So visiting Europe was always my dream, Italy and Greece especially. The first step was saving money. We had a budget for two people, which was about 6,000$ for 3 weeks including air tickets. Of course, we didn't know how expensive Italy was. In this post I'm going to give you some tips for your trip to Italy. I highly recommend buying the guide book Rick Steves' Italy.
http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Steves-Italy-2014-ebook
When you arrive at Fiumicino airport you'll have some choices to get to Rome:
1- Non-stop train from the airport to Rome, Termini. 14 Euros a ticket and it takes 40 minutes.
2- A shuttle bus which costs 4 Euros per ticket, one way and it takes about 1 hour to get there. You should book it online because tickets might be sold out.
3- Private buses run by private companies. It costs 15 Euros a ticket and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get to Termini. I don't recommend it because the driver was driving very fast and didn't drive well.
Things you should know before going to Italy:
1- Public bathrooms cost money. Some places charge 1 Euro and other places 2 Euros.
2- Taxies start at 5,50 Euros.
3- Not all restaurants and cafes accept credit cards.
4- Be aware of pickpockets.
Two people staying in a hotel would cost as much as staying in a hostel, so we stayed in a hotel. We didn't couchsurf because many surfers don't/can't host couples, maybe because their apartments are small.
If you're single, I highly recommend couchsurfing, it would save you a lot of money and also it's a great way to make new friends. If it's your first time to do it, you should pick a surfers with good references and send them a couch request.
If you're a family you should check Agoda for prices and don't forget to delete your cookies so the website doesn't give you a higher price.
When you stay at a hotel in Italy, you should know that when you check out there is something called city tax, which is 2-3 Euros per person per night. And some of the hotels we stayed at, they didn't have a sign saying that.
For our first 3 nights in Rome, we stayed at CROSTI hotel in Termini area. I highly recommend staying in this area. It's a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum, easy access to trains, subway and buses. You can buy bus tickets from newspaper stands. It costs 1.5 Euros a ticket. Also there are a lot of restaurants in the neighborhood.
Our room at CROSTI hotel was big and clean. The breakfast was nice, cheese, lunch meat, a lot of bread, fresh juice, different kinds of coffee. There were 2 things that I didn't like about the hotel.
1- We sent them a request for pick-up from the airport and we expected someone to pick us up when we arrived. But no one was there. It was cold and late, I wasn't happy about that.
2- When we went out the front desk the worker gave us a restaurant card and said that he highly recommended eating there, and the restaurant was owned by the same person who owned the hotel. Anyway we went to the Hostaria Da Vincenzo restaurant. Once we sat the waiter brought bread to our table and left it there. We assumed it was free, since the waiter said nothing about it. However, they charged us for it. We ordered 2 dishes. Both of them were served cold. The lamb chops were just fats. The waiters were pushing us to order more food in a very bad manner and it was expensive. I don't recommend eating there.
We moved from city to city and stayed in Rome three different times. Staying at the Augusta Lucia hotel was a good experience. The room had massaging beds which were amazing, the hotel was in a perfect location, 2 minutes walk from Termini station, and there were a lot of restaurants around it. However, the staff weren't nice. We left before breakfast time so I don't know how their breakfast was. This hotel is expensive but you can get a good deal through Agoda or any booking website.
The last hotel we stayed in Rome was at Villa San Lorenzo Maria. The room was okay, the service was great and served nice breakfast. However, the bathroom was tiny. It was far away from the train station. It was near to the slow tram line, which takes a very long time to go any place.
Things to do in Rome:
When in Rome, the Colosseum is a must. Such a beautiful place and even though it was cold and rainy, the trees were green. You could easily spend the whole day there. If you get thirsty you shouldn't buy water from the sandwich trucks which are everywhere. They sell a small bottle of water for 2 Euros. You can get water for less than a Euro from a supermarket.
If you get tired from walking in the Colosseum and the Forum go to Oppio cafe and restaurant, across street from the Colosseum. The service and the coffee were very good. Fast WiFi too.
http://www.amazon.com/Rick-Steves-Italy-2014-ebook
When you arrive at Fiumicino airport you'll have some choices to get to Rome:
1- Non-stop train from the airport to Rome, Termini. 14 Euros a ticket and it takes 40 minutes.
