Cost of two weeks in Italy

My husband and I do not travel in luxury, but travel well. We like wine every day, coffee several times. So we budget 85 euros per day for food. Last trip we only spent 77 per day on average. Could cut that quite a bit if we picnicked more. We like B&Bs, apartments, small hotels. Nothing luxurious, but not hostels either. Lodging for 4 is going to be 125-175 euros/night, I think. You will have to shop Trip Advisor and check Rick Steves' picks (do you have his Italy guide?) for ideas and prices. For four of you, an apartment might be nice, instead of a triple room, if you'll be somewhere for 3 nights or more. You'll save money overall. Check VRBO.com for possibilities. Fees for museums can be estimated from tour guide books. Just ID which ones you plan to see. Train fares can be calculated online by visting Trenitalia.com. Local transport (cabs, busses, metro) depend on whether you walk a lot of need publih transportation. The car is expensive, but for 4 people, may be cheaper than train for some part of your trip. The only way to get to a budget number , IMHO, is to build a spreadsheet and plug in the variables. Identify lodging, get a quote on a possible car retnal, look up train fares. I'd budget 30-40 euros per person per day for food, depending on how much you drink and how much you are willing to picnic. Remember Coke will cost as muich as wine, maybe more, so if your kids drink soda, it's also a factor. Rick Steves' guides do have budgeting info in them, too. Happy planning!

HI Debbie - glad to hear you're going to travel! I would answer her question this way: what's is your budget? I have been to Italy 2 times (this fall will make 3 - still a rookie though!!) and a number of places in the US, and I have planned my trip the same each time. Instead of trying to determine how much the trip will cost first, I determine how much I can reasonable save first. For example, say in 1 year I want to visit Europe for 14 days. Someone could suggest the trip costing $5000, which could be accurate (this is just purely example, no real costs implied). But if I am not in a realistic position to save $5000, then I get discouraged and give up. So what I do is sit and say "ok - I can save x amount of dollars. What kind of trip can I get out of that?" More often than not I get the same quality of trip as any one else, but having that budget in mind forces me to look for values instead of just shelling out chunks of money for something that I could have gotten much less expensive if I had done research first. Trust me, I have had some fantastic trips and not once have I felt that I missed out. For example, Viator charges $50 (estimate) to see Academia. Had I had that kind of money, I would just pay the $50. But when you're on a budget, you are forced to look for alternatives, and that's when I first discovered Rick Steves 4 years ago, and found I can get in the same ticket, no line, directly from the museum for euro 6.50 and get a Rick Steve's audio guide for free. And the savings can bu put toward something else - gelato?? :-)
Anyway, that's my 2 pennies and maybe you will find it helpful. Buon viaggo!

Hi Debbie, Religious lodging might be an interesting option in Rome http://www.060608.it/en/accoglienza/dormire/case-per-ferie And I still have nightmares about driving in Italy, brrrr... Ciao !

I hope you've booked your Skymiles already, if not good luck! I booked mine almost a year in advance and had a difficult time getting what I wanted.
Rick Steve's books offers great advice on everything, including booking rooms. My advice is to book rooms directly with hotels always asking to see if they offer a Rick Steve's discount or other discounts when you inquire. I've also booked rooms using booking.com, that's worked out well too. I get a good price on on rental cars through Auto Europe, check them out, super nice to work with. Train travel is a also a good option to and from big cities. You can book trains on-line prior to leaving the states. It does lock you in, but I was able to get mini fares which were a lot cheaper than full fares, that worked for me. If you have a car, make sure you find out the charge for parking at hotel when you book your rooms. Driving and parking can be a hassle and can get expensive in big cities. Good luck, have fun and safe travels.

Thanks for the suggestions!