Although Rome is associated with luxurious City breaks, there is much about it than can be seen without spending a fortune. Unless you intend to visit boutiques and dine in the most central, touristy restaurants, it should not be too difficult to have a life-changing experience in Rome on a very tight budget; many attractions are free, and like other European cities Rome has so much to see in every street, if you know where to look.
Churches, especially Roman Catholic ones, are frequently buildings of beauty and many are free to enter. St Peter’s Basilicia is free to enter, and the Vatican Museums run a scheme which allows free entry on the mornings of the last Sunday of each month, so if you’re prepared to queue you can see the Sistine Chapel for free. The Pantheon, which is free to enter, was built as a temple to all the gods and goddess; an impressive sight at any time of the day, the domed ceiling is most awe-inspiring when the rain pours through its circular opening. The Largo di Torre Argentina, the spot where Julius Caeser was killed, and the Protestant cemetery in Testaccio which is home to the graves of Keats and Shelley are both free to visit.
Getting around Rome on a budget is incredibly straightforward. The metro system and tourist hop-on hop-off buses are fairly cheap, and buying a multiple day pass can save you a lot of money, but if you’re up for the exercise walking is almost definitely the way to see Rome. Large portions of the city centre streets have been pedestrianised, so you can explore the sites at your leisure. While it’s easy and cheap, for example, booking flights to Rome, ferries have increasingly affordable prices and can add an extra element to your journey. Once you get there, the Roma Pass grants you free entry into two museums or architectural sites, and discounts on many others; while you might not save much money, you will save a lot of time in using the shorter queues with the Pass.
Even on a tight budget, it’s possible to spend days soaking up the atmosphere of the Eternal City. Convents and monasteries are excellent places to stay for cheap if you don’t mind being a way out of the city and adhering to curfews. Try not to eat out all the time, and if you eat out once a day make it lunch as prices are hiked for dinner. And most importantly, look into whether you might qualify for a discount; even without being under 18 or over 65, you may be eligible for a discount if you are a journalist, artist, and a student or teacher of art, architecture of archaeology. It’s worth a try, and will save you a penny for tossing into the Fontana di Trevi.
