Italy an expensive holiday destination? Or can you also take a city trip, a long weekend away or a trip to Italy on a small budget? In this blog, I tell you exactly what I spent for three days in Naples and whether this city can be visited on a small budget!
How much money did we spend in Naples (Italy)?
Normally I only write “Budget” blogs about destinations where we stay for a longer period of time. This time, however, I made a city trip to Naples. These weekend getaways are for me the ultimate way to relax without using (many) vacation days. A question that I often get about this kind of mini-trips is whether they are relatively more expensive. In this blog I tell exactly what I spent during three days in Naples and if this place is a budget proof destination!
Firstly, a big disclaimer: we are not extreme budget backpackers. By this, I mean that we almost never sleep in a dormitory and don’t cut down on activities. On the other hand, we certainly don’t travel luxuriously: we sleep in cheap hotels, hardly ever take a taxi and sometimes take lunch on the road. Everyone travels in his or her way and everyone has different priorities in this. It’s always possible to travel cheaper or more expensive than we do.
Is Naples in Italy an expensive holiday destination?
Naples is affordable in comparison with other Italian cities such as Rome or Florence. Food is cheaper than in Northern Europe, drinks like wine or Aperol are not expensive at all. Accommodation is also relatively cheap. For about € 40 a night, you have a nice double room with breakfast.
A realistic daily budget for Naples!
A realistic daily budget for Naples is € 75 per person. For this, you will sleep in a nice hotel, eat outside a few times and do some fun activities. Note: the daily budget of € 75 per person does not include airline tickets.
I spent three days with my 18-year-old brother in this beautiful city. Are you curious about what we all did? You can read that in this diary blog.
How much money to spend on a citytrip to Naples (Italy)?
Total spend in Naples: €365,50/ $414,25
Spendings per person: €182,75/ $207,15
Flight tickets:€72 / $81,60
Accommodation (3 days): €97/ $109,95
This amount includes flight tickets. I have calculated the Euro / Dollar exchange rate at the time of this trip. The currencies displayed are: Euro (€) and USA Dollar ($).
* We were not three full days in Naples, but arrived on Friday evening and left again Monday morning.
What are the prices of transport in Naples in Italy? – 28.7% of the total amount
Total spent: € 104.80 / $ 118.80
Flight tickets: € 72 / $ 81.60
Airport shuttle bus (4 tickets): € 20 / $ 22.70
Train tickets to Pompeii (2x return): € 12.8 / $ 14.50
Our plane tickets were ridiculously cheap: for € 36 per person, we flew back and forth between Eindhoven and Naples. We flew with Ryanair, an airline company that I am not a big fan of, but it certainly was cheap! We didn’t take big luggage, which was really not necessary for just a weekend. Click here for the latest flight deals to Naples in Italy!
The Airport shuttle bus (Alibus) that takes you from the airport to the city in 20 minutes has risen in price in recent years. Two years ago we paid € 3 per person for a single ticket, now this has been increased to € 5. The train to Pompeii I found cheap: we paid € 6.40 for a return ticket.
Are hotels and accommodations expensive in Naples?- 26.5% of the total amount
Total spent: € 97 / $ 109.95
Number of nights: 3
Average overnight stay for 2 people: € 32.33 / $ 36.65
We slept in a budget apartment near Central Station. This is not totally into the city centre, but in just 5 minutes walking, we were on the Via Dei Tribunali, the main street of Naples. The apartment is spacious enough for two people, very clean and there is even a breakfast. For a European city, I find € 32.33 per night very cheap!
B&B Maryflower
Click here or on the photo, for more information on this hotel!
Click hereAre you also planning a trip to Naples? Be sure to read my City Guide Naples. This is full of tips in terms of food, activities and accommodations!
What to budget for food and drinks in Naples? – 28.8% of the total amount
Total spent: € 105.20 / $ 119.25
Of which eating*: € 77.50 / $ 87.85
Of which drinks: € 14 / $ 15.85
Other: € 13.70 / $ 15.50
The food in Naples is really delicious. Neapolitans say that Naples is the origin of Italian cuisine and if you taste their dishes, then that’s easy to believe! In addition, food and drinks are not expensive! You can find a (good!) bottle of wine in a restaurant for just € 4 or a real Italian Espresso for € 1.
During our day trip to Pompeii, we simply took sandwiches with us for lunch. That reduces costs because in the restaurant in Pompeii the prices are a lot higher. Furthermore, we didn’t pay attention to food or drink expenses.
Tip: many restaurants have a cheaper menu at lunch. You eat extensively for relatively little money!
* A special thank you to my dear grandfather and grandmother and parents who, among other things, sponsored our lunches (I made this trip with my brother).
Are activities costly in Naples? – 16% of the total amount
Total spent: € 58.50 / $ 66.30
Pompeii: € 22.50 / $ 25.50
Napoli Underground: € 18 / $ 20.40
Napoli Burried: € 18 / $ 20.40
We have done quite a few activities in two days! First of all, we went to Pompeii and visited Napoli Underground (the underground aqueducts that are more than 400 kilometres long). We also visited Napoli Burried, where we looked at excavations of the Roman market halls. All these activities are not very cheap, but if you are interested in history and especially Roman times, then they are definitely worth it!
Tip: Are you a student or still below 25? Then take your ID and student card with you. At many activities, you get a discount.
Are you planning to visit Pompeii? Then read this blog in advance: “Travel guide: everything you need to know about Pompeii”.
Conclusion: is Naples expensive?
Three days of Naples including airline tickets, accommodation, activities and food for just € 182.75 per person … I think that’s really nice and not expensive. I stayed very well within budget! During these three days, I have paid attention to staying on budget, for example by arranging cheap air tickets and budget-proof accommodation. But otherwise, we did everything we wanted and especially enjoyed the Italian kitchen, sun and history.
Overall, I think Naples is not expensive at all! It is one of the cheaper Italian cities, unfortunately, because the region is a lot poorer than for example the North of Italy. In addition, you find few tourists in Naples so the prices are not high either. A perfect destination for a budget weekend away!
I'm glad that you spend a good time in Napoli.
I'm an Italian backpacker (from Ravenna) currently in Australia.
And see backpackers from other countries happy to travel around my own country make me proud of the Italian culture.
Keep traveling!
Napoli è la città più bella di tutta l’Europa : i d’intorni di Napoli ( Sorrento Amalfi Positano ) sono terre cadute dal Paradiso . A Napoli si mangia divinamente bene , i mercati di verdura e di pesce sono tra i più economici 5(Carciofi 1€ 3 kl. di arance 2€ Sarde Alici vive a 5 euro . Pizza Pane Pasta Vini Formaggi i migliori del mondo . Trasporti entro tutta la città 3euro e viaggi tutta la giornata . I napoletani sono I allegri , simpatici e di cuore . Il cielo sempre azzurro il mare semplicemente fantastico , la musica da per tutto . Napoli è povera ma si vive benissimo Milano è ricca ma la mortalità è suprema Ischia ha una popolazione di centenari che non hanno mai visitato una farmacia . Io. sono nato a Bagnoli e sono innamorato di Pozzuoli A Natale di quest’anno vado a Napoli . Ci sono andato forse più di trenta volte , ma per me e’ come se fosse sempre la prima volta . ( sono un emigrante di 88 anni che ama la sua NAPOLI)