Italy for the Frugal Traveller

Travelling can be a pretty pricey hobby if you go overboard or delude yourself into thinking you need certain luxuries but you would be amazed how affordable great culture can be if you are smart about it. Of all the top tourist destinations in the world, Italy is always high on everyone’s list but maybe avoided due to misconceptions about it being outrageously expensive because of all the museums and standard of living.

The truth is, Italy is great for anyone to visit regardless of budget but there are a remarkable number of fantastic things to see and do in this country that won’t cost you anything. When paired with a discount flight from a number of destinations around the world, you might spend less on a trip to Italy than you would on a vacation within your own homeland! For more on cheap holidays to Italy click here.

Here are a list of a few of the free things to do in the major cities of Italy:

Rome

Often thought of as a tourist trap and the bane of the frugal traveller, you might be surprised to learn Rome has a number of free things to do that don’t make you feel like you’re missing out. In the old quarter, walking around the Coliseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps won’t cost you a thing and to be honest, this is all you really need to do to enjoy them! In the Vatican, it’s free to enter St. Peter’s Basilica and the square empties completely after 6pm making it excellent to wander around at your own pace. Finally, an evening in Trastevere, soaking up the pulse of the city’s nightlife won’t cost you anything – unless you decide to crack open a Peroni, and even that will only set you back a Euro or two (and is totally worth it!).

Florence

The city of Michelangelo’s David and the Renaissance is a sight to behold but it is also heaven for those who hate spending money. Yes, the real David will cost you about a dozen Euros to see, but his numerous doppelgangers will not and they are all around the city (a great way to see the city is trying to find them all!). Walking over Ponte Vechio will not cost you anything, unless you decide to buy some of the jewellery inside, but the hands down best thing to do in Venice is gazing out on the city from Piazele Michelangelo, particularly at sunset – and it is absolutely free.

Venice

A tourist trap in every sense of the word, Venice can be outrageously expensive if you partake in any of the three things the city is most famous for – glassware, the casino and of course, a Venice gondola ride. Many people think a trip to Venice doesn’t count unless you do at least one of those things but that is ridiculously untrue. Crossing the Grand Canal can be done at a few junctures, negating the need for a water taxi and looking at the glassware and masks doesn’t cost you anything. Gondolas are expensive, particularly at night and honestly, after walking around for a few hours you won’t want to take one after being harassed by the cheese ball gondoliers. So what is there free to do? Everything else. Wander the alleys, hang out at St. Marco’s, cross the Rialto Bridge and just take in the magic of this one of a kind city.