Have heard the expression: when in Rome do as the Romans do? It's absolutely right and, when it comes to eating, you'd be well advised to do just that if you don't want to overspend. RISTORANTEs' menus on outside stands may make your mouth water, but your wallets cry. OSTERIAs or TRATTORIAs are preferable, you wouldn't normally pay more than 25 Euros per person, though you should remember that there is always a cover charge. PIZZERIAs are next best at 20 Euros per person for a sit-down pizza meal or, 6 Euros for a take-away pizza - in Rome pizzas tend to be better than in most other cities in Italy. At INSALATA RICCA, a food franchise group famous in Rome for its large salad servings and for a variety of excellent pastas, you can normally get away with 10 to 25 Euros per person. If you are missing the Mc. Donald's or Burger King's back home, don't worry, you'll find plenty of them 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.
Are you planning a trip to Rome? Surely you must be considering what churches and museums to visit during your stay there. You'll be glad to hear that admission to any church in Rome is totally free - this includes St. Peter's and all the other Basilicas, as well as minor churches. As for museums, instead, there is an admission fee for a number of them, although prices are lower than elsewhere in Europe. Also, while you may visit some museums for free, others allow free admission on specific days, e.g. the Vatican Museums have free admission for the last Sunday of each month.
Are you home-sick and your portable doesn't work? Phones being expensive in Italy, we suggest you buy International Phone Cards which reduce costs (there are cards available for 5 or 10 Euros each that allow you to speak half an hour or an hour with the States) and can be used from any phone you wish.
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.
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.
Are you planning a trip to Rome? Surely you must be considering what churches and museums to visit during your stay there. You'll be glad to hear that admission to any church in Rome is totally free - this includes St. Peter's and all the other Basilicas, as well as minor churches. As for museums, instead, there is an admission fee for a number of them, although prices are lower than elsewhere in Europe. Also, while you may visit some museums for free, others allow free admission on specific days, e.g. the Vatican Museums have free admission for the last Sunday of each month.
Are you home-sick and your portable doesn't work? Phones being expensive in Italy, we suggest you buy International Phone Cards which reduce costs (there are cards available for 5 or 10 Euros each that allow you to speak half an hour or an hour with the States) and can be used from any phone you wish.
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.
About the Author:
Cristiano Rubbi: a veteran in the area of tourism, having been in this activity for the past 20 years. He is great at arranging tours for groups and individuals, young and old visiting Italy. See what he has to say on his website or join his forum or his guestbook. Please email him your comments also at: info@niceandeasytravel.it
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