Where: Rome, Italy

When: Early May, 2018

The Basics

Data Plan: €20 for a month on Vodafone

Insurance: €56 using AXA Schengen Travel Insurance

90-Day Tourist Schengen Visa: €58.59

Flight from Athens to Rome: €21.24 using RyanAir after ESN Student Discount (20%), bought three months in advance. - €21.24

Train from Rome to Florence (my next destination): €9.90 using .italo, bought three months in advance. - €9.90

Accommodation: €20.16 (inclusive of city tax) a night at a four-bed shared room in Gateway GH (Wouldn’t recommend this place, it’ll be clearer as you read further). I booked this with a cashback website called ShopBack and Booking.com two months in advance to save even more money and got €3.07 of cashback. - €57.41

Day One

10 AM - After landing in Rome Ciampino Airport, I took the bus to Cincetta (€1.50), and then the metro to my hostel, stopping at Vittorio Emanuele (€1.50). - €3

11.30 AM - The hostel was impossible to find, and it turns out to be at a building with many apartments with practically no signage. The staff was unprofessional and though check in was at 1 PM, he insisted that I come back at 4 PM because he “wanted to go for exams and then hang out with his friends”. I left my belongings and took a shower, and then insisted that I check in at 1 PM cause I wanted to go about my day after. Off to a rough start.

12 PM - I was starving so I headed to the neighbourhood restaurant to get my favorite dish: carbonara (€10 - sort of pricey)! Carbonara’s a Roman dish and I got mine with rigatoni. It was divine and they did it properly: eggs, pecorino, parmesan, and guanciale. I honestly still don’t get restaurants who serve carbonara with cream. Why? - €10

1.30 PM - After checking in (checked in by the staff’s friend who accidentally gave me an occupied bed. Unprofessional.), I walked around the city and went in to Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore. I love walking around neighbourhoods and trying to imagine the lives of the locals that go about their daily lives. I went around Via del Boschetto and Piazza Barberini.

4.50 PM - I signed up for a walking tour led by an old yet charismatic Roman man. The meeting point was at the Spanish Steps (which was packed) and I peeked inside the Keats-Shelley Memorial House, which was where the two great writers used to stay while waiting. The group was small. I usually find travel friends in these tours but the crowd was mostly much older and they don’t seem like people I’d hang out with. We walked around the city, including typical highlights like the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. He was really knowledgeable and pointed out the many bee crests, which meant that the building used to belong to the Barberini family. There were also several buildings in Rome that is its own region. It includes the Knights of Malta (the famous Templar Knights) and I think a Vatican building. Our tour guide was well-connected so we got great access in the Pantheon and allowed the gates of one of these ‘special regions’ to be open since he knew the security guard. He’s like Raymond Reddington, except for the fact that he’s Roman and probably isn’t on a fictional FBI’s Most Wanted list.

6 PM - It was absolutely pouring! Before it rained, we managed to meet the cardinal (!!!) who was just about to have his early dinner. After the tour guide shared all the good vantage points, I tipped him €5. Quick tip: see the Trevi Fountain from the top floor of the Benetton store, which is right across it, and have a free rooftop view of the city at the fancy Rinascente department store. - €5

8 PM - I usually return to the hostel at 11 PM but I didn’t get enough sleep the night before. My exhaustion was greater than my hunger so all I wanted to do is shower, unpack, and crash.

Daily Total: €18

Day Two

8 AM - Good morning! It’s touristy day for me! I walked to the Colosseum and the queue wasn’t that long. I got myself a combined ticket for access to the Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and the Roman Forum. - €12

1 PM - Okay I know the Colosseum has a lot of historical significance and all, but maybe it’s just not for me. The Roman Forum was great, but after several days of ancient ruins in Athens, I think it didn’t excite me as much. I loved the Palantine Hill though. I can’t imagine being one of the rich folks forever ago in Rome to own such a place.

