Many people consider spending two weeks traveling around a foreign country a luxury. This doesn't have to be the case. Take Italy for example: a beautiful country, packed with culture, great food, gorgeous countryside and a fascinating history... but a trip to Italy doesn't have to be expensive.
Simply follow a few good rules of thumb and you'll be enjoying all that this country has to offer without breaking the bank. Choose your starting point and your ending point - where you go in between is completely up to you.
Getting To Italy
- Italy has two main entry points as far as flights from the United States are concerned: Rome and Milan. Both are great places to start your trip and simple to navigate for first time visitors.
- If you are traveling from within Europe, there are several budget airlines flying in to airports all around Italy, including Ancona, Bologna, Perugia, Pisa, Rome, Trieste (for Venice), Turin and Verona.
- Train travel is very popular in Europe and Italy's rail system is efficient and straightforward, not to mention a great budget option. Trains arrive into Italy via France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia.
- You can also arrive by ferry from the Dalmatian coast, with ports at Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.
Travel Within Central and Northern Italy
The cheapest way to travel around the country is by train. All of the main cities are connected by rail and most connections run several times a today. Popular routes, such as Rome to Florence or Venice to Verona, run every hour. This makes it very easy to get from one city to another, whether it is just for a day trip or as part of your itinerary for your trip.