2- A shuttle bus which costs 4 Euros per ticket, one way and it takes about 1 hour to get there. You should book it online because tickets might be sold out.
3- Private buses run by private companies. It costs 15 Euros a ticket and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get to Termini. I don't recommend it because the driver was driving very fast and didn't drive well.
Things you should know before going to Italy:
1- Public bathrooms cost money. Some places charge 1 Euro and other places 2 Euros.
2- Taxies start at 5,50 Euros.
3- Not all restaurants and cafes accept credit cards.
4- Be aware of pickpockets.
Two people staying in a hotel would cost as much as staying in a hostel, so we stayed in a hotel. We didn't couchsurf because many surfers don't/can't host couples, maybe because their apartments are small.
If you're single, I highly recommend couchsurfing, it would save you a lot of money and also it's a great way to make new friends. If it's your first time to do it, you should pick a surfers with good references and send them a couch request.
If you're a family you should check Agoda for prices and don't forget to delete your cookies so the website doesn't give you a higher price.
When you stay at a hotel in Italy, you should know that when you check out there is something called city tax, which is 2-3 Euros per person per night. And some of the hotels we stayed at, they didn't have a sign saying that.
For our first 3 nights in Rome, we stayed at CROSTI hotel in Termini area. I highly recommend staying in this area. It's a 10 minute walk to the Colosseum, easy access to trains, subway and buses. You can buy bus tickets from newspaper stands. It costs 1.5 Euros a ticket. Also there are a lot of restaurants in the neighborhood.
Our room at CROSTI hotel was big and clean. The breakfast was nice, cheese, lunch meat, a lot of bread, fresh juice, different kinds of coffee. There were 2 things that I didn't like about the hotel.
1- We sent them a request for pick-up from the airport and we expected someone to pick us up when we arrived. But no one was there. It was cold and late, I wasn't happy about that.
2- When we went out the front desk the worker gave us a restaurant card and said that he highly recommended eating there, and the restaurant was owned by the same person who owned the hotel. Anyway we went to the Hostaria Da Vincenzo restaurant. Once we sat the waiter brought bread to our table and left it there. We assumed it was free, since the waiter said nothing about it. However, they charged us for it. We ordered 2 dishes. Both of them were served cold. The lamb chops were just fats. The waiters were pushing us to order more food in a very bad manner and it was expensive. I don't recommend eating there.
We moved from city to city and stayed in Rome three different times. Staying at the Augusta Lucia hotel was a good experience. The room had massaging beds which were amazing, the hotel was in a perfect location, 2 minutes walk from Termini station, and there were a lot of restaurants around it. However, the staff weren't nice. We left before breakfast time so I don't know how their breakfast was. This hotel is expensive but you can get a good deal through Agoda or any booking website.
The last hotel we stayed in Rome was at Villa San Lorenzo Maria. The room was okay, the service was great and served nice breakfast. However, the bathroom was tiny. It was far away from the train station. It was near to the slow tram line, which takes a very long time to go any place.
Things to do in Rome:
When in Rome, the Colosseum is a must. Such a beautiful place and even though it was cold and rainy, the trees were green. You could easily spend the whole day there. If you get thirsty you shouldn't buy water from the sandwich trucks which are everywhere. They sell a small bottle of water for 2 Euros. You can get water for less than a Euro from a supermarket.
If you get tired from walking in the Colosseum and the Forum go to Oppio cafe and restaurant, across street from the Colosseum. The service and the coffee were very good. Fast WiFi too.
A
crypt visit for 6 Euros, will take you out of time. Or a visit to
museums. If you really want to save money you could just walk around
and see the beautiful fountains, or the Pantheon for free.
What
to eat in Rome:
Italy
is well known for its dishes and I have to say Italian food is
amazing. I will share with you the best dishes I had in Rome. Of
course restaurants are expensive there. What my husband and I did was
have breakfast at the hotel, buy bread and cheese from a supermarket
for lunch and go to a restaurant for dinner.
If
you are staying at the Termini area or around it you must eat at
Giovanni restaurant. Dinner there is perfect, nice atmosphere, the
service was very good and the food was delicious.
Ravioli
stuffed with cheese and spinach.
.jpg)
And
my favorite was cheese and shrimp risotto.
.jpg)
Gnocchi
Pasta stuffed with cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment