What you need to fly to Italy. Independent travel in Italy. Detailed instructions. How a work permit for seasonal work is issued to Russians

Italy is the country to which you want to return.

There are turquoise seas and snowy Alps, Michelin-starred restaurants and cafes with juicy pizza for a couple of euros, pompous boutique hotels and hostels with crazy parties.

Locals advise to go to Italy in spring and autumn. At this time, there are not as many tourists as in summer, and looking at ancient excavations at +35 °C is not as interesting as at +20 °C.

What will you learn

📌 Input

How long to fly: from Moscow on average 4 hours.
Difference with Moscow: -1 hour in summer and -2 in winter.
Average temperature per season: +24 °C in summer, +12 °C in winter.

✈️ How to get there

A one-way low-cost ticket costs from 4000 R. A regular flight with a transfer will cost from 6000 R. The earlier you buy tickets, the cheaper. At the beginning and end of the season, you can catch a charter for 4000 R, but this is a matter of luck.

💸 Money

In Italy, almost everywhere you can pay by card. You will need cash to buy tickets for buses, subway, pay for purchases in small shops and leave tips in cafes.

🏛️ Attractions in cities in Italy

Rome and the Vatican
📌 Popular attractions in Rome are the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and St. Peter's Basilica, one of the most famous Christian churches in the world.
📌 The Vatican Museums exhibit paintings, sculptures and rare exhibits like ancient Egyptian mummies. There is also the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, and the rooms that Raphael designed.
📌 The Pantheon is a pagan temple of all gods, which was consecrated as a Christian church in 609. The Pantheon is famous for its dome with a round hole through which you can see the sky.

Milan
📌 Milan Cathedral, or the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, is a large Gothic church built of white marble. There are about 3400 statues inside.
📌 In the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie you can see the fresco "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci.
The Teatro alla Scala is a famous opera house. Fyodor Chaliapin sang in it and Rudolf Nureyev danced.
📌 The Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology exhibits steam locomotives, retro cars and even a submarine.

Pisa
📌 On the Knights Square, tourists watch the Palace of the Knights with wall paintings and the Church of the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen - trophies from battles with pirates are stored there.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the main attraction of the city. For 18 € (1337 R) you can climb to its top.
📌 On the Square of Miracles, there is the Pisa Cathedral, the baptistery - a building for baptism, the Campo Santo cemetery and the Museum of Sinopia - preparatory drawings for frescoes.

Florence
📌 Santa Maria del Fiore is a cathedral with a giant dome.
📌 In the Uffizi Gallery you can see paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
📌 Ponte Vecchio is an old covered bridge that sells gold jewelry.
📌 Piazzale Michelangelo offers a beautiful view of Florence.

Venice
📌 Saint Mark's Square is the main square in the city, on which the cathedral of the same name is located.
📌 Doge's Palace - the former building of the Venetian rulers and a monument of Gothic architecture.
The Rialto Bridge is the first bridge built on the Grand Canal.

Rimini
📌 Sun, sea, beach.

🍕 Food

Cafe for locals
📌 Located away from attractions on quiet streets.
📌 Simple interior, no signs. You can't find them on Tripadvisor - you'll have to look for them yourself.
📌 Prices are 30-70% lower than in cafes for tourists in the city center, and the food is much tastier.
📌 Lunch or dinner on average costs 20-30 € (1486 -2229 R).

Aperitifs
📌 An aperitif is wine, vermouth or other alcoholic drink that is drunk before a meal to stimulate the appetite.
📌 Some cafes and restaurants serve free snacks for aperitifs. The promotion is valid from approximately 18:00 to 20:00.
📌 Wine or a cocktail costs on average 8-10 € (594 -742.5 R). Appetizers include cheeses, cold cuts, mini burgers or olives.

The shops
📌 Supermarket chains - Carrefour, Konad and Kupa.
📌 Bread costs 1 € (74 R), cuts of meat - 2 € (148 R) per 100 g, cheese - 1-2 € (74-148 R) per 100 g.
📌 Wine costs 5-15 € (371 -1113 R), limoncello - 6 € (445 R), aperol - 11 € (817 R).

🚌 Transport

Trains
📌 There are many flights, stations are located in the city center.
📌 High-speed trains are usually faster and more expensive than regional ones.
📌 Tickets on average cost from 9.9 € (735 R) to 60 € (4458 R).
📌 You can buy train tickets on the Goeuro aggregator or on the websites of carriers: Trenitalia and Italo. Railway companies have discounts - it is better to subscribe to mailing lists in advance.

Metro
📌 Tickets are sold at the box office, vending machines and kiosks with newspapers and tobacco.
📌 The cost of a single ticket is 1.5 € (111 R). There are passes for a day, three and a week.

Buses
📌 A ticket costs 1.5 € (111 R) in tobacco shops along the streets and 2 € (148 R) from the driver.
📌 There is practically no need for buses: everything is within walking distance.

Vaporetto
📌 Vaporetto are Venetian water trams that run along the Grand Canal, the largest in the city.
📌 You can take a vaporetto to the islands in the distance.
📌 A daily ticket costs 10 € (1486 R).

Gondolas
📌 Walk through small canals.
📌 The cost of the trip is 80 € (5944 R) for 30 minutes.
📌 The gondola fits 4-6 people. The cost can be shared with other tourists.

🏡 Housing

🤑 Shopping in Italy

In Italy you can buy a hat for 1€ and shoes for 4€. Things in local stores begin to sell out in January and July. Discounts reach 30-70%, and the farther from the start of sales, the cheaper. True, at the end of the season it can be difficult to find the right size.

Discounted items are sold in stores in the city center and large shopping centers like Euroma 2 or Porta di Roma. Tourists love outlets, such as Fidenza Village near Milan or Castel Romano in Rome. To find the right thing, you will have to try: there are a lot of people who want to save money, and the stands are often a mess.

📱Internet

The three main operators - Vodafone, Tim and Wind - have approximately the same tariffs, and all sim cards cost 15-20 € (1114 -1485.33 R). In all cities catches 4G.

Italy is an incredibly attractive country. It combines everything that vacationers love so much: a mild Mediterranean climate, luxurious coastline, ancient architecture, interesting museums and sights, delicious cuisine, good shopping.

Organized tours here cost decent money, and if you go by yourself without prior preparation, you can get into unpleasant situations. Therefore, it is worth knowing in advance all the nuances of an independent trip so that only great memories remain from it.

If you want to learn how to travel around Italy on your own on a budget, this article is for you! Here you will find tips from experienced tourists, route ideas and a lot of other useful information.

Now let's move on to the details.

Where to start your trip to Italy

An independent trip around Italy (when searching for information using non-Russian-language services, the name of the country must be written Italy) does not begin with crossing the border, but much earlier - with its planning. Your comfort and positive emotions on the trip depend on how well everything is organized. First of all, we recommend taking up documents, tickets and transport logistics.

Documents for entering the country

To freely enter the country, you will need a passport with an open Schengen visa. If less than 3 months are left before the expiration date of the passport, it will not be accepted. About what documents are required for the Italian Schengen, read on the websites of the visa centers.

It is very important:

For minors, if they are traveling with one parent, a notarized travel authorization from the other parent is required; it is worth capturing a birth certificate (if the child is not yet 14 years old).

You also need to purchase medical insurance (inexpensive and good insurance can be bought on the website or on instore.travel) and print out a hotel or apartment booking confirmation.

For travelers with a dog, a completed international veterinary passport, a veterinary certificate in form No. 1 from a state clinic (it is valid for 5 days from the date of issue), and a veterinary certificate of form 5a are required.

Remember:

The animal must be microchipped, and a microchip - a transponder is required, free from fleas and worms, vaccinated against rabies and major diseases (no later than 30 days before crossing the border).

Attention: it is forbidden to import dogs of fighting breeds into Italy!

Air tickets - how to buy profitably

At first glance, nothing complicated: choose dates, city and buy tickets online. But we set a goal to travel cheaply, but there are nuances. Here is what experienced tourists advise:

• take tickets early in the morning or at night;
• do it a couple of months before departure;
• choose a departure and arrival in the middle of the week;
• do not go during high season.

If all these conditions are met, you will get plane tickets to Italy at the best price.

You can find cheap flights on the Aviasales website. This is a reliable service with a long history, it searches for tickets from trusted air carriers, and does not charge a commission. In general, a good site, use it.

There are ways to further reduce the cost of the flight, but be prepared to sacrifice convenience. For example, flights with transfers are always much less expensive, and night flights will be cheaper than day flights. You can use a low-cost airline, but in this case you can’t carry luggage (you can, if you pay extra) - only hand luggage, and you won’t be fed on the plane.

Train tickets - what are the options

If due to aerophobia or for other reasons the flight is no longer possible, you can consider the train. True, there is no choice here: only one train, Moscow-Nice, goes from Russia to Italy. It follows through Belarus, the Czech Republic, Austria and stops in the Italian cities of Bolzano, Verona, Milan, Genoa, San Remo, Bordighera and Ventimiglia. It will take almost two days to travel.

