How much to budget?

[petuniaflower]

I know this will vary, but for day trip/ports not including excursion or transportation, as that I can calculate, what would one budget for quick lunch/sightseeing/gelato in Rome/Cinque Terre?

[CruiserBruce]

You do know Rome is over and hour from the port? And, depending where you dock, Cinque Terre can be a good distance as well? So getting there is part of the issue. Train fares are discussed here frequently and can be easily researched on the trenitalia.com website. Other options, like taxi, drive up the cost.

 

How much you spend WILL vary...so hard to say. Some will be surprised...Europe can be expensive. You could spend as little as 50 or so euros per person for dirt cheap, to a couple hundred euros per person.

[cruisemom42]

Lunch might vary from 10-12 euro for a "grab and go" type meal (pannini, pizza plus a beverage) or 20-30 euro for a sit-down lunch at a table in a pretty piazza. With a glass of wine, a bit more. House wine in Italy is generally cheap and drinkable. This is for the main tourist areas. Things may be cheaper outside these areas but on a port day, you are not going to have enough time to really walk around and try to find such places.

 

As for sightseeing, not sure what you mean. In Rome, most churches (including the Pantheon) have no admission cost. And all of the beautiful piazzas (e.g., Navona) and fountains (e.g., Trevi) are free. I know you already have your tickets for the Colosseum. 

 

Gelato varies a lot, but for your average small (two-scoop) cup or cone it may be 2-5 euro. The top, well-known places (Giolitti, San Crispino, etc.) charge more. Look for a place that sells artisanal gelato and avoid anywhere with screaming bright colored gelato -- sure sign of cheap quality. More here: 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by cruisemom42

[slidergirl]

I will drop a Euro or two into the donation box at the churches I visit.  I appreciate their beauty and that I am welcome to visit.   My budget?  Hmmm.  I pick one or two big items I want to visit then book ahead online if there is a cost.  In Rome, I always have to have my granita caffe con panna from Caffe Tazzo d' Oro, so that's a fixed cost (around 5EU plus a coin under my receipt for "faster" service).   Other than that, a few EUs for water during the day (if needed), about 20EU for lunch and since dinners are my thing, I'll go to 75EU all-in for my dinner if a good spot that I've planned for or 50EU for a unplanned dinner.  

For Florence, it's the same, but I haven't found a favored  caffe place yet, so it can vary.  For some place like Cinque Terre, I stayed in Vernazza.  Ate out twice at Il Pirata, ate one lunch at our landlord's place, Vulnetia.  Outside of that, we'd hit the bakery for bread, the deli for meats & cheeses, the produce store for tomatoes, lettuce, olives, and make our meals.   So, CT was pretty cheap for us.