Basic budget?

Julie, There are a number of "variables", so it's difficult to suggest a daily budget. A lot will depend on what type of hotel you choose and whether you're getting "high or low season" rates, whether you prefer having larger meals for lunch and supper, or just a Panini or something light for lunch and what type of sightseeing you have planned (that will have some bearing on the local transportation costs). Breakfast will normally be provided by the hotel or B&B, so there won't be any additional cost for that. For example, one of the hotels I often use in Rome (Hotel Sonya) charges €89 to €317 per night for a single room, depending on date (I'll use €116 per day as an estimate). Between lunch and supper, I could easily spend €45 per day. I often buy a B.I.G. ticket in Rome (€4) which covers transportation within the city for one day. Sightseeing could be another €15 to €25 (or so). I haven't included incidentals like Gelato or souvenirs. That's a "ballpark" figure of about €185 or at today's exchange rate about US$248 per day. JUST the hotel at €116 (US$ 155) would be above the amount shown in the Guidebook. I'm sure I could fit the suggested budget if I stayed in a Hostel (which I do on occasion), but hotels in larger cities tend to be pricey at some times of the year. This varies a great deal according to individual travel preferences - YMMV. Cheers!

Are you sharing a room with someone? Single rooms are usually only around 80% of the price of a double. So if you're sharing, that's €50/night for your half. If you're alone, it's at least €80/night. Big difference. Ken's mentioned most of the factors. Intercity trains are expensive. The more you move around . . .

This year the euro is closer to $1.35 (about 8% more) and many prices, especially for hotels, are higher. You may have to shop more carefully or occasionally stay in a hostel to stay within a low budget. Basic transport can mean local or long distance travel. Check train and plane schedules and rates; check local bus and train rates. Both can be less expensive if purchased in advance or by using some sort of transit pass. This transport category can vary a lot. Walking often saves money. Staying in the same city can save money unless it is an expensive city. In Italy, smaller cities may be less expensive. Bus travel can save money.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I realize I was not clear on my question. I understand about all the vsriables of who, where, when, what. I should have asked. Have any of you, recently, attempted to travel in Europe using Rick's budget for room and board, transport, etc.? Did you find it reasonable using his suggestions or did you need to add money to your budget after taking into account the increased euro to dollar exchange? Again, my thanks

I think a better idea is to make your own budget based upon what your plans are. Look online at some of the hotels Rick suggests and then check the rates for the dates you will visiting. Add in the ticket costs for the sites you want to see and transportation. With the internet, it's pretty easy to get an idea of what your daily expenses will be. Obviously, food costs can vary dramatically based on where you go, but again, it's pretty easy to figure out a basic food budget by checking some of the restaurants websites and sites like Trip advisor.
Yes, this is more work, but it's also more accurate since it's based on what you want/plan to do.

You're asking about something less than a ten percent change. You can try to duplicate a trip a month later and get that much of a variation in either direction. (You paid five bucks for a burger last night and five fifty a couple of days ago - - or was it the other way around?) You can spend what you want. I drive, which is the most expensive way to move around for one person. I probably sleep cheaper and eat better than the average neophyte. I do fine anywhere on a hundred bucks equivalent per day. I usually do a lot of city walking and have virtually no entrance fees since those things are way in the past.

You can do well on $130/day, especially if sharing a room with a friend. And you don't have to stay in a hostel. Hotel: $60 (sharing a $120 double room) Food: $30 (eating at local inexpensive restaurants) Sightseeing: $30 Transport: $10
_________________ Total: $130 If you're a big foodie, you should aim for $150 or $160 per day. Make sure you get the Roma pass at the airport if you're going to Rome. In Florence, it's better to stick to individual museum tickets, unless you're planning to visit A LOT of museums.

I'm going in September and i went with a higher budget to be safe. Hotels I did $200 USD per night for my budget for both of us combined. After rooms where booked My cost came out to an avg of $180 USD per night. Varenna, Rome and Venice slighty over that mark with HOtel Aberdeen and Albergo Milano but places like Siena, Vernazza and Orvieto came in way under. For expenses I used Rick's as a starting point and change some things. These figures are in Euro's and are per person, per day.
Dinner - 30 euro, Lunch 10 euro, Sights 25 euro, wine 40 euro (we are wine conisouers. I'll use this also with meals), Transporation (not Trains. this is bus, taxi ferry) 10 euro. Splurge 15 euro. Gelato I figured 3.5 euro per item * 2 a day * trip days. Doubt we even eat 2 a day. Example is that 25 for sights would have given me a budget of 850 euro for 2 people. I wrote down a list of what sights we want to see and booked some already that we can ahead of time and it looks like we might only spend 549 euro. I'd rather take extra and put the leftovers towards a return trip.

My budget has been confirmed THANKS to all who responded. I know every traveler is different from the hotel,food, rail or drive. Confirming that a change of about 10%, and a basic budget of $150/day with the current exchange rate settles my mind. Now the fun begins, molte grazie.