September 25, 2024
Written by Jesse Andrews,
Owner, Author & Guide
In recent years, after the Covid19 pandemic was ‘officially’ over, Italy has become one of the most visited countries in the world and prices in many areas have doubled, if not tripled.
Over and over again, we’ve seen the same hotels we have been working with for two decades come back to us with staggeringly high prices and driving services, tours and other experiences have all gone up in price making vacations to Italy seem at times to be ‘off the charts expensive.’ However, you can still enjoy a truly outstanding experience in Italy and not break the bank, if you follow my list.
The more the Merrier, but 6-8 is the Magic Number
Outside of the major tourist areas like Florence and Venice, to see many of the most beautiful areas of Italy, you are going to need transportation. However, even in areas like Rome or the Amalfi Coast, having your own car is more of a hindrance than a help. This is largely because of the cost of parking, which in places like Positano or Rome, can add up quickly and the last time I checked, parking in Positano overnight was over 100 Euro.
At the outset, private transportation may seem expensive, but not if you are 3 or more people and because there is a specific type of vehicle in Italy – the Mercedes Extra Long Viano van – that can hold up to 9 people comfortably with luggage. Say the cost of the Van is 800 Euro a day, well divided by 6 and that is only 125 Euro per day and includes an English speaking-driver guide who can be a key-asset to the overall enjoyment of your trip.
Private Tours for 3 or more, are often less expensive than big group tours found on Get Your Guide, Viator or other mass-tourism websites.
Booking tours on-line to enjoy the Vatican or Ancient Rome, may seem like a good, cost-saving technique, but in reality it’s anything but and not only this, a lot of these companies operate with high, last-minute cancellation rates, particularly in the high season and so at a moment’s notice, you might be left with no tour at all, due to the fact that in order to run them they need to meet a certain threshold of participants, they can’t always make.
Not only this, these are often big group tours and when I asked what the number of their small group tours were, one company came back and told me it was 60 participants! I couldn’t believe it.
Doing truly small group tours (Max 10 people), or if you have 3 or more people in your party, doing private tours with our top quality guides can actually save money, time and stress, because don’t forget moving through certain areas with big groups makes the entire experience seem to take forever.
We offer truly small group tours in many areas of Italy, however having your own small group is a sure-fire way to cut down on costs.
Book Far in Advance
It really does pay to book early in Italy. Part of the reason is that there are so many travelers from Italy itself traveling all over the country all of the time for business or pleasure and many Europeans have holiday homes or come to Italy on holidays for long-weekends throughout the year, notoriously waiting to the last minute to book. This means, in spring and summer, availability is going to be grabbed up fast and hotel and transport pricing are based on supply and demand. Hence, not waiting until the last minute and considering a variety of accommodation factors is one of the ways you can definitely save money, but do have a look at our standard cost rates to get a better idea.
Carefully Consider Location
The Eternal City, Rome is one of Italy’s largest and most vibrant cities. There are many districts of Rome and particular things to consider about Rome (where many members of our team are based). The Via Veneto area, which is almost strictly a ‘hotel area’ is not exactly one that will leave you with anything other than the Hard Rock Cafe, very standard and tourist-geared restaurants and in general a feeling that you are there on business rather than vacation. The hotels in this area can also be very expensive and yet, you feel in many instances far removed from Rome itself.
In contrast, a quaint little Air B&B near the Pantheon in Ancient Rome, may seem like a great idea and the price might look great, but what you might not know is getting in and out of that area with a vehicle or even getting to the property can be a tremendous headache. So, all of a sudden the 200 euro a night reservation, with tons of stairs and accessibility issues, may start to feel like it isn’t such a cheap deal after all.
Similarly, there are places in Italy like Positano (particularly Positano) where prices in recent years have become obscenely expensive, mostly due to influencers making this town into what seems more like a theme-park than a quaint Italian village destination. Sure, we can understand wanting to go there… and you can, but prepare to pay a premium in Positano and pay far more than you will in many other places on the Amalfi Coast, which offers a wide variety of accommodations and truly outstanding options from north to south that you may have not even considered.
Plan Meals and Dining Experiences in Advance
Eating and drinking in Italy is very serious business and we believe can contribute to the overall enjoyment of anyone’s vacation here. Make no mistake about it however, you can get royally ripped off in Italy in some places, particularly the most touristic, say Taormina, you can end up paying 25 Euro for an Aperol Sprtiz that would usually cost 8 euro or less with snacks anywhere else.
Dining experiences should be and need to be considered in advance, otherwise you run the risk of either not getting in because you have waited too late, or paying a fortune at a very generic tourist geared establishment.
