Backpacking Italy doesn’t have to be crazy expensive. Italy definitely has a reputation for being an expensive country to travel around, especially when you think about places like Venice, Florence or the Amalfi Coast. But from my own experience, you can actually travel around Italy on a pretty reasonable backpacking budget.
I’m not talking about luxury hotels, fancy restaurants or private tours here. This is a backpacking budget: hostels, trains and buses, cheap local food, aperitivo, spontaneous plans and trying to save money where it makes sense.
I don’t remember every single expense from my trips, so I’m not going to pretend I have a perfectly calculated spreadsheet. But during one trip of roughly three weeks, I think I spent around €700 on my day-to-day travel expenses. That’s approximately €33 per day, although this is my personal estimate and your budget can obviously be very different depending on your itinerary and what you include.
So, how much does it actually cost to backpack Italy?
Is Italy Expensive for Backpackers?
Honestly? Not necessarily.
Italy can be expensive if you want it to be. But if you’re backpacking, there are plenty of ways to keep your costs down.
You have cheap food options, hostels, regional trains, FlixBus, free things to do and plenty of places where you can sit down for an Aperol without spending an insane amount of money.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that where you are matters a lot.
A small local bar in a less touristy neighbourhood can be incredibly affordable, while a restaurant directly next to a famous attraction can cost you several times more.
And this is something I really like about travelling around Italy: you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice the experience just because you’re travelling on a budget.
My Italy Backpacking Budget
For one trip of roughly three weeks, I think I spent around €700.
Again: I don’t remember the exact amount, so take this as a personal estimate rather than an exact calculation.
That works out at roughly:
€700 ÷ 21 days = about €33 per day
For me, this was possible because I wasn’t travelling in a luxury way. I was backpacking, using cheaper transport, staying in hostels and looking for affordable food options.
I also wasn’t paying for an expensive activity every single day.
Would I tell you to arrive in Italy with exactly €700 for three weeks? Absolutely not.
Instead, I’d use my experience as proof that Italy can be backpacked on a relatively small budget if you’re smart about where your money goes.
How Much Do You Need Per Day to Backpack Italy?
As a rough starting point, I’d personally budget around €40–60 per day for a budget backpacking trip, excluding your flights to and from Italy.
You can spend less than that, especially if you find cheap accommodation and transport, but having a little more breathing room means you don’t have to say no to everything.
Your daily budget might look something like:
| Expense | Backpacker budget |
|---|---|
| Hostel | €20–35 |
| Food | €10–20 |
| Transport | €3–10+ |
| Activities | €0–10+ |
| Drinks / aperitivo | €3–8+ |
| Total | Around €40–60+ |
These are rough figures, not fixed Italian prices. Some cities and destinations will be considerably more expensive, especially during peak season.
And if your accommodation is already paid for, your daily spending can obviously be much lower.
Accommodation: Hostels Are Your Friend
If you’re backpacking Italy, hostels are probably going to be one of your biggest money savers.
Especially when travelling solo, staying in a hostel doesn’t only save you money compared with a private hotel room. It can also be a great way to meet people, which is one of my favourite parts of backpacking anyway.
Prices vary massively depending on the city and season.
You can find relatively affordable dorm beds in some cities, while places like Venice, Florence or popular destinations in summer can get considerably more expensive.
My advice is to compare different areas rather than only looking at the absolute centre.
Sometimes staying a little further from the main tourist attractions can save you money without making your trip significantly harder.
Food on a Backpacking Budget
You absolutely do not need to eat at expensive restaurants every day in Italy.
In fact, some of my favourite Italian food experiences have been incredibly simple.
Think:
- Pizza al taglio
- Focaccia
- Panini
- Bakeries
- Pasta
- Gelato
- Street food
- Supermarket food
- Aperitivo
- Cheap local restaurants
And honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what you want when you’re backpacking.
You don’t need a three-course meal after walking around a city for eight hours. Give me a focaccia, a gelato and an Aperol and I’m happy.
Too Good To Go in Italy
One of my best backpacking tips for Italy is to check Too Good To Go.
The app is very active in Italy, especially in larger cities, and you can find restaurants, bakeries, cafés and supermarkets selling leftover food at a fraction of the normal price.
And I’ve had some insane experiences with it.
In Genoa, we once got a Too Good To Go bag from a pizza/focaccia place for around €4.
I genuinely have never seen so much food.
There was so much that the entire hostel was basically eating from it. I swear we were feeding everyone.
So if you’re backpacking Italy and trying to save money, download Too Good To Go before you go and check what’s available wherever you are.
It can also be particularly useful in more expensive cities such as Florence.
Aperitivo Can Be Surprisingly Cheap
And then we need to talk about one of my favourite Italian inventions: aperitivo.
Italy is one of those countries where you can sometimes get a drink and something to eat for surprisingly little money.
An Aperol Spritz can sometimes be around €5, although prices vary hugely depending on the city and location. Tourist hotspots, rooftop bars and fancy terraces can obviously be much more expensive.