2.30 PM - My Italian friend recommended me a restaurant that Romans go, La Vacca M’Briaca (which translates to “The Drunken Cow”!) for traditional food. I ordered the Pasta Amatriciana and sat with an American girl who works in Paris. We laughed and enjoyed our heavenly pasta, and I got myself a friend to have drinks with whenever I’m in Paris. - €9

3 PM - I explored the Altar of the Fatherland - a good place if you like political history. I also saw Palazzetto Zuccari, which is now a staff-only library or something, but the outside has stone carved to monsters that frame the entryway and the windows. The face the monsters make is the same I make when I yawn from staying overnight at airports.

4 PM - Walking around Rome again! I could just do this for days. There’s many alleys sandwiched by orange buildings where the light just changes, and it’s just a simple yet beautiful sight to see. I walked to Galleria Sciarra to see the Art Nouveau courtyard. I stepped out and there was this gorgeous street musician. He sung so beautifully and was also playing the guitar and trumpet. I stayed there for at least three songs and tried to snap myself out of falling in love with every handsome street musician I meet. I would’ve put some Euros to his guitar case to show my appreciation but I didn’t have spare change with me. I promise that once I have more dough, I’d donate more to street artists when I travel.

6 PM - I headed for Giardino degli Aranci, which is orange garden up at Aventine Hill. It’s a great vantage point of the city and there were many couples laying on the grass below the orange trees. My tiny pang of jealousy subsided when I sat on the edge, admiring Rome from above. I also lined up to see the famous keyhole, where you could have a picture perfect view of Saint Peter’s Basilica. As I walked down, many pastors from all around the world that were studying nearby came down the same way.

7.30 PM - After a light drizzle, I walked around my favorite part of the city: Trastevere. It has the same hippie cool vibe as Florence’s Oltrarno and Paris’ Le Marais. I went to the square and sat to have so aperitivo of choice: aperol spritz, what else? It was strong and the size of my head, and the cute waiter gave a bowl of green olives and chips after entertaining my attempt of ordering in Italian. I’m not a lightweight, but the aperol gave me that buzzy feeling. That perfect stage where you’re not sober but not tipsy. The sun was low, the cobblestones were shiny after the rain, and everything was beautiful. I wanted to remember this slice of Rome forever. - €6

10 PM - I came back to the hostel and cooked instant noodles for dinner (budget life). The staff turns out to sleep in the kitchen floor at night. My Moroccan roommate told me her phone just got pickpocketed a few streets away from the hostel, and she told me that our area has a high concentration of pickpockets. Oh my.

Daily Total: €27

Day Three

8 AM - After eating two chocolate pastries provided by the hostel, I walked to Campo de’ Fiori, a square not far from Piazza Navona. I love going to supermarkets and markets to see produce and locals interacting. Two of my Italian friends recommended a gelato in this area before I flew to Europe, so um… gelato for breakfast? Of course, all the gelaterias were closed, saving me from an unhealthy breakfast. I’ll come back here later.

11 AM - I walked across the bridge to Castel Sant’Angelo, which is Hadrian’s Mausoleum and one of the Popes a long time ago used to stay here as his fortress when everyone was out to kill him or something. It’s massive and if you had the time I highly recommend going in (admission fee is €10.50 for non-EU citizens). The Pope at the time was so bougie that he had numerous ornately decorated apartments in his fortress. After circling the outside, I sat high up on the walls by the river to read my book. A guy dressed in Roman soldier attire (for those touristy photos) approached me and asked me where I’m from. I was in a pissy mood because when I travel in Europe, there are people who just love to turn me into a walking trivia and guess my nationality, without even bothering to politely ask. So I made up a fake identity, saying that I’m from Michigan (I have no idea why I always choose this state). He then asked, “No, where are you really from?” I told him that his question is actually racist, and I feel bad for those who actually get asked this question.

