10 Ways to Save Money On Your Vacation to Rome
To help you avoid scrambling around on the streets of Rome trying to figure out how to save yourself some cash, here are 10 ways to save money while you’re on your trip to Rome that you can take thought of ahead of time. There are a ton of things going on in Rome that will cost you, but then again, there are also many things that you can do for free in between.
There’s no doubt that your level of experience will depend on how much you’ll have to spend. That’s kind of the nature of the beast in regard to any vacation. Not everyone has the money to do everything, and sometimes while on vacation, you’ll need to pick your battles.
Though we’re going to go over 10 ways to save money on your holiday, some of the largest savings will be had weeks or months before you even start packing your bags. This brings us to our first tip- Planning.
Plan out your Vacation
You can save yourself thousands by some up-front planning before ever walking out your door to head to the airport. In fact, if you are diligent and take your time to see what’s available out there, and when, you can save hundreds at least, thousands at most, just getting there.
In fact, getting to your destination can be just as much fun as your destination depending on where you’d be hailing from. If you’re coming from other areas of Europe you can make getting to Rome part of your vacation adventure. I understand this isn’t so easy if you’re coming from the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, or otherwise off-continent.
But if you’re living in a spot that requires air travel to get to Italy, take a good, sober amount of time to make the wisest decision possible concerning your flight. There are seasonal specials to be had, odd season discounts, sales, bundles, and packages to look through and weigh against.
Stay Small and Local, not a Resort
There are B&B’s peppered throughout the city of Rome, and there are also services available to assist you in your mission to find a good one at an affordable price. Just like booking a flight, booking a room in advance can save you a decent amount of money.
Though the resorts are beautiful and can hold their own sets of deals and specials, you’ll still be more likely to spend more staying at a resort.
Eat and lodge outside of the City
If you’re willing to reach outside of the city limits, nearly everything becomes that much cheaper. The food and lodging are no exception. Again, you can scope these kinds of things out early on in your vacation planning phase.
Tips 2 & 3 won’t only save you money, but will give you a more defined and cultured sense of the area itself, and can provide more intimate experiences while building rich memories.
Avoid Unnecessary Travel Costs
You can avoid unnecessary travel costs such as paying for taxis or local transportation (fuel if you’ve rented a car), by never leaving your room without some sort of gameplan. There’s never been an easier time in all of history, to plot out a course that will get you to where you’ve decided to go.
If you want to wander aimlessly to see whatever you see (which can be just as rewarding of an experience), do it on foot or maybe rent out a cheap bike. If the expense is on your mind, don’t throw money away in fuel or transport wandering aimlessly.
But if aimless is how you like to take in your surroundings, at least try to do it for free.
The Locals – A Wealth of Information
Ask around for any tips or advice from locals, you may be shocked at some of the things they know about their own city that you’d never have known otherwise. The best places to eat for the shortest money would be a great starter.
Mistakes are made during vacations that can at times be costly. A local willing to help will be happy to try and steer you in the right direction, which can help you to prevent making some of those mistakes.
A Tourist Card
Tourist cards are available to lend discounts. Three major cards are:
- The Roma Pass Card
- Archeologia Card
- Biglietto 4 Musei
These cards offer something a little different to distinguish themselves from each other, but by purchasing one of them you can save on nearly everything you might decide to do. Discounted or free entries into museums or historic sites, transit discounts, event discounts, etc…
Free Admission
Many museums and historic sites in Rome are free on the first Sunday of the month. This may or may not align with your trip, but it’s something to at least be cognitive of when planning your trip.
Public Transport Systems
In most cities, public transport is established to provide a cheap and reliable method of getting around, and Rome is no exception. This will remain cheaper than a cab or Uber, and as aforementioned, a tourist card can really pull through for you in this regard.
Free Walking Tour
These can be a fun, informative, educational, and overall great experience at a comfortable pace. There’s no greater way to save than free is there? Some of these can be stumbled upon, but it’s better to see what’s out there and book as appropriate, as many do require booking in advance.
Control Yourself!
You are going to be immediately tempted to buy this, get that, take two of these for later, try this out, on and on it’ll go. If you can refrain from purchasing anything for a day or two, the things you do wind up purchasing will be more meaningful than the impulse items that Rome (among other cities) try to suck you into.
Impulse items, particularly those which are perishable, aren’t nearly as attractive after a day or two than they are when you first arrive. An exercise of a little self-discipline can actually save you all kinds of money in this regard.