian cruise. The Italian cruise ships do not charge for kids (under 18) and you would get to see a variety of places in Italy. We've never done it, but know lots of military families who took advantage of this while stationed in Italy. Our friends did multiple cruise trips on Costa with their kids and swore by it as a fairly inexpensive way to keep everyone happy (there are kids clubs...but most of the kids will be Italian and European) while also seeing multiple spots without having to pack up and move your stuff. Meals are taken care of and it is primarily Italian fare (probably not the best, but still good). You might also save money by buying well in advance.

Just another idea to ponder.