on a budget in Italy

Do you have the RS Italy book? It's the perfect starting place since he's all about experiencing places for less money.

Unfortunately, if hotels are in the RS guidebook I'm thinking that they may not qualify for the "hidden" gems RoseMary is asking for. Don't worry about not having a rental car. I think you'll have a great time exploring by train. We took such a trip in 2002 and really enjoyed ourselves. A nice surprise of a hotel in Lucca was the Hotel Rex near the train station.

You can try venere.com for hotels all over Italy. You can find some really inexpensive ones that are great. The cheapest areas are usually by the train station. If you find a place email them to see if they will give you a discount if you stay for a week or longer. This might be a great way to save money. You can base out of one city and do day trips to others instead of changing hotels every few days. Donna

I find Trip Advisor is often a key to a non-Rick Steves hidden gem. In Venice, try www.aitagliapietra.com, a lovely B&B for 90 euros a night. You don't mention what time of year you are going, so there may be lower rates at some B&Bs. Also, for a week's stay, some places are cheaper. Some don't have A/C so if it is summer, that can be a factor. When you say "tight," can you give an idea of dollars-per-week or budget for the whole trip (exclusive of airfare) you have in mind? Would you cook to save $$ if you have an apartment? Also, if you can give us an idea of locations, we can make more precise recommendations. For example, are you going to the Cinque Terre? Be sure to buy your train tickets as soon as possible on the ground in IT. 15 day advance purchase can save you 30% so ask for the "Meno 30." Worst case, ask for a "mini" fare, a 15% discount the day prior. Sometimes you have to be flexible on schedule and station to get the discount. We gad to go from Rome to Milan Rogorado instead of Centrale, but we saved 68 euros on a "meno 30" fare and all we had to do was catch a metro for a 10 minute ride to our hotel near Centrale.

RoseMary, Could you clarify one point..... "with out financial splurge in the form of a rental car" If I'm reading that statement correctly, it indicates that you won't be getting a rental car? As you'll be on a tight budget, I'd suggest using trains as much as possible as it will be a much simpler method. As you have four weeks, you could consider using less expensive trains (as long at the trip isn't too long), as these are cheaper than the "fast" trains. As the others have mentioned, Trip Advisor would be a good place to start in finding "hidden gems". I typically use the budget Hotels listed in Rick's Guidebooks, so these are probably not too well "hidden". Happy travels!

"will definitely be on a tight budget, with out financial splurge in the form of a rental car" I think "out" is supposed to be "our." They're on a tight budget but have decided to splurge on a rental car. RoseMary - unless you need a rental car because of physical disabilities or other reasons, I would do the math and compare the cost of renting a car to the cost of train tickets.

When are you traveling and what do you want to see? What are your interests? For hotels I would use venere.com and tripadvisor.com because they will provide numerous choices, pricing, map locations, and client reviews. If you use Rick's hotel choices you won't find any hidden gems, and besides, all of the hidden gems have been discovered. Traveling by train is a very enjoyable method of transportation in Italy. You will arrive at your destination relaxed and generally in the middle of the town or city. Buon viaggio,

Be sure the rental car you get in Geneva can be taken into Italy. Some rental companies are not eager to have their cars in Italy and if they do sometimes add on extra insurance fees. But also, to help you better, it would be nice to know what you want to see and do during your four weeks in northern Italy. That is a long time for such a small area. Sounds like you may be planning to spend several days in one location at a time. Second from a budget stand point it might make for sure to break up the car rental so that you only rent it when you need it. A big waste of money is a rental car not moving.

RoseMary, If you have not already ordered up your rental car you should look into a lease/purchase through Autofrance. For a 4 week period my experience has been the lease/purchase will be less expensive. We have used this company several times. You get a new Peugeot, 24/7 roadside assistance, unlimited mileage, no VAT tax, and COMPLETE insurance coverage is included in the price. They have toll free number so you can speak with them before you decide and they will answer any questions. If you just want to check out their cars, rates, etc. here is their web address and phone number:
www.autofrance.net 800.572.9655

Oh my gosh. This has been the first time I've ever posted anything and I'm thrilled to have some responses. Yes, in my excitement I did make a typo and "out" should have been "our," but it was great to have responses addressing with & without a car. We are veteran RS travellers, even from his early hostelling days, but our last several long trips were to Britain(x3) and Eastern Europe (x2). It's been 20 yrs since we've been in Italy and the costs in RS bks have been eyepopping!
We like a car because we prefer the small towns, country scenery, and less expensive lodging. We've found the time and inflexibility that we've spent at train stations hasn't been worth the difference in cost to us. Therefore we have to make up the transportation cost with food and lodging. We eat a lot from grocery stores (great to see what most folks eat at home) and tend to stay 3 days max in one place. Our last trip 4 yrs ago(Croatia, Slovenia) averaged $150/day total for both of us that included lodging, food, admissions, car rental, and gasoline. So yikes, we're surprised by Italy's cost.

Italy is not a bargain any more. Once they converted to the Euro prices doubled and the Italians do not like it either. Some of my family still live in Italy and they always complain to me about the currency. However, where you happen to be will have a major impact on the cost. Venice is the most expensive place and anywhere off of the beaten track will be cheaper. We spend a week in Calabria visiting family and the prices there are much cheaper, but it is not a hot spot.