Italy tour ..we don't have enough cash?

[LaDolceVitafor200]

Afternoon!

I have been reading alot of holiday threads here recently which has prompted my own dilemma

Me and friend booked a very cheap Italy tour for 9 days 8 nights leaving next week. It's staying in 4 different Italian cities in basic B and B accommodation, local taxes and breakfast not included. B and B are all outside main towns we are visiting so an hour's travel.

We also have to pay for transport from airport each way , tour is self guided and just includes flights, coach transfers between 4 different cities and B and B

My friend is taking 200 euros and says she won't spend more, I'm getting worried this won't be enough, we also have to pay B and B local taxes etc

AIBU to tell her we both will need more cash , or has anyone been to Italy and found it cheap?!

Not sure if this is still a thing (haven't been to Italy since Covid) bit some cities do a card you can buy from the tourist office that can be uses for museums/historical sites and public transport. It's worth it if you are using a lot of public transport and want to see all the sights. But it will blow a hole in the 200 euro budget.

As others ha e said aperitivo hour in cities like Turin and Bologna can be a cheaper way to eat. Bars will charge a bit more for a drink in this period but there will be food - some fancier bars will supply dainty plates of tiny sandwiches or canapes, more down to earth and studently places may may have a carby buffet or even just a big communal dish of pasta or risotto on the bar.

@VickyEadieofThigh

Variations in this:
Cringey if it doesn't work.

This is good advice. I've travelled on local trains in Italy and they are reasonably good value and efficient.

I went to Rome on my own for a few days. Wasn't on a tight budget but didn't necessarily want to sit down at a restaurant on my own all the time. Snacking (pizza, bread, cheese, gelato etc) and picnics meant that I ended up spending much less than anticipated.

200 Euros is still too little.

For some things yes! Every time I go to the UK I wonder round supermarkets going "god, look at how cheap that is compared to Italy!"

In my experience 'stuff' is cheaper in Britain and there's a lot more variety. However, basic groceries and eating out are considerably cheaper in Italy.

200 euros for 9 days that's like 21 pounds a day (aprox), should be enough for a coffee in the morning (not the fancy type), few packs of noddles soups in the local supermercato to help her during the day and a cheap can of beer at night.

Good news is that with all this heat plus the sweating she'll loose one stone at least!

I know this is somewhat missing the major point - but I just want to point out that pot noodles using the accommodation bedroom kettle is probably not going to be possible because it's unlikely there will be a kettle...

We were in Italy in July. There's no point going if you can't afford entrance fees and reasonable food.

Thanks everyone, interesting

For those who asked it was an offer on a site like travelzoo, Italy tour 399 each

Land Rome , 2 nights there, then to Venice Verona and Milan 2 nights each.

How much did the holiday cost? It sounds like it's gonna be awful and you might be better off cutting your losses?

Did you not look at the itinerary before you agreed to it?

€200 for 8 days is impossible. Which airports are you landing at/leaving from? I would be wanting €200 a day for myself.

This holiday seems to have been organised backwards. I wouldn't be bailing her out, you won't get your money back.

HOW much? Bloody hell there are some spendthrifts on here...

If I’m scrimping and scraping it’s not an enjoyable holiday (hence I’ve not been away for 4 years)!

Italy is so expensive. We are in Paris right now and are saying how much cheaper it is that when we went to Italy in August. We love Italy but are fed up of how much more expensive it is than other European cities.
Your friend needs to bring more cash.

Venice, Verona, Rome and Milan - not the cheapest areas of Italy then! Yeah .... you are going to need at least 100 - 200 euros a day.

No.

I travelled in Italy as a student 25 years ago. My budget was £20/day and I only just scraped by (and that was with many things free entry for under 18s, eating supermarket bread and peanut butter for breakfast and lunch, and sharing a cheese pizza for dinner).

4 of the most expensive cities in Italy.

Apart from food, won't you want to go sightseeing? It would be a pity to go to Rome or Verona and not get to see inside any of the historic buildings. One entrance fee and a cappuccino drunk standing at the bar and there's your daily budget gone.

Thanks and thanks to Womencanlift too. I don’t drink alcohol so will only have to pay for water and the odd diet coke with lunch when out and about. Hot drinks are also included during the day when at the hotels.

She could maybe get away with it if you didn’t have all the hotel taxes to pay but even then it would be a very tight budget and probably not fun.

Your best bet OP is to start a new thread in Travel asking for cheapest restaurants and sightseeing recommendations in those places.

My own top tip is go for a drink around 5-7 pm in Italy and there is. selection of snacks you can help yourself to. When we were in Bologna there was one bar that basically put out all the salads and tortillas and other quite substantial things that hadn't sold at lunchtime. We drunk a bottle of wine and stuffed ourselves for about 30 euros- except we forgot about third friend having a nap so had to pretend we hadn't eaten and go out for dinner anyway .

I think one of your main issues will be location of the B&notbs. I'd be working out your bus routes into town especially for Rome which has a lot of walking. Borghese park in Rome is free and worth seeing.

@IcedPurple exactly. Milan particularly!

I'd actually budget more for a day in those cities than I would in London as they don't tend to have as many informal/ cheaper ethnic/street food places to eat like London does.

I managed to do Rome fairly cheaply the first time I went, but that was in 1998 and I was studying Ancient History so we were let in to most of the monuments for free.

We were also 20 years old, so happy to save money by have cheop hole in the wall slice if pizza for dinner and prioritise money for cocktails.

I seem to remember Italian nightclub entry often includes a drink or two - spirits or cocktails are the best choice as they tended to free pour.

€22 per day is not realistic, has your friend done any research at all?

I went to rome for 3 nights and spend 265e (not including hotel and flight). I just checked my bank statement. I wasn't particularly budget conscious but also wasn't spending a lot. So 200e is not enough for 9 days.

I've visited Italy twice this year because my university student DD3 was there for six months as part of her obligatory year abroad.

We were in Padova, just about 20 miles or so to the south of Venice. It's generally less expensive than Venice, but your friend's budget still wouldn't have gone far.

Does she mean that she is only bringing £200 in cash but intends to use card payments too? Or that she thinks that £200 will be more than sufficient for the whole thing? If the former then there may be a chance but if the latter then it is pie in the sky I'm afraid.

If she thinks Italy is a cheap holiday then I'm afraid she is in for a rude awakening. It isn't. Of course you can plan ahead and be sensible to keep some control of the spending, but if her only budget is £200 then I think she will find that pretty much impossible. I just hope she isn't relying on you to sub her as it doesn't sound like she has thought this through much. Or at all.

Thank you

200 is the total budget

I was in Venice 2 months ago. It is ridiculously expensive.
Hotel tax is a minimum of 2.5 euro a night = 25 in total
Transfers, well, if you are travelling into the city for a hour each way, the transfer will be at least 20 euro, say you do that 4x = 80 euro minimum.

Coffee and croissant = 4/5 euro, maybe a further 50euro for breakfast.
You are already at 150 euro without entry to anything, no lunch and no dinner!! She'll need at least £100 a day.

@LaDolceVitafor200 have you actually spoken to your friend?

It's clear 200 isn't going to be enough, and if the holiday is next week then you really don't have much time to change plans or cancel.