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.
In Ancient Rome there used to be three ways to get around in the city: on foot, on a litter or on horseback. These days you can still walk around the city, horses are used to draw cabs (but these are so expensive!), litters have been replaced by taxis or rental cars, with or without drivers. Fortunately, nowadays you also have public transport, which is cheap and fairly efficient: it includes buses, street-cars and the subway. Our advise to you - if you want to save money and still get around well: public transport all the way, unless you prefer to walk. The main thing you should be aware of is that ATAC - the Rome public transport company - makes available various types of tickets, depending on how long you plan to stay in Rome. These are the alternatives that you are most likely to need: BIT- Integrated Time Ticket. How much does it cost? 1.00 Euro Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. How long does it last? 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) Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). BIG " Integrated Daily Ticket. How much does it cost? 4.00 Euros. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. How long does it last? 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. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). BTI " Integrated Tourist Ticket. How much does it cost? 11.00 Euros. How long does it last? For 3 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). CIS " Integrated Weekly Ticket. How much does it cost? 16.00 Euros. How long does it last? For 7 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolleybuses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia).
How much are you going to have to pay to enter St. Peter's or any of the other Basilicas and thousand churches in Rome? Not a dime! Free admission to all of them is guaranteed to everyone. Not so for museums, which charge, however, small admission fees. To be exact, some of them don't charge anything for admission, while others have specific free-entry days, like, for instance, the Vatican Museums where you may enter for 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.
Are you visiting Rome on a very warm day and you feel like having a drink? There are plenty of kiosks and bars selling nice ice-cold drinks of all kinds (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, etc.). But just in case you don't feel like spending more than necessary (sometimes you may be asked 5 Euros for a bottle of mineral water), we suggest you fill up a bottle with fresh water from any of the small drinking fountains on the roadside in many streets in Rome. Please note that the water gushing out of large artistic fountains is not necessarily drinkable.
In Ancient Rome there used to be three ways to get around in the city: on foot, on a litter or on horseback. These days you can still walk around the city, horses are used to draw cabs (but these are so expensive!), litters have been replaced by taxis or rental cars, with or without drivers. Fortunately, nowadays you also have public transport, which is cheap and fairly efficient: it includes buses, street-cars and the subway. Our advise to you - if you want to save money and still get around well: public transport all the way, unless you prefer to walk. The main thing you should be aware of is that ATAC - the Rome public transport company - makes available various types of tickets, depending on how long you plan to stay in Rome. These are the alternatives that you are most likely to need: BIT- Integrated Time Ticket. How much does it cost? 1.00 Euro Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. How long does it last? 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) Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). BIG " Integrated Daily Ticket. How much does it cost? 4.00 Euros. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. How long does it last? 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. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). BTI " Integrated Tourist Ticket. How much does it cost? 11.00 Euros. How long does it last? For 3 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolley-buses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia). CIS " Integrated Weekly Ticket. How much does it cost? 16.00 Euros. How long does it last? For 7 days from the date indicated by the ticket holder and for an unrestricted number of journeys. Where can I buy it? Ticket offices and shops. Where can I use it? On public transport within Rome, on buses, trams, trolleybuses and Cotral coaches, on the Rome Subway lines A and B, on Met.Ro regional trains: Rome"Lido (Ostia).
How much are you going to have to pay to enter St. Peter's or any of the other Basilicas and thousand churches in Rome? Not a dime! Free admission to all of them is guaranteed to everyone. Not so for museums, which charge, however, small admission fees. To be exact, some of them don't charge anything for admission, while others have specific free-entry days, like, for instance, the Vatican Museums where you may enter for 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.
Are you visiting Rome on a very warm day and you feel like having a drink? There are plenty of kiosks and bars selling nice ice-cold drinks of all kinds (mineral water, soft drinks, beer, etc.). But just in case you don't feel like spending more than necessary (sometimes you may be asked 5 Euros for a bottle of mineral water), we suggest you fill up a bottle with fresh water from any of the small drinking fountains on the roadside in many streets in Rome. Please note that the water gushing out of large artistic fountains is not necessarily drinkable.
About the Author:
Cristiano Rubbi is a veteran in the area of tourism, his line of activity for the past 20 years. He has had a huge experience 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 your comments to him also at: info@niceandeasytravel.it
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