How many cities to take on: Plan on three to five cities for a trip of two weeks, and never more than one new base every three days. Each move costs half a day once you count checkout, the station, the ride and finding the hostel, and Italian cities are dense enough that a single one can fill three days without repeating itself. Ticking off seven cities in ten days means seeing seven station districts and a lot of queues. Skip that version. Fewer bases also let you use the early mornings and late evenings, when the historic centers are at their best and the tour groups are not.
Choosing the kind of city for your travel style: Italy offers four broad types, and they suit different travelers. The big art and monument cities deliver the headline museums and ruins, but they are crowded, expensive …
read more 👉 How many cities to take on: Plan on three to five cities for a trip of two weeks, and never more than one new base every three days. Each move costs half a day once you count checkout, the station, the ride and finding the hostel, and Italian cities are dense enough that a single one can fill three days without repeating itself. Ticking off seven cities in ten days means seeing seven station districts and a lot of queues. Skip that version. Fewer bases also let you use the early mornings and late evenings, when the historic centers are at their best and the tour groups are not.
Choosing the kind of city for your travel style: Italy offers four broad types, and they suit different travelers. The big art and monument cities deliver the headline museums and ruins, but they are crowded, expensive and tiring. Pick one or two, not more. Mid-sized university and food cities in the north are the better choice if you want evenings out, cheap student-priced meals and fewer tour buses. Hill towns and smaller provincial centers suit slow travelers and photographers, and they are the best answer to overtourism, though bus connections can be thin and last services often leave before 8pm. Southern and island port cities are rougher, louder and far cheaper, and they reward people who like street food and chaos over polish. If this is your first trip, take one monument city, one mid-sized city and one smaller town. If you have been before, drop the monument city and go deeper south.
Do not pay extra for the tourist-trap versions of a city. Gondola-style set rides, costumed photo ops near landmarks and restaurants with laminated photo menus are not worth your money. Spend instead on a timed ticket for one major museum or site, a guided walk of a neighborhood you would not understand alone, and one proper sit-down meal.
What it costs: Budget US$65 to 100 a day, roughly €60 to 90, for dorm beds, local food and public transport. Dorm beds run €25 to 45 in most cities and climb to €50 to 70 in peak summer in the most visited ones. Add the city tax, usually €2 to 7 a night, which hostels often collect in cash. Food can stay at €20 to 30 a day if you lean on bakery lunches, a supermarket breakfast and an aperitivo that comes with snacks for the price of a €6 to 10 drink. Local bus, tram or metro rides cost €1.20 to 2.50, and day passes run €5 to 8 where they exist.
Entry fees are the part that surprises people. Major sites cost €15 to 30 each, and advance booking adds €2 to 5 on the most popular. Over a three-day stay, plan €30 to 60 per city for sights, more if you do two big ones. Guided tours run €20 to 45 for a small-group walk. Many state museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, but those days draw the longest lines, so go on an ordinary day if time matters more than money. Churches are usually free to enter, although a few charge €2 to 5 for a chapel or tower.
Regional trains between cities cost €5 to 25 depending on distance and need no reservation. High-speed services can run €20 to 60 if booked early and double that on the day. Spend on the fast train only when the slow one takes more than three hours.
Safety and etiquette: Italian cities are safe for violent crime, but pickpocketing is real around main stations, packed buses and the lines for headline sights. Carry a money belt or a zipped inner pocket, and never hang a phone off the back of a chair. Be wary of strangers who tie bracelets on you, thrust clipboards petitions at you or offer to help at ticket machines. Use licensed white taxis from official ranks or an app, and agree on the fare for fixed-rate airport runs.
Cultural rules save money and awkwardness. Cover shoulders and knees in churches, or you will be turned away at the door. Stamp paper regional train tickets in the yellow or green validator before boarding, since an unstamped ticket can mean a fine of €50 or more. Expect a cover charge of €1 to 3 at sit-down restaurants, and service is often not included. Kitchens usually open for dinner after 7:30pm, and many shops close for a midday break. In mid-August many family-run places shut for the holiday week, so confirm bookings. Public fountains in most cities run free drinkable water, so carry a refillable bottle and skip the €2 plastic ones.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.