The train provides compartment, SV and deluxe seats. Depending on the final destination and the comfort of the seat, the ticket price ranges from 23,000 to 100,000 rubles per person.

How to create an interesting and optimal route

The most important ingredient for success! Usually you want to see everything at once, but you should not turn your vacation into a race. Practice shows that on average it takes three days for one large city. Start from this: if you are leaving for a week, let it be two or three resorts, but you can explore them slowly, enjoying every minute!

Which city to start with depends on what is the priority: excursions, a trip along the coast, visiting Christian shrines or famous Italian boutiques. Here are some popular large and small routes:

• Rome - Florence - Venice - Milan - Como;
• Palermo - San Vito Lo Capo - Agrigento - Taormina;
• Naples - Ischia - Capri - Pompeii (Vesuvius);
• San Remo - Genoa - Pisa - Florence;
• Bari - Matera - Alberobello - Grote di Castellana;
• Amalfi - Ravello - Sorrento.

The recipe for the perfect route is simple: rely on your imagination, but do not forget about logic and common sense. The points should be at a short distance from each other so that the road between them does not have to spend more time and effort than the rest itself.

You can first choose one most desirable city, then study the map, see which interesting cities are located at an acceptable distance, and plan the whole way.

TOP 15 best cities in Italy for tourism

To make it easier for you to choose, we have made a selection of the most beloved Italian cities by travelers, and summarized all their features, advantages and disadvantages in a table.

• 
  

  Cinque Terre. elitravo

• 
  

  Alberobello. TOP67
  Alberobello

• 
  

  Verona. Javen
  Verona

• 
  

  Venice. Yasonya
  Venice

• 
  

  Taormina. Aleksandar Todorovic
  Taormina

• 
  

  Sanremo. S-F
  Sanremo

• 
  

  Rome. Blue Planet Studio
  Rome

• 
  

  Positano. Javen
  Positano

• 
  

  Portofino. Olena Z
  Portofino

• 
  

  Pisa. Balate Dorin
  Pisa

• 
  

  Palermo. S-F

• 
  

  Naples. Leonid Andronov

• 
  

  Milan. Luciano MortulaLGM
  Milan

• 
  

  Florence. Catarina Belova
  Firenze

• 
  

  Como. feel good studio
  Como

Now an independent trip to Italy will surely be planned out easier!

The most interesting cities for tourists on the map

What is the best way to travel in Italy?

Once you get to Italy, you need to decide how you will move between the designated cities - by public transport or by rented car. Both methods have their pros and cons.

Car rental - how to do it right

Ideal for traveling with children and for those who have a lot of things with them or a dog. With a company providing car rental services, it is better to decide in advance: look at prices, reviews, the amount of the deposit. If the decision was made spontaneously, then one of the options (not the best) would be to search for rental offices at the airport, at large railway stations, in tourist places in big cities.

It is more convenient and cheaper to rent a car on the Rentalcars website. The service compares offers from various car rental companies and gives you the best deals. In addition, you can choose the most suitable make and model of the car from a large number. Another advantage of the site is its security: by renting a car through it, you can be sure that the car will be at the appointed time at the appointed place, and the payment itself will pass without delay.

Paperwork for car rental

To rent a car, you will need an international driver's license. We also recommend purchasing car insurance, because. the streets in Italy are narrow, often tourists scratch their vehicles.

Note:

Carefully read the clause with the insurance deductible: you will have to pay no more than this amount upon the occurrence of an insured event (whatever is in excess of this amount is covered by insurance). In order not to worry about this, it is possible (and desirable) to purchase full insurance, without a deductible.

You will also need a card with at least 500 euros on it - this money will be frozen as a deposit and then returned back.

Be sure to conduct a detailed inspection of the selected car for chips, scratches and other shortcomings. For fidelity, you can fix them on video in your phone, so that later there will be no misunderstandings or conflicts.

In summer, in an international company, a day of rent will cost 20-150 euros, depending on the class of the car. If you book in advance (several months or at least weeks in advance) through Rentalcars, you will save 20-50% of your money. In winter, prices are reduced by another 15-30%.

Additionally, you can rent a child seat, navigator, roof holder, etc.

Tip: it's better to book a small car - it's easier to maneuver in the narrow Italian streets and easier to find a parking space.

Roads and parking - important features

Roads in Italy are excellent, well-signposted, with an abundance of roadside eateries and hotels. But you need to understand that among them there are paid ones, the ride on which will cost about 5-7 euros for every hundred kilometers. When entering such a section, you need to take a special ticket, and when leaving, pay it with a credit card (blue sign) or cash (white sign).

This will help you save:

Almost every highway has a free alternative: a parallel road winding through neighboring villages. The choice depends on what is more important: saving time or cash.

As for parking, they are different.

Write down:

White markings mean that cars are allowed to park here for free (although sometimes this applies only to Italians); yellow markings indicate disabled parking, and blue markings indicate that you have to pay for parking.

The closer to the city center, the more expensive a simple car will cost.

Rules and penalties - how to save your money

Experienced drivers won't learn anything new, but some things may prove useful.

For example, the maximum allowed speed within Italian cities is 50 km/h, on highways - 110 km/h, on highways - 130 km/h.

It is impossible to enter the historical center of some cities without permission.

Consider the following:

The driving style of the locals is quite aggressive: drivers brake sharply, cut, make bold maneuvers. Stay focused! If the police stopped you, you don’t need to argue or try to negotiate, it’s more expensive for yourself - it’s better to silently accept the paper with the issued fine.

And the sanctions for violating traffic rules in the country are rather big.

So, for the lack of international rights, a fine of 300 euros threatens, for speeding - from 40 to 3300 euros, for overtaking in the wrong place - 80-300 euros, for improper parking - up to 90 euros, for unfastened seat belts from the driver or passenger - from 80 to 325 euros, and for talking on the phone while driving - up to 645 euros.

Moreover, if you have never been stopped by the police, this still does not mean anything: the violation could be recorded on a video camera, and a notification of a fine sometimes comes even six months after leaving the country. And if you do not pay for it, the next time there will be problems with obtaining a Schengen visa. So you have to drive carefully.

Important: the price of gasoline in Italy is one of the highest in Europe: 1.5–1.7 euros per liter. Diesel fuel will cost less, but renting a car on diesel will be more expensive.

And keep in mind that refueling at night and on weekends at some gas stations is possible only for cash: some machines do not accept foreign bank cards.

Intercity trains - the nuances of rail travel

Many people prefer to use the services of the railway: the train network captures all major cities, you can not worry about breaking the rules, look at the landscapes passing through the window in a relaxed way, and at any time of the day afford a glass of Italian wine without fear of driving.

Varieties of trains in Italy

Frecci (arrow) - high-speed comfortable trains of three types: Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciargento. They develop speeds from 200 to 360 km / h and often follow without stopping.

The fastest among them is Frecciarossa, the slowest is Frecciabianca.

All trains have first and second class carriages, some have separate carriages for the disabled and dining carriages.

Intercity - trains that travel slower, make many stops and connect more than two hundred cities in Italy. Their maximum speed is limited to 200 km/h, the cars are also divided into classes according to comfort.

Intercity Notte - night trains, a great option for those who value time and do not want to spend daylight hours on travel. And at the same time saving on overnight stay. There are cars with seats (but you can also sleep on chairs) and compartment cars. Moreover, the latter are exclusively female or mixed.

Regionale is an analogue of our electric train, the least comfortable of all trains. There is also a variation of them called Regionale Veloce - they drive faster and stop less often.

All of the above trains are public. But the Italo trains, decorated with the image of a running hare, belong to a private company.

Why is it good?

They run only between megacities and are not divided into classes: all cars are equipped with comfortable chairs, TVs, sockets and free Wi-Fi.

But at the same time they have three categories of comfort: smart (snack machines, the ability to order food from the menu), prima (the chair is supplemented with a footrest, there is a personal table, fresh newspapers are distributed in the mornings, you can order food; a relax car has been added, where loud conversations and phone calls), club (small number of seats and a lot of personal space, coffee and newspapers on demand, personal TV, you can choose food from the menu). Tickets for private Italo trains are the most expensive (you can catch promotions when the cost drops significantly).

And finally, there is a small autonomous network of trains Circumvesuviana - these are electric trains that run along the coast of the Gulf of Naples north of Mount Vesuvius.

Basic fares for rail travel

In Italy, there are different fares for tickets:

• basic (Base ticket);
• economical (Economi);
• super economical (Super economy).

Basic means that you can change the date and time of the trip an unlimited number of times, up to the departure of the train and even within an hour after it leaves. The best choice for those who like to spontaneously linger in their favorite place for an unplanned couple of days.

This might come in handy:

It is also convenient for latecomers: with such a ticket, you can leave on the next next train. If the ticket cost 10 euros or more, it can be returned as unnecessary, while losing 20%. But if the price of the basic ticket was less than 10 euros, it will not be possible to return it.

