Cost for trip to Italy?

I have recently finished planning a 12-night trip to Rome, Siena, Florence, and Venice for the end of May/beginning of June.

Prices are one thing April - September, and then they are very different the rest of the year.

Well, our anniversary is in June, and what appears to be peak travel time for Italy. So expecting to pay some premiums for that.

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Well, our anniversary is in June, and what appears to be peak travel time for Italy. So expecting to pay some premiums for that.

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If you can, I'd suggest planning to go earlier in June than later---Rome and Florence lose a lot of their charm when it's above 90 degrees outside, and some hotels get more expensive later in the month.

The one good thing about traveling at this time of year is that you're traveling a good bit north. Most people don't realize that Rome is further north than Chicago and NYC, so the sun won't set until after 8:30 each night, even in the beginning of June. That gives you more time to do sightseeing. For example, the Palazzo Dorai Pamphilj in Rome stays open until 8:00 pm on weekends, and in Venice, the Academy Gallery stays open until 9 pm on some summer nights.

In terms of money, it's unfortunate that the dollar has lost a lot of its value in 2025. A year ago, a dollar was worth exactly 0.97 Euros, and today it's worth 0.85. That means that your trip is 12% more expensive today than it would be a year ago. Keep that in mind when people tell you what they paid in the past.

My general thought process is similar to yours. I want to stay in a decent hotel---not necessarily true luxury. I'm basically using airline miles and hotel points to pay for my trip, so I ended up looking at the Hotel Principessa Isabella to use my Choice Hotels points. This hotel is listed as four stars but should really be three. It's furnishings are elegant but in need of updating, the breakfast buffet is fine but lacks options, its location is decent but not exactly ideal, etc. And it's $513 per night for almost every night in June. For an anniversary trip, I really wouldn't consider spending under $300 per night to stay in central Rome, because you'd likely be in a place below your standards, or else you'd be in the somewhat seedy area around Termini Station.

If you want to spend less, you could stay further out and ride the Metro into central Rome, and that's what I did when I was there ten years ago. It's really not a bad strategy for Rome, as the city is so spread out that you really can't walk everywhere no matter where you stay, so you're already using transport to get to what you want to see and do. Rome already had a million people by the time of Christ, so even all the ancient stuff isn't close to each other, and walking from the Vatican to the Colosseum would take a full hour.

Florence and Venice are both much more compact, so staying near all the sights is more valuable, in my opinion.

What’s your ages OP?

Food is relatively cheap unless you want to spend more in Italy. 2 pastas or pizza and house wine and you can spend $20-30 each or less fairly easily for each meal.

Hotel cost is going to be controlled by you. None of those cities are like London or Paris where activities can be very spread out and not walkable.

Keep in mind that traditional European hotels are extremely small rooms. It’s part of the fun to me and I don’t spend much time at all in the room anyway.

Venice is very expensive. There’s no avoiding it really. You just get nickel and dimed to death.

We usually rent apartments but I know that’s not for everyone, but can save a lot. Just be careful that most places won’t have an elevator. Although I’ve stayed in local hotels without elevators either, so keep that in mind.


Most Americans pay for the creature comforts we are used to in the states, like American hotels. During peak times that really adds up. So it’s all your personal preference.