To be clear for those who read my first post: I’m talking about actual, real Italy! No metaphors today.
Lake Como
I’m very fortunate to have experienced some brilliant holidays. Between Covid and our evolving family circumstances, they became a thing of the past and I really, really missed them. We’re now hopeful of family holidays in the future but in the meantime, encouraged by my lovely family, I’m starting to venture out again. Jamie understands that, just as he likes to be at home, I like to get out and about and see new places. He wants me to go but it's still a big deal and I know he doesn't look forward to my departure. Three nights is the most I have been away from him. The guilt is quite sickening but, as so many people keep reminding me, I can’t pour from an empty cup. So within my financial and time limits off to Italy I went! Here’s how I did a three night trip to Lake Como on a budget…
Planning, planning, planning
Gone are the days of popping online, selecting the most convenient flight times and best hotels. A few clicks and it’s all booked. It’s more like hours of researching and comparing flights and accommodation, constantly checking that there isn't a cheaper option. Planning this trip became my full time job for a couple of days - and that was after the challenge of trying to find matching free dates with my travel companion, Lianne, and making sure child and doggy care were in place. In fact, I possibly spent as long planning Italy as I did IN Italy. I hope I haven’t made it sound like a chore; most people who know me know that I’m at my happiest when in planning mode and in the case of travel planning, I see it as an extension of the trip.
Extras? Not for us!
Our bargain seeking found us booked onto the cheapest flight of the day which happened to be at 6.15am with Easyjet from Gatwick giving us an extra full day in Italy. Flight options from Edinburgh were not as plentiful or as cheap so it actually worked out cheaper for me to fly to Gatwick the day before and stay with Lianne (after some bonus time in London). Since flying is such a treat for me, I stumped up for a window seat. We packed light (a first for me) with only small rucksacks, avoiding extra luggage fees and saving time at the airport.
There was no getting ripped off at the airport. We did buy a drink each but had our trusty pain au chocolats squished into one of the rucksacks, courtesy of Aldi on the way out and Carrefour on the way back.
Our transport for the trip was a Fiat Panda. I did notice a rather nice Range Rover in the Car Hire park but I’m pretty sure it would have cost a fair bit more than the £18 we had paid for our wee Panda.
Somewhere to lay my head (must be no naked Austrians)
Any questions about Lake Como accommodation under £100 per night, I'm your woman! I feel like I could describe every airbnb option in the Lake Como vicinity as I studied them all so many times. Of the two of us, I’m the fussier one so despite wanting to keep costs low, I had stipulated NO HOSTELS. My requirements are “clean” and “safe” and “no naked Austrians roaming” as Lianne had encountered in her recent hostel stay! At half the price of most other places, we knew we were taking a bit of a gamble on the house we eventually selected. However, all the reviews were very positive (I studied EVERY single one) and we figured that we would really only be sleeping there. Our gamble paid off and sure enough, the place was clean and just as described. I think the price reflected the fact that our house was in Primaluna, about half an hour away from Lake Como. The house had everything we would have needed but we literally used it to sleep and shower. A car was essential here but even factoring in hire and fuel costs, it worked out cheaper than places closer to the lake.
Room with a view
Food, glorious food!
We splurged on 4 restaurant meals on this trip and they were worth it. For our first dinner we chose a busy restaurant by the lake in tourist hot spot Varenna, knowing that we were paying for the view rather than the cuisine. The menu was vast but the only remarkable thing about the food was that it was cold. We didn’t care, we were fed and just feeling lucky to be in such a beautiful spot.
In our attempts to bump into George (Clooney) we had a couple of truly memorable meals just along from his villa in Laglio. His security team must have been rolling their eyes by the time we rocked up for our third attempt! The first meal in Laglio was dinner in a seafood restaurant where a stern lady made it very clear to us in Italian that they serve fish from the lake and any enquiries about pizza or meat would most definitely not be tolerated! Lianne’s a proper grown up and obediently ordered the fish special while I had a plate of melon and prosciutto. My favourite holiday food! The following day we found ourselves back in Laglio (probably being observed by George’s security) sitting right at the water being served simple but delicious charcuterie and the tastiest chicken we’d ever eaten. This was perhaps one of the most relaxing lunches of my life and I honestly think I would happily have paid double the £40 we spent on that experience. We sat and chatted for hours while waiters served us delicious food. Just remembering it now makes me feel instantly relaxed.
Da Luciana, Laglio
Our most decadent meal, on our last night, was a chance discovery in a tiny mountain village after Lianne had a “calling” to turn off the main road. Tripadvisor told us of a nearby restaurant with amazing reviews. So we wound our way up the neverending hairpin bends, parked on a verge seemingly in the middle of nowhere and dashed in the torrential rain down a cobbled path lit by candles to be welcomed into a beautiful little restaurant. It would have been very romantic had we been with our husbands instead of each other! For £76 we had a complimentary appetizer, two delicious courses and a glass of wine each – the perfect way to celebrate our final night
The rest of our meals and snacks were more budget friendly, picked up from supermarkets and usually consisting of some meats, cheese, crisps and fruits which meant we felt we could relax and indulge on our restaurant trips. In contrast to food shopping at home, somehow going into foreign supermarkets feels exciting. In fact, it’s always one of my favourite holiday experiences. At no point did we feel that we were depriving ourselves with our cheap supermarket picnics. As well as saving the pennies, we didn't want to spend loads of time in restaurants when we had so much exploring to do in a fairly short time. I was travelling with a coffee addict so we sampled a few coffee shops and found them all to be much cheaper than at home. A coffee and a hot chocolate set us back just £5.
Supermarket picnic
Memories for souvenirs
Not a penny was spent on souvenirs or shopping. Even if there had been any temptation, our rucksacks would not have accommodated it! I couldn’t go home completely empty handed so we planned a supermarket shop on the way to the airport for some Italian treats to take home. However traffic conspired against us so I had to make do with the obligatory Milka from Duty Free. I have my memories, a camera roll full of photos and a wee freebie badge we picked up at our final restaurant and they are all the souvenirs I need.
Strolling in Lecco
On this trip we managed to cover the north and south of Lake Como, spending time in Varenna, Bellagio, Lecco, Lenno, Como, Laglio. We even hopped across the Swiss border to Chiasso for some Swiss chocolate. The total cost for me amounted to £366. I consider it money extremely well spent. This trip was the break I had needed and I'll carry the memories of it forever. It's confirmed to me that travel doesn't always have to cost a fortune and can still be part of my life.
Here's the cost breakdown and links to our bookings and favourite spots:
Trip Costs
Flights (Edinburgh-Gatwick, Gatwick-Milan, Milan-Edinburgh): £130
Accommodation (3 nights): £50
Car hire (3 days): £9
Fuel: £27
Spending (food, drinks, parking, ferries) £150 = £366
Links
Can I book you to organise a future escape for me, please??
Another fabulous read, Katie.
PS. I told George you were in the area …Forewarned and all that …! Xx
Sounds amazing Katy - please invite me next time 🍷 🚗 🇮🇹 xx
Sounds perfect Katie. Where’s next? x