Ciao, Italia! Eight Ways to Save on a Trip to the 2026 Olympics

WHETHER you're looking to experience breathtaking natural beauty in the Dolomite mountains or the urban buzz of a global design capital, northern Italy may already be high on your list of vacation destinations. Add in the chance to attend the Winter Olympics, taking place from February 6 to 22 in Milan and the Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort, and you may be looking at a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

- BY BETH BRAVERMAN

“It’s not going to be cheap,” says Darley Newman, who hosts travel shows on PBS and Amazon Prime. “But in the long run, it’s such a cool experience when the world comes together to participate in sports that it might be worth splurging a little.”

That doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. Although some bargain-savvy travelers began booking Olympic trips 18 months ago, experts say there are still deals to be had. These strategies will help you stretch your travel budget like a champ.

Stick the landing by booking flights now. The best time to buy off-season flights to Europe, even during major events such as the Olympics, is two to eight months before your trip. That means locking in a deal before year-end. For an economy flight from the East Coast, anything less than $600 is worth jumping on, says Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going.com.

Because the upcoming Olympic Games will be the most geographically widespread ever, you have options for where to fly in. Major international airports that could work include Milan Malpensa, Venice Marco Polo, and Innsbruck, in Austria. You may also try looking at multicity flights—flying into one city and out of another—to see whether you can find a lower-cost combo.

Find medal-worthy lodging on the outskirts. Check out accommodations in Milan’s satellite cities, such as Monza or Bergamo, or in Dolomite resorts such as Madonna di Campiglio, suggests Erica Firpo, a travel writer based in Rome and host of the Ciao Bella podcast.

“You don’t have to stay in the very center of Milan, which is always going to be the most expensive,” Firpo says.