When you’re looking at booking a trip to Italy, you know you are doing so with the intent of visiting one of the world’s best destinations. There is so much to see and do in Italy beyond Rome and Vatican City. Between lakes, villas, scenery, and architecture, visiting Italy will give you more pictures and memories than you’ve ever hoped for.
You can see Italy in one of two ways, depending on how you travel. The first is to go on a budget and get your fill of sites and food without spending a fortune. The alternative is to travel to Italy like you own the place and live like royalty with VIP travel and dining options. Either way, we customized two cost breakdowns for a week-long trip to Italy for one person using websites like Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Oyster.
Why We’re Covering Travel
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It’s okay to wonder why a website called 24/7 Wall St. is covering travel. At least until you learn that 10.5% of Italy’s entire GDP is based on travel and tourism. On top of this, one in every eight jobs in Italy is somehow related to the tourism industry. Given these economic factors, it makes all the sense in the world why covering travel to Italy is important.
Budget Flights
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- Estimated budget flight cost: $1,000 – $1,600
If you’re looking to make your way to Italy on a budget, rest assured that it’s something you can do. Whether in Rome, Milan, Florence, or Naples, you can find your way to Italy without spending a fortune. For most people, you’ll want to start in Rome, Italy’s largest city. To travel to Rome in August on a one-week trip, you can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,600 per person. Alternatively, to travel to Milan, Italy’s second-largest city, you’re looking at a one-week ticket price between $1,300 and $1,400 per person.
Luxury Flights
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- Estimated luxury flight cost: $6,300 – $10,500
If you want to experience Italy like a VIP, you will start by traveling first class. To travel from Atlanta to Rome in August, you’re looking at around $6,300 – $10,500 per person for a week. Switch your destination to Milan, Italy’s wealthiest city, and you’re looking at similar pricing during the first week of August. A first-class ticket will run between $6,300 and $10,100. Interestingly, the cheaper ticket is only one stop, so it’s an easy decision.
Budget Hotels
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- Estimated budget hotel cost: $1,100 – $2,900
You have plenty of hotels to choose from on a budget, no matter what city you’re traveling to. In Rome, you’re looking at anywhere between $1,700 and $2,800 for a one-week stay. For the same week in August, a budget-friendly stay in Milan won’t show much of a price difference. You’re still looking at around $2,000 to $2,900, including a night’s stay at Hotel Abruzzi. In Naples, you can do a little better with pricing running as low as $1,100 for one week up to $2,400.
Luxury Hotels
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- Estimated luxury hotel cost: $6,800 – $17,400
The good news for anyone looking for luxury hotels in Italy is that you will have quite a selection. We’ll start with Rome, where you can look at a hotel like Mallot Roma in the city center for $4,600 for one week, but you can also choose J.K. Place Roma for up to $10,000 for a one-week stay. In Milan, VIP hotels, including the Casa Baglioni, will run around $6,800 for one week. The Palazzo Parigi Hotel & Grand Spa Milan offers a fantastic and relaxing experience for $8,200 for one week. Last but not least, try the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Naples for a whopping $17,400 for one week. Rest assured it’s worth every penny.
Budget Transportation
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- Estimated budget transportation cost: $26 – $400
Without question, the best reason to use public transportation in Italy is because it’s budget-friendly. For example, in Rome, you can get an unlimited bus pass for the whole week for just $26. You can also take a train ride between Rome and Milan in three hours, which costs $108 per person. If you want to enjoy the views of the countryside more, slower trains cost half this price but add a bit of travel time. Alternatively, you can grab an unlimited Eurail Italy Pass for the whole week you’re in town for $400 per person.