Economy fare gives the right to change the day and time of the trip once. Unlike the basic one, it is allowed to travel with it only along the indicated route - that is, it will not work to transfer to a train of another direction, having paid an additional run-up in price. You can't give it up either. But on such economy tickets there are often discounts, sometimes up to 50%.

The super economical fare has the lowest price, but at the same time it is impossible to change the date and hour of departure, as well as return the ticket.

A great budget option for travelers who strictly adhere to the intended route.

The best tickets - how to save money

For those tourists who do not have extra money and are looking for how to cheaply relax in Italy, information about the possibility of additional savings on travel will be useful.

If you are traveling for more than a week and intend to travel around the country by train, you can buy a green card (Carta Verde) for 26 euros - it gives a 15% discount on all railway routes, and is valid for a year. But there is a catch: it is only sold to young people under 26 and older people over 60.

There are cards without age restrictions, they are called Amicotreno, but their price is higher: 50 euros. Above and discounts - 10–20% for Intercity and 50% for regional trips.

Those who come with children should remember that a child under 4 years old has the right to ride for free. Although they will not give him a separate place - you can only sit in the arms of your parents. Children from 4 to 12 years old will receive a 30% discount. And families and companies from six people are entitled to a 20% discount.

If you order tickets on the website of the state company Trenitalia (the website often works with errors, payment does not go through, and tickets may not arrive by mail, you will have to correspond with the support service for several days to get the money back, so it’s better to use another service to buy tickets, oh it just below), study the Promotions tab - promotions and special offers are displayed there. For example, 2 × 1, when two can ride on one ticket. But return promotional tickets will not work.

How to buy and use train tickets - it's important to remember

In addition to buying online, you can buy tickets at the box office or through a vending machine in the station. If you speak Italian, there will be no problems with the cashier. But not all railway employees understand English. In this case, it is better to write in advance on paper the day of the trip, the point of departure and arrival, the number of passengers and hand this information to the cashier. This will make it easier for you to communicate with each other.

In the machine, you can select English and follow the instructions. The main thing is to carefully enter the data. You can pay both in cash and by card. But some types of machines work exclusively with cards - check it right away, and if you expected to pay for the trip with real money, go to the ticket office.

If you are traveling by a regional train or you have tickets in your hands without indicating the day and hour of departure, they must be stamped in a special yellow or green machine that will stamp the time and date on them. Otherwise - a fine in the same amount as for the passage of a hare.

Important! A validated ticket in Italy is only valid for six hours!

And now about the most important service for buying train tickets. Its name is . It sells the same tickets as Trenitalia, only it works flawlessly. You can use it without fear that the ticket will not arrive in the mail, and you will not spend several hours proving that the payment on your part has passed. One of the big pluses of Omio is that it also offers train tickets from other rail companies, which may have promotions, and the ticket can cost you half as much as using Trenitalia.

And the last thing you need to know: Italian trains are often late and controllers always go to them.

Intercity buses in Italy - important points

Italians are more fond of railways, as it is faster to travel by train. But the buses in the country are modern, comfortable, it is convenient and pleasant to ride them.

But keep this in mind:

The difficulty is that all carrier companies are private, each region has its own. Because of this, it is difficult to coordinate flights with each other and correctly build a bus route between distant points. And given that it is easy to get stuck in a traffic jam and lose time in a metropolis, we recommend that you follow the example of the locals and, if possible, use trains, leaving buses for those points where there is no railway connection.

You can buy a ticket at the bus station or at kiosks. Just like trains, buses do not always arrive on schedule. And it is better not to go far from the stop: if the driver does not notice the people waiting for him, he can safely pass by.

Also, bus tickets can be purchased on the aforementioned website (it is more convenient and reliable).

How easy it is to find a transfer/taxi

When you travel on your own, but you need to take care of finding ways to get to the hotel in advance. This can be public transport, a rental car, or a taxi/transfer. In order not to add problems to yourself with finding a transfer on the spot, you can pre-order it on the website.

Accommodation in Italy - where is the best place to stay

Another important point of the plan. Nothing should spoil your vacation, which means you should have comfortable accommodation in which to relax and sleep well after a busy day. And you should take care of such housing in advance.

The nuances of living in hotels and inns

In order not to drown in a sea of ​​sites and offers, we recommend using the Roomguru service. There are collected the best and, most importantly, proven hotels for every taste and budget, which can be booked with a benefit of up to 70%.

When checking in, check if there is a separate charge for the use of air conditioning - this is a common practice. Take repellent with you, as all living creatures such as centipedes and mosquitoes can seep into the rooms.

Important: Italian sockets are not the same as ours - take care of several adapters.

Hostels - an opportunity to save

An inexpensive option for those who are willing to sacrifice a little convenience in order to spend money on something more interesting. Moreover, modern Italian hostels are quite decent, well-maintained and clean, most of them have an equipped kitchen, and some even offer breakfast. Yes, other people will spend the night in the room, the toilet and shower are also shared - but you can make new acquaintances, and if the neighbors turn out to be experienced travelers in Italy, then you can get good advice.

If you are traveling as a family or a mixed company, find out in advance whether the rooms of the chosen hostel are for shared accommodation or whether men will have to spend the night separately from women.

Carefully read the information on the site: in some places you may not be accepted with animals and even with children, there are also age restrictions (guests must not be under 18).

There are noisier youth hostels and quieter family hostels. To avoid unpleasant surprises, do not be too lazy to study the reviews.

Villas and apartments - rental features

If you want to feel at home, be able to cook, do laundry and not run into strangers, you can rent a villa or apartment. This is especially beneficial for those who travel in a team of 4-6 people, because the fee is taken for all accommodation, respectively, the larger the company, the cheaper the overnight stay will cost for everyone.

Of course, a villa, especially located in Liguria or Tuscany, will cost an order of magnitude more than apartments (on average 2000 euros / week).

But for a good apartment in a beautiful area, accommodating up to six vacationers, they will ask about 1000 euros per week. And keep in mind that during the high season, housing prices near the sea skyrocket. So you need to book in advance, best of all in winter (January-February).

Dining in Italy - everything a traveler needs to know

Well, how can you go to Italy on your own and not get an impression of its cuisine, one of the most delicious in the world? This is a mandatory part of the program!

Cafes and restaurants - prices and varieties

The country has a great variety of establishments, and here are their main varieties:

• trattoria - family restaurants with a large selection of homemade dishes;
• osteria - emphasis on wine and snacks, a more satisfying menu is not always available;
• pizzeria - a good selection of handmade pizzas cooked in the oven;
• rosticheria - a la our canteens, buffet format (all dishes are ready);
• prosciutteria - meat and sausage cuts, sandwiches and inexpensive wine;
• ristorante - a restaurant in the literal sense, with a beautiful interior and gourmet cuisine;
• pasticheria - a pastry shop with cakes, pastries, homemade muffins and coffee;
• gelateria - an ice cream parlor with a huge assortment, often in the "to go" format.

Ristorantes are among the most expensive establishments, rosticeries are among the most budgetary.

The average prices are as follows: appetizers - 5-8 euros, first courses - up to 10 euros, second courses - about 15-20 euros, desserts - 3-5 euros, pizza - about 7 euros. The cost of wine - from 6 euros, soft drinks - 2-3 euros, freshly squeezed juice - 4-5 euros, coffee - 1-4 euros.

Remember:

In Italy, there is such a thing as coperto - table collection. It is 1-3 euros per person and is automatically added to the bill. There is also a Servizio fee, this is a percentage for the service, or tips included. So be prepared to pay more than the menu.

In a free translation, "coperta" means "tablecloth", that is, if you are not sitting at a table, but drinking coffee or eating at the bar, the fee will not be charged. If convenience is not so important to you, you can save a lot on this for the whole trip.

And you can also use complex lunches - in Italian this is the "menu of the day" (menu del giorno) or "tourist's menu" (menu turistico). Paying about 20 euros for them, you will receive several dishes, and sometimes a glass of wine. It is much more profitable than ordering dishes separately.

And finally, if you don't know where to go, take a look at where the locals eat. This will be an institution with the most delicious cuisine and sane prices. Most often, such bars and trattorias are located far from tourist sites and, by finding them, you can cut costs by half.

Street food is worth a try

Connoisseurs say that you can't leave Italy without tasting street food. It can be the usual pizza sold by the slice, focaccia with cheese, piadina (something like a pita bread envelope) with vegetables, meat or cheese, fried fish pieces or seafood.

But there are also more authentic dishes - olives alla ascolana, that is, olives stuffed with parmesan or meat and deep-fried, or Sicilian arancini - rice balls with meat or cheese, also fried in breadcrumbs. Cannoli are very popular - sweet rolls with ricotta cream with the addition of chocolate, candied fruits or fruits.

Do you want delicious and varied food?

It is best to try street food at culinary festivals - both the choice of dishes is impressive and the color is off scale. Here are some of the most interesting holidays:

• ham festival (September 6–15, Parma);
• pizzafest (September 13, Naples);
• cheese festival (September 13–16, Bra);
• festival of wine and grapes (October 5, Marino);
• chocolate festival (October 17–26, Perugia);
• slow food festival (October 23–27, Turin);
• white truffle festival (all weekends in November, San Miniato).

