How to save money in Rome, Italy

Traveling to Italy has been one of my biggest dreams since I can remember and in 2018 I finally had the chance to travel to Rome. If you want to travel to Rome and you’re on a budget these are my tips for you!

1- Travel off season

Plane tickets and accommodations are cheaper when you travel off season and the city is also less crowded. So going towards the end or in the begging of the year is the best. I went in the second week of October. The places were still a little bit crowed but not too much and the weather was amazing. My boyfriend and I dressed like it was summertime. Be careful when going in the autumn because it’s supposed to start raining occasionally, I just got lucky. In fact, the week after I went to Rome there was a huge storm.

2- Book everything in advance

Buying your plane ticket a few months in advance it’s usually cheaper, but you should also consider buying the tickets for the museums and other attractions before travelling. Not only you find discounts, but you also find tickets that allow you to skip long lines. I recommend musement.com, that’s where I bought my tickets to see the Colosseum and the Roman Forum / Palatine Hill. I also booked a guided tour to the Vatican museums + the Sistine Chapel + St Peter’s Basilica for a really nice price here. Keep in mind that the more you wait to book something the less options you’ll have.

3- Get a public transport pass

Transports can be quite expensive. Don’t even think about going on a taxi! There are many public transport passes you can purchase. I stayed in Rome for 6 days and I decided to buy the weekly pass. It costs 24€, lasts 7 days and you can use the metro, the buses and trams as many times as you want. You can find more information about the passes' prices here.

4- Don’t stay in a hotel

Guest-houses are usually cheaper than hotels. I booked an apartment at Airbnb for a nice price, plus it felt cozier than staying at a hotel. Also, if the apartment is not located extremely close to the center, you can enjoy your stay like you’re a local. Near the Airbnb I booked there was an amazing restaurant, with cheap prices, good quality and friendly staff. If you want to know more about the Airbnb I stayed let me know in the comments.

5- Don’t eat near the tourist attractions

Restaurants near the popular attractions are more expensive. We noticed when we walked a little bit further we would find restaurants with better prices. There’s also another option for you. We ate a few times at Alice Pizza, there’s many across the city, their pizza is delicious and not expensive.

6- Search for free activities

For example, you don’t pay anything to enter in the pantheon. There are also beautiful churches you can enter for free, like the basilica Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This photo above was taken near Tiber Island, another cool place you go free and you can watch the sunset. Just research a lot before going!

These are my tips to save money in Rome. I hope these are helpful and if you have other tips, please share in the comment section bellow.

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