But if you find a local bar away from the main tourist streets, you can sometimes get a very affordable drink and snacks.
And honestly, sitting outside with an Aperol in Italy feels like you’re spending way more money than you actually are.
Just check what is included because aperitivo doesn’t always mean a full meal. Sometimes it’s just a few snacks with your drink.
Don’t Forget the Small Transport Costs
When you’re creating your Italy backpacking budget, don’t only think about your big train journeys.
The little transport costs add up too.
For example:
- Local buses
- Metro tickets
- Regional trains
- Ferries
- Airport transfers
- Cable cars
- Boats
A €2 or €3 ticket doesn’t feel like much at the time, but after three weeks of travelling around, you’ve bought quite a few of them.
Don’t Forget Ferry Tickets
This is especially important if you’re travelling somewhere like Lake Como.
For example, if you’re travelling between Varenna and Bellagio, you’ll need to budget for the ferry. An adult one-way ticket is currently around €5.50.
That isn’t expensive at all, but if you’re taking several ferry journeys during your trip, it’s something worth including in your budget.
The same goes for other destinations where boats are part of getting around.
Trains and Buses
Italy is actually a pretty good country for backpacking without a car.
The train network connects many of the major cities, and you can also use buses such as FlixBus when you want to save money.
Trains
For longer distances, high-speed trains can be incredibly convenient.
But if you’re backpacking on a budget, book in advance whenever you can. Prices can be much better than buying at the last minute.
Regional trains can also be a good budget option for shorter journeys.
FlixBus
FlixBus has been one of my go-to options when travelling around Italy.
It’s often cheaper than the train, although it can obviously take longer.
If you’re not in a rush and the price difference is significant, I’d happily take the bus.
Activities and Day Trips
This is one of the categories backpackers often forget about.
You might calculate your hostel, food and transport and think you’ve got your Italy budget sorted.
And then you start travelling.
Suddenly you’re paying for:
- Museum entrances
- Boat trips
- Guided tours
- Archaeological sites
- Day trips
- Cable cars
- Wine tastings
- Beach clubs
- Organised activities
- Attraction tickets
These costs can add up very quickly.
That’s why I wouldn’t create a backpacking budget where every single euro is already allocated.
Leave yourself some money for actually doing things.
Because what’s the point of backpacking around Italy if you can’t occasionally say, okay, we’re already here, let’s just do it.
Rome Isn’t Necessarily That Expensive
I actually don’t find Rome as expensive as you might expect.
Yes, it is a huge tourist destination, and yes, you can find very expensive restaurants and accommodation.
But there is also a lot of competition.
There are restaurants, cafés, bakeries and bars everywhere, so you can usually find cheaper alternatives if you look around.
My advice is to avoid automatically eating directly beside the biggest attractions.
Walk a few streets away, look at menus, check Google Maps and see where people are actually eating.
You don’t have to eat next to the Colosseum to have a good Italian meal.
Smaller Tourist Destinations Can Be More Expensive
Something I find interesting is that smaller doesn’t always mean cheaper.
Some smaller destinations can actually be more expensive than a big city.
Why?
Usually because they’re extremely popular with tourists, there are fewer businesses competing for customers and everything is concentrated in a small area.
A few examples:
Venice
Venice can be expensive partly because of how unique its location is. You’re on an island, tourism is huge and prices around the main sights can be high.
Florence
Florence is another city where prices can increase significantly around the historic centre and major attractions.
Taormina
Taormina in Sicily is beautiful, but it’s also very touristy and sits on a hill overlooking the coast. Accommodation, restaurants and drinks can therefore be noticeably more expensive than in other parts of Sicily.
So when you’re backpacking Italy, don’t automatically assume:
small town = cheap.
Sometimes the opposite is true.
What About Tipping in Italy?
Tipping isn’t as obligatory in Italy as it is in some other countries, and you don’t need to leave a huge percentage every time you eat out.
You may also see a coperto, which is a cover charge added to your bill.
But if you’ve had great service, I personally think it’s nice to leave a tip when you can.
And considering that Italy can still be relatively affordable compared with some Northern European countries, I definitely wouldn’t be stingy if someone has been lovely.
You don’t need to leave 20% just because you’re a tourist, but rounding up or leaving a little extra for good service is always appreciated.
How to Save Money While Backpacking Italy
If you’re trying to keep your Italy backpacking budget low, these are the things I’d actually recommend:
Stay in hostels
Especially when travelling solo, hostels can save you a lot compared with hotels.
Book trains early
Don’t leave expensive train journeys until the last minute if you can avoid it.
Compare train and bus prices
Sometimes the train is worth paying extra for. Other times, FlixBus saves you quite a bit.
Use Too Good To Go
Seriously. Check the app.
Eat local and simple
You don’t need a restaurant meal every time you’re hungry.
Avoid the most touristy restaurants
Especially directly beside famous attractions.
