Up to 80Є for a sun lounger/day

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(Bild: Steffen - stock.adobe.com)

Italy is experiencing a real boom as a vacation destination. After the pandemic, the number of tourists from abroad has risen sharply again. However: travelers now have to dig deeper into their pockets than before!

Prices are rising and rising - for accommodation, beach resorts and restaurants. On average, every Austrian spends 124 euros per day in Italy. But this amount may no longer be enough in many seaside and lake resorts. In its latest report, the research center "Centro Studi Conflavoro" complains that accommodation costs are up to 23 percent higher than in 2023 compared to the previous year. Accommodation prices vary considerably depending on the region.

Particularly expensive during Ferragosto
An analysis by the consumer protection association "Assoutenti" shows that in the week from August 12 to 18, the most expensive of the season, the lowest costs for a hotel in a seaside resort are still 19.6 percent higher than in 2023.

For a family with two children, for example, the costs range from a minimum of 872 euros for a stay in Bibione to a maximum of 3500 euros for Porto Cervo in Sardinia, one of the most exclusive summer destinations.

Porto Cervo in Sardinia

(Bild: Gabriele Maltinti - stock.adobe.com)

There has also been a sharp rise in transportation costs, especially ferry prices to the islands. The average price increase is 6.3 percent compared to the previous year. The only exception is the route from Civitavecchia near Rome to Olbia in Sardinia, where prices have fallen by 7.4 percent, according to the "Assoutenti" study.

Sun loungers and parasols can cost between 20 and 80 euros per day
The usual leisure activities, such as leisure time on the beach, are also affected by the rise in prices. According to the study, beach services have become eleven percent more expensive compared to the previous year. A sun lounger and parasol can cost from 20 to 80 euros per day, depending on the level of the bathing establishment and the resort.

Sports fans also have to pay more than usual for their pleasure: If you want to do yoga and Pilates on the beach, you can expect a price increase of up to 25 percent; yoga and Pilates classes now cost 15 instead of twelve euros.

(Bild: Olga - stock.adobe.com)

Gastronomy is also contributing to the burden on holidaymakers' wallets. In Rome, every "gelateria" has become an exclusive establishment thanks to an endless variety of ice cream flavors, consumer protection groups have complained. The result: a small ice cream in an ice cream parlor with a view of the Trevi Fountain is not available for less than five euros. Even a visit to a pizzeria is no longer as cheap as it used to be. Only in less touristy towns can you get a Margherita pizza for less than ten euros.

Overpriced freeway service areas
While tolls and petrol prices have remained stable compared to summer 2023, consumer protection associations are complaining about rising prices at freeway service areas. You have to pay up to eight euros for a sandwich (70 percent more than in a normal Italian bar), but a cappuccino also costs twelve or 26 percent more there, according to a study by the consumer protection association Altroconsumo.