A cheap and economical way to go on holiday to Italy
First, explore four cities in seven days.
A backpacking vacation doesn't mean you're free to do whatever you like. Careful planning is still needed and is actually one of the keys to making the holiday run smoothly. Instead of being ambitious about visiting as many nearby cities as possible, it is better to determine your destination cities before leaving.
Determining destination cities can be based on several factors such as the completeness of tourist attractions, the uniqueness that only that city has, and the availability of modes of transportation that connect between cities at affordable costs. The author chose Rome, Venice, Turin and Milan as the cities to be explored during his 11 days in Italy.
Coincidentally, in these cities there are many affordable accommodation options available, such as hostels with bunk beds, hostels with one room for two people, or budget hotels. Recommended by Venice has always been a must-visit city in Italy.
It doesn't matter if the room is narrow or the facilities in the room are limited. The important thing is that the bed is comfortable and clean because in fact most of our time on holiday from morning to night is spent outside the accommodation. We only use the room to rest at night and clean our bodies. The author arrived by plane in Rome and then returned to Jakarta by plane flying from Milan.
For flight tickets, the author chose to take Etihad Airways which transits in Abu Dhabi on departure and return. Cheaper tickets can be obtained at travel fair events or special promotions on the website. To move from one city to another, the author uses trains and buses.
Ticket purchases can be made online or at the automatic ticket machines at the stations. Daily train and bus departure schedules are on time so that tourists can plan their travel agenda accurately.
Second, admire the history and culture in Italy.
One of the reasons why the author only visited four cities in a seven-day trip was because the author wanted to have more time to enjoy the historical and cultural attractions in Italy. This country has an old civilization, namely since Roman times.
So many historical events occurred in Italy and had an impact on other continents. There are many museums and historical sites to visit in Italy. Most of them charge entry fees which are not cheap to foreign tourists. There are also package options to visit several museums at once at more economical prices. Therefore, we have to choose which museums are really important to visit.
The choice fell on the Vatican Museum, which is the fifth largest museum in the world and the most complete in Italy. Even though it is an independent country from Italy, the Vatican is in the middle of Rome so it can be accessed easily.
The Vatican Museum is never empty. At the Vatican Museum, we can see various works of art, both statues, paintings and other artifacts created during various government regimes in Italy. Apart from that, the architectural buildings in this museum are also very beautiful, making the 3 hours of walking around the museum not boring.
Apart from visiting museums, many historical sites can be visited for free, for example the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon (Rome); Duomo di Milano, Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II (Milan); Mole Antonelliana, Piazza Castello, Porta Palatina (Turin) and others.
Recommended by Meanwhile in Venice, all corners of the city are very rich in history and have a very interesting cultural side. Places that must be visited include Saint Mark's Basilica, Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal.
Third, maximize the use of public transportation.
One of the main things that must be done to save money when backpacking is to use public transportation to travel from one point to another. We can choose to buy a ticket package for a day or several days, depending on the duration we will stay in that city. The price is cheaper than buying a one-way ticket. The public transport network in Rome, Milan and Turin is good with modern fleet quality.
Apart from the buses which are definitely available, other options are the metro/subway and tram. Combined with walking, we won't have any difficulty exploring the city. Milano Centrale Station which is a hub for various modes of transportation. Meanwhile in Venice, it is most comfortable to explore the city on foot. If you have extra money, you can try taking a gondola ride whose rental price is equivalent to the cost of three meals.
The author enjoys walking along bridges and small alleys more than traveling by gondola. To make it easier to use public transportation, tourists should download the public transportation navigation application which is available for both iPhone and Android. The author chose to use "Citymapper" whose display is easy to understand and the information is detailed, starting from the route, time, distance traveled, up and down points, even to the number of calories burned on the trip.
Four, pamper your tongue with Italian culinary delights.
Who doesn't know pizza and spaghetti? Yes, these two foods come from Italy and are famous throughout the world. Before leaving for vacation, many people told the author that it was a must to try Italian food directly in their country of origin.
Recommended by It is said that the taste is many times more delicious than what we can find in Indonesia. While in these four cities, the author tried several Italian foods which are said to be the best, such as Pizza Napoletana, Lasagna Bologna, Gelato, Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The gelato at the roadside stalls also tastes amazing.
Not all Italian food is expensive. There are also many that are affordable but the quality is still superior. For this reason, don't hesitate to ask local residents for recommendations for delicious places to eat at affordable prices, for example from hostel receptionists, museum staff, tour guides, souvenir sellers or even foreigners we meet in city parks.
Italians are generally very friendly to tourists. Maybe because they are used to having so many tourists. Apart from that, they are also very proud of their culture, including culinary delights. So, when we ask for their opinion, they will happily show us the direction to the most popular places to eat in the area.
Five, watch a football match at the stadium.
What sport is most famous in Italy?
The answer is obvious: football. This sport has even become an identity for Italian people. The Italian national team is one of the most accomplished with four world titles. Several clubs also have extraordinary achievements at continental level and have fans spread all over the world.
Therefore, the author wants to experience the experience of watching a live football match in Italy.
Coincidentally, at that time there was going to be an exciting match in the European Champions League between Juventus and Atletico Madrid from Spain. The match took place at the Allianz Stadium, Turin. Based on information gathered in several blogs, the author decided to buy the tickets online first.
This is so that the author can ensure that watching this match is a fix on the agenda and not worry about running out of tickets on match day.
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AND LOOK AT THING TO DO IN ITALIA BELOW ITS;