Hi everyone, I’m thinking about visiting Rome soon and trying to plan it in a budget friendly way. It will be my first time there, so I’m really excited but also curious how people manage costs in such a popular city.

Right now I’m mostly looking at flights and trying to find a good flight to Rome, but I’m also wondering about other things like affordable places to stay, cheap food spots, and simple ways to get around the city.

I’ve heard that many famous places like the Trevi Fountain and some beautiful squares are free to visit, which sounds great. I also like the idea of just walking around and exploring the streets.

For those who have already been to Rome, do you have any tips for traveling there on a budget? Maybe good areas to stay or things that are worth seeing but not too expensive? I’d really appreciate any advice. 😊

It's low season until Easter. If you're planning for now that's one thing

The main things that require a ticket would be the Colosseum if you want to go inside. The Vatican museums if you want to see that.

Most other sites are free.

If you stay in the centre you can walk everywhere

Pizza by weight is relatively cheap

Some supermarket deli sections will make you a sandwich for the price of the materials

There are free options like going up the Capitoline bar terrace to see the view instead of going next door at the monument

You can go up to gianicolo

As of last month access to the Trevi Fountain is no longer free - but it is only €2 so not a biggie

That is to get close to the fountain - one can still see it from the top of the steps. The money is used for maintenance but the main hope it will cut down on the crowds.

You’ve already gotten some great advice! I’ll just encourage you to get a good guidebook – or at least consult one at your local library. For budget travel, I think the Rough Guide is particularly helpful. I make that recommendation because a good guidebook has just about everything you need in one place – not just what to see (be sure to confirm costs and hours on the web first), but also how to use local transportation, some basic words, tips for minimizing costs, etc.

I don’t use guidebooks for food or lodging. For lodging, I strongly recommend booking.com

Good luck and have fun!

Rome has a good bus system. There are signs at each stop showing where each bus stops. Keep in mind that, other than the Colosseum, it lists the street names, not the names of sites, so you need to know what street the site is on. While a lot of buses have the new machines that you can tap your card, when I was there last September, some still had the old machines, so it's a good idea to have some bus tickets. You have to have them ahead of time and can buy them at the tabacchi shops.

I agree that it's good to check out booking.com for hotels. You can put in your criteria and do a search. Prices are definitely higher since Covid. Also since then, a lot more reservations are needed for restaurants. Even though portions might be smaller than you are used to, I find that I can order just the pasta course and it's all I need. Of course, this depends on your appetite! You do not need to order all the courses.

If you don't want to actually visit the Forum, for the best view, go up the Cordonata steps. Directly ahead is the Senate building (the Capitoline Museum to the right). Go around the right side of the Senate to the back of the building and there it is. You will also have a small view of the Colosseum. (You will not get the Colosseum if you go around the left side of the building).

St. Peter's Bacilica is free. The long line you will encounter is not to buy tickets, it's to go through Security. Actually, churches in general are free and you could spend your entire trip just visiting churches that are worth seeing and not get to all of them!

For places to stay, consider a ‘monastery/convent’ stay. that’s where my wife and I stay. Quite a few in Rome. We stayed at Casa Maria Immacolata and Casa per Ferie Beata Madre Margherita Calani. Good price. Are you a solo female traveller? There are plenty of single rooms and there is good security. Some are weak on speaking English so a translation app is helpful.

Check them out at Monasterystays.com. Somewhat cheaper if you book directly

We have used guru walks.com for tours in various cities. We even did one just for the Prado in Madrid. The guides are local and take you off the beaten path a little. You don't pay for the tour up front. You give the guide a tip at the end. Depending on how many people there are in the group, we pay about $20 per person. We are going to Rome soon as well and they have lots of different tours in various parts of the city. sign up on their website. Happy travels.