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Rome on a Budget

  • 12-01-2010 1:34pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 92 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    Thinking of going to Rome with the missus in late May. On a bit of a budget however and I have heard some stories about restaurants being very expensive etc. Flights with both Aerlingus and Ryanair are very reasonable and there are some good hotels on hotels.com for €50-€80 per night which really is fantastic. I am on a pretty tight budget however. Without being miserly, is it easy to go to Rome on a budget or would I be better off looking at a different destination?

    Wouldn't be doing a whole lot of going out. 5 night stay, early rise, sightseeing and lunch out, probably a beer or 2 during the afternoon, dinner in the evening, drink or 2 in the bar then. Pretty quiet break so realistically, how much would I need for a trip like this to Rome? Any helpful info?

    Many thanks,

    Aaron


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    Hi Aaron, first of all, Rome is an amazing city and you will have an absolute ball. I too was wary before going as I had heard how expensive everything was, however, our experience was quite different. Certain things are expensive, your afternoon coffee for example and beer was also pricey. However wine was quite reasonable and we found that there was a huge choice of restaurants for all budgets. The best tip I could give you would be when you are chosing a restaurant, move a couple of streets away from the main sites and you will get the same meal for half the price. Our most expensive meal when we were there was right beside the Spanish Steps, the next night we moved a few streets further away from the Steps and got a great meal for a fraction of the cost. As a rough guide, my husband and I paid from €40-€80 for 2 starters, 2 mains, coffee, bottle of wine. Most of the meals we had were around the €50-€60 mark, so not at all dear compared to Ireland!

    For lunch we would just get a sandwich off a food cart and sit in a park or beside one of the sites and just eat outdoors. The weather should be great in May so you will see lots of people doing the same.

    I don't know how much the attractions are charging in at the moment, however when we were there in 2007, I didn't think them expensive. One other tip would be to get a guided tour around the Colliseum. They are dearer than doing it by yourself, but they include a guided tour of the forum and best of all, you skip the crazy long queue. I think that without a guide you would just end up looking at a lot of ruins, not knowing what they were! There are loads of guides outside and you don't have to pre book or anything.

    Oh and if you are visiting the Vatican and Vatican Museum, get there early as the crowds get prohibitive later in the day. If you aren't claustrophobic, a trip up to the tower is great and the views from the top are amazing. (The steps are very narrow and steep, so not suitable for the elderly or unfit!)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21 jenna4


    I'm going to rome the end of february for 4 night break with my OH's family for his mothers mother, were on a budget also so will let you know how it goes


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 92 ✭✭sinlessgunner


    Thanks for the replies guys. NCMC you really put my mind at ease because Rome seems like a fantastic place. I'm really looking forward to it now!

    Jenna hope you have a nice trip. Please let me know how it goes.

    Thanks again!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 802 ✭✭✭Lollymcd


    My OH and I where in Rome for five days last August and didn't really "watch" our money too much and we spent approx €100 each per day, ate in decent places and drank a LOT of wine, also included a couple of €8 beers for himself! We did the Collusium and Vatican tours which were costly, but, like the previous poster I'd reccomend them. Try booking as much as possible before you travel online, the Collusium and Vatican can all be prebooked, you MUST prebook for the Scavi tour and Villa Borghese. We travelled to Pompeii one day too.

    Just remembered this daily budget included the hotel, Hotel Domus near Termini, very good value for money, nice boutique place, I'd highly reccomend it, check it out on trip advisor.

    Try and visit Cul de Sac, a little wine bar near the Piazza Navona, great prices, wine and cheese plates, stands out compared to the tourist haunts in the area.

    Rome is amazing, not the cheapest, if you want cheap try central/eastern Europe but you won't get the experience you will in Rome. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭black & white


    jenna4 wrote: »
    I'm going to rome the end of february for 4 night break with my OH's family for his mothers mother, were on a budget also so will let you know how it goes

    We're going that time as well - 25th to 28th Feb - so can post feedback as well. We were there in 2007 and I don't remember it being too bad except as someone said earlier if you wanted to sit and eat in full view of a tourist attraction.


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