Congratulations! You are heading to Rome! If you are a budget conscious traveler, here are 5 EASY ways to save while in Rome.

1. Do not buy bottled water every day.

Did you know that Rome has loads of fresh water spigots all over the city? They are in many piazza’s and neighborhoods and are easy to find (sometimes you will just stumble upon them!). Refill your water bottle and save what can amount to a lot of money by doing so. SIDE NOTE if you have a metal reusable water bottle, you will not be able to take it into some of the sites like the Vatican.

2.Avoid the touristy restaurants

If a waiter is standing outside with a menu trying to get you to dine there and/or if there are misters out on the patio… this generally means it’s a tourist trap. Overpriced and not the best food. Look for smaller cafe’s and hosteria’s that aren’t within a few blocks of the major attractions. My favorite lunch is to grab a Panino (important to have the O at the end.. if you say Panini, with and “i” that means more than one sandwich). There are also tons of places that will serve your pizza to-go and it is cut to the size you want. This is perfect for anyone traveling with people who eat different amounts. It’s also far less expensive than sitting down at a restaurant and you’ll be surprised at the variety of pizzas you can taste.

3. Drink your coffee at the bar (of the bar)

Many establishments (coffee shops in Italy are called bars) will charge you an entire euro or more if you sit at a table to have your cappuccino. If you stand at the coffee bar and drink it (as the locals do), you will save quite a bit.

4. Plan on walking if you can or take the metro

Obviously your own two feet are the cheapest way to move about the city. This is how I like to visit cities anyway because you see more! If however, you can’t do several miles of walking, I suggest the metro. One trip/one way tickets are $1.5 euros which is cheap or you can buy timed passes that allow unlimited trips for a certain amount of hours (24-, 36, 72, etc. I don’t recommend the 24 hours pass though because it technically ends at midnight so it’s not a true 24 hours. These range from $7 euro and up).

5. Head to the Mercato Trionfale

This is Rome’s largest (and I mean LARGE….275 stalls) indoor market. This is the perfect place to find inexpensive and fresh foods for a picnic or a dinner in if you are staying in an apartment. Shopping here is an experience in itself… it’s massive! The selection will make your head spin. Need fresh cuts of meat? Cheese? Fruits and veg? You name it and you can find it here. It’s located in the Prati neighborhood, near the Vatican. Exit the metro at the Otavviano or Lepanto stations and it’s a short walk from there (I’ll add you should walk across the street and get dessert from the INCREDIBLE cafe.. La Fiorentina. They have bite size desserts in addition to full… everything. I went crazy on cookies and tortes, etc and it was super cheap! You can read my full description on my day 2 in Italy post.