Food is no problem in Rome, you have ample choice of places where to eat. But if you want some advise on how Romans save money in feeding themselves, the first thing you should do is avoid places with the sign RISTORANTE. Pick instead the ones with the sign HOSTERIA or, better still, TRATTORIA (an average price for a meal may be 18/25 Euros/per person but check price list on the stand outside and remember there is always a cover charge). These are usually family-run places, which are not as elegant as the others, but normally serve good characteristic local food. There are of course heaps of PIZZERIA in Rome and their pizzas are usually pretty good (an average price for a sit-down pizza meal may be 15/20 Euros/per person, for a take-away pizza you won’t pay over 6 Euros each, apart from drinks). Around Rome you will also come across eateries called INSALATA RICCA which specialize in preparing huge bowls of salad and all kinds of traditional pasta – good stuff – (an average price for a meal may be 10/25 Euros/per person). Another alternative, of course, is Mc Donald’s, Burger King or similar fast-food places, there are plenty of them in Rome – sorry but no Kentucky Fried Chicken in Rome!
Are you concerned about getting around in Rome? Have you heard travellers’ tales about chaotic Roman traffic and traffic jams? Please relax and don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to get over this problem, as the local population manages to do day in day out. Apart from the obvious rental cars or taxis, you can simply walk your way to most places in the centre of the city (Rome spreads out a lot into its suburbs, but the heart of the city is not so huge as some people might think). Alternatively, you can turn to public transport, which in Rome is both inexpensive and well organized. Here is the list of tickets you can buy in Rome for use on buses, street cars, subways: BIT- Integrated Time Ticket / 1.00 Euro – Lasts 75 Minutes from the time of validation (to be done immediately on boarding the first vehicle; you can only use it once on the subway). BIG – Integrated Daily Ticket / 4.00 Euros – Lasts until midnight (24.00) of the day of its validation (to be done immediately on boarding the first vehicle) and for an unrestricted number of journeys. BTI – Integrated Tourist Ticket / 11.00 Euros – Lasts for 3 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. CIS – Integrated Weekly Ticket / 16.00 Euros – Lasts for 7 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. You can buy any of these tickets in the Ticket Offices and shops.
Churches and museums. Rome has been called “the city of a thousand churches”. Clearly a gross understatement. How many are they exactly? The bad news is: the Vatican only knows! Obviously tourists are mostly interested in some churches – St. Peter’s, all the Basilicas and a number of other churches which are particularly important from a religious or and /or architectural and artistic point of view. The good news is: you can enter any of these churches without paying a dime. The same does not apply, unfortunately, to museums. But the other good news is that most admission fees are fairly low and often allow for reduced-price tickets. In some cases admission is even free; obviously this does not apply to the main ones, with the exception of the Vatican Museums where admission is free on the last Sunday of each month.
International Phone cards are a great invention, particularly since they cut costs considerably (with a 5 or 10 Euros card you can speak with the States about half an hour to an hour). Incidentally, you can use them on any phone you wish – public, private or mobile.
Beer and wine are excellent drinks, particularly during a meal. But what if you get thirsty during your tour of Rome? Apart from the various alternatives available at stands and bars along the way, you may choose to have a drink of excellent, fresh water from any of the many small fountains spouting drinking water in Rome’s streets. Our suggestion is due to the possibility that you are asked up to 5 Euros for a bottle of mineral water in the centre of Rome. So just grab a bottle (if it’s plastic, look at the number under the bottle showing the maximum number of times you can fill it without the container yielding chemical particles) and fill it up, keeping in mind that water from major fountains is not always drinkable.
Cristiano Rubbi is an old hand in the field of tourism, having been in the business for the past 20 years. He is great at arranging tours for young and old, individuals and groups visiting Italy. See what he has to say on his website or join his forum or his guestbook. Please email your comments to him also at: info@niceandeasytravel.it
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