Airalo
1GB · 7 days
32k$7.50 AUD
Italy food on a budget
Doing Italy on a budget means the cheapest third of what is worth doing: Osteria del Gambero Rosso, Pasta and Gelato Authentic Cooking Class in Florence. Activities in this plan start from about $19.
Your 5-day food and drink plan for Italy
Where you stayFlorence 3 nightsVerona 2 nightsabout 185 km between them
5 days · packed · 8 of 19 bookable now · activities from about $478
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Day 1 Florence
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morning
Osteria del Gambero Rosso
Restaurant near Montecatini Terme.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Pasta and Gelato Authentic Cooking Class in Florence
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evening
Pizza and Gelato Making Class in Florence - Fun for Everyone
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evening
Chianti Wine Tour from Florence with Tastings
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Wochenmarkt
A morning market, open 9am to 1pm.
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Day 2 Florence
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morning
Mercato Centrale
Market hall in Florence, Italy.
Just turn up -
afternoon
house of Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli's house while in exile. Dates from 1. Italian national heritage.
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eveningalso worth doing
Giardino dell'Iris
Botanical garden in Italy.
Just turn up -
eveningalso worth doing
Chianti hills cycling route
Rolling vineyard roads between Florence and Siena - the classic Tuscan ride, and mostly quiet outside August.
Just turn up
Where to eat
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Breakfast
Mercato Centrale
The Mercato Centrale (Central Market in English) in Florence is located between via dell'Ariento, via Sant'Antonino, via Panicale and Piazza del Mercato Centrale.
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Lunch
Loggia del Mercato Nuovo
So called to distinguish it from the Mercato vecchio (pronounced [merˈkaːto ˈvɛkkjo]; "Old Market") that used to be located in the area of today's Piazza della Repubblica.
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Dinner
Has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide in 1993 and 1994 and perennially since 2004.
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Day 3 Florence
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morningalso worth doing
San Miniato al Monte
Basilica in Florence, Italy. Dates from 1018.
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afternoonalso worth doing
Botanical Garden of Florence
Botanical garden in Italy. Dates from 1545.
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eveningalso worth doing
San Giovanni in Corte Baptistery
Church building in Pistoia, Italy. Dates from 1361.
Just turn up -
eveningalso worth doing
Terme Tettuccio thermal spa
The Art Nouveau bath house that put Montecatini on UNESCO's Great Spas of Europe list in 2021.
Just turn up
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Day 4 Verona
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Travel day
Florence to Verona
Journey time is an estimate rather than a timetable - check the operator before you book anything tight on either side of it.
Book direct -
afternoon
Wine tasting experience near Juliet's House Verona
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eveningalso worth doing
Verona Card
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eveningalso worth doing
Verona Hop-On Hop-Off Bus by City Sightseeing
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Day 5 Verona
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morning
piazza delle Erbe
Square in Vérone, Italy.
Just turn up -
afternoon
Saint Matthew church
Former church building in Verona, Italy.
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eveningalso worth doing
Verona Scavenger Hunt and City Highlights Day Trip
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eveningalso worth doing
Juliet's House ticket with audio guide in Verona
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Prices are indicative and in Australian dollars. Flights and accommodation are not included. Distances between stops are straight-line, so a walking or driving route will be longer, and they are shown only where both stops have a known location. Items marked also worth doing sit outside the food and drink theme and are there because they are among the best things to do in Italy.
Before you fly to Italy
The part an itinerary app leaves out. These are Italy's rules for Australian passport holders, re-read from the official source and dated below.
Entry
No - Australian passport holders can enter Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Passport
Italy wants 3 months of validity beyond the day you leave. A fare is non-refundable long before a passport renewal is.
Your checklist
22 things to sort for Italy, built from these same rules, 3 of them essential.
- Passport valid - valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the schengen area, and issued within the last 10 years
- Take out travel insurance
- Get an International Driving Permit
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Entry requirements change without notice. Always confirm with the official sources below before you book or fly.
Sort these before you go
The two things worth having arranged before a food and drink trip to Italy, compared on price.
Italy eSIM plans
Saily Cheapest 10GB
10GB · 15 days
6k$13 AUD
Airalo Recommended
10GB · 15 days
32k$15 AUD
Italy money and cards
Wise Best exchange rate
Wise debit card
45k0.43%-0.65% conversion fee
Revolut No weekday FX fee
Revolut Standard
30k0% FX fee
Compare only
ING Orange Everyday ATM fees rebated
ING Orange Everyday
22k0% FX fee
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
Budget food questions
What counts as budget here?
The lowest-priced third of everything worth doing in that country, measured against that country's own prices rather than a fixed dollar figure. A budget day in Norway and a budget day in Vietnam are not the same number, and pretending otherwise would just describe the exchange rate.
Does a cheaper plan mean a worse one?
No, and the ordering is the same either way: everything is ranked on its review score first, so a budget plan is the best-reviewed cheap things rather than the cheapest things. Flights and accommodation are not included in any of these figures.
Do I need to book restaurants and food tours in advance?
Cooking classes and food tours, yes - they run small and fill up. Street food and markets, no. The plan marks which is which, and anything bookable can be held before you leave Australia.
What if I have dietary requirements?
Cooking classes and organised tours will almost always accommodate them if you say so when booking rather than on the day. Street food is harder to control, so it is worth learning the phrase for what you cannot eat in the local language before you go.
Other ways to do Italy
Italy wellness itinerary
Hot springs and spa days, but also gyms, yoga, hiking and open water. Rest and movement, not one or the other.
Italy sightseeing itinerary
Coastlines, lookouts, day trips and the landmarks that are actually worth the queue.
Italy highlights itinerary
Some rest, some scenery, some good eating. For the trip you have not decided the shape of yet.
Food and drink trips in other countries
Still deciding where to go? These are built the same way - real activities, in an order that works, with the entry rules for Australians attached.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom food itinerary
Australians now need an ETA - this changed in 2025.
🇪🇸 Spain food itinerary
Visa-free, late-eating, and cheaper than its neighbours.
🇳🇿 New Zealand food itinerary
Closest to home, easiest to plan.
🇯🇵 Japan food itinerary
Visa-free, cash-friendly, and worth over-preparing for.