Ideas for 60-somethings long on wanderlust - short on travel budget

Flight prices are generally best in and out of Milan. I am seeing $721 RT next September from Newark ( Alitalia, one stop) or $877 on Delta. September or early October would be a good time to go----November would be too cloudy and rainy for me.

I suggest they skip Rome and concentrate on smaller but lovely places farther north. But don't skip Venice! Even though it is comparatively expensive, the "wow" factor makes it worth a 2-night stay.

Minimize travel expense by buying the Super Economy tickets in advance on Trenitalia---generally €19 each for the fast trains. Regional trains are inexpensive and they can use those for some journeys.

Senior discounts are not all that common, so do not rely on those.

I would suggest something like this: land in Milan and go straight to Varenna on Lake Como. The regional train is only around €7 and need not be booked in advance ( difficult to time with an arriving flight). Varenna is lovely and much less expensive than a hotel in Milan. Spend a night or two to get a feel of "la dolce vita", not hen return to Milan and catch a (pre-booked) train to Venice. Spend 2 nights there.

After that, places I can think of that are lovely, interesting, and relatively inexpensive would be Verona, Ravenna, Orvieto, maybe Lucca. Add Florence if they are seriously interested in art. Of those places, Ravenna and Orvieto were favorites of ours. Both offered inexpensive lodging and meal choices, and interesting sights. The mosaics in Ravenna are stunning. Verona offers the Roman amphitheater and other Roman sites, as well as a nice walled city with fewer tourists ( except during opera season).

They would probably end to spend the last night in Milan if they are flying out of there. So consider the cost of a hotel there when comparing flight costs with an open-jaw flight into Milan and out of Florence or nearby Pisa.

Staying in convent guest houses is an excellent idea. They do things a bit differently from hotels, but just go along with and it's fine. It's also very easy (and fun!) to economize on food by picking up picnic ingredients from the open-air markets, and limiting sit-down meals in eating establishments to very few. I recently got back from Italy, and one of my best meals was a bunch of grapes and a small bag of roasted chestnuts from the market in Padova. I had gotten to watch the chestnut-roasting man in action. As for itinerary, for ten days, probably no more than two bases, with day trips, would be more satisfying than rushing around. What about.. Venezia and Firenze, both very scenic to wander around in, with possible day trips to Padova, Siena, Lucca?

I think the first step would be to ask them what they would be willing to spend for 10 days in Europe/Italy. Once a budget is set, then the planning can begin. Everyone has a different idea of what an acceptable budget is, so I think that is the only way to make the conversation really helpful. I find I can travel in a less expensive manner in Europe than in the USA so I think you will be able to convince them. There are particularly inexpensive flights from Newark and JFK, which are easily accessible to them. I actually prefer winter travel as it keeps the crowds down, although the last few years I've gone in the shoulder season… They must have some idea how much they budget annually for vacation in the USA. That would be a start.

Italy is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, so to make their budget go much further, a holiday not covering Italy, Switzerland or Scandinavia would be far cheaper.

Early November will be quieter but mid October would be much better weatherwise. Try not to move around too much as they only have 10 days max and it costs money and loses time to do so. Where to go depends on where in Italy they land.

Looking at Venice convents for January, they work out on average 25% more than the hotel I have booked on booking.com. Airbnb is worth checking out too. What about them looking into home swaps? Great for those on a budget.

I think all the ideas so far are great for a lower budget trip but I think Wray has the right idea of getting them to think about and convey to you what an acceptable budget would be.

When budgeting, their biggest expenses will be the airfare and hotels/convents. They are sooooo fortunate to live on the east coast and be able to travel in the shoulder season! After you establish what those two costs could be and what they have available for the rest of their expenses you'll see if it is possible.

Remind them of how much they spend now on commuting and their own automobile costs (if any). Show them how inexpensive regional train tickets are in Italy and tickets purchased ahead of time. We always have to remember that we eat at home so budgeting for food when we travel isn't something we usually take into consideration. We eat at a restaurant only once a day while traveling and usually it's not a super expensive one.

Talk to them about their sightseeing desires. If experiencing the first time scenery of Italy is what they want it will be very inexpensive. If they want to visit art museums, opera, etc then they'll need to budget for that.

