Any tips on saving money while in Rome? We are renting an apartment, eating in restaurants only for dinner, and buying inexpensive pizza/bread for lunch? We are hoping to spend $100 a day on food, admission fees, getting around

Any other advice would be appreciated

You didn't say when you would be there, but at many times of the year (like, for example, right now) there are free entrances at many museums. Just watch for them at the ones you would most like to visit.

You may also fine that switching your restaurant meal of the day to lunchtime and dining in your apartment on some excellent take-away will save even more than dinners out.

Get a Roma Pass which gives free and reduced entrance to museums and also covers public transport.

Visit churches to see great art -- many are free. If you do a search here, there is a great thread of favorite churches in Rome.

It would be helpful to know the area of Rome that you are staying in but I will add that Rome is a very walkable city so if you like to walk you don't need to spend anything on transit -with the exception of getting to and from the airport and/or any train travel you may take.

Rome is about outside and so walking is wonderful- wondering is essential. Plan your daily itineraries by neighborhoods and you may be very able to manage easily on $100 a day. I rented and apartment in Nov and I am going back next month and I find it very easy to eat very good food inexpensively. You can also make sandwiches and picnic in the park and eat a nice hearty breakfast so you just need a "nosh" for lunch or go back to your apartment later in the afternoon and have some wine and lunch to hold you over until dinner -which always the evening activity.

Check out the website inromenow for events for the time you are going.

If you don't spend a lot of money on restaurants, entertainment (nightclubs, opera, that kind of thing) or shopping, Rome is pretty cheap--once you've paid for the roof over your head. Pizza and pasta are great and inexpensive many places. Drink house wine. Avoid the cafes in Piazza della Rotonda where we spent grand theft money accidentally. Churches are free, but do pay to go underground at San Clemente if you're there--worth it.

I gave myself a generous spending money budget the last time I was in Rome. I tried as hard as I could but still came home with buckets of money because I'm not much of a shopper.

Good luck and have fun. Allow yourself some splurges, whether for you that means audioguides or a nice dinner.

kittycat- I'm so excited for you!

What I wanted to say was that you <i>can</i> get a really nice meal in Rome without spending a fortune. Look through the Italy threads here and trip reports.

My daughter and I put away enough money to have one great (verrry expensive dinner) in both Paris and Rome. After the dinner in Paris, we decided it wasn't worth the money and we cancelled our reservation for the fancy dinner in Rome. We found plenty of "non-fancy" good food in Rome for reasonable prices.

Have fun. Soak up every moment. Take time to "take it all in". Don't rush yourself. Leave something to come back to when you return one day. (And if you throw the requisite coins in the Trevi Fountain, you are guaranteed a return visit!)

Buon viaggio!

I'm solo traveler and accommodation is usually what cost me most of my trips. It kills me that I pay for places where there is room for 2 or more. In my case food is least costly because even very inexpensive meal to me is like gourmet meal here in USA.