All events are fun, cheerful, emotional, accompanied by music, informative stories, master classes and competitions.

Grocery markets and shops - where and what you can buy

If you're renting an apartment or house, you obviously plan to cook on your own sometimes. Products can be bought in markets or supermarkets, and in the latter prices are often lower. This is explained by the fact that in the bazaar many farm products are environmentally friendly.

The average cost of a kilogram of vegetables and fruits in Italy fluctuates around 1-4 euros, cheeses cost 8-15 euros per kilo, meat - 5-13 euros, poultry is slightly cheaper, pasta is about euros per pack, olive oil is 4-5 euros per bottle . The price of homemade milk is 1.5 euros / liter, store-bought is three times cheaper. Natural sausages are expensive: 1–3 euros per 100 g. Wine - from 2 euros.

In general, such food comes out much cheaper than ordering food in institutions.

You need to know that when entering a small grocery store, even just to get acquainted with the assortment, it is customary to greet the sellers. But it is not customary to give cash in hand: the money is placed on a special stand at the checkout.

Neither in the markets nor in the store can you touch vegetables and fruits with your hands: in the markets there are disposable gloves for this, and in the bazaar the seller will give you everything. During the siesta, that is, from 13:00 to 15:30, shops may be closed. And on Sunday and even on Monday morning, many have a day off. Markets are open from 7-8 o'clock until lunch, in small towns - on special market days.

Food culture in Italy - how not to get into trouble

As the saying goes, if you come to Rome, behave like a Roman. Before you get to Italy, it does not hurt to learn a few unspoken rules regarding meals. So, an Italian's breakfast is the easiest meal, but lunch and dinner are dense, unhurried and consist of several dishes following one after another in strict order.

You can skip something, but swap it - mauvais ton! It should be eaten around the same time.

A traditional breakfast is a cup of cappuccino and a brioche or croissant between 7 and 10 am, and often not at home, but in a bar nearby.

At other times of the day, it is not customary to drink cappuccino, only espresso or macchiato. Americano with milk in Italy is better not to ask, it is generally not considered coffee.

Lunch falls between 13.00-16.00 and begins (but not necessarily) with an aperitif.

Then come cold or hot appetizers - antipasti, first course (primo, usually pasta or risotto), second course (secondo, meat or fish), side dish (contorno, potatoes, salad or vegetables) and dessert. Ends the meal with an espresso. After coffee, the meal is over.

With dinner, the situation is similar. It starts late, around 20:00–22:00.

Remember:

Fruits, even apples, are eaten peeled. Pasta is eaten hot, immediately after serving, and without bread. If you were served pasta at a party, you should immediately start tasting, otherwise you can offend the hosts - it is believed that with every minute its taste is reduced. Pizza can be paired with beer, but never with wine!

And no mayonnaise in salads, only balsamic and olive oil. And you can also soak the leftover food from the plate with bread, this is not considered bad manners, but, on the contrary, indicates that you appreciated the work of the cook.

The most interesting things to do in Italy

That's what the vacation was for. Entertainment is the main pastime of tourists, so plan it well! You can do almost anything in Italy: have fun in one of the water parks, paragliding or hot air ballooning, scuba diving, surfing, skiing, conquering the top of a volcano, relaxing in the botanical gardens ... But the main thing is sightseeing and hiking in the famous museums. Every traveler includes them in his schedule. And here you can not do without home preparations.

Buying tickets for events - it's worth remembering

Tickets to major museums and galleries can be booked online in advance. Don't neglect this opportunity! Sometimes there is such a queue at the box office that it’s easier to refuse to visit at all than to spend so much time buying tickets, which at the last moment may not be enough.

This will save time:

Among other things, you can buy tickets online to the Colosseum (they also let you into the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill), to the Sistine Chapel, the Borghese Gallery, to the Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Grazie to Da Vinci's Last Supper fresco, to the Uffizi Gallery, in the Palazzo Vecchio, in the Doge's Palace, in the Palazzo Ducale. True, enterprising Italians quickly figured out how to make money on this, and they can ask for an additional fee for booking tickets on the site.

Carefully study the information from the official websites: some museums and exhibition galleries practice free days (or free hours), and you can visit them without spending a dime.

So, in Italian state museums they do not charge an entrance fee on the first Sunday of any month, although it is likely that you will still have to stand for a free ticket or pay for its reservation ahead of time.

Also, some tourist cards give you the right to receive a discount on entrance tickets. For example, in Rome, this is the Roma Pass (valid for 2-3 days, costs 28-38 euros, respectively, allows you to see one (card for 2 days) or two (card for 3 days) attractions for free and without waiting in line and not pay for travel by bus, trolleybus, tram, metro and some trains).

Be sure to look at the available entertainment on the site. On it you can book excursions, buy tickets for sightseeing without queues (for some), purchase a City Pass (a tourist card that gives discounts on transport and museums), as well as find other entertainment in your city.

One of the best (if not the best) sites for finding interesting excursions in Russian is this. With local guides who offer their services on this site, you will definitely learn a lot about Italy, excursions are interesting and memorable. It will also not be superfluous to look at another site with excursions - you can also sometimes find something unusual.

Where to go with children in Italy

A small child is unlikely to be interested in the paintings of ancient artists and ancient ruins, so when traveling with children, you need to think over separate entertainment points. Fortunately, in Italy there is where to turn around!

Etnaland - an exciting vacation on the water

An open-air entertainment complex known throughout Europe, located in Sicily, in Belpasso (province of Catania).

On its territory there are a lot of water attractions and high-speed slides, waterfalls, swimming pools, a jacuzzi, children's and adult rafting, a pizzeria and a cafe. Near the aqua zone there is a zoo, a park with dinosaurs and a theme park with a cable car and a large children's area with carousels.

Etnaland is open from April to September.

Gardaland - exciting attractions

For the abundance of cool attractions, this huge park, located near Verona on the shores of Lake Garda, was nicknamed the local Disneyland. There is a Fantasy Kingdom zone with entertainment for kids from two years old; themed adventure zone for children from 10 years old; red adrenaline zone for those who like to tickle their nerves; a huge aquarium area with the opportunity to watch shark feeding and dolphin shows.

The park is closed in February-March.

Zoomarin - the largest water park

One of the largest family water parks in Italy, located in the suburbs of Rome. Here you can ride roller coasters, take part in sea battles, go to a small zoo, see shows with parrots, dolphins and fur seals, watch a 4D movie, lie on a tropical sandy beach and take an interactive journey into the prehistoric world. The territory is surrounded by greenery. Visits may be limited during the cold season.

Italy in miniature - all sights of the country

The park built in Rimini gives you the opportunity to see the most memorable sights of Italy and Europe in a reduced size. There are almost 300 copies of various architectural monuments, including the Eiffel and Leaning Towers of Pisa, the Colosseum, Mount Etna, the Greek Acropolis and the German Neuschwanstein castle.

In parallel, you can ride the rides for free, and if you are tired, you can use the monorail railway, you can ride the train and listen to the guide's stories.

The park is open from March to October, the rest of the time it works exclusively on weekends.

But keep in mind that entertainment in these and similar parks is designed for the whole day!

Interesting places for children on the map

When going to a small town or village, make sure that you have cash in your wallet - in such places with ATMs can be busy. At the same time, stocking up on money, try to shoot them out of sight of everyone - thieves are on the alert, and theft most often occurs in tourist places. For the same reason, it is advisable to park your car in a paid parking lot or at least in a well-lit place and not leave valuables in the cabin.

It is important:

In public places in Italy, including streets, stops and summer cafes, you can not smoke. The exception is rare establishments that have special rooms for smokers.

Don't break this rule! If you are spotted, you risk running into a fine of up to 500 euros.

If the purpose of the vacation is a beach holiday, keep in mind that in Italy you can’t be on the beach at night (namely, from 01:00 to 06:00), you are also fined for this (150 euros). It is also forbidden to give each other massage, unless you are a professional massage therapist and are not at work.

Independent trip vs tour - what to choose

For those who still doubt whether it is worth organizing an independent holiday in Italy or is it better to buy a group tour of several cities in the agency, we have prepared a comparative table. It will help you weigh everything again and make a final decision.

Decide to go to Italy on your own - this vacation can be the best in your life!

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.com

So I returned from a trip to Italy and now I will tell you how to organize your acquaintance with this country so that everything goes “like clockwork”. My solo trip to Italy lasted 24 days. During this time, I managed to visit so many sights that on the last day I could already work as a guide :) . Of the cities, I remember Venice, Milan and Rome the most. They are a must to visit.

What to do in Italy? Yes, there is plenty of room for relaxation. Beaches, wines, walks along the embankments, getting to know the local passionate people :) , a huge number of attractions, but just enjoy life. I rode a bike through the cobbled streets of Florence, crossed Italy from north to south by train, walked at night with Italian women along the sparkling streets of Milan :) . And, as always, my knowledge of travel savings helped to cut costs several times over. And now to the specifics.

