Jordan Curry
ninth Sep 2025
Studying Time: 6 minutes
Our visitor author, Jordan Curry, lately took a visit to Tuscany on a price range. Right here, he shares his expertise to encourage your individual budget-friendly journey!
In response to touristitaly.com, 65 million folks visited Italy in 2024. Fashionable places embrace Florence, Pisa and Sienna in Southern Italy’s Tuscan area.
It may be straightforward to overspend whereas holidaying. Utilizing information from my latest go to there, the following tips and methods helped us save.
Meals and Drink
A scrumptious Fruitti Di Mare Risotto I loved. (Copyright Jordan Curry).
In comparison with the UK, I discovered that small bars typically open early until late. They provide low cost espresso and pastries for breakfast then alcoholic drinks and typically gentle meals.
Beginning your morning the Italian ‘espresso’ (fast) method is normally €3.50 or much less. Lunchtime or fixed-price offers are excellent if greater meals are stored for the night. Bruschetta with Aperol Spritz value €7.50, or change to Margherita pizza for €10.00. It’s additionally helpful to know that native customized means bar snacks come free with bought alcoholic bar drinks in case you’re not ordering meals.
This espresso was nice! Copyright Jordan Curry
Italy loves espresso. It’s inexpensive, too, ranging from €1.20 for an espresso whereas bigger varieties not often exceed €2.50. Premiums apply in vacationer areas or airports although these ‘costa lot much less’ than espresso retailers again house. Prompt espresso is frowned upon although – floor beans are the best way ahead. A number of different sizzling drinks and machine pods are available in shops. Avid tea drinkers greatest carry their very own teabags and request a cup of heat water please: “Una tazza di acqua calda per favore”.
Italian supermarkets are greatest for dry meals, drinks, topping up staple meals like butter, hummus, pesto or tapenade, and short-dated lowered objects. Market stalls and unbiased retailers are higher high quality for every little thing else. They could be cheaper, too. To stay to a price range, easy-to-make snacks from the grocery store will maintain your total prices down particularly when you have self-catered lodging. However in case you keep in a resort with breakfast included, eat properly and take into account taking a chunk of fruit or comparable for later within the day, too.
Florence had good allergy and intolerance provision. There was robust allergen recognition throughout Tuscany however dairy or gluten-free options have been scarce in different places we visited. Nonetheless, soya milk was typically out there upon request. Supermarkets had a greater choice with costs similar to Britain. Dairy and gluten-free in Italian is “Senza latticini e glutine” while “I’ve a nut allergy” is “Ho un’allergia alla frutta secca”.
Italians favour bottled water to drink, although faucet water throughout Tuscany and the nation itself is drinkable. Exceptions are indicators saying not drinkable (Non potabile) or in built-up areas with more durable water and previous pipes. Sip to see is really helpful!
Public water fountains or faucets are discovered nationally, although I solely noticed one personally. They provide free or low-cost ingesting water which can even be out there chilled, glowing (frizzante) or calmly carbonated (leggermente frizzante) too. Giant water bottles present in retailers have been cheaper than UK equivalents. It’s a great way to remain hydrated on a price range.
Beware Mosquitos!
Mosquitoes are widespread through the peak vacation season, and particularly in areas with water. Pack good high quality insect repellent and antihistamine cream in case you’re liable to unhealthy reactions. Mosquito coils are discovered cheaply in retailers and helpful when eating ‘al fresco’. Empty burnt wax typically so a citronella deterrent stays. Use Brown coils on tables as they’re much less smoky.
Getting Round: Transport in Italy
Prepare providers in Tuscany are dependable and less expensive than our personal. However remember there are two kinds of prepare out there relying on the ticket worth: high-speed trains for cross-country and slower trains for extra rural or native areas. Specifying set return instances lowers prices although it’s important you get that particular prepare or the ticket turns into invalid. Bigger stations throughout daytime hours have a number of employees manning ticket workplaces or as roaming assist for passengers. In a single day and in smaller stations, this differs drastically. Attempt to plan forward when you possibly can. Reserving tickets on-line also can prevent some huge cash.
It’s important that you just time-validate all new prepare, tram and bus tickets earlier than or whereas boarding, except informed to not. Ask the bus driver or employees for help if there’s no working or seen machines. Carrying spherical a pen means they’ll validate the old school method if vital.
Instance bus timetable. Stazione is Italian for station.
Bus providers are widespread, although end earlier and have been much less frequent in rural areas. They normally resemble coaches in quieter locations although constructed up places have flexible or single deckers. Costs begin at €1.70 every for a seventy-minute ticket overlaying a number of buses through the allotted time. Alternatively, faucet contactless playing cards when boarding, although every traveller will need to have their very own card. Separate entrances and exits on bigger buses have been ultimate as a result of except you’re a small baby or visibly disabled, getting on and off was a free-for-all!
In Florence solely, the bus firm operates a tram community and has the identical ticket construction. Their buses have been electrical, smaller and appeared to predominantly concentrate on quick journeys.
Taxis may be present in city areas although rural prepare stations are extremely unlikely to have taxi workplaces or automobiles ready. Uncommon for us Brits. Tipping isn’t obligatory however folks spherical as much as the closest Euro.
Taxis in Italy are white with indicators like this.
Ask your lodging supplier for particulars of an area taxi agency. Just like the UK, availability is extra stretched with out pre-booking (Friday and Saturday evenings, Sunday or for bigger teams). Having used a taxi unexpectedly and booked personal rent (often known as Noleggio Con Conducente) to the airport, they have been pleasant {and professional} although very costly.
Rent automotive costs have elevated sharply over latest years. Learn the tremendous print and don’t all the time get the most cost effective possibility. Low-cost automotive rent might exclude hidden charges, stress promoting or calls for to pay greater than initially quoted. Tuscan gasoline costs averaged 5p greater than the UK for petrol or 10p for diesel automobiles. Ask locals the place to refill cheaply and take into account an electrical automotive in case you don’t have to go lengthy distances.
Be aware of Restricted Visitors Zones (Zona a Traffico Limitato) or motorway (autostrada) toll roads as you probably have to pre-register automobiles or pay charges after to keep away from fines. Anybody with mobility difficulties is exempt from journey prices in Restricted Visitors Zones if they supply evidential paperwork.
Be cautious as a highway person. Surprising hospital visits or pricey insurance coverage claims might go away you saying “Mamma Mia.” I don’t imply the Abba tune…!
Studying the Lingo
A view from Marine De Pisa
Requirements of English assorted throughout Tuscany. Understanding primary spoken Italian does help in social conditions, particularly in case you’re a vacationer relishing sights and experiencing the tradition.
Our household managed with a number of Italian phrases, one particular person utilising 5 weeks of Duolingo observe and one other recalling O-Degree Italian from years in the past. Even higher information would’ve helped. If you happen to get caught, attempt a direct speech-to-text translation app or Google Translate (which is free) – it might get you out of a tough spot!