Attractions in Italy

Holidaying in Italy can be expensive but here are three ways to make big savings without compromising on quality, your comfort or enjoyment.

1) A large part of your vacation expenditure will be taken up by accommodation. Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts can be expensive in Italy and self catering accommodation of a similar quality will typically cost you around 25% less. An increasingly popular alternative to Hotels and B&Bs is to rent an apartment for the duration of your stay. The money saved with apartment rental can be even higher for groups of more than two. Compare the price of renting a 2 bedroom apartment suitable for 4 people to paying for 2 double bedrooms in a hotel and you could easily save up to 50% off the total bill. This makes renting an apartment particularly cost effective for family holidays.

2) In Italy, like everywhere else, prices tend to be much higher in tourist congested areas. Public transport, on the other hand, is relatively cheap when compared to other developed countries so staying in well-connected areas with good transport links can save you substantial amounts on all kinds of services from simply having a coffee or ice cream at a bar to eating out or lodging.The picturesque and historic town of Tarquina in northern Lazio for example, is set in beautiful green countryside while also very well connected by road and rail making it perfect as a rural retreat. The regular train service to Rome takes just 1 hour and the ticket price is a genuine bargain at 6.20€ each way. 

3) For people who are new to Italy the difference between various types of eating establishments may not be immediately obvious. A trattoria is a traditional Italian place to go and eat out which tends to be less formal than a ristorante. In a trattoria the service may come with fewer frills but the food quality is just as good as and often better than a restaurant, this is especially true in the traditional family run trattoria. Just look to where native Italians go to eat out if you need a well informed judge.  Apart from lower prices the food portions are often more plentiful in a trattoria so they are great value for a family who has worked up a big appetite after a long day of sightseeing.  

In summary, Italy's abundance of attractions makes it a very popular tourist destination.As a result of this popularity it can also be expensive. However the good news is that for a great vacation in Italy you don't need to sacrifice any of the sights, itineraries or your comfort. A little preparation and spending wisely will help you stay within your budget while having a great holiday.

Firenze (Italian for Florence, as it is popularly known) is one of the most picturesque towns that Italy has to offer, with a rich tradition, and finger licking cuisine, Florence was once the capital of the kingdom of Italy. Florence was also officially declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and is known as the home of the Italian renaissance. Florence is a city that is synonymous with art and architecture, and there are specialized historic tours that discuss just the various events and places that are linked to Firenze, and not just art and architecture, Florence is fast becoming known for its quaint streets and its classy bed and breakfasts.

Things to do in Firenze

The biggest tourist attraction in Florence is the cathedral also popularly known as the Duomo, the cathedral has a massive dome like structure, and is not just a regular tourist attraction, but is also a place that most religious tourists should visit. Located in the heart of the city, is the statue of Neptune which is another tourist attraction, the water even today is provided by aqueducts systems similar to the ones used thousands of years ago in the Roman empire.

The Arno river has some of the most beautiful bridges located on it, and a walk through Florence is not complete without visiting some of the beautiful river bridges. The biggest contributing factor to Florence's destination as a spot that is loved by art lovers, is the fact that Firenze has art galleries that are dedicated to specialized art forms like painting, sculptures and more. It is a pretty good idea to enroll yourself with one of the specialized museum tours that take tourists to all the major museums that make Florence the special place it is.

Bed and breakfasts in Florence

Apart from the popular hotels that are located in Florence, more and more tourist recently have chosen to live in the quaint and comfortable bed and breakfasts that are located in and around Florence, the most attractive thing about these bed and breakfasts is that they are well known for their authentic Italian experience, and are also becoming more and more popular for the authentic Italian cuisine that they offer. No trip to Italy is complete without experiencing an Italian bed and breakfast.

The biggest advantage that bed and breakfasts have over Italian hotels, is that they are reasonably priced, and depending on your preferences you can either get a bed and breakfast that is located in the heart of Florence, of if you like the quiet countryside you can check yourself into some of the extremely popular bed and breakfasts that are located on the outskirts of Florence. Almost all bed and breakfasts are equipped with modern amenities like televisions, individual phones in each room, and some classical bed and breakfasts actually offer you swimming pools and patios to enjoy your time under the Tuscan sun.

So if you are planning a trip to Florence, you must look up some of the popular bed and breakfasts, and enjoy the authentic experience of Italian cuisine and an Italian bed and breakfast.