Luxury Transportation
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- Estimated luxury transportation cost: $1,300 – $8,800
While the Eurail ticket is the best way to see Italy, you can also get there in a luxury rental car. The convenience of having your own car cannot be ignored. Prices start at around $1,300 for a week in August in Rome with a BMW i4, while a 5-Series BMW is $1,500 for the same week. Grab yourself a BMW M400 convertible in Milan for $8,739, which shows how luxurious you can be in this flashy city. Lastly, in Naples, the same BMW 5-Series costs only $1,150 for one week, so pricing is bit jaw-dropping if you’re visiting Milan.
Budget Food
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- Estimated budget food cost: $200 – $400
Even with its incredible pasta and gelato, eating on a budget in Italy doesn’t have to break the bank. Suppli Roma is the go-to tourist destination in Rome, costing around $25 per meal. In Naples, eating on a budget is wonderfully easy. There are dozens of pizzerias and pasta shops where you can get a filling meal between $5 and $10 for one person. Milan, as you can likely tell, is slightly more expensive, so try a place like Starita, which costs no more than $20 per meal per person.
Luxury Food
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- Estimated luxury food cost: $1,400 – $3,000
The next time you’re in Rome, rest assured there are plenty of Michelin-star restaurants you can try over one week. La Pergola, Rome’s three-star Michelin restaurant, is your first stop. Meals cost around $70 per person, but it’s a meal unlike anything else in Rome. Unsurprisingly, Milan is also home to plenty of Michelin-star restaurants, which are the most expensive in Italy. Between Cracco in Galleria and Verso Capitaneo, expect to spend between $100 and $200 per meal. Naples also has its share of Michelin-starred places, generally priced around $70 per meal.
Budget Attractions
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- Estimated budget attractions cost: $300 – $500
Of course, when in Rome, you’ll stop to see the Colosseum for $36 and the Pantheon for $19 per ticket. The Trevi fountain is free, but a tour of Vatican City costs upward of $100 per person. You also have a fair share of places to see in Milan, such as the Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Each of these costs around $30 per person per ticket.
When you visit Naples, try the Duomo di Napoli or one of the many free walking tours. Last but not least, no visit to Naples is complete without seeing where Pompeii was once situated, which costs about $15 per person. You should be okay with around $500 as your absolute top budget for things to do.
Luxury Attractions
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- Estimated luxury attractions cost: $1,000 – $3,000
In Rome, you can’t travel like a VIP without the $750 package for the VIP tour of Vatican City. Shift your focus to Milan, and things will get even more luxurious. You can hire a private driver and boat to see the best parts of Lake Como. A playground for the rich and famous, you can expect to spend $700 on the shallow end of a private tour that lasts around 8 hours.
Of course, you can’t visit Milan without seeing the Armani Silos, Giorgio Armani’s fashion museum, which costs around $175 per person for a visit. A private tour of the Royal Palace of Naples will make you feel like royalty in Naples, at the low price of just $400 per person. Ultimately, having a few thousand dollars available is how to enjoy attractions in Italy like a VIP.
Hidden Costs
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- Estimated hidden costs: ~$110
One thing most people don’t consider is that when traveling to Italy, there is an entry visa fee. It’s around $80 for adults planning a short 7-day trip, but it’s something to consider as far as a hidden cost. While T-Mobile customers have international roaming in Italy, buying a prepaid SIM is the best thing you can do. Spend between $27 and $33, and you can buy a tourist SIM card that will give you unlimited data and the ability to make and receive international and local calls.
Total Costs
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- Estimated budget cost: $2,700 – $5,700
- Estimated luxury cost: $17,000 – $42,000
Planning a trip to Italy might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and if so, rest assured, you can do it without selling your worldly possessions. Spending between $2,700 and $5,700 will help you enjoy some of Italy’s best food and attractions. You will find no shortage of photo-worthy moments in Italy while on a budget.
However, if you want to try Italy like the rich and famous do, you can get a VIP experience starting at around $17,000 per person. This entitles you to private tours, Michel-star food, and fancy hotel suites. Whether you choose the VIP or the budget option is entirely up to you. Just know that Italy is worth the price regardless.
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