Italy has my heart & soul! I first fell in love with beautiful Italia during a 6-week study abroad in Florence & my husband and I can’t seem to stay away. This trip was not a must-see-all-of-Italy (see my parents 2019 summer itinerary if that’s more what you need), we were interesting in slowing down and enjoying our time together. I would like to point out (& brag) that I got the price BELOW $3,000 for 10 days in Italy for two people, flights included. I was actually under budget too! I will probably never kill trip & budget planning like I did on this one below.
While planning this trip, I did monthly blog posts on my progress so if you’re interested to see how I put together the trip just click through the links below:
- 2018 Italy Planning: September Edition
- 2018 Italy Planning: October Edition
- 2018 Italy Planning: November Edition
- 2018 Italy Planning: December Edition
- Planning vs Reality: 2018 Umbria & Tuscany Italy Trip
JMF
| EVENT | TIMES/ ADDRESS | ESTIMATED COST USD | ESTIMATED COST EURO | ACTUAL COST USD | ACTUAL COST EURO |
| Wednesday, December 26 | |||||
| South Florida to Stockholm Airport | |||||
| Flight MIA – ARN | $1,500.00 | €1,290.00 | $1,380.02 | €1,186.82 | |
| Snacks: Bongos (at the airport) | $15.00 | €12.90 | $35.00 | €39.77 | |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $1,525.00 | €1,311.50 | $1,415.02 | €1,226.59 | |
| Thursday, December 27 | |||||
| Stockholm Airport to Rome to Assisi | |||||
| Flight ARN to FCO | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Car Rental at Rome Airport | car for 9 days | $581.40 | €500.00 | $345.50 | €305.59 |
| Drive from Rome to Assisi | ~2.5 hrs/cost of tolls | $0.00 | €0.00 | $5.11 | €4.50 |
| Walk around Assisi (UNESCO) | Miscellaneous cost for randomly walking around | $25.00 | €21.50 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Dinner: Ristorante di Santa Francesco | $0.00 | €0.00 | $96.59 | €85.00 | |
| Monasterio Santa Colette | check in 5-9pm/4 nights | $500.00 | €430.00 | $360.47 | €310.00 |
| Snacks | $15.00 | €12.90 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $1,221.40 | €1,050.40 | $807.67 | €705.09 | |
| Friday, December 28 | |||||
| Assisi | |||||
| Breakfast | included in monastery stay | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.57 | €0.50 | |
| Rocca Maggiore | Nov – Feb 10:00am-4:30pm | $13.95 | €12.00 | $13.64 | €12.00 |
| San Rufino Cathedral & Crypt | only Jess went into crypt/discount with Assisi Card | $0.00 | €0.00 | $3.98 | €3.50 |
| Lunch: Bar Sensi | $0.00 | €0.00 | $12.50 | €11.00 | |
| Foro Romano (Roman Forum) | FREE with Assisi Card | $0.00 | €10.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Basilica of Santa Chiara | $0.00 | €0.00 | $1.14 | €1.00 | |
| Convent of San Damiano | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Christmas Show at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi | FREE, I donated money | $0.00 | €0.00 | $3.07 | €2.70 |
| Dinner: Nonna Nini | $0.00 | €0.00 | $63.86 | €56.20 | |
| Snacks | 2 slices pizza/pastries | $15.00 | €12.90 | $7.05 | €6.20 |
| Miscellaneous | wax “F” letter seal & Canticle of the Creatures print | $10.00 | €8.60 | $28.41 | €25.00 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $128.95 | €98.90 | $134.20 | €118.10 | |
| Saturday, December 29 | |||||
| Day trip to Orvieto | |||||
| Breakfast | included in monastery stay | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Drive to Orvieto | ~1.5 hrs | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Funicular up to city & return | $0.00 | €0.00 | $5.91 | €5.20 | |
| Well of St. Patrick | $0.00 | €0.00 | $9.66 | €8.50 | |
| Lunch: Il Negozzieto | $0.00 | €0.00 | $12.50 | €11.00 | |
| Duomo/Cathedral | $0.00 | €0.00 | $10.23 | €9.00 | |
| Orvieto Underground Tour | DID NOT DO because we missed the time window :((( | $13.95 | €12.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Drive to Assisi | ~1.5 hrs/gas $ | $0.00 | €0.00 | $22.73 | €20.00 |
| Santa Maria degli Angeli | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Dinner: Trattoria degli Umbri | $0.00 | €0.00 | $38.64 | €34.00 | |
