Rome on a Budget – what we learnt from our budget family trip

Rome had been on our list for years, and I was a little worried it might be a let-down as can be the case when you’ve spent a long time imagining yourself somewhere, plus, I’d heard reports from some that it was expensive, crowded, and a bit overwhelming with kids, not to mention a hot spot for scammers and pick-pockets. Thankfully, none of these worries came true (well, there were a few scammers, but I’ll share more on how we dealt with them later) and it ended up being one of our favourite trips ever, ever!

We found incredible food, beautiful places, and so many ways to experience Rome on a budget. It fit perfectly with my bespoke on a budget approach, mixing iconic sights with hidden gems, and balancing special moments with simple, low-cost finds and it was worth the hours of planning we did beforehand, so I’ve decided to share all our Rome travel tips to help others have as good a time as we did.

This page is your starting point for planning a Rome on a budget trip that feels high-end without the price tag. I’ve pulled together everything from where we stayed and ate, to what’s actually worth seeing, plus all my best money-saving tips. I could waffle on for hours about this subject and I’m desperate to return asap, but will try and keep this succinct!

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WHERE WE STAYED IN ROME

Your base in Rome makes a huge difference, especially with kids.

We chose The Tribune Hotel, part of the Hyatt group, as it was central, so we could walk easily from the train station and to all the places we had pinpointed for our 3-day short family break. This saved both time and money on taxis, but also meant we could nip down side streets, stop for pit stops and soak up every bit of the awe-inspiring atmosphere. We honestly walked around with our mouths open half the time, it’s such a crazy place and the ratio of insanely amazing sights per square metre is like nowhere we’ve ever been before.

The hotel was clean, tidy, well presented and made a good base. We only spent an hour or two there in the day when we’d get back from our day’s adventure before going out for dinner, so we weren’t worried about the lack of views or snug-sized room.

We passed some epic-looking hotels on the way from our hotel to places and there was a little bit of me that wished we’d blown the budget and could live it up in luxury! However, we were there for a short and extremely packed trip, so there was no point having a super fancy hotel that we didn’t want to leave – so, the Tribune was perfect for our Rome on a budget adventure.

Read my full hotel review here:

Why location matters in Rome:

• You’ll walk more than you expect
• Taxis add up quickly
• Being central lets you dip in and out during the day

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WHERE WE ATE IN ROME (FAMILY FRIENDLY + AFFORDABLE)

Food was one of the biggest highlights of the trip, and surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to stay on budget.

We focused on authentic, relaxed places rather than tourist-heavy restaurants, and it made such a difference. Mr D was brilliant at researching eateries on TripAdvisor and planning walking routes that incorporated sights, snacks and regular Aperol stops (when in Rome and all that!!) so I’ll share the details of where we enjoyed below and will also note the routes we thought worked well that you can open straight from Google maps.

Our favourite places:

• Pizzium – Address: Via Piave, 9, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
  Authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, incredible quality and very reasonably priced
• Pinsitaly Trevi – Address: Via della Panetteria, 12, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
  Perfect quick stop near the Trevi Fountain, great for families
• Fiammifero – Address: Via Lombardia, 32, 00187 Roma RM, Italy.
  One of our favourite evenings, sitting outside, people watching, great food and a very entertaining host.

Read the full blog post:

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WHAT WE SAW (AND WHAT’S ACTUALLY WORTH IT)

Rome is packed with iconic sights, but timing and planning make all the difference. We were only there for three nights; the first and last days were basically half days due to travelling, so we compiled a plan with military precision and it worked a treat. We knew the big sights were likely to take a while and involve a lot of queuing so we only planned one of those per day and weaved in as many other little wins as possible to make us feel we’d achieved a lot even though it was a short visit.

Our highlights:

The Vatican – OMG the queues on the day we went – note the peak times when you pre-book our tickets. We booked at quite late notice so only managed to see the St Peter’s Basilica and the dome, but the were mind-blowing. We’ll definitely return to the Sistene Chapel and the Vatican Museums.

• Trevi Fountain – Go early morning, it’s completely different without the crowds

• Colosseum – Impressive, but be careful with ticket resellers

• Spanish Steps

• Wandering the streets – Honestly, some of our best moments were just exploring

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MONEY-SAVING TIPS FOR ROME (THAT ACTUALLY WORK)

This is where Rome really surprised me.

1. Avoid overpriced ticket resellers

We learned this the hard way. Always check official ticket prices first. Most of the official sites, we discovered, sell out around 30 days in advance, after which the only tickets in advance are from hideously expensive touts who inflate the prices hugely and rip off unsuspecting tourists. Avoid Headout tickets, especially.

Below are the official sites to monitor for availability…

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2. Walk everywhere you can

Rome is incredibly walkable, and you’ll see so much more this way. We stumbled across the above two beauties completely by accident on our way to places.

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3. Eat slightly away from main attractions

Even just one street back can make a big difference in price and quality.

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4. Go big on food, save elsewhere

Food is relatively affordable, so enjoy it, and balance your budget elsewhere.

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5. Early mornings are your best friend

Less crowds, better photos, and a much calmer experience. We loved our super early trip to the Trevi fountain and even saw a wedding party there who had the same idea! The early bird definitely catches the worm when you’re doing Rome on a budget.

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MY AMAZON TRAVEL ESSENTIALS FOR ROME

If you’re planning a trip like this, these are the Amazon finds on a budget I always pack to make travelling smoother:

• Packing organisers
• Family passport holder
• Adaptable charger with USB & C ports as well as plug pins
• Packing cubes
• Comfy trainers
• Sleep masks
• Hand sanitiser
• DJI Osmo 3 camera

👉 Shop all my travel essentials here:

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PLAN YOUR OWN ROME TRIP

If you’re planning a trip to Rome, my biggest tip is this:

Don’t try to do everything. Pick a few key sights, book a great place to stay, and leave space to wander, eat and actually enjoy it.

Stop regularly for coffee and Aperol breaks and sit and watch the world go by – that’s where Rome really shines. Romans are friendly and sociable and there are so many gorgeous places to soak up the vibes.

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EXPLORE MORE FROM MY ROME TRIP

This is KEY for internal linking 👇

• Where we ate in Rome
• 👉 Hotel review
• 👉 What I packed for Rome