This Ferragosto, we’re releasing here the corresponding chapter of our memoir, “I Can’ t Believe We Live Here: The Wild But True Story of How We Dropped Everything in the States and Moved to Italy, Right Before the End of the World”.

Chapter 5, “Mission Impossible: The stufa and the nulla osta - August 2019”, recounts our misadventures in navigating the Italian government systems, and a the same time setting up our little apartment to be livable in advance of our move here – all in a two week period in August, starting on Ferragosto, when much of Italy closes down.

Our focus on small-town travel doesn’t always mean off-the-beaten-track. We spent this past 10 days in Chianti - not exactly an unknown area. But in high-tourist areas like that, we think it's even more important to search out special places - less-known eateries, artisanal gelaterie, and extraordinary activities - to create a memorable and authentic trip experience.

We are itinerary planners, having crafted small-town trips for travelers for over 10 years now. But we are here in Italy principally as classical muscians and organizers of cultural events.

Here’s just a little snapshot of what our lives are like in the latter identity - our alter-egos, so to speak.

We don’t have unlimited funds, so we’ve designed our business and our itinerary service around finding ways to experience luxurious travel experiences without the cost of luxury travel.

Note: This article is an update from our article from 2017, in which we outline the typical cost for a Little Roads-style trip to Europe. In five years, naturally, costs of things are expected to rise; and especially in the age of the pandemic, lodgings and restaurant prices have risen somewhat.

Here are a few tips on what you can expect to spend, and how to budget so that you have a trip that is immersive, authentic, and affordable - and you won't even notice the “budget” aspect of it.