| Snacks: Barrique | $15.00 | €12.90 | $8.75 | €7.70 | |
| Miscellaneous | Olive oil jar | $10.00 | €8.60 | $31.82 | €28.00 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $128.95 | €98.90 | $140.23 | €123.40 | |
| Sunday, December 30 | |||||
| Assisi | |||||
| Breakfast | included in monastery stay | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Mass & visit to Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi | Upper Church 8:30am-6:00pm; Lower Church & Tomb 6:00am-6:30pm | $5.00 | €4.30 | $5.68 | €5.00 |
| Hiking up to Eremo delle Carceri | 5km | $5.00 | €4.30 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Lunch: Gli Eremi | $0.00 | €0.00 | $36.36 | €32.00 | |
| Dinner | $0.00 | €0.00 | $23.30 | €20.50 | |
| Snacks | $15.00 | €12.90 | $19.66 | €17.30 | |
| Miscellaneous | Franciscan “tau” cross | $10.00 | €8.60 | $5.68 | €5.00 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $125.00 | €98.90 | $90.68 | €79.80 | |
| Monday, December 31 | |||||
| Assisi to Pienza to Siena | |||||
| Breakfast | included in monastery stay | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Check out of Monastery | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Drive to Pienza | ~1.5 hrs | $8.00 | €6.88 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Walk around Pienza (UNESCO) | Cathedral & Crypt, Piazza Pio II, & Palazzo Piccolomini | $5.00 | €4.30 | $5.34 | €4.70 |
| Lunch | $0.00 | €0.00 | $51.14 | €45.00 | |
| Drive to Siena through the Val d’Orcia (UNESCO) | ~1.25 hrs/stop at Church of Vitaleta near San Quirico d’Orcia | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Grocery Shopping right outside Siena Historic Center | $0.00 | €0.00 | $42.31 | €37.23 | |
| Dinner: Lentils, Tomato Salad, Cheese & Salami | cooked in AirBnb | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| New Year’s Eve Festivities at Il Campo | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Siena AirBnb accommodations | 5 nights | $500.00 | €430.00 | $522.44 | €459.75 |
| Snacks | $15.00 | €12.90 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | Rosary for a friend’s baby | $10.00 | €8.60 | $11.36 | €10.00 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $638.00 | €548.68 | $632.59 | €556.68 | |
| Tuesday, January 1 | |||||
| Siena | |||||
| Breakfast | in apartment | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Mass in Siena Cathedral | Mass times: 8:00am, 9:00am, 11:00am, 12:15pm, 6:00pm | $2.00 | €1.72 | $4.55 | €4.00 |
| Opa Si Pass | Cathedral, Crypt, Museum & Panoramic View, Baptistry | $20.93 | €18.00 | $29.55 | €26.00 |
| Lunch | Coffee & pasta | $0.00 | €0.00 | $10.23 | €9.00 |
| Walk around Siena (UNESCO) | $5.00 | €4.30 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Dinner: Pasta Carbonara | Cooked in Airbnb | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Snacks: Pizzicheria de Miccoli | $15.00 | €12.90 | $5.68 | €5.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $142.93 | €98.90 | $50.00 | €44.00 | |
| Wednesday, January 2 | |||||
| Day Trip to San Gimignano | |||||
| Breakfast | Ate in the apartment | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Drive to San Gimignano | ~1 hr | $8.00 | €6.88 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| San Gimignano (UNESCO) | Porta San Giovanni, Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza del Duomo, medieval towers | $10.00 | €8.60 | $2.84 | €2.50 |
| Lunch: Boboli | $0.00 | €0.00 | $50.45 | €44.40 | |
| Vernaccio di San Gimignano Wine Experience | $0.00 | €0.00 | $18.18 | €16.00 | |
| Parking in San Gimignano | $0.00 | €0.00 | $11.93 | €10.50 | |
| Drive to Siena | ~1hr | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| San Francesco Church | $5.00 | €4.30 | $0.28 | €0.25 | |
| Santa Maria Della Scalla | Combo ticket with Civic Museum | $0.00 | €0.00 | $14.77 | €13.00 |
| Dinner | Leftovers in AirBnb | $0.00 | €0.00 | $5.95 | €5.24 |
| Snacks | Coffees | $15.00 | €12.90 | $2.50 | €2.20 |
| Miscellaneous | Olive oil for my mother-in-law & flu medicine (Will was getting sick) | $10.00 | €8.60 | $22.10 | €19.45 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $138.00 | €118.68 | $129.02 | €113.54 | |
