Today, I'll be giving a positive answer to this question:
Is Tuscany Europe's top budget tourist destination? As we all know, the dollar and, to an even greater extent, the pound have fallen in value against the euro for several years in a row. This no doubt helps US and UK exporters but it might be expected to be less than helpful to tourists visiting the euro zone, including Tuscany. The empirical evidence strongly suggests this is not the case, especially for visitors from America. How can that be?
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| Tuscany - Europe's top budget tourist destination? |
Your vacation costs are in essence the flight, your accommodation, your food and local transport.
Prices of flights to Europe have been decreasing steadily in real terms. (Comfort has also decreased, but that's another story.) The airlines are definitely stressed by this trend, but, in the meanwhile, tourists should take advantage of what's on offer.
What about accommodation? In Tuscany, uniquely in Europe, there has been a huge increase in the availability and quality of non-hotel vacation accommodation in the form of farmhouses (
often incorrectly referred to as "villas"), farmhouse apartments, village apartments and Bed and Breakfast rooms. The increased competition due to the
greater numbers of vacation rentals available together with much easier price comparison via the internet, plus the fact that
agriturismi and similar rural and village vacation rentals are much less regulated than hotels, means that
prices have decreased in real terms over the past ten years to the point where
a couple can easily find a comfortable apartment for 65 euros per night or less.
A family with children can easily find a stand-alone farmhouse with a swimming pool for under 100 euros per night. In addition, the old Saturday to Saturday minimum stay has long since vanished from owner-direct bookings and from a great many agency-mediated bookings as well. A three night minimum stay is now the rule rather than the exception. Many B&B's will let a room for a single night. The rural holiday homes are almost always beautifully-restored, traditional Tuscan structures furnished in Tuscan country style and with modern bathrooms. In Tuscany, families are reluctant to sell houses that have been in the family for generations and would rather renovate them and rent them out. Since Italy's rental laws are unreformed (meaning you can't boot someone out for not paying the rent), most Tuscans strongly prefer renting to tourists for a few months a year than risk renting to a local who might decide not to pay. This is all to the advantage of holiday-makers coming to Tuscany.
More about what to expect from your Tuscan vacation rental.
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| Tuscan country style furnishings in a Tuscan farmhouse vacation accommodation |
How are food prices? There are two aspects to answering this question. First, restaurants and trattorias. During last year
, I spoke to many Americans about restaurant prices which I remembered as being very inexpensive in the States. The responses were almost uniformly that it was too long since I'd been there. While quantity is always greater in the States, restaurant prices have gone up to the extent that eating out in Tuscany is now comparatively inexpensive. Competition and the structure of the Tuscan restaurant trade (mostly family run), has kept prices more or less constant in real terms for more than a decade.
I have discussed what it costs to eat out in Tuscany previously on this blog and my colleague Elena Spolaor provides
current data on restaurant prices in Tuscany.
The second aspect regarding the price of food is related to Tuscan accommodation opportunities. If you rent a villa or an apartment with a fully equipped kitchen,
you can prepare your own meals at home either from the abundant and inexpensive raw materials available everywhere in Tuscany or from the freshly cooked meat, vegetables and pasta available in supermarkets all over the Region. Buying a bottle of wine at a winery or in supermarket contributes to making eating at home inexpensive and enjoyable.
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| Dining at your own accommodation in Tuscany |
Lastly, the subject of local transport. There's no denying that renting a car provides the best way to see the many sights of interest in Tuscany. Nevertheless, it's possible to have
an enjoyable holiday in Tuscany without a car by staying in or within walking distance of a town or village served by trains or buses. For intercity travel, the new high speed trains,
Frecciarossa and
Italo, are preferable to many, including me, over a car. By booking in advance, you can make substantial savings and make high speed train travel not only convenient but inexpensive as well.
More about getting around in Tuscany.
More about getting around in Chianti.
In summary - I'm totally convinced that Tuscany is
the new budget destination in Europe, with undiminished (indeed,
enhanced) comfort and convenience, plus the wine, countryside and art
cities that have always been here for the pleasure and profit of our
visitors. See you soon!
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
