Eating on a Budget in Rome

Rome is the most famous city in Italy and one of the most famous cities in Europe. It's not only known for its rich culture and history but also because of its delicious food. The food is so delicious that it is very easy to overspend on food while visiting the city. It is possible to eat on a budget in Rome and still eat well. When you're drinking coffee, eating breakfast or eating a snack food, it's a good idea to stand up. It will cost you more to sit down in a café than it will to stand up at a bar, it will also cost even more to it down at an outside table. Shopping at food stores or "alimentary" is very cost effective. Self catering two meals a day will save you tons of money, just be careful with perishable foods especially if you do not have a refrigerator in your hotel room.

Instead of eating lunch in a restaurant or trattoria, eat in a wine bar. In Rome most wine bars offer a wide selection of Italian sandwiches and appetizer plates, that will fill you up and save you lots of money. The pizza in Rome is the highlight of Italy, so it would be a good idea to pick up a slice of pizza for lunch or dinner, the pizza is very inexpensive. While in Rome stay away from American style foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs and French fries. The American style foods in Rome are very expensive and not very interesting since you can eat them anytime at home, instead enjoy the wonderful Italian foods that surround you. Another great way to save money is by making lunch your main meal of the day. The lunch menu in most restaurants in Rome are a whole lot cheaper than the dinner menu even if the foods are the same.

Stay away from tourist areas in the city since they tend to be much more expensive. Go deeper into the city and look for local eateries that the locals go to. Another good way to save money is by looking for a good budget guidebook that contains an extensive list of restaurants in Rome. Go to your local library and photocopy the pages that you need and leave the rest of the book at home. Look for tourist menus that are usually posted outside of the restaurants. The tourist menu contains three and four course meals which can be much cheaper than if you ordered a la carte. The options are limited but you will save yourself some money and the food is still delicious. Gelato is a delicious Italian ice cream that comes in tons of flavors, ask locals where their favorite "gelaterie" is and go there and try the ice cream. You can't leave Rome without trying gelato, it is an Italian favorite and it's not expensive at all.

The most important thing to remember during your trip to Rome is to have fun. Enjoy the food, the people, the culture and the rich history of the city where the Roman empire once reigned.