Pay Careful Attention to When Is Truly High Season in Italy 5 Consider Traveling at Alternative Times of the Year
Surprising to many, is the fact that September can be one of the most expensive times of the year to travel to Italy and May, June, September and October are some of the busiest times in areas like Florence, Venice, Rome and Amalfi Coast. Also surprisingly, July and August in Florence, Venice and Rome can be relatively inexpensive and very calm times of the year to visit, albeit very hot indeed, they are in fact less expensive times of year to visit some of the major art capitals.
November, December, January, February & March are surprisingly becoming some of the least expensive and more pleasurable times of year to visit Italy and because of the numerous hot springs, incredibly busy skiing resorts, wonderful mild climate in the south of Italy throughout the year, winter is looking more and more favourable as a time to travel.
Don’t Leave Booking Transfers Until the Last Minute or Prepare to Pay a Fortune & Discover How to Use Transfers as Sightseeing Experiences
If you look for ‘Driver in Italy’ on Google, our page is one of the first to appear and we are one of the most contacted companies on the planet for transportation in Italy. Hence, believe us when we tell you not to leave booking your transportation in Italy until the last minute.
We are experiencing a true shortage in drivers and in particular English speaking driver-guides in Italy. Fewer people than you realize may speak English in Italy and even if you don’t need someone who speaks English, finding drivers last minute, particularly on Sundays on the Amalfi Coast can be a real issue. Many people have gotten stuck or lost their flights because there were no drivers to be found.
Don’t let this happen to you. Plan in advance.
Know where to use Trains
There are definitely some instances in Italy where using the rail system can make a lot of sense economically, not also in terms of convenience. It can take less than an hour and fifteen minutes to get to Naples by train and it can make a lot of sense to train to Naples, get picked up and then head to Pompeii en-route to the Amalfi coast or vice versa. The issue is that with many rail routes, if you are only using trains you are limited to the major city centers and to see the countryside or get into the gorgeous coastal areas you will need private transportation. If you have 3 or more people, doing private transportation can be more economical and you can use the transportation as an opportunity to enjoy some fantastic sites you may not know about en-route.
Book VIP tickets or Prepare to Spend a Lot of Time in Line
Time is money and particularly when you are on vacation, your time is precious. Line ups to the major galleries in Italy can be blocks long. Don’t let this happen to you. If you want to see Michelangelo’s David or the Sistine Chapel, make sure you book well in advance and remember seeing these masterpieces with a licensed guide, truly can bring history to life and give it a lot more meaning than you may be able to find or know on your own.
Avoid Private Boat Tours & Opt for Small Group Unless You have Your Own Small Group
We specialize in boat tours all over Italy and know first hand the complications and incredible costs that have recently become associated with boat tours, notwithstanding the soaring costs of gas, there has been a significant hike in demand for private boat tours all over the Mediterranean in recent years.
A private boat tour to Capri for example from the Amalfi Coast for 2 is now over 1000 EURO. It’s an expensive excursion and yet, there are shared, truly small group boat tours that we have operating in a number of locations and doing the shared tours, can still get you an incredible experience at a fraction of the cost and in many instances we can include pick up at your hotel to the port to reach the tour.
Take Short-Haul Flights between some Destinations
Sometimes the cost of trains, transfers and times between some places in Italy, say Palermo and Venice can be prohibitive and flights are often cheap. Depending on what you want to see, we do recommend flights which can be less than an hour.
Go Beyond What You See on Social Media & Talk to Local Experts
One of the main reasons Italy has become so popular in recent years is because of social media, but influencers and most of the things you see on social media have to do with the same places over and over again. Most of what you see showcased on social media has to do with Portofino, Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Capri , the Cinque Terre national park.
No doubt, these places are so popular because they are beautiful. However, many of these destinations, particularly Portofino are outrageously expensive. To sit down at one of the cafes in Portofino, think about spending 15 euro minimum just for a coffee and the crowds are insane.
Yet, the region of Liguria where Portofino is home to many absolutely delightful small towns and depending on what time of year you go, it’s a near paradise. The same is true with many areas in Italy.
This is why, getting in touch with people in Italy, who know the lay of the land is always a good idea and hey! If you’ve read this far… this is where we can step and help.
As a group of drivers, guides, tour escorts, directors and writers we know the lay of the land in Italy & we can give you insider knowledge, book truly small group tours and put together some awesome experiences without having to worry about all the logistics. From tickets, to trains, to transfers and accommodations our combined knowledge sets us apart from most of the other companies.
We look forward to helping you travel and enjoy a better trip to Italy.
Write today to: team@italyvacationspecialists.com
