What a Two-Week Trip to Italy Costs: $3,079 per person, all expenses

Air Travel Costs · Lodging · Food & Drink · Getting Around · Other Expenses

Real Numbers from a Real Trip: Piedmont, Tuscany, Le Marche, and Rome

Every traveler, except the truly wealthy, has a budget. The prices here are from a 13-night trip for two people to four destinations in late May 2026. The itinerary, which was off the beaten path by design, included Alta Langhe in Piedmont, the hills outside Pistoia in Tuscany, the Recanati area of Le Marche, and Rome. The total costs were $3,079, including all expenses.

The lodgings were family-run, exceptionally clean, charming, and in great locations—the countryside, the center of a small city, a real Roman neighborhood. The food and drink prices reflect costs for people who ate very well, but avoided high-end places catering to well-to-do Italians and tourist traps. There are many ways to reduce these expenses and still have very enjoyable dining experiences. The rental car was a small, economy class vehicle. A larger, more expensive vehicle does not make sense, because of very narrow city streets and country roads. If you only travel by train, the internal transportation costs drop substantially, but your itinerary will be shaped by which locations have train stations.

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Category For Two Per Person Per Day (Two) Per Day/Person
Flights $1,654 $827 $127 $64
Airport Parking & Travel Day Food $243 $122 $19 $9
Lodging $1,420 $710 $109 $55
Food & Drink $1,173 $587 $90 $45
Ground Transport $800 $400 $62 $31
Other Expenses $868 $434 $67 $33
Total $6,158 $3,079 $474 $237

Air Travel Costs (Airfare, Airport Parking, Travel Day Expenses)

$1,897 for two, $948.50 per person

Flights
Departure New York (JFK/EWR) to Milan
Return Rome to New York (JFK/EWR)
Airline United Airlines
Cost $827 per person
Ticket Economy class. Changeable without a fee, cancelable for a credit. One free checked bag per passenger with an airline credit card.
Airport Parking
Location Off-airport lot with shuttle
Shuttle Wait ~10 minutes
Travel Time ~5 minutes
Cost $162 for 13 nights
Note Off-airport lots are typically less expensive than airport garages and as convenient. A parking aggregator usually gets you a better rate.
Departure Day Food
What was purchased Sandwiches packed from home plus a drink at the airport bar. Airport food is expensive and often mediocre.
Cost $60 for two
Note If you eat a full meal at the airport, budget $15–75 per person depending on whether you sit down and/or drink alcohol.
Return Day Food
What was purchased Two espressos, one macchiato, and two sandwiches at the Rome airport.
Cost $21 for two
Note Italian airports serve real food at reasonable prices — a fraction of what you’d pay in the US.

Lodging

$1,420 for two, $109 per night, $710 per person

Region & Lodging Nights Per Night Total
Piedmont — Agriturismo 3 $125 $375
Tuscany — Agriturismo 3 $95 $285
Le Marche — Studio Apartment 4 $85 $340
Rome — Guest House 3 $140 $420
Total 13 $1,420
All lodging is for two people in a queen or king room with a private bathroom.
View from Tuscan agriturismo outside Pistoia

View from the breakfast table. Agriturismo Il Belvedere, Tuscany.

Eating and Drinking in Italy

$1,173 for two, $586.50 per person

Can you tell me what we’ll eat and drink for these prices?

Piedmont Agriturismo (3 Nights)

Food & Drink Total Days Cost for Two
Breakfast (3 days) 3 Included
Mid-Day Coffee (3 days) 3 $3.18
Lighter Lunch (1 day) 1 $10.50
Sit-Down Lunch (2 days) 2 $50.50
Early Evening Drink (3 days) 3 $10.43/bottle
Farmstay Dinner (2 days) 2 $52.00
Takeout Dinner (1 day) 1 $16.50
Total ~$253

Tuscany Agriturismo (3 Nights)

Food & Drink Total Days Cost for Two
Breakfast (3 days) 3 Included
Mid-Day Coffee (3 days) 3 $3.18
Lighter Lunch (1 day) 1 $12.50
Sit-Down Lunch (2 days) 2 $53.00
Early Evening Drink (2 days) 2 $9.00
Farmstay Dinner (2 days) 2 $48.50
Pizza Dinner (1 day) 1 $33.00
Total ~$276

Le Marche Apartment (4 Nights)

