Costs

Specific city of departure and arrival and time of the year will greatly affect the response to your question. Traveling in January is much cheaper than July. Flying from New York to Rome will be substantially cheaper than most other airports, especially non hub airports. Try Kayak.com testing from JFK to Rome (FCO) for January. It's probably the cheapest you can get.

The least amount I spent was $250 in 72. But I don't think that is question your are asking. Least amount when? And, of course, that is no predictor for future prices if that is what you are trying to determine. And by one inflation calculator that 250 is about $1400 today so maybe airline fares have not changed that much in 40 years.

In 1970, I flew to Munich and out of Zurich for $205. Spent $650 for the whole month, including the flight. This is not the good old days, as flights may never be cheap again. The big bargain is going from city to city in Europe on budget European air carriers. 70 Euros is about as cheap as rooms getfar more expensive than rooms in much of the U.S. Rental cars are pretty expensive, and $8.50-$9.50 gasoline has slowed me down. Now, I try to stay 4-5 days in one place doing day trips. And we go from city to city by train.
Sometimes you just have to suck it up and pay the price.

Roberto, you are all over this "boot". I love reading your replies. And, yes, I understand more detail is required, however, I was just curious as to how much $$ people here have to spend on these trips. I am on a low budget. LOW low budget. I'm really just feeling it all out but would love
to get there in the next 3 or 4 years. Thanks!

To Frank and David, your traveling prices sound spot on for the 1970s. I was a child but I know what things cost during those years. If I can get to Italy and pay for rooms for $3000 a person, I would be in heaven! Thank you.

Joyce, Your itineary will determine how much you spend. When will you travel, how many nights, what region of Italy, hotels, B&B, hostels? If you have a limited budget or the sky is the limit. If you are asking about the least amount I assume the sky is not the limit. I have been able to have a great time with spending less than the rich and famous.... I will need more info to help you. Also, Rick's travel guide are very helpful. Regards,
Lorie

Thanks, Laurie. I figured starting with Rick is the way to go. I would never use a tour company. And, I do have a low budget but want to see as much as I can. I would travel in May or Sept. I understand the weather is good during those months. And, I would like to fly into Paris(from Philadelphia) and take the train down into Italy and go to the main cities. And, end in Positano and Serrento.
Oh, what a dreamer I am!!!! tehee! I know I can make it happen. And, will only need $$ for food and getting around via a bus, driver, etc.... I will not be shopping. I want to see it all! I once in a lifetime trip.

After reading other threads on here about how much others spend on their trips to Europe, you should plan on approx $110-140/day depending on how you travel (what type of lodging, which cities you visit, how and where you dine, etc) and whether you are solo or sharing with another. That is excluding airfare. Based on today's prices you could do a two-week budget trip to Paris and Italy for around $3000-3500 including airfare, maybe less if you are really frugal and way less if you can fly on ff miles. In your other post you mentioned that you are planning on possibly going in 3-4 years and prices could change a lot by then so it's pretty hard to estimate.

Nancy, thank you so much. That is the budget I'm working on having. $3000 to $3500! Yipee! tehee! And, I would love to go next year, but I was allowing myself longer. I understand costs will increase a bit, but they won't double.
Thank you again!

Look at ways you can save money. There are many tips on this website, from Rick Steves and from the rest of us. I save a significant amount by buying train tickets IN ADVANCE for deep discounts. Your trip from Paris to Italy can cost a lot or a little, depending.... "Cheap flights" within Europe often aren't so cheap when you figure in the expense of getting to/from airports...... Food procured at grocery stores can save a lot over the cost of restaurants.....Sometimes the museum passes save money IF you are going to use them a lot....Housing costs vary a lot; on a limited budget I would (even at my advanced age) plan on spending some nights in hostels....the good ones are fun and much less expensive than hotels..... Your wardrobe from home is probably adequate; don't spend a lot of money on new travel things.....travel light and only with carry-ons so you don't have to pay for checked luggage; a 21" wheeled bag will fit overhead on most airplanes.... An excellent investment is one or two travel books to help you plan and enjoy your trip; the ETBD books (by Rick Steves), Lonely Planet, and Let's Go (for budget travel) are all good....your library may have some of these.

Right now Aer Lingus has prices as low as $700 round trip from JFK to FCO (via DUB) for January. All other options (incl. non stops) are in the $1000 area. January-March (winter after Xmas holidays) is generally the cheapest time to travel to Europe. If you travel in late Spring (May) you should expect prices about 20-25% above those in January. In Summer (late June-August) you should expect to pay about 50% more than in January. The biggest cost driver while travelling in Europe is: 1 - Hotel
2 - Rental Car (if you rent one for any portion of your trip). Food is not more expensive than what you would pay in the US for equal types of eateries. Obviously expensive restaurants are expensive while cheap trattorias are not. In any case if you are careful, there are ways not to overspend on food and still eat well (you are in Italy after all). To avoid the high cost of rental cars the best way is not to rent one and rely on public transportation (trains and buses) which tend to be very reasonable and efficient in Italy. The hotel costs are hard to avoid, unless you want to sleep under bridges. But if you don't have an absolute need to posh accommodations at 5 star hotels, you can find 1 or 2 star hotels which are very reasonable in price. When you travel for vacation you won't spend much time in a hotel anyway, except for sleeping, therefore as long as it's clean, it should do. Bed and Breakfasts tend to be cheaper than regular hotels.

I knew I was going to love it here! Thank you all so very much! I hope you have a great day. I will keep you updated as I begin this journey.
Maybe I will start my own blog, co-starring all of you! tehee!