This is how we sketch out a quick budget. Maybe this will help them see if they can afford it. Only they will know if this is what's holding them back.

@ Jennifer they only have 10 days so a home exchange won't work out for this trip AND it would probably stress them out more than the trip itself. We do a home exchange or two every year and they are usually for 3+ weeks. I was going to suggest renting out their house as a way to finance their trip but again this takes work and may not be comfortable for them. Last year our son's family rented their small house to a visiting professor (near Berkeley) for 4 weeks for >$4,000. That's how they helped finance their month long trip!

They can save a lot of money by not staying in the popular cities, but in a town nearby with a regular rail connection. I just had a look around Rome on www.viamichelin.com. In the villages around Ciampino airport there are B&Bs for around EUR 50. The train to Rome costs EUR 3 return. A few years ago we stayed in Prato instead of in Florence itself (to save us from the crowds, not the money). And Padua (Padova) is an excellent base for Venice and an interesting city in its own right. I have seen B&Bs there for less than EUR 50.
While it is difficult to resist Rome and Venice, Bologna is a good stop between those two. One of the most agreeable cities I know in Italy. Good for daytrips to Ferrara and/or Ravenna. Some 1,5 hrs from Rome on the fast train, and also 1,5 hrs to Padua on the »Regionale veloce« (for EUR 10,00).
The Italian trains can indeed come very cheap. The »regionale« trains go for next to nothing, and the fast »Frecce« are cheap when booked well in advance. They should have a look at the website of the Italian railways: http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en
It is not difficult to spend a whole day in Italy with spending just a few euros. Streets and squares are free. Churches are free. The outside of the Colosseum is free. The canals of Venice are free. The fun of exploring it all by yourself is free. The nicest museums are just EUR 5 or 6.
Lunch is cheap by having it self-made. Dinner doesn't have to cost more than EUR 20, including a large beer or a half litre of wine.

Marie, after they've determined their budget, I would suggest seeing if they could go in April vs. November. For Milan, for instance, they would have an equal chance at precipitation but gain an additional 4 hours of daylight each day and warmer weather. Since they want to see Italy, this would give them more opportunity during their 10 days and some early flowers blooming.

My suggestions would be to have Stresa as either their first or last stop if flying into/out of Milan. It's a wonderful location on Lake Maggioire. We stayed very cheap at Hotel Boston (odd name!) that was just a block off the row of expensive hotels. We spent a perfect day at Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori. The town is very easy by train, and it has a cute area of shops & restaurants that would be an easy first stop to acclimate to Italy. If interested, they could take a boat across the Swiss border, too.

Venice - absolutely! Verona would be very nice for them and is an easy town for tourists who don't speak Italian.

No reason to skip Roma, many convents and lots of inexpensive eateries. Churches are free and contain great art.

Two or three nights Venezia, two or three nights Firenze, remaining nights Roma.

Earlier someone commented that Italy is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. That's not been my experience, and I certainly wouldn't discourage your relatives based on that comment. I stay in centrally located convents or religious guest houses in Venice, Florence, Rome, and Milan for €45-€60 a night, including breakfast, and often with a private bathroom. All have been spotlessly clean and in interesting buildings. However, your relatives need to be willing to cope with little or no English being spoken, no tourism services, and very simple accommodations. I prefer convent accommodations to hotels.

If they want a hotel, in Venice the hotel I use is a few hundred yards from San Marco; an ensuite room, with a very simple breakfast, was €90 in fall shoulder season.

I book directly with convents by email, but monasterystays.com would make it simpler for them since all communications will be in English; they build a small fee into their price. And booking.com is a great way to identify good, central, and inexpensive hotels.

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME! Thank you, fellow travelers, for sharing your ideas and insights. You are correct, a budget is a first step - let the dreaming and planning begin!

Marie

I would suggest departing mid October, so you are done by the time cooler foggy November arrives.
Find the cheapest fare, which offers a connection into Venice, and departure from Rome.
Venice (3nts) >> Florence (4nts) >> Rome (3nts)
Look at an excursion one day from Florence to Siena or Pisa, even both would be possible.
Two star, well located hotels would be about 90 to 120 euros per night.
Lock in your trains in advance and pre-book big ticket sightseeing - Doges Palace, Uffizi, Academia, Colloseum, Vatican.