| Thursday, January 3 | |||||
| Siena | |||||
| Breakfast | Ate in the apartment | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| San Damiano (to see the head of St. Catherine of Siena) | opens at 8:30 am | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €1.50 |
| St Catherine Sanctuary | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Palazzo & Civic Museum, Torre, & Il Campo | 10:00am-4:00pm | $46.51 | €40.00 | $10.23 | €9.00 |
| Lunch | $0.00 | €0.00 | $26.14 | €23.00 | |
| Walk around Siena & finish whatever we did not do | Oratory of San Bernardino & Fortezza Medici | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Dinner | Ate in Airbnb | $0.00 | €0.00 | $6.68 | €5.88 |
| Snacks: pastries & coffee & mulled wine | $15.00 | €12.90 | $16.02 | €14.10 | |
| Miscellaneous | I bought gloves because my hands were freezing & there was an outdoor market | $10.00 | €8.60 | $5.68 | €5.00 |
| Siena M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $171.51 | €98.90 | $64.75 | €58.48 | |
| Friday, January 4 | |||||
| Siena to Rome | |||||
| Breakfast | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Abandoned Church of San Galgano | $0.00 | €0.00 | $7.95 | €7.00 | |
| Drive to Tarquina | ~2 hrs/tolls | $8.00 | €6.88 | $0.91 | €0.80 |
| Etruscan Tombs of Tarquinia (UNESCO) | 8:30am-dusk | $18.60 | €16.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Lunch | Ate leftovers in the car | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Drive to Rome | ~40 mins | $0.00 | €0.00 | $62.69 | €55.17 |
| Etruscan Tombs of Cerveteri (UNESCO) | 8:30-dusk; DID NOT DO because Tarquina was enough | $18.60 | €16.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Drop off rental car at airport & check into hostel by train station | ~1hr drive to airport + ~30 min train into Roma Termini | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Train Ticket from airport to Roma Termini | €32.56 | €28.00 | $31.82 | €28.00 | |
| Dinner | $0.00 | €0.00 | $32.95 | €29.00 | |
| Santa Maria Maggiore | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Palladini Hostel | 1 night | $50.00 | €43.00 | $37.80 | €41.51 |
| Snacks | Coffees & a trapizzino | $15.00 | €12.90 | $25.00 | €22.00 |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Rome M&IE | $90.00 | €77.40 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $152.77 | €98.90 | $199.13 | €183.48 | |
| Saturday, January 5 | |||||
| Rome to Copenhagen | |||||
| Breakfast | $0.00 | €0.00 | $5.91 | €5.20 | |
| St. John Lateran Cathedral | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.80 | €0.70 | |
| Santa Sabina Church (APAH) | 7:00am-12:30pm | $2.00 | €1.72 | $0.57 | €0.50 |
| Il Gesu Church (APAH) | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Lunch | $0.00 | €0.00 | $10.23 | €9.00 | |
| Train from Roma Termini to airport | ~30 min (must arrive by 3pm) | €32.56 | €28.00 | $31.82 | €28.00 |
| Flight: FCO to CPH | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Dinner | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Clarion Hotel, Copenhagen Airport | 2 min walk from Terminal 3 | $200.00 | €172.00 | $190.11 | €163.49 |
| Snacks | $15.00 | €12.90 | $11.35 | €9.99 | |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Rome M&IE | $70.00 | €60.20 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $329.56 | €81.70 | $250.78 | €216.88 | |
| Sunday, January 6 | |||||
| Copenhagen to South Florida to Central Florida | |||||
| Breakfast | included in hotel stay | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Walk to airport to be there at 7:30am | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Flight: CPH to MIA | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Drive to Orlando | ~3 hrs | $0.00 | €0.00 | $0.00 | €0.00 |
| Snacks | $15.00 | €12.90 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Miscellaneous | $10.00 | €8.60 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | $25.00 | €21.50 | $0.00 | €0.00 | |
| GRAND TOTAL | $3,616.74 | €3,005.18 | $2,842.94 | €2,479.00 | |
