Budget Travel10 days, 9 nightsItaly

Italy in 10 Days: Budget Route

Rome, Bologna and Venice by regional and intercity train, with apartments, market lunches and free viewpoints doing most of the work.

Destination

Italy

Travel style

Budget

Duration

10 days, 9 nights

Approximate budget

Approx. 950 to 1,300 EUR per person, excluding flights

Best time to travel

Late April to early June, mid September to October

Route overview

This is the version of Italy that most people actually travel, and it is a very good trip. Three cities, three apartments, trains between them, and no attempt to squeeze in the Amalfi Coast.

The savings come from four decisions, not from suffering. You stay a short tram or metro ride outside the historic core, eat your main meal at lunch, use free or low-cost sights for at least half of your days, and book the two long train legs six to eight weeks in advance.

Rome is where the ticketed sights live, so the budget is front-loaded. Bologna is almost free to enjoy, since the city itself (porticoes, markets, the hill up to San Michele in Bosco) is the attraction. Venice costs whatever you let it: the vaporetto pass and one museum, and the rest is walking.

Day by day

Day 1
Arrive in Rome, settle in Monti or San Lorenzo
Take the Leonardo Express or the cheaper regional train from Fiumicino to Termini. Check into an apartment in San Lorenzo or Monti, then walk to the Colosseum exterior at dusk. No ticket needed to stand in front of it, and the light is better than at midday.
Day 2
Ancient Rome on one combined ticket
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine share a single ticket, so start at 08:30 when the queues are shortest. Bring water and refill at the street fountains. Lunch near Cavour, then an easy afternoon in Villa Celimontana.
Day 3
Vatican morning, Trastevere evening
Book the Vatican Museums online for the first slot. St Peter's Basilica itself is free, though the security queue takes time. Cross to Trastevere in the late afternoon for the cheapest good pizza in the city.
Day 4
Free Rome and a market lunch
Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori market, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain cost nothing except time. Buy lunch at a bakery and eat it on the steps of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Day 5
Train to Bologna
Two hours by high speed train, or three by intercity for roughly half the price. Afternoon in Piazza Maggiore, then the Quadrilatero food streets for aperitivo, which in Bologna often comes with enough snacks to replace dinner.
Day 6
Bologna on foot, plus a hill
The Archiginnasio and its anatomical theatre cost a few euro. The walk up the portico to San Luca is free and takes about an hour each way. Tagliatelle al ragu at lunch in a trattoria off Via del Pratello.
Day 7
Day trip to Modena or Ferrara
Both are under 40 minutes by regional train and cost around 5 EUR each way. Ferrara has flat streets and rentable bikes. Modena has the cathedral and the Albinelli market.
Day 8
Train to Venice, stay in Mestre or Cannaregio
Ninety minutes north. Rooms in Mestre are half the price of the islands and the train takes ten minutes. If you stay on the islands, Cannaregio near the station is the cheapest area. Evening walk to the Rialto once the day crowds have gone.
Day 9
Venice without the big ticket queues
Start early in Castello and Dorsoduro. One serious visit is enough: the Frari church, or the Accademia if the weather turns. Take the vaporetto down the Grand Canal at least once, it is the cheapest boat tour in the city.
Day 10
Departure
If your flight is late, use the morning for Giudecca, which is quiet and residential, then take the bus from Piazzale Roma to Marco Polo.

Accommodation approach

Apartments or guesthouses one or two transport stops outside each historic centre. In Rome, San Lorenzo and Pigneto are good value. In Bologna, anywhere inside the ring road works. In Venice, Mestre is the honest budget answer at roughly half the island price.

Getting around

Regional and intercity trains between cities, booked in advance where prices are fixed. City transport by tram, metro and bus with day or multi-day passes. No car at any point, it would only be a parking problem.

What to eat

Lunch as the main meal, with a set menu or a single primo
Bakery and market food for at least one meal a day
Aperitivo in Bologna, where the snacks are generous
Pizza al taglio sold by weight in Rome

Planning tips

Book the Colosseum and Vatican slots as soon as your dates are certain, they sell out and the resale prices are much higher.
Validate regional train tickets before boarding if they are paper, the fine is not negotiable.
Tap water from Rome's street fountains is safe and free. A refillable bottle saves a surprising amount over ten days.
Avoid restaurants with photo menus directly beside a major monument, one street back is usually half the price and twice the food.