You are finally starting to plan your holiday in Rome but you have a tight budget and need to get all the possible tips & hacks to learn how to visit Rome on a budget? You just found the right travel guide.
In this article, are listed all the information you need to enjoy Rome without breaking the bank.
Rome is a trendy European Capital, and like every popular destination, it can be pretty expensive if you don't plan how and where to spend your money.
I travelled a lot with a low budget, trying to do as many travels per year as possible, and I have learnt many tricks that I am more than happy to share with you.
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Read 22 Tips to Visit Rome on a Budget Below
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1. Choose weekdays flights:
As many of you already know, flights on weekdays are much cheaper than on weekends so if you can book a flight on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, you will save a lot of money.
2. Visit Rome during shoulder seasons:
The low season in Rome is between October and April. Rome is in central Italy, so it is usually warmer than the north, like Milan or Venice.
So if you don't like to explore a city with cold weather, the bests seasons are spring and autumn. From the end of May till September, the city is crowded with tourists and therefore much more expensive.
3. Book your flight in advance:
As soon as you decide to visit Rome, look at the flights available and see which days and weeks the prices are lower and book it.
Usually, the earliest flights are cheaper than those during the late morning or lunchtime so keep that in mind.
4. Book the cheapest accommodation:
If you are alone, there are many cheap hostels in Rome where you can pay for a bed in a dorm room (if you like to share a room).
You can read my guide to the most stylish and cheapest hostels in Rome where you can read their description and see some pictures. To better know what are the best cheap hostels in Rome and how to book them.
Or if you are with someone and don't want to share a room with strangers, I advise you to book one of the best places to stay in Rome on a budget, like Hostels with private bedrooms or budget-friendly accommodation.
They are always cheap (in the low season you can get a nice and clean double room in a budget hotel in Rome for only 36 euros, basically nothing to be in the centre of Rome).
So you will be comfortable in a friendly, clean place without breaking the bank. Just check hostels with private bedrooms here or if you prefer a hotel, check cheap double rooms here.
5. Plan Ahead what you want to do in Rome:
There are many museums to visit and activities to do in Rome, so the best thing you can do is have a good idea about what you want to see and how much it costs.
You can always have a look at my "The most complete guide of Rome" to find everything you need and even more, like the best museums, activities and much more.
6. Purchase your museums' tickets in advance online:
There are always reasonable offers available online, and you can save a lot of money when booking in advance.
In this way, you will also skip the queue and save time that you can spend exploring Rome instead of staying in a line.
7. Some museums are free on Sundays:
Unfortunately, not every Sunday and not every museum, but in case you want to see some historical and famous places without spending a penny, these are the museums available:
Musei Vaticani: free last Sunday of the month from 9 am to 2 pm. Be aware that the queue can be very long, more than 1 km sometimes, so try to be there as early as possible.
Colosseo: 1st Sunday of the month from 8.30 am till closing (depends on the season). The same story for the Vatican museums can be very crowded and the queue long all around the site.
Terme di Caracalla: 1 st Sunday of the month from 9 am till closing time.
Maxxi: From Tuesday to Friday (only on permanent collections), all free 1st Sunday of the month.
Galleria Borghese: 1st Sunday of the month from 8.30 am till 7.30 pm.
8. Don't visit some museums only because they are famous:
I understand that some museums are so famous that everybody knows about them and trust me that all Roman museums are lovely and full of history.
But if you are travelling on a budget and one particular museum is not interesting for you, and maybe costs a lot, think if it is essential for you to see it, you might end up saving a lot of money in this way.
9. The most beautiful activity in Rome is just walking around and getting lost:
Everything in Rome is beautiful, and there are so many free things and places to see that if you are not into museums, it is perfectly ok and even better for you because you won't have to spend a penny on them.
Have a look at my article "15 most beautiful squares in Rome" and "27 unmissable places to visit in Rome" to get some ideas for your travel.
10. Choose the cheapest way to go from the airport to the centre of Rome:
There are two airports in Rome, and usually, the bus is the cheapest way to get to the city centre.
Look at my article "All the Ways to Reach Rome from Every Roman Airport" and see all the possible ways and the prices to get to this beautiful city.
Plan Your Vacation in Rome in the Best Way
Check out all my articles in the "Most Complete Guide of Rome" and get all the information you need to make your next travel a success.
