8 Ways to Get the Best Bang for your Euro When Visiting Rome

If you don’t already know, Rome is one of my FAVORITE places in the world.

I have spent a decent amount of time here over the years, and I have learned a lot of ways to make your time in La Cittá Eterna even more amazing than you thought it could be.

I’m in NO WAY a budget travel planner, so if that’s what you’re here for you can head to a budget booking engine.

My specialty is turning your travel investment into unforgettable experiences that might just change your life - not spending hours online figuring out where I can save you $2 on flights.

My experience and knowledge are WAY too valuable to be doing that, when instead I can be creating an amazing Roman itinerary for you.

Here are 8 things I do for ALL of my travelers visiting Rome -

1. Book hotels in the city center

YES, it’s more expensive, and YES, it’s absolutely worth the increased cost. Especially for first time visitors, or people with a limited amount of time, the ability to walk out of your hotel room and be staring at the Pantheon, or the Trevi Fountain, or the Vatican is going to make every moment in this magical city feel like a fairy tale.

If you’re spending time waiting on the train, or having to cut experience short to make the last metro back to your outskirts station, or spending all of your money on taxis, that’s a LOT of wasted time, energy, and money.

Plus, if you’re staying in the city center, you can walk it at night when the day tourists are gone and the city is at peace. Talk about magical experiences.

2. Plan your sightseeing activities out so you can walk, rather than paying for transportation

I cannot tell you the number of miles I walk when I’m in Italy in a day, let alone when I’m in Rome.

The mind blowing thing about Rome is that, pretty much constantly, you’re going to be face to face with an ancient ruin, or a world renowned monument, or an excavation site where a “new” roman artifact or structure has been discovered.

So yeah - I’m going to encourage you to WALK. Check out the city! Take it in and SEE.

And make sure to pack some comfy walking shoes!

3. If culture and history are your jam, time your visit accordingly!

A really great thing to be aware of, if you have a flexible schedule at all, is that on the first Sunday of the month, many museums and sites have free entry!

Make sure to double check the schedules if there’s a place you REALLY want to get in to see!

4. I encourage pickiness about your gelato quality

It should NOT be neon, or too brightly colored. So yeah, if it’s mint flavored and it’s green, run.

Avoid places that have gelato in giant piles! It should be dense and thick, and if it’s too tall it’s pretty likely that it was made incorrectly and has too much air in it.

As a general rule, if there are toppings on the gelato to indicate flavors, this is not a good sign.

Just head on over to Giolitti and you’ll know what good gelato should look and taste like!

5. Invest in skip the line tickets to attractions

Never in a million years should you be planning to just grab a ticket to the Colosseum or the Vatican when you arrive to “save some money”.

Lines go on FOREVER and you’ll spend the rest of your life waiting. Instead, book a Skip the Line ticket from a reputable company. You can join a guided group of pretty much any size, book a private tour, or even get self-guided tickets (which mean that you’re on your own to wander and admire things at your leisure).

6. Educate yourself on the free sites to visit

There is a lot you can pay to see in Rome, but there’s also so much that you can see for zero dollars.

I have a really great Walking Guide to Free Sites of Rome that you should check out if you enjoy the self paced stroll to experience a city.

7. Help decide which is more important for you - warmer temperatures or smaller crowds

If gorgeous summer days that go on forever are your jam, you’re going to be looking at visiting Rome in the summer time, and paying more for the privilege.

If you prefer smaller crowds, you’re going to be looking at winter time (avoiding Christmas and New Year) and you’ll need to pack your winter weather gear. Be aware that some places close seasonally.

A good in between time is November or March, but it can still get a little cold at these times and as with any major city, there will still be crowds of people you’ll be interacting with.

8. Accept that you won’t see it all this trip, and make a plan for your next visit

I lived in Rome for 4 months, and I still haven’t seen it all. I have friends that lived in the city for years and still find new things to see. This city is literally eternal, it’s layered, it’s thriving and ancient and modern and it’s incredible.

If you are planning to visit Rome once “just to say you’ve been there,” I’m sad for you. And I’m also a little mad about it, if I’m being honest.

YOU CANNOT SEE IT ALL IN ONE TRIP. But that’s awesome, because it’s the PERFECT reason to come back to Rome again, and again, and again.