Rome on a budget

Hello! Sorry for the prolonged delay in posting, I have been doing lots of leggy activities, and am pleased to report that after 6 months of my leg cage I am finally iron-free and (almost) back to normal! I'm sure I'll bore you all with leg-related stories in the next few days but right now I am utterly bored of talking about it so it'll have to wait. Instead, inspired by another visitor to Rome with a strict budget, today I thought I'd share some of my favourite budget activities and tips (I'm not talking about the free monuments/churches which are in every guidebook but my personal favourite experiences) that I put into action for my inpoverished recently-graduated friends when they make the trip over. Please add any of your own, it would be great to extend my itinerary!

So here are some of my tips for anyone who wants to enjoy the eternal city without stretching their wallet:

FOOD AND DRINK:

1) Pack a picnic instead of splashing out on lunch; there’ll be no end of picturesque monuments to eat it sitting on. Supermarkets are few and far between in the city centre but you’ll find one downstairs in Termini station where you can pick up the essentials.

2) Alternatively go to the institute that is the Italian Bar to get lunch. All bars should have a selection of panini which, as long as you don’t sit down in the bar, won’t cost the earth. Either take it away or eat it standing at the bar with the locals.

3) Don’t waste your money on rip-off bottled water, take a bottle out with you and fill it up from the numerous free water fountains around the city.

4) For a snack on the go find a pizzeria al taglio (a small takeaway pizzeria), and ask for pizza bianca. It is basically plain pizza base with oil and salt and the cheapest type of pizza you can find. It doesn’t sound that promising but it is surprisingly delicious and will satisfy a mid-morning hunger pang. Even better, in this type of pizzeria you can choose the size of your slice so if you really do only have one Euro left in your wallet you can shamefully produce this in the palm of your hand and the server will cut you a piece the appropriate size (yes, this has happened to me).

5) Make the most of the happy hour offers at Campo de’ Fiori. This bar and restaurant-lined piazza is a famous nighttime hotspot but enjoying a drink there after dark might well use the whole of your next day’s budget. Go from late afternoon to early evening; the atmosphere is not as buzzing but it is still a great spot to enjoy a drink and watch the world go by while spending only 4-5 Euro per drink.


PLACES:

1) Look through the magic keyhole on the Aventine Hill. Find your way to Circus Maximus, turn off at Piazzale Ugo la Malfa and walk up the hill until you find Piazza Cavalieri di Malta. Here you will see an unassuming door with a keyhole in the middle and possibly a short queue of tourists in front of it. Join the queue to enjoy a spectacular view of St. Peter’s Basilica framed by the trees that line the garden immediately behind the door. Then go and enjoy the ‘Garden of the Oranges’ which sits next to the piazza. In the garden you will find lots of stray cats and a 180 degree panoramic view of the city. A quiet and relaxing hour or two above the city and away from the crowds.

2) Shop for bargains at the market. Forget Porta Portese, the famous Sunday market in Trastevere. In my opinion it’s overrated and stupidly overcrowded, which means to have a chance at getting near the stalls you have to be there at ridiculous o’clock on a Sunday morning. Instead get the metro to San Giovanni where just out of the exit at Via Sannio there is an eminently more manageable market that runs every morning from Monday to Saturday. As well as new clothes there are second-hand clothes stalls where every item is 3-5 Euro, and vintage clothes stalls. Also in evidence are an abundance of the usual fake designer bags, belts, watches etc, if that’s your thing.

3) Walk around the old Jewish Quarter. Take a right off Piazza Venezia and wander round the streets between here and Largo Argentina which are narrow, shady and usually quiet. Look out for the unusual turtle fountain in Piazza Mattei and the Jewish Bakery (Via Portico D’Ottavia 1). It’s tiny, has no sign outside and you are unlikely to be served with a smile by the gruff old ladies behind the counter but it is the perfect place to pick up a delicious (and often still warm) treat to eat in the piazza.

4) On a sunny day go for a stroll or sunbathe in the huge Villa Borghese, taking aforementioned picnic. If you have a few Euro spare take an electric tram ride around the park or go pedal-boating on the lake.

5) Top peoplewatching exercise: Go to Piazza Di Spagna in the early evening and hang out on the steps for a while with the teenagers posing in ridiculously huge sunglasses and the foreign exchange students. Afterwards head straight down Via Condotti. Here, have a gawk in the windows of Prada, Dior and Gucci whilst admiring the groups of beautiful young people and the old ladies in fur coats taking their tiny dogs out for an evening stroll.