Few other cities out here have the same fame as Rome does. Hung somewhere in between a glorious ancient past and the more recent Italian culture, Rome is a marvellous city to visit regardless of how old you are, what interests you have and, ultimately, what budget you can allow for this trip as well. If you are planning to backpack your way to Rome and its marvellous wonders, then you should keep in mind some things that will make your life easier and better throughout your trip. Here are the most important 5 backpacking tips to remember when in Rome.
Visiting
You don’t really need a “fat” bank account to enjoy what Rome has best. As a matter of fact, many of the most beloved attractions in Rome are completely free of charge to see (and when they are paid, most of them are very cheap as well). Visit the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Santa Cecilia Basilica and the Vatican for free. You are bound to be left in awe at the grace and power these places emanate!
Staying
When it comes to accommodation, Rome, like most of the big European cities, will have plenty of options regardless of your budget. With that being said, you should know the fact that you can stay in Rome for cheap at a hostel and that you can lower the costs even more if you bring your own tent and camp in the backyard of a hostel that accepts this. All in all, accommodation will not be a problem at all, not when it comes to the range of choices you have and not when it comes to the range of prices these choices cover either.
Eating
Italian cuisine is one of the world’s most famous and most beloved ones – and not without any reason. If you are in Rome, it is inexcusable that you don’t have pasta, pizza and gelato. But do try other specialties as well if you want to because they will all be extremely delicious. Pizza can be very cheap in Rome (as you would expect it to be, of course) and so can many other traditional dishes. The secret to not spending a lot of money on food is not eating at fancy restaurants, but more at the local, small eating spots (or at home by buying your own groceries).
Transportation
Rome’s infrastructure is well built, which means that there is little chance you will actually need to take a cab. As for getting out of town and visiting other cities as well, you can easily do that as well. If you plan on visiting multiple Italian cities, then see if a Railway Pass for Italy would not save you a lot of money. Chances are that it would, since these passes cover all the trains in Italy and they only additional price you may have to pay is when you travel at night.
Numbers
You will need somewhere around $65-70 (United States Dollars) or around 50 Euros to get yourself going in Rome, as a backpacker. Also, do keep in mind that visiting all the great things Rome has to offer can take quite a while, which means that you will need a minimum of 3 days spent here to get to know its marvels.
