Spending money

Jenn, 100E should meet your expenses from the details you've shared. Most of your hotels will probably include breakfast. Venice will have the expense of a gondola ride. Some of the towns have a pass, such as the Verona Card, which can be a bargain if it interests you.

we did Florence, Pisa, lake Como (Varenna) and Venice in early July. (double occupancy, group of four) one of our group did the math the last day....we averaged 100 euros a day each for all in country transportation (trains , boats, and a rental car for 48 hours in Slovenia), meals, museum tickets AND housing. this included daily wine and gelato. (breakfast was included where we stayed) so, I think with the things you have already paid for, you are going to have plenty of money to buy nice souvenirs'!
I brought home mostly earrings, magnets and 3 photo books of museums

Jean - the Verona pass does interest us, and we already have it budgeted.. We've bough the Roma pass, Firenze card and museum pass for Venice.
As far as our itinerary is concerned:
Aug 19 - land in Rome - train to Venice (already paid for).. Transportation from airport to Rome centre and from train station to hotel in Venice is already budgeted as well as the few sites that cost that we will be seeing in Rome between landing and our train departure
Aug 20 - Venice (hotel is paid for, does not include breakfast) - have the museum card so majority of what we want will be paid for, and all other sights have been budgeted for
Aug 21st - train to/from Verona (already budgeted), as well as the Verona card and transportation pass
Aug 22nd train back to Rome (already paid for) - seeing sights covered by the roma pass (2 free sights) and hotel in Rome (already paid for, includes breakfast)
Aug 23rd - Vatican (already paid for)... Then transportation (budgeted) to the airport to grab our ride (with family flying in that day) to our villa in cortona
Aug 24th - day back in Rome (train budgeted for and all sights discounted by roma pass/budgeted in)
Aug 25th - bridal shower (my cousin, cost already budgeted)
Aug 26th -Pisa morning/Florence afternoon - trains and sights paid for or budgeted - train from/to cortona
Aug 27th - Florence (train budgeted, all sights under Firenze card)
Aug 28 - wedding
Aug 29 - relaxing at the villa
Aug 30 - transportation (budgeted) back to Rome, fly home

I've got my husband, my son and daughter, my nephew and sister to buy stuff for as well as something special for a gf of mine who is watching our son for the time that I'm away and her daughter.

Oh and to add to what you have said, my other sister and I will be sharing a gonadal ride while in Venice, it's just the two of us for the Rome/Venice/Verona leg.. And blasphemy I know cause it's Italy.. But I hate wine! LOL.. But I'll make up for it in gelato!

And if you're buying souvenirs for women, or for yourself, scarves from the sidewalk vendors are inexpensive, light and easily packable. Leaving extra cash for gelato. That E100 per day should be ample.

even though Venice is early in your trip, that's where I got some beautiful glass earrings.....also several shops with hand marbled paper (journal covers, stationary, etc, etc) and yes, you can find other treats, desserts, etc, for your wine allotment. Florence has leather goods.....perhaps some beautiful gloves for your sitter? or a purse.....

Your budget sounds generous, you will probably have seed money for your next trip left over!

A word about sidewalk vendors and souvenirs in general: be sure what you buy is made in Italy. Even regular shops carry stuff made elsewhere, especially Asia. If the item says PRC, it's made in Peoples' Republic of China. I don't go to Italy to buy goods made elsewhere, especially if they are gifts.

Well, a lot of the leather goods you find at S. Lorenzo market in Florence are made in Italy... by Chinese people.

Thanx everyone for all the ideas, my sister might be into scarves, so I'll see about picking her up one.. Gold jewelry.. Should bring the husband next time LOL!! I have 8.5, 5.5 year old boy and girl.. And a 10 year old nephew and my gf's daughter is 11 so she might like a scarf or something girly. Asked the husband what he wanted and he said, just for me to come home to work on baby #3!! His birthday is in December he'll be 30 so maybe I'll see if I can find something special for him!

100 euros a day is a good budget. Some days you will spend more and others less. Last time I was there my 8 year old daughter loved the scarfs, small glass figures in Venice and masks. Got my son a gondoliers hat. Tshirts are great, easy to pack and affordable. For my husband I typically get a leather belt and a tie. You will have no problem in Italy picking up fun items. I agree with the jewelry comments. Its more fun to get that from the hubby.

P.S. since you have kids make sure you ask for reduced pricing. A lot of places let kids 8 and under get in free. Even on city buses, trains from airports, etc.

I'm hoping to spend less every day! My goal is to try and keep it under 80€ a day for food and souvenirs.. As far as kids are concerned, we won't have any with us but I do need to bring something back for them.. My own, 8.5 and 5.5 and then 2 others, 10 and 11. The 11 year old like scarves apparently so I may look at that while in Venice. I normally like doing all my shopping at the end so I have time to look around and fully decide what I want but were moving around so much I'm gonna have to buy things as we see them! My sister us interested in bringing back wine or olive oil and I read somewheren this board there are storage type containers you can buy to transport them home... Any ideas where we can pick them up for cheap to take with us?

jenn I think you are referring to the padded plastic sleeves in which you can put bottles, which are then packed in your checked bag on return. You can find these in most wineshops or online. They are bottle shaped and look like heavy bubble wrap. The brand I can remember is called Wineskins.

As far as budgeting for food, you an always find food at any budget level. If you can live on 100 Euro a day in Toronto, you can in Europe too. It's the wine, gelato, espresso, and cannoli that will be ruination.

FOOD PRICES
Italian breakfast (1 cappuccino+1 paistry) standing up at the counter: €3 pp

Sit down Lunch at a budget trattoria: <€20 pp (<€10 if you buy something on the go like pizza slice/panini etc. and a beer can)

Sit down meal at a regular restaurant: €25-40 pp
Prices of entrees do not change between lunch and dinner. I suggest you leave the fancy meal for dinner, otherwise you waste a lot of time sitting down at a restaurant when you should be visiting museums and other sights that are closed in the evenings. Italian lunches at a sit down restaurant are rarely short.

Pit stops at bars/gelaterie for gelato, beer, soda, drink etc (you need bathrooms once in a while): €2-5 per pit stop.