As of November 2017 travel editor Carole Pepperdino was actually able to find a flight from Miami international airport to Rome for only $211 on Air Portugal and $289 on Norwegian Air.  The best way to search for affordable flights is to visit skyscanner and search for cheapest month or do an open ended search by keeping destinations and dates open to see what flights and rates come up and then sort from lowest to highest. If you're looking for a great deal on a coastal hotel consider Palazzo Mascambruno located in Cariati Calabria.  We found vacancy for only $38 per night with wife, parking and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel is clean and rated 9.9 out of a perfect 10 by travelers.