Walk whenever you can
Italian cities are often incredibly walkable, and walking is free.
Look for free activities
Some of the best parts of Italy cost absolutely nothing: wandering through historic streets, sitting in piazzas, watching sunsets and exploring neighbourhoods.
Leave room in your budget
Don’t spend every euro you have planned before the trip. You’ll want money for spontaneous things.
My Biggest Backpacking Budget Tip: Don’t Obsess Over Every Euro
This might sound contradictory in an article about budgeting, but I actually think it’s important.
You don’t need to track every €2 coffee.
The point of having a backpacking budget is to know roughly what you can afford, not to spend your entire trip worrying about money.
If you save money on accommodation, maybe you can afford a boat trip.
If you find a €4 Too Good To Go bag, maybe you can spend the money you saved on an Aperol later.
It’s about balancing it.
How Much Money Do You Need to Backpack Italy?
If you’re travelling in a backpacker style, I’d personally aim for around €40–60 per day, excluding your flights and depending on whether accommodation is included.
You can absolutely travel for less, and you can also spend much more.
My own experience of around €700 for three weeks comes out at roughly €33 per day, but I wouldn’t use that as a guaranteed Italy backpacking budget. It’s simply what I remember spending on that particular trip.
Your biggest variables will be:
Accommodation + transport + food + activities.
Get those four under control and Italy becomes much more manageable.
Italy Backpacking Budget: My Final Thoughts
I don’t think you should be scared of backpacking Italy because you’ve heard that it’s expensive.
Italy is not automatically an expensive country.
Yes, some destinations are expensive. Yes, Venice can hurt your wallet. Yes, you can easily spend €15 on a cocktail if you sit somewhere with a view.
But you can also eat focaccia for a few euros, find affordable hostels, take a cheap bus, use Too Good To Go, grab an Aperol for around €5 in the right place and spend an entire afternoon wandering around a city without spending anything.
That’s what I love about backpacking Italy.
You can make it as expensive or as affordable as you want.
And if you ask me, I’d rather spend €4 on an enormous Too Good To Go bag in Genoa and have the entire hostel eat with me than spend €40 on one fancy dinner just because I’m on holiday.
Planning Your Trip to Italy?
Planning a trip to Italy can be surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re choosing between huge historic cities, beautiful coastlines, charming smaller towns, mountains, lakes and islands.
That’s why I’ve created my Italy Travel Guide, where I share destination guides, things to do, local tips and my personal experiences from travelling around Italy.
→ START HERE: Italy Travel Guides
FAQ: Italy Backpacking Budget
Is Italy expensive to backpack?
Italy doesn’t have to be expensive to backpack. Staying in hostels, using public transport, eating local food and choosing cheaper activities can keep your costs relatively low. Tourist hotspots such as Venice, Florence and Taormina can be considerably more expensive.
How much does it cost to backpack Italy?
As a rough backpacking budget, I’d plan around €40–60 per day, excluding flights to and from Italy. You can spend less if you travel very cheaply, while accommodation, peak season and expensive destinations can push your budget much higher.
How much money do I need for 3 weeks in Italy?
For a budget backpacking trip, I’d personally plan around €840–€1,260 for three weeks, excluding flights. My own experience was around €700 for roughly three weeks, but that’s a personal estimate and I wouldn’t use it as a guaranteed budget for everyone.
Can you backpack Italy on €50 a day?
Yes, €50 a day can be possible for a budget backpacker in Italy. Staying in dorms, eating cheap local food, using buses and regional trains and choosing free or inexpensive activities can help you stay around this amount. Some destinations and seasons will require a higher budget.
What is the cheapest way to travel around Italy?
FlixBus can often be one of the cheapest ways to travel longer distances around Italy. Regional trains can also be affordable, while high-speed trains are usually more expensive but much faster. Compare both before booking.
Is food expensive in Italy?
Food in Italy doesn’t have to be expensive. Pizza al taglio, focaccia, panini, bakeries, supermarkets and simple local restaurants can all be budget-friendly options. Eating directly beside major tourist attractions is usually more expensive.
How can I save money while backpacking Italy?
Stay in hostels, book trains in advance, compare trains with FlixBus, eat local food, use Too Good To Go, walk between attractions and look for free things to do. Also leave some room in your budget for spontaneous activities and day trips.
Do you need to tip in Italy?
Tipping isn’t generally obligatory in Italy. You may also see a coperto, or cover charge, on your bill. If you’ve received good service, leaving a small tip or rounding up is a nice gesture, but you don’t need to leave a large percentage like in some countries.
Are trains expensive in Italy?
Train prices in Italy vary depending on the route, train type and how early you book. High-speed trains can be more expensive, while regional trains are often cheaper. Booking ahead can help you find better prices.
Is Italy good for budget backpackers?
Yes. Italy is a great country for backpacking because you can travel between many cities by train or bus, stay in hostels and find plenty of affordable food. The biggest challenge is that some very popular destinations can become expensive, particularly during peak season.