Travel itinerary

My route

According to the already established tradition, I began my independent journey through Italy from Novosibirsk. The flight was morning - Novosibirsk - Milan, with a transfer in Moscow. 10 o'clock and I'm there (I slept on the plane, so the time flew by :)). The plan that I had under the code name:) "Journey through the cities of Italy" consisted of visiting the following cities: Milan -> Venice -> Bologna -> Florence -> Rome -> Naples -> Palermo. From north to south in 24 days, and in such cities as Bologna and Naples I stayed only for 3 days, they just lay on my way, so I decided to visit them too.

What I was guided by when choosing these particular places. I wanted to see the peculiarities of life in all parts of Italy, visit many sights that belong to different cultures and eras (on the site of modern Italy for many centuries there were independent states, such as the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Florence, the Kingdom of Sicily and others, each with its own characteristics and history). Therefore, I made such an itinerary that would include most of the most significant cities in history for cultural enlightenment, but would also allow me to swim, sunbathe on the beach, and leisurely enjoy the seaside vacation. Attractions + sea = perfect holiday in Italy;) .

Because cheap flights from Russia to Italy involve landing in one of the largest cities, and, most often, these are Rome (the capital), Milan, Venice (the northern part of Italy, some of the cheapest plane tickets are sold here), then I decided that I will start my journey in Italy from its northern part, namely, from Milan, and gradually I will move south. Because Since my trip began in mid-June, I was not limited by weather conditions: the weather was good, there was very little rain, the sea had already warmed up well, in general, the perfect time.

Additional routes

I have compiled alternative routes in Italy for visitors to the site, so that everyone can choose the most suitable for him. Someone wants to focus on sightseeing, someone likes to spend their entire vacation on the beach under the sun, swimming and enjoying every moment of the sea, and someone (myself included) wants to combine beach holidays and sightseeing. In addition, the number of days allotted for holidays in Italy is different for everyone.

Up to 5 days

It makes no sense to include visiting 5-10 cities in a 5-day trip, you will only get tired of such a vacation and you won’t really see anything, it’s better to savor your stay in each city. Only have 5 days to rest? Then it’s better to visit 1, maximum 2 cities (for me, it should be a city with a large number of attractions, and a beach resort city, sometimes these concepts characterize the same city, for example, Naples, Genoa, but most often you have to change the place of rest to find better conditions and more comfort). If you do not want to move anywhere, then it is better to choose a good beach resort, like Rimini or Bari, sea holidays give the recharge of vitality so necessary for most people, so you should not neglect it.

6-10 days

If you have 6-10 days to rest in Italy and you want to visit several places, then choose cities according to the logic described above: city of interest + seaside resort, the only thing you can increase their number, because. time is getting longer. A good option for this type of holiday would be the Rome-> Florence-> Genoa route (there are several good beaches in the vicinity of the latter, and there are enough attractions there).

11-15 days

With an independent trip to Italy, designed for 11-15 days, you can further expand the study area of ​​​​Italy. Milan->Venice->Florence->Rome->Salerno (the last city is a seaside resort, located near Naples) is a good route for those who want to see as much as possible, but it is important to understand that such a vacation will be eventful, but not so relaxed, because there will be a lot of places on the route, you will have to move often, such a route is justified if you travel around Italy by car, because. in this case, the time spent on the road is reduced, and there is more comfort, all the more, you will always be free to stop in the place you like as much as you want, without even completing your route. I like it better when the last place of rest is a seaside resort, because. a good swim before returning home favorably affects the overall impression of the rest.

From 15 days

If you want to get to know Italian culture well, to see as many places as possible, while not being in a state of a driven horse, then set aside more than 15 days for an independent trip to Italy. During this time, you can drive along the following route: Genoa-> Milan -> Venice -> Florence -> Rome -> Naples -> Palermo. This is a kind of alternative to my route, it begins and ends in seaside resorts. So you can see the sights and swim to your heart's content.

When planning your trip to Italy, stick to the following:

• Get to know the new city carefully. No need to visit 10 cities in 2 weeks, such a rush is very tiring. It is better to be in a new city for at least 3 days, then you will learn a lot about this place, and you will enjoy your vacation, and will not compete with time.
• Don't plan your trip in detail. It is better to indicate the main points of the trip (for example, cities or beaches), and already “on the spot” you will find out where you want to go and what to visit. With this form of travel there will be more freedom of action, which will give you more impressions, more positive emotions.
• Decide how you will move in Italy. Different modes of transport have different advantages and disadvantages. By plane you can quickly move from place to place, while traveling by train you can see amazing landscapes, when traveling in a rented car there is a huge freedom of action. If you buy tickets in advance (at least 2 months in advance), you can save up to 70% of their cost.
• Visit "non-touristic" places. Tourists are shown only certain places, and in order to learn interesting details about the country, you need to get acquainted with the daily life of the local population. So you will get much more pleasure from the trip.

Cheap tickets

A ticket to Moscow from Novosibirsk cost me 4,500 rubles, and from Moscow to Milan - 5,000 rubles, I booked it in advance, which I advise you, it's cheaper. Of course, you can still wait for sales of airline tickets, but, unfortunately, they are very rare, and a limited number of tickets are sold out in a few minutes, so you can miss out on low ticket prices just by early booking while waiting for sales (it’s better to buy air tickets 3-4 months before the trip), because the closer the departure date, the higher the prices.

Tickets on the route Moscow-> Rome-> Moscow in the summer will cost 10,500-14,000 rubles. Those who live in Moscow find it much cheaper to fly to Europe.

Airfare low price calendar

Check airfare prices:

Hotels

I lived in comfortable hotels that cost me quite cheaply (for example, in Rome, the capital of Italy, I paid only 17,000 rubles for 7 nights in a hotel with 3 * almost in the city center, in the same hotel you could book a 2-bed room for 19500 rubles, I will clarify that I booked in advance). Naturally, I used my knowledge of . In short, I used the site, which itself finds the best options in terms of price / quality, so I recommend it to you. On this site you can find great hotels, and in any country. It is convenient that photos, descriptions are added to each hotel, and tourists who have already visited it leave reviews for hotels, which greatly facilitates the choice of accommodation during the trip.

Some tourists are looking for hotels only on, and this is not entirely true in terms of efficient spending of money, because. you can often find exactly the same hotel room as on Booking, but much cheaper on another site that is just as safe and verified. After all, there are many other hotel booking sites where sales are arranged, and sometimes prices are reduced, which is why it turns out that prices are often higher on Booking. In order not to check all sites separately, while spending several hours or even days searching for the right hotel at the lowest price, the RoomGuru service was invented - it compares prices on dozens of hotel sites, including Booking, and offers you to book hotel room at the lowest price. The service is free, very convenient and reliable, I recommend using it, save a lot of money and time.

Here is a good example, a 3* hotel, 2 adults, 7 nights. Note that the lowest price is not on Booking (315€), but on Amoma (273€).

And here is another example for two in a 4 * hotel.

In addition to the fact that the price for the room itself is low (252€), in this particular case you can save 122€ (price on Booking 374€, price on Agoda 252€). As you can see, the price for the same hotel room can vary significantly on different sites, which is why it is very profitable to use the RoomGuru service, which will compare everything for you and offer the lowest price per room (this is exactly what is shown in the screenshot).

There is an alternative service, but it's still better to use RoomGuru - it's more reliable, more convenient and more efficient. As for the search itself, if you want to save as much as possible, then choose accommodation away from famous sights and the city center, of course, you will lose a little in comfort, because. it will take longer to get to the right places by public transport, but the savings can be significant, it’s up to you to decide what is more important - comfort or savings. I try to choose accommodation either in the center or close to it, if there are good hotels at low prices (they are always available with early bookings), transport costs sometimes “eat up” most of the money saved on a cheap hotel far from the center, so, Ultimately, it is still preferable to choose those hotel options from which it is convenient to get to the main attractions.

The most expensive place to live is Venice. I would even say not more expensive, but very expensive. Here I had to pay 90 euros per night in a hotel. I was in Venice for 5 days, in total I paid 450 euros, for comparison, I could live on this money for a month and a half !!! in Thailand. But I must say that it was not the cheapest hotel, there were cheaper options, I just liked the view from the window of this hotel, so I booked it :) .
It is important for me that when booking there is a 100% guarantee that I will arrive at a comfortable hotel that matches the photos, the building is located in a convenient area of ​​the city for me, and that there are no problems when checking in like “wait another hour, we forgot to clean up the room” or “there was a mistake, we settled another person in this room 5 minutes ago, look for another hotel.” Does it matter to you too? Then use .