In addition the replies you have gotten, one great way to save money is to pre-book your train tickets online. These low fares are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, but the savings can be substantial. And do be wary of false economies. Staying outside a city may save money, but you'll have to spend money to get in, not to mention wasting a lot of time commuting. And a cheaper flight with a long layover wastes your travel time (I just bought a flight to Poland; one routing would have saved $150 over the one I booked, but involved getting in almost a whole day later). On the other hand, you can buy food at supermarkets instead of restaurants, and stay in convents or hostels instead of hotels, and still have a great travel experience.

Why thank you. I thought it would be less to fly there first. So, I will plan to go directly to Italy. I'll save Paris for another
time....

Roberto, does one really want to be in Italy between January and March. I understand the cost difference, but I do want to enjoy the coasts. So
I think the higher price of the spring will be worth it.

Spring (mid Apr to early June) is probably the best time to visit Italy, weatherwise. Sometimes you get showers (esp. in April) but temperatures are perfect. Not too hot, not cold. Daylight lasts long too. Winter has the advantage of low prices and no crowds. But the outdoors (like the countryside, the coast or the lakes) cannot be enjoyed in inclement weather.

Thank you.

There is one thing that has a big influence that others have not mentioned yet and that is the dollar euro exchange rate. twenty or thirty percent can make a big difference. As for lodging room and apartment rentals can offer big savings when a kitchen for cooking simple meals and washing are included. They also kind of infuence how long you stay in one place and day trip. That can save you a lot of money. The last time I went to Europe three years ago I spent $4800 and most ofthat was on a Rick Steves tour for 10 days in Sicily. I was in Europe three weeks. Airfair was about $1200 dollars. I find France and Spain are the best bargins. Italy is the most expensive place I have been to in western Europe.

Thanks, Tom. One of the reasons I want to fly into France is because of the cost. I believe I can save some $$ by taking the train down into Italy. I will definitely compare the cost of the train as opposed to flying directly into Italy.
And, yes, I am aware of the Euro to Dollar. Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate them.

When's the last time the exchange rate moved anything close to that much for more than a day or two?

If your final destination is Italy, you should fly all the way to Italy with one ticket (maybe via another EU hub). The price savings of flying to Paris will never make up the cost (and time waste) of taking the train from Paris down to Italy. At most you might consider taking a low cost flight (like Easyjet from Paris Orly to Milan Malpensa or Rome), but I doubt the savings are worth the trouble of transfering airports and switching to another airline. You could consider that option of splitting your airlines, only if you plan to combine your trip with a visit to Paris on the front end and the back end of your trip.

Raedy for a good laugh.. The least I spent on a trip was $1400 including airfare but excluding food. That was from JFK non stop. That was for 14 days on a Perillo guided bus tour. My first trip was a high school senior trip that we did Lugano, Venice, Florence, Siena, Rome, Sorennto and Pompeii. That was back in 1994. I wish those prices were still around today. That is one of the few receipts I still have. I'm flying in September from Tampa - Newark - Milan, then Rome - Washington DC - Tampa on United and paid $1163 for our flight. Just under $2400 combined for the 2 of us to fly. Thank you to Rick Steves and other members on those board for saving me some money on my upcoming trip to italy.

We are flying in September direct LAX to MUC and after 4 days at Oktoberfest we'll be renting a car and driving to Italy. Our airfare was $1,304 each with $516 of that being just fees. :(

Have you ever been to Europe before? Or, at least in the last few years?
If he answer to those questions is "NO", you should get RS book "Europe Through the Back Door" and read it carefully. It has lots of good advice for first time travelers to Europe as well as a refresher for those who have not traveled there in a while.

The least I have paid for a trip to Italy was in 2006. For 8 days, I spent a total of $250.... for everything. Now the disclaimer. I used Air miles to get there. My brother was working for a few weeks in Rome, so I shared his room that his company paid for. He picked up my dinners at night since he was on expense acct. But for Museums, transportation to the city and metro, breakfast/lunch, i did for $250 for 8 days. My goal since I was to Italy a number of time before (and since) to do things very cheaply, yet enjoy. I was De-stressing from some difficult times at work, and i promised the Wife I would keep expenses down. I travel quite alot to Europe for work, so been there many times, and enjoy traveling by myself. Although, since he also had a car, we did enjoy a drive to Assisi and Orvieto on the weekend. But you can eat rather cheaply - and still quite well - in Italy. I was in Rome, and I had 2 empty water bottles, so every morning went to the fountain on top of the Forum (near the remus and romulus shewolf statue) and filled the bottles for free. I would buy bread, and get salami, cheese, etc, and make an awesome sandwich for lunch. breakfast was cafe and brioche. it was alot of fun. Glenn

Winter is cheaper but it's not like the old days traveling to Europe. Taxes and fees that add alot to the price of the air ticket nowadays. I have read about people staying at Convents with Nuns in Europe to save money. That is something I might research and consider if I were younger and tight on money.

To research hotel costs, look at booking.com or venere.com for comparative prices. Don't book a hotel by price alone, though - read the reviews to make sure the hotel or B&B or apartment has the amenities you want (elevator, air conditioning in high summer, wifi). Check for places that include breakfast in the price of the room. Monasteries and convents can be a good bargain, but not always much difference in price than a small, modest hotel or B&B. Convent rooms are basic, usually no phone or tv or wifi, but many have elevators and are in parts of town that tend to be quieter. Check santasusanna.org for locations. Monasterystays.com can book rooms, but they charge a commission that I find a little high for their service. I like to have one sit-down meal each day, rather than shop for food for every meal. One of the great things about Italy (and Europe in general) is the regional specialty meals, so celebrate that occasionally even if you are on a budget.

Thank you all so much for sharing your stories and experiences.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate it all!