By reaching the Reschenpass we had now also reached the Italian-Austrian border. This was the end of our almost one year old Italy adventure. It was an eventful time and as much as we cursed the narrow, boot-shaped country from time to time, we also took it into our hearts. Italy is a country where it never gets boring. Whether cultural or natural, Italy has an unbeatable number of facets that remain interesting even on repeated visits, if not even a certain nostalgia. Both the cities and the climate in Italy are completely different from region to region, which did not always make the decision easy. And yet we could understand that many people are raving about Italy and would like to spend their holidays there repeatedly.

The Reschenpass is also the border to Austria

We have now almost completely combed the country and have looked at just about every corner. Therefore we would like to share our experiences with you and give you some useful tips to summarize. Tips with which you can visit Italy in an original and exciting way, avoid the wave of tourists and be on the road without spending a lot of money.

Cheap travel: Is that still possible in Italy?

Travelling completely without money means that you get to know a country from a completely different side than if you came as a paying tourist. But also a holiday with a low budget can be interesting, as one approaches the offers more attentively and spends the holiday money only for essential things and experiences. Italy is unfortunately not as cheap as it used to be. Because the locals have understood here that tourism, with 13% income of the total gross domestic product, has become very important for the country. The Italians have also become very skilled at taking money out of the pockets of German tourists. That is why we have here a few ideas for all those who do not travel completely without money, but who also do not want to spend too much:

Low travel costs

A journey by train or bus is considerably worthwhile to save some money. Of course, a (direct) flight brings a certain comfort, but here is the first blunder. Travel providers like FlixBus or Trenitalia offer very cheap options, partly for less than 10 euros. And a bus trip across the Alps can also be very exciting, right? However, Ryanair is also unbeatably cheap in the north of Italy (Milan, Bergamo).

With public transport you can travel through Italy not necessarily comfortably but cheap

Since where others are not

Avoids tourist hotspots. In the summer time, the Piazza San Marco in Venice can be so crowded with people that one really does not have an own place to stand. No wonder that a cappuccino in the immediate vicinity can easily cost over 10€. But three streets further on, far away from the conurbation, the price of almost everything decreases exponentially. This is not only true for Venice, but in general for all cities with a tourist factor everywhere. Why would you not want to get lost on purpose?

Italy has always been a popular tourist destination

Furthermore, the same applies here: Timing is everything! Every region of Italy has its peak time, i.e. a time when the tourist rush is at its greatest. You should avoid this! An example: Venice in spring sounds romantic, but in reality it is often a rainy season and sometimes impossible due to flooding. Therefore, the city is much less crowded by tourists during this time than in summer. Those who travel outside and bring some time with them can take advantage of this and wait for a favorable day in an unfavorable time. This way, one avoids the crowds and can visit many other beautiful places in the meantime. Such as Padua, Ravena or the nearby mountains.

In the rainy spring Venice is almost an insider tip

Enjoy the restaurant

Enjoy the Italian products. Italian fruits and vegetables catch so much sun during the year that their taste cannot be compared to what we know from German supermarkets. In addition, natural products are often unbeatable cheap here. You can get the best oranges you have ever eaten for less than one Euro per kilo. It's similar with peaches, persimmons, fennel and some fruits that you can't even buy here. This is a holiday, isn't it? Failing lovers also get their money's worth with Italian espresso, which you can find in almost every street in every city. Also, this one costs uniformly nearly everywhere approximately one euro.

Nothing here is as delicious as the ripe fruits of the season

Serenity training for advanced students

Don't be picky. Italians enjoy a more extroverted lifestyle than we know from German society. Unfortunately, this means that it is often very loud and you often find yourself in the midst of heavy traffic. Dirty toilets and wildly strange people who invite you to eat by saying "Mangiare, Mangiare! On the other hand, you see everything a bit more relaxed here and you can also wait for an hour somewhere for an appointment that you have firmly made. Therefore, see Italy rather as a "complete package" and take unpleasant little things with humor.

For some reason, Italians love to conglomerate in confined spaces

You should also be prepared for the fact that things that should work without problems do not work for no apparent reason. For example, there are at least four different socket systems that are not compatible with each other and have been installed in the same room. Doors usually don't have seals, but inches wide gaps below or above are normal.

Of course, it is a bit sarcastic, but it is not entirely wrong to say that the only things that really work in this country were built either by the Romans or by the Venetians. For example, there is still a district in Rome today that is supplied with water by an aqueduct from Roman times. Rumor has it that it is the only one where there are no problems with the water supply. We have also been told that the Via Aurelia, the old Roman road on which the national road now runs, still has two places where the old Roman road surface still exists. These are also the only two places where there are no potholes. But you have to look at it from the other side: nowhere else in Europe is it so recognized and accepted to spend the days eating ice cream, relaxing, sleeping and lying on the beach as it is here!

Holiday home in Italy?

A cheap and much less touristic alternative to the now very expensive hotels are holiday homes in Italy. Often a bit remote from the tourist epicenter you can choose a spot of nature and decide freely what you want to do. You also have the possibility to cook by yourself and be more in control of your holiday balance.

If you are looking for a holiday home in Italy and wonder how to get there if you don't speak Italian, we also have a tip for you. Inter chalet is a provider that rents out holiday homes or arranges accommodation in Italy. The offers vary in price, depending on the popularity, service and size of the holiday home, so it's advisable to click through and decide according to your own needs.

But one also finds again and again idyllic remote places full of harmony

Living in beautiful surroundings

We ourselves have tried out various hotels as well as holiday homes during our trip. Thus we can say that the hotels, even if they are beautiful, are a certain challenge, especially in the high season. The animation program often goes on until late at night and you are constantly surrounded by romping children and partying party guests. Specially if one plans one's holiday over a longer period of time, holiday apartments are therefore a good choice.

Here, the biggest advantage is that one at least has the own four walls for oneself. Moreover, the holiday houses are oftenly also located a little outside in the nature. With a small budget it is possible to be more surrounded by nature, because here you can spend a nice time without having to pay a lot of money. In Italy this applies as well as everywhere else in the world. And it is worth it in Italy. Can you imagine renting your own holiday home for a month near Florence next to a hundred hectares of olive tree plantation? Or in southern, (climatically "African") Puglia?

In the middle of this beautiful nature even we can imagine a holiday home

Renting a holiday home in Italy is also a good compromise of energy: you are somewhere between hotel decadence and backpackers with tents. This is perhaps just the right thing to balance the holiday in an entrepreneurial way. In addition, many beaches in Italy require an entrance fee. But if one is a little outside, one is also spared this.

Nowhere in Europe are there so many shrines as in Italy

The country of cultural highlights

Hardly any other country offers as many cultural highlights, sights and testimonies of times long past as Italy. Almost with every step you take you step onto the holy ground of any Santuario or onto the historic earth of ancient Roman times. What in Italy is a simple village church would often already be an extraordinary sight in another country, to which people go on pilgrimage in droves.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most popular landmarks in Italy

The Cique Terre is one of the most beautiful places in Italy

The slogan of the day: Goodbye Italy!

vertical meters: 650 m Stage for the day: 17 km Stage destination: Church community hall, Pfunds, Austria