Food & Drink Total Days Cost for Two
Breakfast at Bar (2 days) 2 $6.83
Breakfast from Grocery (2 days) 2 $9.47
Mid-Day Coffee (4 days) 4 $3.18
Sit-Down Lunch (4 days) 4 $47.00
Early Evening Drink — Bar (2 days) 2 $8.37
Early Evening Drink — Lodging (2 days) 2 $10.43/bottle
Pizza Dinner (1 day) 1 $30.00
Takeout Dinner (2 days) 2 $16.00
Full Restaurant Dinner (1 day) 1 $62.00
Gelato (2 days) 2 $5.25
Total ~$395

Rome Apartment (3 Nights)

Food & Drink Total Days Cost for Two
Breakfast at Bar (2 days) 2 $6.83
Breakfast from Grocery (1 day) 1 $9.47
Mid-Day Coffee (3 days) 3 $3.18
Lighter Lunch (2 days) 2 $12.00
Sit-Down Lunch (1 day) 1 $48.00
Early Evening Drink — Bar (1 day) 1 $9.50
Early Evening Drink — Lodging (2 days) 2 $10.43/bottle
Pizza Dinner (1 day) 1 $34.00
Full Restaurant Dinner (1 day) 1 $58.00
Takeout Dinner (1 day) 1 $16.00
Gelato (1 day) 1 $6.25
Total ~$249

What You’ll Eat and Drink

Meal What you'll eat and drink
Breakfast — Agriturismo Eggs, cured meats, local cheeses, fresh bread, house-made jams, seasonal fruit, cakes, and coffee. All from the farm or nearby.
Breakfast — Bar Espresso or cappuccino and a cornetto — plain, or filled with cream or jam — at the bar counter.
Breakfast — Grocery Fruit, yogurt, and fresh bread from a local alimentari or small supermarket, eaten at the lodging.
Mid-Day Coffee Espresso at a local bar. You can order a cappuccino or macchiato, but Italians typically do not drink milk-based coffee after noon.
Lighter Lunch A panino from an alimentari — prosciutto, arugula, and mozzarella on fresh bread — with a large bottle of water.
Sit-Down Lunch A pasta course — wild boar ragù, fresh seafood, or handmade tagliatelle with local truffles, depending on the region — half liter of house wine, coperto, and espresso.
Early Evening Drink Campari, Aperol spritz, or a glass of local wine — at a bar or from a bottle purchased at a nearby shop and enjoyed at the lodging.
Farmstay Dinner Four courses: a local cheese or cured meat appetizer, handmade pasta, a secondi of pork, chicken, or rabbit, and a house-made digestivo — grappa, limoncello, or an amaro of the zone. House wine included.
Pizza Dinner Two pizzas at a local pizzeria, a shared bottle of wine, and dessert.
Takeout Dinner Prepared dishes from a rosticceria — roasted chicken, farro salad, braised chicory, roasted potatoes — eaten at the lodging.
Full Restaurant Dinner One shared appetizer, a pasta each, one shared secondi — grilled meat or slow-braised peposa — half to full liter of house wine, and a digestivo.
Gelato Two scoops from a gelateria that makes its own — look for produzione propria on the sign.

Getting around Italy

$800 for two , $400 per person

Car Rental — Driving Tour (Not Including Rome)
Car Škoda compact, full coverage, two drivers
Company OK Mobility, a European car rental company
Duration 10 days
Rental Cost $370
Gas $267
Tolls $78
Note Dropped before Rome. You don't want a car in Rome — parking is difficult and expensive, and driving in the city can be challenging.
Total $715
Public Transportation in Rome Cost for Two
Airport Transfer $52
Local Transit $33
Total $85

Other Expenses

$868 for two, $434 per person

Other Costs Cost for Two Notes
Travel Insurance $137 Covers all non-refundable expenses. Highly recommended.
Phone Plan Upgrade $30 For two people — international calls, texts, and data at 15GB each.
Museums & Sites $289 Major Rome sites — Colosseum, Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel, Galleria Doria Pamphilj, and Ostia Antica — plus smaller museums in Tuscany and Le Marche.
Parking in Towns $56 Free parking spots are outlined in white; paid spots in blue. Payment is made at street kiosks, which can be switched to English.
Beach Umbrellas $50 Two days. Beach chair and umbrella rentals are not free in Italy — most beaches are privately managed, with limited free access in some areas.
Groceries & Pharmacy $100
Other Incidentals $206
Total $868
Basilica interior, Loreto Italy

Interior of the Basilica della Santa Casa, Loreto. The marble encasement of the Holy House, designed by Bramante, begun in 1509.