12.30 PM - Walked to Rinascente to see the rooftop view the tour guide recommended. In the department store, I admired a Chloe bag and asked for the price, as if I could afford it. It was like €4000 or more. I don’t think I’d ever buy a bag at that price.

2 PM - I walked back to the Spanish Steps to get a tiramisu at Pompi. I’m not a dessert person but the tiramisu was amazing. I texted my Italian friend who recommended this place thank you. - €4

3 PM - I’m inside Marco Forno Roscioli, which was recommended by a Roman Pizza episode by Eater. The pizzas are square and you pay by the weight. I got a Roman style (meaning thin crust) with cheese and tomato sauce. I ate facing the the kitchen where they were making dough. I was too greedy and had too much leftover, so I had it wrapped in parchment paper to go and held it like this season’s hottest clutch. - €4.80

3.45 PM - The eating continues! I went to Punto Gelato which is near the market I was at this morning. I tried so many flavors cause they had such great ingredients and variety: crema al limone, cannella dell’ Indonesia (shoutout to the Motherland!), pine-flavored (it was actually pretty good)… I decided to get pistachio. My tour guide from Day One was like, “I don’t get the Americans! Why do they say Pino-cchio correctly! But say peestash-yoo?!” I made a mental note that day to pronounce pistachio correctly in Italy. - €2.50

4.15 PM - I walked up Villa Borghese and walked around the lush garden. I found a nice spot to lay down on the grass to read my book. I then walked to a park bench and was feeling really sleepy, so I took a 30-minute nap. I felt so refreshed after. I needed to use the restroom so I found a small outdoor bar and got myself a prosecco (€6) so I could use the restroom. You learn to really appreciate restrooms when you travel. I sat at the outdoor bar for two hours because I felt really inspired and was writing non-stop on my journal for pages and pages. I ordered another prosecco and I had a few realizations that would change my mindset from this trip onwards. I laughed with the lady a table across mine as we saw pigeons eating chips from an unoccupied table. The waiter then flirted with me, and I flirted back with the evil hope of getting a free glass of prosecco. He gave me another free basket of chips which was good enough. - €12

7 PM - I was at Piazza Navona and a man in his late forties just shouted “Japanese! Chinese! Thai!” from across the street to guess my nationality. I told you this happens! I just pretended I was Singaporean and then he just insisted that I’m American. I tried walking away but he kept following me. He said, “You know how people have a favorite flower? Like sunflower or rose? It’s the same thing! I’m into Asians.” I remind you that he is nearly 50 and I’m not even half his age. Also, no it’s not the same thing. He insisted on giving me free shoes and it was the only way to get rid of him. We walked to a cafe he manages and he gives me secondhand heels. I said it didn’t fit and proceeded to walk away but he grabbed my arm and then insisted that we go to Zara (he says he’s a designer for the brand). He didn’t do anything crazy but he invaded my privacy. He knew I was uncomfortable and obviously I didn’t trust him but he just kept on. Here’s just one of the times where the line between a friendly local or a total weirdo is thin (though his “flower” analogy made it clear that this is weirdo territory). When he went in Zara, I decided to make a run for it. I should’ve been more clear that I did not want to be bothered.

9.30 PM - The sun was setting and the streets became busy. I bought a postcard of the Trevi Fountain (€2) Despite wandering around town mostly alone, fearing pickpockets everytime I walk home, and despising the terrible staff at the hostel; Rome was a great place to be. Waiting for the red light, a lady kissed her man and it was set perfectly against the twilight. I smiled and crossed the road. - €2

Daily Total: €25.30

Budgeting Takeaway:

Go Where The Locals Eat

If you’re thinking of saving money but you want to eat out, go where the locals eat. Avoid restaurants and cafes around main squares and other tourist attractions, or places with menus in English, with many options and photos of the food. Try going to smaller neighbourhoods or eating away from the city center. A decently priced pasta’s about €6-8.

Travel Money Diaries: 3 Days in Rome for €40 a Day