Travel - Italy
Pass on the bread – Some restaurants will charge you extra for bread or breadsticks on the table but not tell you about it until the check comes. Send it back if you don’t want to be tempted.
Drink the tap water – Ask for tap water or you will get bottled water and have to pay for that too. Moreover, you can refill your bottles of water at any of the drinking fountains throughout Italy. The water is fine to drink.
Buy lots of wine – You can buy a great bottle of wine for $4 USD. It’s a lot cheaper than drinking at the bar.
Eat a panini – Eating out in the popular cities of Italy is an expensive affair. Buy paninis and pizza by the slice for just a few dollars, and save a lot of money.
Couchsurf – Accommodation is quite expensive in Italy, even in the hostels. Use Couchsurfing and Airbnb to stay with locals who have extra beds, rooms and couches for free or an affordable rate. I use the service a lot and find it not only saves me money, but I meet great people too.
Top Things to See and Do in Italy
See the Venice Carnival – Ten days and nights of masquerade madness in February before Lent is quite the party. This tradition goes back centuries and is one of the biggest parties and festivals in Italy. If you have the funds, you can even pay to attend a traditional masquerade ball. Make plans early though – the entire city becomes packed and very expensive, so it will definitely change your Venice experience.
Explore Venice – Besides Carnival, Venice is just a great place to visit. While not the cheapest destination in Italy, Venice is great to see canals, experience a gondola ride, and have an amazing romantic candlelight dinner. Head to the old Jewish Ghetto for hip bars and cheap drinks.
Wander through Pompeii – Pompeii is the ancient city that was destroyed by a volcano but preserved by a blanket of ash. Walk around the city as it stood the day the volcano exploded, moving in and out of homes and businesses where pots and vases still lay. Most of the beautiful frescoes are still there with their beautiful colors. It’s a full-day activity.
Discover Rome – The city of Rome is a wonderful place of small streets and history. The city has so much to see and do, you’ll need to make several trips to even scratch the survace. Make sure you explore the Trastevere student neighborhood west of the river. It’s my favorite place in Rome, and it offers cheap food, great little bars, and tiny winding streets few tourists venture to.
Visit Siena – Everyone always says “I looooove Siena” and with good reason. It’s one of the best preserved medieval cities in Italy and has a labyrinth of lanes gathered around the arena of Piazza del Campo (where, during the summer, they have horses racing).
