Save up to 50% on Your Vacation To Italy

Save up to 50% on your next Italian vacation. Are you planning a holiday in Italy, or do you know someone who is?

Your 4 biggest expenses are airfares, accommodation, eating out and travel during your stay. We have listed some important tips to save a huge amount of money on all of these areas:

Air fares
Accommodation
Eating
Travel

Special Air Fare deals to Italy - Get the latest deals

Air fares are likely to be your greatest expense and we have listed all the best deals from the major airlines on this page, if you're planning your trip in advance you should sign up for their email alerts to make sure that you get the latest information so you can take advantage of the best deals, Click here to view special flight deals...

Accommodation - Save up to 50% on hotels

Your accommodation costs can be greatly reduced by avoiding hotels, which are well known in Italy for being both overpriced and of a fairly low standard, unless you're considering 5 Star accommodation (in which case you have probably not even read down this far).

If you are a family of four or more people there are many money saving apartment options for your accommodation, whether you are looking at 3 Star, 4 Star or even 5 Star accom.

If you've never considered an apartment before, read what Eileen Ogintz (Taking The Kids, USA) & Pirkka Siltaris (Ilta-Sanomat, Finland) have to say about renting an apartment with us in Italy instead of staying in a hotel.

If you are on a particularly tight budget you could even consider taking a large studio on the via Veneto, or a one bedroom apartment if your children are young enough to sleep together on a sofa-bed, with costs as low as Euro 120 per night for a family of four staying in the heart of the historic center of Rome in high season this is a bargain compared to hotels, that in Rome begin at Euro 160 per night for three star category, and of course you'll need two rooms so you're looking at spending at the least Euro 320 per night. If you are looking in the luxury category, you can enjoy a luxury two bed / two bathroom apartment on the magnificent via Giulia with large leafy terrace for only Euro 313 per night, simply imparable to the price of 4 or 5 star hotels, not only on price but style, space and privacy.

Take a look at the price comparison below. and Click to read more about Hotels vs Apartments .

Price Comparison - Hotels vs Apartments - based on 4people for 3 nights

Hotel	Apartment	Hotel	Apartment	Hotel	Apartment
3 star	3 star	4 star	4 star	5 star	5 star
2 dble rooms	1 bdrm + sofabed	2 dble rooms	2 bedrooms	2 dble rooms	2 bedrooms
Euro 942	Euro 468	Euro 1,194	Euro 800	Euro 2,640	Euro 939

*** Hotel prices taken from booking.com based on a comperable location and standard

Travel

Travel between the major cities of Italy can be done very inexpensively by Intercity and Regional trains, you can book these online in English at the Train Italia website and tickets can be printed out. This is a much more relaxing way to travel as well, especially as Italy's drivers are famous for their fast driving which can intimidate the most experienced foreign driver. The faster trains called the Eurostar are more expensive, however if time is an issue you could consider using these trains for part of your journey. Click to view the site ..

You may need to use a car if part of your trip is in the countryside, but be sure to drop it off as soon as you get back to the city as parking is not only expensive, but often impossible close to the center where only permit holding residents can enter. Click to read more about car parking in Italy..

Eating

Italy is well known for its fabulous cuisine, many people travel to Italy for the food as much as the culture and art, but you don't have to go to a restaurant to enjoy Italy's culinary delights.

To make the most out of your apartment stay and the local cuisine, go out to the grocery store on your arrival and stock up on your favorite breakfast items, you can go to the open markets found on most neighborhoods, including the Spanish Steps and buy the wonderful fresh produce to create simple meals in the evenings, which you will find a delight after an exhausting day of touring the city on foot.

Forcing small children out at night after a full day can seem almost cruel at times, and they will love to be able to relax in a larger space. Lunch can often be less expensive as most (non Italians) tend to eat lighter at lunchtime and restaurants have lunch menus aimed at the business crowd which cost a lot less than the evening menu, like Gusto in Rome who offer a fabulous buffet or pizza lunch for around Euro 9.00 per head on weekday lunch times, Click here to read more on Gusto and other Rome Restaurants... All in all your self catering accommodation will save your family a lot of money and save those awful forced evening meals out with tired grumpy children (or adults).