I selected hotels in Italy with the best value for money (in my opinion), based on my travel experience, reviews of tourists, convenience of location, proven (reliability and safety), and, of course, attractive prices (hotels are listed in order of increasing comfort, from hotels with the lowest price to hotels more expensive). If you want to find a comfortable hotel, accommodation in which you will not be forced to drag yourself through the whole city to the sights in crowded public transport or look for a place to park your car for a long time, with good service (clean linens, convenience and hassle-free accommodation, good Wi-Fi, allowing you to seamlessly use social networks and immediately publish amazing photos from your vacation, communicate with relatives, search for the information you need), while with a low cost of living, then choose a hotel from this list and book as early as possible (these hotels are in great demand, rooms often there is not enough for everyone, and if you book in advance, you will certainly provide yourself with accommodation in one of the best hotels, and the price will be even lower).

Find a cheap hotel from RoomGuru right now:

Rental of property

As a kind of alternative to staying in hotels, it is possible to rent accommodation from the Italians themselves. Of the advantages of this method of finding a place to stay, one can only note an acceptable cost for a large company or for a large family (if 6 people or more go on vacation), because. a large apartment can accommodate a large number of people (but you still have to look for a large apartment at a good price, as a rule, such options are already booked 6-8 months before the summer months), and in terms of one person the cost of a day of stay in Italy is somewhat lower. But this plus, in my opinion, becomes insignificant when taking into account the many disadvantages of renting a home, such as insecurity, the risk of being deceived by the owner of the home, the lack of even basic tourist services, additional inconvenience when checking in and out.

Because There are some difficulties in renting a home abroad, so you have to use the services of intermediaries who charge a decent commission and, in some cases, include additional payments in the cost of living, which makes renting not very profitable.

One of the most famous rental services is Airbnb. If you decide to rent a house rather than book hotel rooms, then you can use it for a discount to save money.

It is important to note that renting a home from the owners is quite a risky business. Increasingly, there are cases when housing does not match the photos presented on the service (especially true for cheap options with a small number of reviews). It is also possible that noisy neighbors live in a neighboring apartment, which will cause a lot of inconvenience (if in a hotel, for the most part, you are protected from bad behavior by neighbors by concierge, security, then in a rented apartment you will need to call the owner of the property or the police, which will require additional time and nerves). Several of my acquaintances got into a very unpleasant situation when the landlords simply canceled the reservation a few days before arrival (relatives may come to visit him, or he will be offered a higher price, or his plans will change - anything can happen), and travelers urgently had to to look for other housing, and after all, the time for early booking has already passed, which means that the new housing was much more expensive than the previous option, there were additional costs that spoiled the planned vacation. Therefore, I recommend not renting accommodation, but booking rooms in hotels, it is safer, more reliable and, in the vast majority of cases, cheaper.

Documentation

The required documents, as in almost all of Europe, are the following: passport, visa and insurance. I have had a passport for a long time, and for those who don’t have it, I recommend applying for it as early as possible, they make it for 1-4 months (you can get a passport through the State Services website in about a month if you live at the place of registration). I wrote a whole article about it, so I recommend that you read it, in short, you can buy the best insurance at low prices on the site.

Italy is part of the Schengen zone, which is why I received it. Here is a list of required documents to obtain it:

1. Round-trip air tickets (you can book, you can already bought)
2. Proof of accommodation (confirmation from the hotel, as a rule, it is automatically sent to your mail when booking a hotel)
3. Medical insurance (more than 30,000 euros)
4. Completed application form (can be downloaded from the website of the Italian Visa Application Centre)
5. Photo (1 piece, without frames, color)
6. Passport valid for more than 3 months on the date of return from the trip
7. Copy of the main page of the international passport (where the photo and personal data)
8. Financial guarantee (account statement with enough money (the amount depends on the number of people traveling and the number of days in Italy)
9. Confirmation of employment (certificate from work, or a copy of the certificate of entry into the USRIP (for individual entrepreneurs), or a certificate from the place of study, or a pension certificate)
10. Receipt of payment of the consular fee (it must be paid after the conclusion of the contract, if you submit documents through the visa center))
11. Russian passport (original and copy of pages with photo and residence permit)
12. Consent to the processing of personal data (can be downloaded on the website of the visa center)

Schengen visa to Italy will cost 35 euros (consular fee) + 2200 rubles service fee of the visa center. If you live in Moscow, you can save on visa fees by submitting documents directly to the Italian Embassy. It is important to note that if you are denied a visa, consular and service fees are not refundable.

Italy by car

Traveling alone in Italy by car has its pros and cons. Whether you should choose this type of travel depends on several answers to questions that you need to ask yourself: I really want to be free to choose a route, I really want to see the ordinary life of Italians, I can pay 20-40% more money ( compared to traveling using public transport) for the opportunity to travel in Italy, I am ready to solve problems with parking, I do not want to use public transport? If you answered “Yes” to all these questions, then indeed, traveling by car can turn your vacation into something completely different, very eventful, varied, unusual.

In short, a trip to Italy by car is super interesting, but expensive, and also, in some cases, problematic.

It will be more comfortable and cheaper not to travel from Russia in your own car, but to fly by plane to some major Italian city, pick up a rented car (you need to rent it in advance, on special, trusted sites) and poison yourself to travel around Italy.

Some points about the road trip:

• The cheapest and safest way is to rent a car on the site. Book a car in advance, several months in advance, so the price will be much lower
• Be sure to purchase full insurance for the car. In Italy, narrow streets, there is a very high chance of scratching or damaging a car.
• During the trip, you will need a navigator with up-to-date maps (if you travel by car often, you can buy a navigator for yourself, and not pay extra for it every time you rent)
• Some large cities have special rules for entering the central part, sometimes you need to buy an additional entry permit, sometimes entry is prohibited at certain hours.
• In roadside cafes and shops, prices are much higher; to save money, you can stock up in advance in city supermarkets
• Refueling is cheaper in cities than on the autobahns. Gasoline on toll roads is more expensive.
• In Italy, there are two types of filling stations: Self (refuel and pay for gasoline on your own) and SerV (accepts payment and refuels the tanker, the price for each liter of gasoline is higher by 10-20 eurocents).
• Most of the good roads north of Naples are toll roads. For travel from north to south on a toll road, you will have to pay 70-90 euros.
• In order not to suffer with the search for parking, book a hotel with its own parking.
• The crossing to Sicily will cost 50 euros.
• 1 liter of 95 gasoline costs 1.6-2.1 €.

Popular resorts and cities in Italy

Where exactly to go in Italy depends on your preferences. I have already given some recommendations in the "Routes" section of this article. In short, with a very limited budget, choose a seaside resort that also has attractions, for example, Rimini, Genoa, Naples (with the latter - be careful, thefts happen there very often, but there are attractions and the sea, which is a big plus). If you want to see the life of Italians, then make a route from north to south. For branded shopping, you should go to Milan, Rome, Florence. If you only need a beach holiday, and the best in Italy, then it is better to choose the islands - Sicily, Ischia, Elba. Well, for the sights, go to Rome, Venice, Florence. The choice is huge, each city has its own advantages, be determined based on the goals of recreation and budget.

Here is a list of the most popular places where you can relax in Italy. For convenience, I have indicated the main distinguishing features of recreation for each resort (in one form or another, there are attractions in each, just somewhere there are more of them, and they are world famous):

• Turin - attractions
• Genoa - attractions, sea
• Milan - attractions, shopping
• Venice - attractions, sea (in the vicinity)
• Bologna - attractions
• Pisa - Attractions
• Florence - attractions, shopping
• Rimini – attractions (few), sea
• Rome - attractions, shopping
• Naples - attractions, sea (in the vicinity)
• Salerno - the sea
• Bari - attractions (few), sea
• Palermo (Sicily) - sea (in the vicinity)
• Syracuse (Sicily) — attractions (few), sea
• Olbia (Sardinia) - sea

Money

What money to take on a trip to Italy? Take euro. And do not carry all your savings in cash, put the bulk of the money on a card, ruble or in euros - this does not play a special role when paying (payment will be made in both cases), because. even if you have a ruble card, then when paying for a purchase in Italy, rubles will be automatically converted into euros and there will be no problems.

If you often travel to Europe (several times a year), then in some cases it is beneficial to issue a bank card with an account in euros, replenish your account, and pay for purchases in Italy with it, so there will be no fee for converting rubles into euros. Just choose to really be all right.

Attractions

Something, but there are more than enough sights in Italy. There was no plan to visit sights, museums and exhibitions. I just bought guidebooks for the cities from my route, and when I was already there, I figured out in 5 minutes where I should go today and what to visit. Without a plan, you can act from your momentary desire, which gives you freedom of action, a “flight of imagination” and more positive emotions when traveling, there is no need to rush anywhere, you are not late anywhere, but just enjoy your vacation.

The only thing I did as soon as I arrived in a new city was to buy a discount tourist card, which gave me up to 50% discount on attractions, public transport, and skip-the-line access to some museums. Traveling around Italy on your own, visiting many attractions, actively using public transport - such cards for tourists will help you save money.

