Northern Italy on €35/Day: Milan, Verona, Venice, Padua & Trieste by Bus

ITEM	COST (2P)	NOTES
Stay	€279.00	Venice Mestre (5 nights): bungalow, €31/night Verona (1 night): double room, €40/night Trieste (2 nights): 2 hostel beds, €42/night
Travel	€74.00	Per person: Malpensa – Milan: €5 – Terravision (bus) Milan – Verona: €7 – FlixBus Verona – Venice Mestre: €6 – Itabus Mestre <-> Venice: €5 – public buses Venice – Padua: €3 – FlixBus Padua – Venice: €3 – FlixBus Venice – Trieste: €8 – Itabus
Food	€134.00	€7.44/day per person Shopped at Lidl.
Sights	€150.00	Per person: Milan: Duomo – €10 Last Supper – €15 Padua: Scrovegni Chapel – €15 Venice: St. Mark’s Basilica – €10 Vaporetto 24h pass (Murano, Burano) – €25
TOTAL	€637.00	9 days at €35.39/day per person

Cheapest Transport in Italy

• Bus Networks: Itabus and FlixBus compete aggressively on Italian routes, which keeps prices low. Compare both before booking on Omio, but book directly for the best rate.
• Promo Codes: Always check for codes before buying. Both operators run regular promotions and 10-20% discounts are easy to find with a quick search.

Accommodation

• Off-Season: Venice is one of the most touristic places in the world. I strongly encourage you to go off season (November-March, excluding Christmas) to have a cheaper, and more importantly – a much more peaceful experience.
• Venice: Staying in Mestre – the mainland district just across the bridge from Venice – can be a serious money-saver, and puts you within easy reach of Padua as a day trip too. The tradeoff: a €1.50 bus ride and 20-30 minutes each way into the city. Hu Venezia Camping in Town with decent bungalows is a solid option.
• Tourist Tax: Most Italian cities charge it, and the amounts vary wildly – €1–€7 per person per night depending on the city, accommodation type, and season. On cheap accommodation, it’s a significant add-on. Factor it in when making a choice.

Hitting Main Sights

• Italy has tons of museums and cathedrals. Admissions add up fast, and honestly, they blur together. We pay for the standout ones.
• Milan – Duomo (€10): Iconic. You can try going for free on Sunday. One day in Milan was enough. It’s not as charming as the rest of the route. I arrived early from the airport and left on an evening bus – it worked perfectly.
  Milan – Last Supper (€15): Book well in advance – slots sell out weeks ahead. If you missed that window, check on Wednesdays when the following week’s slots are released.
• Padua – Scrovegni Chapel (€15): Book online at least a day ahead, then the system shuts down. Off-season you might get lucky walking in – we showed up, got the next slot, and had the place entirely to ourselves. Amazing experience.
• Venice – St. Mark’s Basilica (€10): Book online, tickets usually available.
• Venice – Vaporetto 24h pass (€25): Pricy, so take advantage of that. Single tickets are €9, so getting a 24h pass is a no-brainer. It covers the water buses: use it to get to Murano and Burano. I also recommend Line 1 for a scenic ride down the Grand Canal. If you can, pick a sunny day – so much better.