How to visit Rome on a budget: everything's primo except the price
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Loading... - Lucas Foster
- 20 Jan 2022
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The city offers myriad ways to visit in style while saving money. Outside of summer, you should be able to find cheap flights, or better yet, take advantage of Italy’s cheap and comprehensive railways. Picking neighborhoods away from the touristy core can yield savings, and also expose you to a more interesting mix of residents, shops and street life.
Rome’s public transportation is cheap and can take you any place you need to go. Getting around on foot is not only free but also the very best way to experience the city – you can't go wrong with strolling and people-watching. And when you need sustenance, eating and drinking like a local means your savings will be as big as your enjoyment.
Finally, there's no entrance fee required for some of Rome's best attractions – all across town, you'll find churches, gorgeous gardens, world-class monuments and ancient sites that are admission-free. Here are our top tips for stretching your budget in Italy's capital city.
Shop around for flights
Rome is served by every airline of any size in Europe as well as international carriers from further afield, and that competition can yield big savings and plenty of seats if you buy well in advance. Even last-minute travelers in Europe may find bargain airfares to Rome.
Almost all airlines use Leonardo da Vinci Airport, which is well-linked to the city by frequent trains and buses. Rome’s other airport is Ciampino, which is used by budget carrier Ryanair. It has less-frequent bus links to the city.
Flying to Rome from outside Europe offers no airfare surprises: winter fares are the lowest, summer the highest. And there’s little hope of a bargain if it’s already May and you’re considering a summer trip.
Take the train
Italy’s railways are extensive, offering some of the cheapest fares in Europe, and the trains on the major lines are fast – you can get from Milan to Rome in just over three hours. Ticket prices are so low that there’s no need for train passes for Italian travel. Shop online and know that on longer routes served by fast trains, the same rules apply as those for airfares – shop early for the cheapest seats.
Travel in the off-season
Rome's residents may take some or all of August off and flee the city, but they are simply replaced by hordes of visitors coming in for a Roman holiday. In other words, August – like the rest of the summer months – is not cheap.
But given that Rome is a major metropolis, it’s already a year-round city, and there are few essential activities dependent on summer weather. In fact, only during particularly cold spells is it too chilly to sit outside at a cafe watching life amble past. And conversely, not trying to see the sights in the crowded, muggy heat of summer can be a delight.
That said, eating, drinking and admission prices are the same year-round. The biggest seasonal savings you’ll enjoy are on tourist-oriented accommodation and on travel tickets to the city. As elsewhere, many favor the shoulder seasons of March to May and September to October for good weather and reduced crowds compared to the summer's peak.
Reserve a place to stay early
The best budget hotels and Airbnb rentals book out early, so it pays to reserve as early as possible. Every extra effort you make to shop around will give you a better chance of securing a really great place to stay, which, depending on your tastes, can mean an elevator building, a rooftop patio with views or a prime location close to your interests.
Stay out of the Centro Storico
Rome’s lovely – and touristy – heart, the Centro Storico, with the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and more, is awash in accommodations, though much of it isn't especially inspiring due to the hordes constantly checking in. Adjoining neighborhoods can offer up savings and a more interesting place to stay; plus they have a higher percentage of full-time residents, so daily life has more character.
Trastevere, Giancolo, Tridente, Ludovisi, Aventino, Testaccio and Borgo are among the neighborhoods worth checking. Rome’s walkability and good public transit mean that none of these areas will put you too far from the core sights. Note, however, that despite a plethora of affordable options, no one ever said, “Gosh, I’m glad I stayed near Termini!” The streets around Rome’s main train station are chaotic and charmless.
Walk everywhere...
Using your feet to get around combines practicality with one of life’s great pleasures – exploring Rome on foot. Around every twist in the cobblestone streets is another ancient monument, ages-old church, beguiling cafe, flower-scented courtyard or other surprise. Read More…