For Rome, this is the Roma Pass card, for 3 days it costs 36 €, for 2 days - 28 euros, allows you to visit 2 (for a card for 3 days) or 1 attraction (for a card for 2 days) for free and without a queue, free use of public transport and receive discounts on visits to other attractions. It is best used to visit the Colosseum and the Borghese Gallery, because. there are the longest queues, and with a tourist card you can bypass them by going through a special entrance.

Using the card data, you can skip the long queues at museums and exhibitions and pass as a VIP visitor. These cards are inexpensive, you can buy them on the official websites of cities, at airports, railway stations, and tourist centers. I wrote about how to save money while traveling.

Most of all I remember such places as the Duomo (Cathedral) in Milan, the Colosseum in Rome, La Scala (Opera House) in Milan, Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Pompeii near Naples. I recommend taking a look at the list.

If you want to see the sights as part of an organized excursion group, learn a lot more interesting facts about the memorable places in Italy from an individual guide, order unusual excursions from local residents, then use the site. Choose a few excursions you like, read reviews about them and you can safely book them to diversify your independent vacation in Italy.

Transport in Italy

Between the cities of Italy it is more convenient and, most often, cheaper to travel by train. The developed railway network and the availability of high-speed trains (except for the southern part of the country) allow you to get to the desired city very quickly. You can buy tickets for the desired route on the official website of the Italian railways Trenitalia.com (the earlier you buy tickets, the lower the prices).

There are several types of trains in Italy:

• Arrows (high-speed) - FrecciaRossa (the fastest and with a relatively high ticket price), Frecciargento (average in price and speed), Frecciabianca (the slowest of the arrows, but also with the lowest price). Choose these long distance trains for time savings like Rome-Milan or for better comfort.
• Ordinary long-distance - Intercity (they travel slower than the "arrows", but connect more cities, and the prices are lower). There is a lot of time, but if you want to save money, choose them, but still it is more convenient to use “arrows” for long distances.
• Intercity night-InterCityNotte (like the previous ones, only the conditions for a comfortable night trip are created). A good option for a trip to Sicily, because. it's a long ride, but the "arrows" don't go there.
• Electric trains - Regionale. A good, very inexpensive option for a trip to the suburbs and neighboring cities. There are many stops, so please be patient.

Domestic flights in Italy are also developed and inexpensive, but, for me, this type of transport is not always convenient. It is worth flying by plane if you are going to get to another part of Italy, for example, you can fly to Sicily from Rome or Milan. Although the prices for air travel are low due to the presence of low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet; even several times a year, low-cost airlines arrange sales for which you can buy tickets for 10-15 euros one way without luggage, for luggage you usually need to pay an extra 15- 30 euros, but such sales are rare, while you are waiting for them, you can miss the low prices for regular tickets), but the check-in time for the flight, the road to / from the airport, frequent delays in domestic flights make planes not very tempting transport.

You can also use intercity buses, but this is not very convenient, although the cheapest option in most cases. In the hot, summer months, it is stuffy in buses, air conditioners do not always save, and it is comfortable in buses at a minimum level. Better take the train.

Buy a tour or go to Italy on your own

I decided to travel around Italy on my own, without the help of travel agencies, and will continue to do so. But some tourists still choose the tour. The fact is that in rare cases, according to the special offers of tour operators, you can relax in the most popular resorts at relatively low prices, such last-minute tours must be carefully monitored and immediately purchased (if you are completely satisfied with this type of vacation), because. the most attractive options in terms of cost are sorted out in just 5-10 minutes. This specificity of cheap tours makes them elusive. you have to constantly monitor the offers of tour operators, most often for several months in a row, and, most often, such offers become available during business hours, which means that it is not always possible to purchase it even if there is a cheap tour, because. this takes time, you need to interrupt work (which is not always possible), you need to have Internet access and a bank card at hand.

Those who still decide to choose offers from tour operators do it on or on. Services are time-tested, there are convenient search filters, many options are available for various resorts. Just do not forget that the cost of most cheap tours includes only hotel accommodation (and not always good ones, only with breakfast or no meals at all) and air travel, and does not take into account spending on food / cafes / restaurants, insurance, travel around Italy itself ( between cities and within the cities themselves), the purchase of souvenirs and other standard expenses on vacation, so if these expenses come to the cost of the tour (to see the real necessary budget), then offers from tour operators are often not profitable.

The main reason why I don’t buy tours, but travel around Italy on my own, is the constraint of choosing an interesting route, limiting myself to a rigid framework for specific dates of arrival and departure (last-minute tours with low prices are often not convenient for dates, departure may be “already tomorrow ” or vice versa, after a few months (which is less common), you have to change your plans, adapt to the tour operator, and most are given vacation only with a few weeks advance notice, or in general annual leave is assigned only on specific dates determined by the authorities, which creates difficulties for rest on a tour), a small number of days for rest (in a few days you will not be able to fully get to know different parts of Italy, you will have to limit yourself to one or two cities, which will bring not so many positive emotions compared to flexible independent travel), not very comfortable hotels (most often cheap tours include accommodation in low-level hotels sheep, with poor nutrition or no food at all, in an area remote from the city center).

If you want to see several cities, visit the best beaches, see the real Italy (and not just the part that is hackneyed up and down by tourists), enjoy your vacation at a pace that is convenient for you, experience as many positive emotions as possible and get a lot of pleasant impressions (much more than a standard tour gives), then choose an independent trip to Italy.

How to save

The cost of a trip to Italy - prices and budget

How much it will cost to fly to Italy on your own - only you decide, this is a huge plus for independent travel. Different travelers have different travel styles. Someone likes to spend money right and left, lives in 5-star hotels and rents a Cadillac to move around the city. The price of such a holiday will be several tens of thousands of euros. And someone uses the advice, and. Such a trip can cost about 30,000 rubles per month of rest. My independent trip to Italy, which lasted 24 days and included many cities in different parts of the country, cost 125,000 rubles (if I lived in the European part of the Russian Federation, this figure would decrease by 10,000), I must say right away that it was not super economical travel, I just sometimes bought what I wanted, before I traveled around Europe for 25,000 rubles a month (it was an interesting adventure :)). First you need to decide how you want to travel and only then calculate the approximate budget. An independent trip to Italy for 10 days for two requires an average of 95,000-125,000 rubles, but consider the information indicated in this section.

Expenditure

To draw up your own travel budget, you will need this table with approximate costs:

The budget of the trip is strongly influenced by the number of cities that you want to see, how many sights you consider a must-see, how important shopping is for you, where you will eat (cafes, restaurants or just buy food in supermarkets). If you have already traveled to any countries, then be guided by your previous experience with an eye to the prices in Italy, which are given in this article.

Prices in Italy

Housing prices

Prices are given for the cheapest options that can not boast of super service, fine cuisine, and, often, a convenient location. It is better to book accommodation slightly above the minimum price, focusing on the hotel rating, visitor reviews, location convenience. Hotels with the best price / quality ratio are indicated.

Food prices in supermarkets

Prices in cafes / cheap restaurants

Transport prices

Solo Travel to Italy - 18 Step Plan

1. Decide on the dates of the trip and the number of days to rest
2. Think over the route and decide on places (cities) for recreation
3. Buy flights to Italy and back
4. Book your accommodation
5. Buy insurance
6. Get a visa
7. Decide which mode of transport you will use when traveling between Italian cities
8. Buy tickets for long-distance transport in Italy (early purchase/booking of tickets for trains, buses, planes, car rentals can significantly reduce your expenses)
9. Choose and pay for excursions in advance if you need them (earlier booking is cheaper, and guarantees that there will be free places in the group with the guide, for individual excursions this is especially important, because popular guides have all excursions planned in the high season for several weeks ahead)
10. You can make a rough list of attractions that you want to visit (optional item, but it saves time "on the spot")
11. Download maps to your smartphone in order not to get lost and to navigate well in unfamiliar cities (it is advisable to download applications with maps that work without the Internet, for example, Maps.me)
12. Write down (or remember, if you have a good memory, but it is better to write down) important information about each city from the route (how to get from the airport, which metro or other public transport station is near your hotel, the name and address of your hotel)
13. Exchange part of the money for euros, take the necessary bank cards (and a credit card if you rent a car)
14. Pack your suitcases / backpacks (documents, first aid kit, equipment, clothes, Power Bank (external battery, needed to recharge your electronic devices, often needed when traveling), etc.)
15. Set an alarm in advance to remind you when it's time to leave for the airport
16. Check in for a flight in advance (online check-in usually opens 24 hours before departure (sometimes earlier, check on the airline's website)) to take the most comfortable and with a good view of the place, as well as eliminate troubles with possible overbooking (when the airline sells more tickets for the flight than there are seats on the plane)
17. A little time has passed since the collection of suitcases, and you remembered that you forgot to put it - take the missing things with you (just don't take everything in a row, there's no need for extra cargo)
18. The alarm clock rang. Go to the airport. Have a great trip!

Now you can go on your independent trip to Italy cheaply and comfortably. Italy will give a lot of positive emotions. After my trip to this country, I was very happy, and I wish you the same. Visit SpiritRelax often and relax anywhere in the world. All the best!

