Need an affordable trip to Italy?
Italy is consistently good value for UK travellers who plan ahead. A week’s package in Sicily or Calabria in May or September can cost under £600pp, while Tuscany, the Italian Lakes, and the Amalfi Coast cost more but offer scenery and food that are hard to match elsewhere in Europe. The country has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other nation, over 300 sunshine days a year in the south, and a food culture that rewards any budget.
Direct flights from UK airports start from around £40 each way to Rome, Milan, Naples, and Catania with Ryanair and easyJet, departing from Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, East Midlands, and London. A week’s package in July or August typically costs £700-900pp. The same trip in May or October is often £400-600pp, sometimes less. Self-catering in Sicily or Puglia in shoulder season is where you’ll find the best value.
| Period | Temp (coast) | Crowds | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late Apr–Jun | 20–25°C | Low | ££–£££ | Beach + culture |
| Jul–Aug | 28–35°C | Very high | ££££ | Guaranteed sun |
| Sep–mid Oct | 22–27°C | Low | ££–£££ | Best value overall |
| Nov–Mar | 10–16°C | Very low | £ | City breaks |
Jet2 Holidays, TUI, and easyJet Holidays all offer Italy packages. Jet2 is particularly strong on regional UK airports including Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, and East Midlands. For flight-only, Ryanair covers a wide range of Italian airports from Bergamo and Rome to Catania, Bari, and Lamezia Terme. Booking 3-6 months ahead gets the best prices for peak travel; 6-10 weeks out often finds good late availability in shoulder season.
Latest Italy holiday deals
August is Italy’s most expensive month. Skip it. May, June, September, and early October give you the same sunshine, smaller crowds, and prices that are noticeably kinder on your wallet.
Timing matters. For peak summer travel in July and August, book 4-6 months ahead. Italian coastal resorts fill fast and prices climb sharply as availability drops. For shoulder season, 6-10 weeks out is often the sweet spot, when tour operators release late availability at cut prices. City breaks to Rome, Milan, or Florence are more flexible, since hotel supply is high year-round and last-minute deals appear regularly.
This single decision can save you £30-50 before you’ve even arrived:
May is the standout month for value. Flights to Sicily cost £40-60 each way, apartments start from £40 a night, and the coast reaches 25 degrees by late May. The sea is warm enough to swim from June.
Once you’re there, eat and travel like a local. A coffee at a bar costs about £1.20 standing. The same drink sitting in a piazza? Three to five times that. Use regional trains. Rome to Naples is £10-25 and the high-speed network links most major cities. If you’re self-catering in Sicily or Puglia, local markets are cheap and excellent.
All-inclusive makes sense in Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia, where resorts are largely self-contained. In Rome, Tuscany, or on the Amalfi Coast, room-only is almost always better value. Food and wine are the point of being there.
For booking timing and flight strategies, see our guide to getting cheap flights from the UK.
Ryanair and easyJet between them serve Italy from over 20 UK airports, with fares from £30-60 each way in shoulder season. Jet2 adds package options from regional airports including Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, and East Midlands.
Ryanair has the broadest network to Italy from the UK. Routes include:
Fares start at £30-60 each way in shoulder season from regional UK airports including Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, and East Midlands.
easyJet flies to Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, Naples, Venice Marco Polo, Florence, Pisa, and Bologna from Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol. easyJet tends to serve more central airports than Ryanair, which can reduce transfer costs.
Jet2 covers Italy through its package holiday programme, with coverage from Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and East Midlands to Sicily, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, and Sardinia. Particularly competitive on 7-night all-inclusive packages for families.
ITA Airways (formerly Alitalia) operates from Heathrow to Rome, Milan, and other Italian cities. British Airways also flies London to Rome, Milan, Venice, and Florence, and is worth checking for direct routes and flexible fares.
Italy Travel guides
Sicily and Puglia offer the best value for UK beach holidays. Tuscany and the Italian Lakes suit those after scenery and culture. The Amalfi Coast is the most expensive option but one of the most dramatic coastlines in Europe.
For the best-value week in the sun, Sicily and Puglia lead. For a mix of culture and countryside, Tuscany. For scenery and a slower pace, the Lakes.
May and September are the sweet spot for most Italy holidays. The weather is reliable, the sea is warm enough to swim, and prices are noticeably lower than the July-August peak.
For guidance on booking timing and fare trends, see our guide to when flights are cheapest.
A week in Sicily all-inclusive through Jet2 or TUI can be found for £550-750pp in May or June, competitive with Greece and Turkey. Budget roughly £60-100 per day once you arrive.
The biggest cost variable is accommodation location: staying a short drive from a famous coastline or city rather than in it cuts prices considerably. For flight booking strategy, see our guide to the cheapest time to fly.
No. UK citizens can visit Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under the Schengen Agreement. No advance application is required.
For hand luggage and packing advice, see our UK airline hand luggage guide.
May, June, and September offer the best combination of good weather and lower prices. Temperatures on the coast reach 24-27°C, crowds are well below August levels, and packages can cost £200-300pp less than peak summer. Late April and early October are also good for city breaks to Rome, Florence, or Venice.
Sicily and Puglia are consistently the best-value options for UK travellers. A week’s all-inclusive in Sicily through Jet2 Holidays or TUI in May or June can be found for £500-700pp, which is competitive with Greece and Turkey. Calabria is cheaper still and growing in popularity, though resort infrastructure is less developed. The Italian Lakes are reasonable for couples who prefer scenery over beach holidays.
Travelling in May or September rather than July or August is the single biggest saving. Flying into secondary airports (Bergamo instead of Milan, Pisa instead of Florence, Catania instead of Palermo) cuts costs significantly. Once there, eat at local trattorias rather than tourist-facing restaurants, and use Trenitalia regional trains between cities rather than taxis.
It depends on where you go. In Sicily, Calabria, and Sardinia, all-inclusive makes sense because resorts are self-contained and local restaurants can be hard to find nearby. In Rome, Florence, Tuscany, or on the Amalfi Coast, room-only gives you the flexibility to eat properly, which is a significant part of the Italy experience. Jet2 Holidays and TUI offer well-priced all-inclusive options to Sicilian and Sardinian beach resorts.
Fancy booking an extended stay?
Take a look at our cheap Italy hotels page, where we share the best deals on beautiful and affordable hotels across Italy.
Travelling outside of the designated Holiday package time?
Be sure to view our selection of cheap Utaly flights, which may get you from A to B at a greatly reduced cost.
Flight Tribe finds and publishes travel deals for UK readers. We check prices directly with tour operators and airlines, and only feature offers we’ve personally verified. The Italy deals on this page are updated as new offers come in.