11. Choose to walk to visit Rome instead of using transports:
Transports in Rome are not expensive, but if you like to walk and save money, this is the cheapest way to visit Rome and explore this ancient city.
Every street, every little square, is going to make you fall in love with this magic capital.
12. Get a map of Rome and plan to explore a different area every day:
This is the best way to avoid walking up and down too many times and getting too tired so get a map of the city, mark every place, street, square, and museum you wish to see, and divide it into different areas (if you stay four days divide it in 4) and concentrate on only one place each day.
In this way, you won't need to use transports because everything you decide to see will be next to each other and you also won't lose time.
Do you like Wine?
If the answer is Yes!
13. Walk up the hills and enjoy the view. It's free:
There are seven hills all around Rome, so you just need to pick one, and walk to the top (they are pretty small so don't worry, you won't have to climb a mountain).
Bring some food and drinks with you (buy them at the supermarket), find a spot that you like and enjoy the unrestricted view of the magnific Rome.
14. Don't pay for a guided tour:
Unless you are really into history and want to have somebody to ask many questions to, this could be a great way to save some money.
I usually do my research on the internet, it's free, and you can search for everything you want to know.
Check out my "27 Unmissable Places to See in Rome".
15. Go to Porta Portese on Sundays:
This is one of the flea markets in Rome, probably the most famous.
There is also an old Italian song that talks about it. In there, you will find unique souvenirs to buy as a memory of your holiday.
16. Bring with you a reusable bottle of water:
There are so many water fountains in Rome.
The water is excellent and drinkable, so don't waste your money buying bottled water that next to touristic sites can cost more than 2.50 euro for 0,5 L. Carry with you a reusable bottle, save money and the planet.
Do you want to see everything Rome has to offer and save money at the same time?
You won't regret it!
17. Drink your coffee at the counter. It's much cheaper:
Just do as Italians do, and you will save money. In every Italian coffee shop, the coffee is delicious, so you can't go wrong with that.
But be aware that if drinking an espresso at the counter can cost 1 euro if you sit a the table, it can cost double or even triple the price.
18. Have breakfast and dinner at your accommodation:
You are going to be in Italy. So you can find delicious Italian food at a low price in every supermarket. For breakfast, you can always find fresh croissants or other cakes for as little as 1 euro or yoghurts with granola for only 2 euro.
Obviously, as a super-organized travel blogger, I also wrote some articles about the best places to eat in Rome on a budget, just a look at my article "the most local places where to have breakfast in Rome" to know where are the best and also cheap bakeries where to eat local food.
For lunch, you will be exploring the city so have a look at "Most Traditionals Places Where to Have Lunch in Rome" where you will find many cheap places where to eat delicious local food.
For dinner just buy some bread, cheese, and salumi (cured meat), some olives, and the perfect dinner is made. If you can cook at your accommodation, buy some tortellini or pasta at the supermarket (they are delicious, trust me, I grew up eating them), a bit of Parmigiano, some olive oil or some pasta sauces, and dinner is made!
19. Have your lunch out:
Some local restaurants offer a lunch menu for 10 euros or you can find a local market where they sell street food.
For more information check out these articles I wrote, where you can find many cheap places where to eat local food in Rome:
20. Eat "pizza al taglio" (sliced pizza) instead of eating a pizza in a pizzeria:
Pizza al taglio is very famous in Rome, and you are going to find many places where to eat it.
The pizza is delicious, you can choose to try different flavours, and it is much cheaper than a pizza place where you have to overpay for a drink and for the eat-in price.
You can eat at the location (without extra costs) or eat it while walking. It is up to you. Absolutely a fantastic option for a light and cheap lunch on the go.
If you fancy the regular pizza, one of the cheapest ways to eat in Rome is by going to a pizzeria and ordering a pizza to take away. Find a quiet spot along the river or in a square and enjoy your Italian lunch.
21. Don't order dessert at the restaurant:
It is always more expensive to eat a dessert at a restaurant, but you are lucky enough to be in Rome where one scoop of gelato costs around 1.50 euros and sometimes even less, so go ahead and enjoy it.
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22. Choose a Happy Hour Bar for dinner:
In Italy, it is very common to go to a bar where you pay 10 euros for a drink and you can eat as much as you want at an extensive buffet full of typical delicatessen.
You can find these bars all around Rome city centre. Just save them on your google maps when you see one (there are always some signs outside the bar with the time of the happy hour).
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