Rome on a Budget

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  1. The Vatican for Free

    The Vatican Museums (see Vatican City) are free the last Sunday of each month but get crowded (see Vatican Museums when they're Free). However the free day is useful if you want to return to tour the less popular museums and collections.

  2. Sightseeing for Free

    The Roman Forum is one of the top free sights in the world. Churches are free and hold some of Rome’s greatest art and architecture, however you often pay for entry into crypts, archaeological excavations and treasuries. Rome’s squares are free theatres of life for the price of a cappuccino.

  3. Sightseeing Discounts

    Sights and museums are run by a variety of agencies, from national to municipal to private, so prices vary. National museums are free under 18 and over 60 to almost everyone save Americans (a rule connected with reciprocity agreements). The Roma Pass, at €23 is valid for three days and includes free public transport. The Roma Archeologia Card, a €23.50 7-day ticket, is valid for sites such as the Colosseum, the Palatine, monuments along the Via Appia and the museums of the Museo Nazionale.

  4. Travel Discounts

    Those under 26 can buy a Carta Verde for about €40 that offers 30 per cent discount on any train ticket; the same deal for over 60s is called Carta Argento. Available from railway stations.

  5. Accommodation

    Generally, prices get higher as you move towards the centre of the city and the hotel has more stars to its rating. A 1- or 2-star hotel (fewer amenities) or taking a room without a private bathroom will save you money, and is preferable to looking outside the centre or in the Termini neighbourhood where cheap hotels congregate (see Business Hotels). If you can get out of paying for the hotel’s breakfast, the same thing at a café costs a quarter of the price. Avoid making phone calls or using the minibar; both are overpriced.

  6. Cheap Eats

    In food-loving Italy, price or category of restaurant has little to do with how good the food is, so a cheaper osteria or trattoria is just as tasty as a fancy ristorante. Appetizers cost almost as much as first courses for less food. House wine is cheaper than bottled; tap water (acqua dal rubinetto) is free. Tavole calde and bars offer cheap meals for those in a hurry (see Eating and Drinking Tips).

  7. Picnics

    You can visit a string of small grocery stores (alimentari), greengrocers (fruttivendolo), bread and pastry shops (panetteria or pasticceria), wine stores (vini olii, enoteca or fiaschetteria) or simple street stalls and create your own picnic to eat on a square, take on a daytrip, or enjoy back in your hotel room.

  8. Pay in Cash

    Cash is sometimes preferable to credit, and will often secure you a discount in shops and smaller hotels. Just make sure you leave with some kind of receipt.

  9. Travel Off-Season

    Roughly, late October to before Easter is low season in Rome, when rates on airfares and hotels can drop considerably, plus you visit without the crowds and long queues (see General Information).

  10. Shop Wisely

    Some fashion items are no cheaper in Italy than abroad. When possible, save your purchasing for one store so you can gather up the VAT limit and get a refund (see VAT Refunds). Go for artisan products rather than souvenirs, and purchase from the craftspeople themselves to avoid resale mark-ups. Or take advantage of the city’s many markets for more bargains (see Top 10 Markets).

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