BUDGET FOR 21 DAYS IN ITALY

[dizzyfreedom]

Hi All!!!

My best friend and I are doing a 21 day trip in Italy from May 17th to June 7th. Any suggestions for how much to budget per day for food, local transportation, sightseeing, etc?

We've already purchased our Eurorail passes...and we have booked B&B's...so breakfast will be taken care of everywhere we go.

Also, should we take that budget in mostly cash and then our ATM's?

Thanks for the help!!!

[me]

you're prolly lookin' at €15 - €20 per person, per night for beds.

food'll run ya about €10 - €15 per person, per day.

local transport, about €5

cover charges at sights will vary depending on location.

so, €25 - €40, or more, per Diem would be a guess, if you're frugal.

[MuvverRussia]

Yeah, €40-50 per person per day is a sensible budget. You might be able to get by on less, but it's always worth having a little bit more.

For 21 days that works out at €840 - €1050, or US$1150 - US$1425.

Personally, the last thing you want to do is to be taking that kind of amount in cash - it's just asking for trouble. ATMs are your best bet, although it's worth checking with your bank to ensure your card will work before you get to Italy.

[me]

always, always, have a backup plan. when i got to Italy in 2004, my ATM card didn't work. <or, it might have worked for a while in Italy, i don't remember (i've slept since then)> so, while there, i had to get cash advances from my credit card. fortunately, i could call my sister & have her make online payments to Citibank, thus avoiding the usurious interest rates they charge.

the ATM card worked again when i got to Hungary.

muvverrussia said:

ATMs are your best bet, although it's worth checking with your bank to ensure your card will work before you get to Italy.

[dizzyfreedom]

Great feedback! Thanks everyone. What about converting your $$$ to Euros. Any tips for where to do that for the best rates?

[me]

ATMs give good rates, near the interbank rate (the one listed in newspapers).

cash is often the worst way to exchange. Traveler's checks are somewhere in between.

- d

dizzyfreedom said:

Great feedback! Thanks everyone. What about converting your $$$ to Euros. Any tips for where to do that for the best rates?

[madamtrashheap]

dizzyfreedom said:

Great feedback! Thanks everyone. What about converting your $$$ to Euros. Any tips for where to do that for the best rates?

Just a thought (because this has come up before) - the ATMs in Europe will dispense the local currency (Euro in the Eurozone, GBP in the UK, etc), not the currency of your home country just because your card comes from there. It may seem like an odd note to post, but some people believe that their card will only access their home currency. As Muvver wrote - don't take wads of cash from home with you. There's no need and it can't be replaced (with insurance claim) if it's stolen.