Travelling in Italy is broadly affordable on a Western European budget, but the gap between the cheapest and the most luxurious experience is wide. The reference budget of €110 per person per day assumes a comfortable couple's trip: a three-star hotel or characterful B&B at €70-120 per night for two, lunch in a neighbourhood trattoria at €15-25 per head, dinner in a good restaurant at €30-50, and a museum or two each day.
A backpacker can manage on €55-70 a day: hostel or simple guesthouse at €20-35, pizza al taglio or markets for most meals (€8-15), walking and bus rather than taxis, and a careful selection of paid sights. State-run museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, and several major monuments are accessible on a free or reduced ticket for under-25s and over-65s — check eligibility before you queue.
At the luxury end — a Roman palazzo hotel, a Tuscan relais & châteaux, a Michelin-starred tasting menu — you'll easily clear €400-600 a day, and the country's top palaces (Hassler Villa Medici, Aman Venice, Belmond Hotel Cipriani) are among the most expensive in Europe. The good news: Italy has unusually deep value in the mid-range, with characterful three-star and boutique stays offering serious quality for the price.
By category: accommodation typically eats 30-40% of the daily budget (hostel €20-35, B&B €60-90, three-star €90-160, boutique €160-300). Food and drink (25-30%) ranges from a €1.20 espresso at the counter to a €60-120 tasting menu. Museum entries (10-15%): Colosseum €18, Uffizi €25, Vatican €17, with most smaller museums between €5 and €12. Internal transport (15%) sits anywhere from €8-25 for a regional train to €30-80 for a Frecciarossa between Rome and Florence.
A few practical pointers. Tipping is not expected; rounding up or leaving 5-10% at a smart restaurant is appreciated. The coperto (cover charge, €1-3 per person) is legal and printed on the menu — it is not a scam. Avoid restaurants on famous piazzas that display tourist menus without prices. A local SIM is rarely necessary if your home plan includes EU roaming (free for all UK and EU contracts under current rules); for longer stays, TIM, Vodafone and Iliad offer prepaid bundles from around €10.
Read also
- Central Italy: Rome and Florence — The historic heart of Italy, from ancient Rome to Renaissance Florence and the rolling hills of Tuscany.
- Northern Italy: Venice and the Cinque Terre — The Venetian lagoon, cliffside Ligurian villages and the gastronomic powerhouses of the Po Valley.
- Rome, the Eternal City — The Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Vatican and dolce vita in Italy's capital.
- Florence, cradle of the Renaissance — The Uffizi, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Chianti hills on the city's doorstep.
- Venice, La Serenissima — Canals, Gothic palaces and an atmosphere found nowhere else in the world.