All destinations
Eternal
Italy
Rome
The eternal city, done premium, on a writer's budget.
Duration
4 days
Budget
€€
Best time
April/May
Total
€560
How I did it
Premium without the price tag.
Rome rewards walkers and early risers. Colosseum at 07:30, empty. Pantheon at 22:00, yours alone. I stayed in a converted convent in Monti for €85 a night, ate pasta cacio e pepe at family-run trattorias for €12, drank espresso standing at the bar like a Roman for €1.20, and let the city unfold on foot. Four days, total €560.
Highlights
What to do, where to go.
- 01Colosseum at 07:30 entry
- 02Pantheon at night, empty
- 03Trastevere dinner walk
- 04Borghese Gallery (book ahead)
- 05Aperitivo on Aventine Hill
Hidden Gems
Places most tourists never see.
Aventine Keyhole
Look through it, you see three countries framed perfectly. Free, 2-minute stop.
Quartiere Coppedè
An entire surrealist neighborhood most tourists never see.
Roscioli
Best carbonara in Rome. Book 3 weeks ahead. Worth it.
The real cost
Honest numbers, no hidden fees.
- Flights from Thessaloniki€110
- Hotel · 4 nights · Monti€340
- Food & wine€85
- Metro & transport€15
- Museums & sites€10
Total per person€560
