re: Trip to Italy: Budget question

Luckily the Euro to dollar conversion is the lowest it has been in a while

I always try to maximize my costs when going on vacation. I went to Italy for 9 nights last year and visited Rome, Florence and Venice.
Flight: $2400
Rooms for all nine nights: $1,500
Trains: $160

Already over $4,000 at that point
Eating out every meal and spending money to see museums and sights every day: minimum of $150 per day - > ~$1,500
After that you can factor in all the taxis and money you spend buying stuff (bought a new purse for the wife, wine, and clothes for myself)~$1,000

That puts you at $6,500. The exchange rate is not good over there so that bumps up your costs ~20%

In the end it was well worth it. You can always make more money!
(Of course don't put yourself in debt for a trip)

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The exchange rate is not good over there so that bumps up your costs ~20%

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This isn't true now. The Euro is currently at $1.14. The dollar is significantly stronger against the Euro now vs. last year.

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poochie

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They basically went with backpacks and no plans and hung out in seaside towns and really got into the culture.

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easiest way to do this is travel to Rome, then head to the almafi coast, Sorrento is beautiful and relax. it is a beautiful coastal town and easy to get to.

poochie,

Since this trip is a year or more away I'm going to make a suggestion.

If you have solid credit you can sign up for new cards and get bonuses that can significantly help with the costs.

My flights to and from Italy were purchased with miles for first class tickets. My hotel in Rome for 4 nights was paid for using points. There are ways to take a first class trip without paying first class prices.

Looks cool. Post a review of your trip when you get back.

I'm always looking for new, neat places to try.
Castello banfi is on my short list.

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This isn't true now. The Euro is currently at $1.14. The dollar is significantly stronger against the Euro now vs. last year.

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It definitely has gotten better since April of last year, I hadn't checked it. Still you are losing $0.14 on every dollar and that doesn't take into consideration that every time you swipe your card or exchange USD for euros you pay a fee, unless you have a card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, but you will always need Euros.

Use Airbnb instead of hotels
Be flexible with your dates to get the cheapest airfare
Travel in the shoulder season (April-May or September-October) to get the best rates

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You aren't losing $.14 on every dollar you spend and if you travel with a credit card with foreign transactions fees I don't know what to tell you because so many cards don't have those fees attached now.

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Yea i got the Sapphire Preferred, no transaction fees

spend 3k in 3 months and get $500 cash back (just buy the plane tickets), plus 2X points on all dining. Great card plus it has the chip which is crucial for Europe.

the prices here seem really high. If you plan and execute you can do it for less than $5k total.

Go in shoulder season if you don't have kids, I think in Italy that is October. The weather should be still nice.

And if you travel in shoulder season, don't book your rooms in advance. show up and you can find much cheaper places. Most hostels in italy have private double rooms, you might have to share a bathroom. You will still pay 100E a night but it won't be 250E people here think it is.

Also you can cook your own bfasts and maybe pack a lunch a day or two. Also, avoid tours they are usually overpriced.