CHEAP ITALY VACATION IDEAS
DISCOUNT ITALIAN VACATION PACKAGES

We have a few tips and techniques to offer that will help you to travel Italy without having to take a second mortgage on the family home, raid the college bank account or hock the kids’ belongings. Cheap Italy family vacations may be a thing of the past but squeezing the last bit of value out of every last dollar in your vacation budget will never go out of style.

ITALY VACATION IDEAS and REVIEWS

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ITALY VACATION IDEAS, DESTINATIONS and TRAVEL TIPS

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CHEAP TRANSPORTATION in ITALY

• Skip the Italian vacation destinations that rely heavily on tourism.
• Plan your sightseeing and tourist activities ahead of time for South Italy rather than North Italy ahead of time. Make lists of things to do and places to see in out-of-the-way places such as Etruscan villages rather than the hills of Tuscany.
• Spend time with the locals and travel Italy from the view of the locals rather than to stalk celebrities that may or may not be visiting Capri. This is the best way to teach your children or to learn about Italian culture yourself on your Italy vacation.
• Select one particular area of Italy for your adventures for each trip. Not only will you find that reducing transportation costs and car rental fees to travel Italy translates into one of our best cheap Italy vacation ideas, but you and your family will be more likely to find some really cool stuff to do and see.
• Consider walking from one Italy attraction to the next. Walking is a wonderful and cheap way to travel Italy and learn about Italian culture.
• Biking in Italy is fun. For days when you want faster transportation, bicycles are a popular family way to travel. Car rentals and taxi cabs should be your last resort if your goal is discount Italy travel for yourself or your family.
• If you plan to move around a lot, you might want to consider purchasing multi-use metro, rail passes or vaporetto tickets, but if you are taking our tips and advice for how to keep it cheap on your Italy vacation and plan to focus on one area you can skip those transportation options as the won’t save you much money.

CHEAP LODGING IDEAS in ITALY
As you are well aware, vacation accommodations are a killer when it comes to cheap vacations and travel. Each country and destination has its own unique places to find cheap lodging. Here are some ideas on how to score some discount Italy travel accommodations that won’t have you camping out in a park with nothing but a sleeping bag between you and the ground.

• When visiting Italy bed and breakfasts are a charming and pleasant place to stay. Read some Italy vacation reviews and you may find a B&B that offers value and atmosphere for a cheap price.
• Make a list of the attractions in Italy that you don’t want to miss and pick a centrally located small town to begin your search for places to stay. Price hotels in Tuscany and Milan and compare the lodging in less trendy destinations and you will see where the best discount accommodations for your Italy vacation can be booked
• Cruise the bulletin boards and classified ads for Italy vacation rentals to see if you can find a suitable apartment for rent at cheap rates or a house swap that would work for you.

CHEAP RESTAURANTS AND DINING in ITALY
It would be sinful to take a trip to Italy and not enjoy Italian cuisine. Dining and enjoying fine wines is an important part of Italian culture, so don’t be neglectful in this area of education. Some of the restaurants are so wonderful that by all rights they should be on your list of things to do and see!

If you want to save money on your Italy vacation and yet not deprive yourself of the attraction of Italian food here are some ideas

• Act like a local Italian and buy your water and snacks at the local supermarket. Don’t get caught empty handed with a pack of hungry, thirsty children and be forced to buy expensive stuff just to quiet the kids. Plan ahead, keep a large inventory of drinks and finger food for emergencies
• Forego meals at ristoranti (Italian restaurants) and visit informal Osteria and trattoria that the locals recommend. The food will still be out of this world and won’t take away from your Italy vacation experience in the least.
• Should you tip in Italy? If you want to be branded as a tourist, go ahead, but Italians never tip so why should you?
• Reserve a meal at an inexpensive agriturismo. They offer lots of bang for your vacation dollar and if you’re taking a family Italy vacation, this is the best place for kids to eat because it gives them some room to play and some time for you to enjoy the meal and relax after you eat the huge amount of food that’s offered by most agriturismo for a fixed price.
• When faced with the decision of having your cappuccino at a table or at the bar, opt for the seat at the bar or expect to pay a much higher price for the luxury of sitting at a table.

CHEAP ITALIAN TRAVEL ADVICE IN CLOSING

If you don’t lose sight of our helpful Italy vacation and travel ideas, you will have cash on hand for things to see and do in Italy even when you are forced to buy tickets, food and transportation (no matter how expensive the tickets happen to be) where no discounts are available.

Return to Cheap Family Vacations and Travel Ideas for more information on how to travel cheap!