Criteria for choosing a direction

We started planning our vacation long before the trip. The first plans appeared at the end of September, and already in October we bought tickets to Milan: a good promotion appeared that should not be missed.

Why Italy? Why in the middle of March? It is already difficult to answer absolutely exactly now, but after the past, we have formulated the following travel requirements:
- moving between cities should not take a lot of time and money;
- there should not be too many cities to have time to devote enough time to everyone;
- in the cities visited, the weather should be comfortable for sightseeing.

By sorting through the options, our choice fell on Italy (although Spain also looked very attractive). For ourselves, we wrote out the following advantages:
- many interesting cities located close to each other;
- beautiful nature;
- excellent cuisine;
- promotions with inexpensive tickets often appear (including those from Pobeda).

True, Italy is not a cheap country, it is hot in the season and there are a lot of tourists. Therefore, we decided to go in mid-March: at this time, the temperature is usually already quite comfortable, there are not many tourists yet, and prices have not yet skyrocketed. At least that's how it should have been. In fact, there were not so few tourists (it's scary to think what's going on in the season), and in some cities it was relatively cold (according to locals, the weather this March is abnormal).

Detailed planning

Once the direction was decided, detailed planning began. We had a problem with how to visit all the interesting cities and at the same time build an optimal route in terms of time and costs. We found good tickets in the directions Moscow - Milan and Pisa - Moscow. Naples in this case did not fit very well (it was necessary to make unnecessarily long and expensive bus journeys). At the same time, I didn’t want to refuse to visit the city, and it wasn’t even in Naples itself, but in the fact that there are many interesting sights around it: Vesuvius, the excavations of Pompeii, the island of Capri, and so on. We solved this problem by buying cheap plane tickets (cheaper than some bus tickets) from Venice to Naples.

As a result, we compiled the following route: Moscow - Athens - Milan - Venice - Naples - Rome - Florence - Pisa - Moscow (in the future I will write a detailed article about each city).
Athens in the route appeared due to the fact that the flight was with a transfer in this city. Moreover, there were tickets with a long connection and with a short one. We decided that it would be interesting to see the city and took the first option. Now I think that this was not the right decision: we didn’t really have time to see anything and spent an additional 40 euros on a transfer from / to the airport.

To draw up a detailed schedule, I used the good old Excel, only I tried to arrange the document more accurately. It turned out something like this:

The diagram shows that the longest trip was from Milan to Venice and took less than 4 hours, while there is not a single night flight (not counting the trains Izhevsk - Moscow - Izhevsk). In addition, we tried to reduce the number of late arrivals to the room (although we couldn’t get rid of them completely and almost every one of them was not without problems).

In addition, I drew a route diagram for greater clarity:

Impression

Italy is a very beautiful country with so many interesting cities that it alone is enough for a trip. In every city there is something to see, and if you go to all the museums and exhibitions, then a few vacations will not be enough. And of course, one cannot but say about the local cuisine - it is wonderful!

Something came as a real surprise to me, for example, dirty Naples, where there are no less homeless than in. Which, by the way, not only sleep right on the streets, but also arranged for themselves almost open-air hotels near cathedrals and laundries from local fountains.
Some myths were debunked for me, for example, the canals in Venice do not even stink at all, as many people claim.

I was satisfied with the trip. The format with one or two countries seemed interesting and convenient to me. For the future, I think it is necessary to shorten the list of visited cities a little more, and dilute the route with a large number of outings into nature. In addition, it's time to start planning a route in advance for every day in cities, otherwise every morning there is some kind of confusion and misunderstanding of what exactly we wanted to do today. According to my feelings, this trip turned out to be more comfortable than the previous one: there were no sleepless nights and very long journeys.

Of course, no trip is complete without all sorts of difficulties and problems:
— we almost missed the plane twice (we were actually late for one of them, but we were lucky) and a couple of times for the buses;
- once we almost stayed to spend the night on the street (and did not stay only due to a miraculous coincidence);
- many times got into funny situations.
But, in my opinion, it is precisely such moments that remain in memory for a long time 🙂 I will talk about all such non-trivial situations in the following articles.

Expected and actual costs and prices

Estimating the approximate budget of the trip at the very beginning, we received an amount of about 120 thousand rubles. As a result, as is usually the case, it turned out much more.
In short, the total budget of the trip (for two people): ~157600 rubles. Then I described in detail the prices for tickets / visas / rooms and how much was eventually spent during the trip.

Directions:

We had two vouchers for FlixBus: for 57.8 euros (received from them after the story in) and for 10%, which was given to us just like that. Therefore, in the end, the cost of buses turned out to be: 92.2 - 57.8 - 2.8 (10% discount on 1 ticket) = 31.6 euros = ~2200

Total: 27811

Visas

Accommodation:

Spent before trip: 80135

It was originally planned that the budget for the day would be 70 euros (as on the last trip). But having calculated all the expenses in total, it turned out that we spent about 77.8 euros per day. What, translated into rubles at the current rate for the trip (about 71 rubles), it turns out ~ 77 500.

Some analytics

This time I wrote down all the expenses in detail, so that later I could classify them and understand what and how much money was spent on. There will be several diagrams below.

In general, there is nothing particularly surprising in the diagram: almost half of all expenses fell on food. About a quarter to pay for all kinds of transport: transfers from / to airports, travel and one-time tickets in cities, and so on.

Distribution of expenses made during the trip by city:

The diagram shows that the most expensive city was Venice (where we spent 3 days). At the same time, we spent a little more in 2 days in Rome than in 1 day in Milan. I think this is due to the fact that in Rome we almost did not go to museums and excursions (due to huge queues) and spent little on transport (there was no transfer from / to the airport, travel cards for 2 days are not very expensive).

The final chart for all expenses:


Travel expenses are expected to come first. Interestingly, the second largest expense item is food. Next comes accommodation.

Visas were so expensive for the reason that there is no visa center in Izhevsk. The nearest visa centers are in Kazan and Perm. Well, or you can go to the Italian Consulate in Moscow. But, since we already had one, we did not need to take biometrics and had the opportunity to use a visa agency that prepared all the documents, sent them to the visa center in Kazan, and then delivered the passports back to Izhevsk. We calculated that the cost of travel to Kazan, plus the lost salary for the days of the forced day off, turns out to be more expensive than the services of a visa agency. Well, fewer nerves. Unfortunately, as a result, we received a visa for only a month, although there were reasons to expect at least six months.

Another interesting observation: about 110 euros were spent on transfers to / from airports, while about 220 euros were spent on the plane tickets themselves. Those. transfer costs reach half of the cost of flights. Here, of course, it was strongly influenced by the fact that we had many relatively inexpensive flights. But still this point should be taken into account when planning.

Experiences of other travelers

In the same month, several of my acquaintances (also from Izhevsk) went to Italy, and I did not fail to ask about their routes and travel costs. If you look at their answers and at the whole article, you can understand how many different options there are to see the same country. The names are clickable, if you suddenly have questions, you can ask them directly. Thanks guys for the interesting info!

Anastasia Arsenyeva

Route:
Milan - 1 night;
Rome - 2 nights;
Venice - 1 night;
Riva del Garda - 1 night (on the day of arrival - by car around Lake Garda in all resort towns);
lake Braies and night in the city of Lana (South Tyrol);
and back to Milan for 1 night.

Where did you book your accommodation?
Milan, Rome, Venice — booking;
Riva del Garda - airnbnb;
Lana - lived in a friend's apartment (we stopped because it was more convenient to go with Bries, well, we stayed there for free).

How to move between cities:
For the most part by train: Milan-Rome-Venice on italo treno, Venice-Rovereto (with a change in Verona) on trenitalia trains. A friend met us in Rovereto and took us by car. He also took him to Milan from Lana.

Amount of days: 7 full days
Where did you get your visa?: Consulate of Italy in Moscow
Budget (per person): 45000

Ivan Tarasov

Route: Izhevsk - Naberezhnye Chelny - Moscow - Rome - Naples - Venice - Verona - Florence - Pisa - Rimini - Kaunas - Vilnius - Moscow - Naberezhnye Chelny - Izhevsk

Where did you book your accommodation? Airbnb

How did you move between cities?
Izhevsk — Naberezhnye Chelny — Izhevsk — car
Naberezhnye Chelny - Moscow - Naberezhnye Chelny - plane (Victory)
Moscow - Rome - plane
Rome - Naples - Train (.Italo)
Naples - Venice - by plane (Ryanair)
Venice - Verona - train
Verona - Florence - Bus (FlixBus)
Florence - Pisa - car (Blablacar)
Pisa - Rimini - trains
Rimini - Kaunas - plane
Kaunas - Vilnius - train
Vilnius - Moscow - train (Nesterovsky train)

Amount of days: from 21 to 29 March
Where did you get visas? visa center in Kazan
Budget (for two): 66,000 (excluding expenses for the road Izhevsk - Naberezhnye Chelny - Izhevsk)

Do you want to get 2100 rubles for booking accommodation? Sign up for Airbnb using this link!
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