Rome on a Shoestring

Q: We will be in Rome this summer on a very limited budget. Our accommodation is sorted out, but can you suggest ways to enjoy the city without paying a fortune for food, transport and sightseeing? - Helen Forrester.

A: Dining out can be costly in Rome, so think twice before you sit down in a charming pizseria. Rather opt for a pizza-by-the-slice eatery or a tavola calda (hot table) cafeteria, where you can choose from a variety of meats and vegetables. You should also try to drink coffee and eat breakfast or snack food standing up. Sitting down in a cafe, especially outdoors, will almost always cost you more than to stand at the bar. Shop at the markets or "alimentari" (food stores), and picnic as much as possible. You can strike it lucky if you visit a bakery at closing time, as you can end up with free items. Europeans are hooked on bottled water, but you don't have to pay two or three euros for yours. Stock up at a supermarket and then refill your bottles at a public drinking fountain; the water is perfectly drinkable.

Travelling around the city by bus and metro is not expensive, so make full use of it. You can get a one-day pass for four euros or a three-day tourist ticket for 11 euros. For an inexpensive tour of Rome's historical sites, take the 2-hour trip on the number 110 bus from Termini station at 2:30 pm.

There are a number of free museums. Check out some of the 20,000 items related to the making of money at the Numismatic Museum of the Italian Mint and then view works by Raffaello, Canova and Van Dyck at the Galleria Nazionale Di San Luca, which has free entrance on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-2pm. The Aula Ottaganale near the church of Santa Maria degli Angelio has a superb collection of Roman sculptures and it offers free entrance from 10am-7pm daily. On the last Sunday of every month, you can get free entrance to the very popular Vatican Museums and the Capitoline Museums. For discounts of up to 50 percent on the shows at Rome's main theatres, visit Botteghino Last Minute at Via Bari 20 near Piazza Bologna. A free puppet show is available at the Park Gianicolo on Janiculum Hill. Even if you don't understand Italian, you will be rewarded with panoramic views of the city.