How to Find Cheap Hotels in Italy

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, Italy offers travelers a bit of everything, from world-famous historical sites to spectacular scenery. Whether you want to shop at fabulous boutiques in Milan, ride a gondola through the canals of Venice, tour the Alps, or see great Renaissance art in Florence, Italy has everything to offer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Passport
• Computer with Internet access

Know Your Destination

1. Familiarize yourself with Italy's geography. The country is surrounded by several seas: the Ligurian, Sardinian and Tyrrhenian seas are to the west. The beautiful Adriatic Sea lies to the east, while the Sicilian Sea and the Ionian Sea are to the south.

2. Appreciate the rich landscape of Italy. From the mountains of the Alps and Apennines to the many seas and lakes, Italy appeals to nature enthusiasts and culture aficionados alike.

Organize Your Transportation

3. Plan to rent a car during your stay in Italy. The open roads leading into Austria, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia are open 24 hours a day, and are a cheap way to be able to see a good deal of Europe while using your Italian accommodations as a home base.

4. Consider traveling on a local bus or coach in between cities in Italy. If you are interested in staying in several cities, this is a cheap way to travel between them.

Choose Your Lodging

5. Determine which part of Italy you're most interested in visiting, whether it's Venice, the Cinque Terre, Milan, Rome or Tuscany. If you want to visit several locations, map out the most convenient route. With relatively short distances between cities, Italy is a great place to destination-hop. To book accommodations, contact the Italian Government Tourist Board at [phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources, below).

6. Book a room at one of the many cheap motels along the superhighway in Italy if you need a place to stay between destinations. These accommodations are fairly basic, but most are comfortable; some even have a certain amount of flair.

Tips & Warnings

• Acquire an international license if you are planning on renting a car while you are in Italy. A U.S. or Canadian license is valid in Italy, but it must be accompanied by a translation that you can obtain at your local AAA office before your trip or the ACI (Automobile Club Italia) upon entering the country.
• To rebound quickly from jet lag, don't nap when you arrive. Instead, plan a full day's activities and stay awake until evening.
• If you're a student, a teacher, or are between the ages of 12 and 25, you may be eligible for discounts on international airfares, accommodations, transportation, phone calls, museum admissions and car rentals. Contact the STA Travel National Service Center to obtain your identification card.
• Apply for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) if you're a student working toward a diploma or degree. This card makes you eligible for discounts on many international travel-related services, including accommodations, airfares, transportation and museum admission.
• If you're a school faculty member, be sure to apply for an International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC). The ITIC is a great way to get discounts on all kinds of international services, from transportation to accommodations to museum admission.
• You can change your U.S. dollars to euros before leaving for your trip. Check your bank for details.
• Make copies of your passport, leaving one with a friend or relative and taking one with you in your luggage. In the event that your passport is lost or stolen, having copies makes getting a new one much easier.
• Tickets purchased for buses and subways in Italy tend to be time-sensitive, which means you must complete travel within a specific amount of time, typically an hour. Keep this in mind when arranging travel to and from your accommodations and activities during your vacation.