How to Visit Venice on a Budget

Accommodation

Firstly, let’s talk about the location of your accommodation. Staying on the main island (Venice) is extremely expensive and you will easily pay 100’s of euros for a night. To save yourself a lot of money, I recommend that you look into surrounding areas. I stayed in Mestre Venezia at Wombats Hostel in a 6-bed dorm, for €16 per night. The hostel was extremely clean, sociable (but not hectic) and there was so much space in the room that I would recommend this hostel to anyone. There are also private rooms available for couples, friends, or older people who want the privacy.

The hostel was a 3 minute walk to the train station, where you can take a quick 10 minute train over to Venezia St Lucia; Venice’s main train station. The train costs €2.50 return or €1.35 for a single ticket. Buying a return ticket will save you a few cents, however you have to choose a time upfront for your return. Unless you know for certain what time you will be coming back, I suggest you buy single tickets. Be aware that the queues for the ticket machines can be very long, especially on a weekend or during school holidays so calculate your time appropriately. Your ticket needs to be validated before boarding the train, which you can do by placing it inside one of the yellow machines located near, or on the platforms.

One night in a hostel plus transport to and from Venice (x2) for the day will costs you less than €20!

How to Get Around Venice on a Budget

As mentioned earlier, there is a train connecting the mainland to the island of Venice which is both affordable and reliable. But what about travelling around the island of Venice itself?

It’s important to note that if you have limited, or no mobility, Venice may not be the best option for your trip. As you know, the city is dominated by water, and the canals divide up the beautiful streets meaning there are numerous bridges throughout. I witnessed a number of elderly people with walking sticks and simmer frames struggling to get across the bridges on their way to the cruise ships. There were also multiple people trying to drag their suitcases over the bridges while searching for their hotels (another reason to stay on the mainland!).

The city is definitely not wheelchair friendly.

Water Boat Taxi Service

There is a water boat service that takes you to multiple attractions throughout the city. Opposite St Venezia Lucia train station you will find a ticket office where you can choose from a number of passes. To get to St Mark’s Basilica from here will take you nearly 1 hour by water boat. The boat heading to the Basilica is too big to fit through the canals so it makes its journey around the outskirts of the city. The passes do also include the smaller boats.

I personally wouldn’t suggest using this service unless necessary as it takes a long time to get anywhere. However, it does allow you to see Venice from a new perspective and it also stops at the nearby islands if you wish to get off to explore them.

TIP! If you get off at St Mark’s Basilica and make your way on foot to the famous Rialto Bridge, you will find a boat stop there. The walking time between the two attractions is only 5 minutes. This boat will take you back to St Venezia Lucia train station within 10 minutes as it goes through one of the bigger canals. This will save you a lot of time!

How to Visit Venice on a Budget

Water Boat Taxi Service Prices in Venice

There are a number of passes to choose from:

€7.5 for 75 minutes of travel (except for gondolas and private services)

€20 for a day pass (except for gondolas and private services)

They also have multiple day passes available – ask in the office for prices.

TIP! I personally think the day pass is overpriced as you don’t take full advantage of it. You should only need to make a maximum of 2 journeys – one to get to the Basilica, and one to get back from wherever you end up. I would recommend buying a one way ticket to the Basilica and walk back. However, if you want to use the boat services both ways, it is still cheaper to buy two single tickets as opposed to buying a day pass (€15 instead of €20).

How Much is a Gondola Ride in Venice?

Unfortunately your water boat ticket doesn’t include riding on the famous gondolas in Venice (damn!). I checked out the prices when I was there and it costs between €80- €100 for a 1-2 hour journey. It is a little steep if you are on budget but if it is something you have dreamed about doing, just be prepared to fork out the above. You can also hire private boats to take you around the city.

How to Visit Venice on a Budget?

Food & Drink in Venice

Before arriving to Venice, I assumed i’d be spending a lot of money on food and drink but I was pleasantly surprised. As most restaurants are competing with each other, they are offering 2 course menus with a side dish for €11-15! The food is also delicious.

One thing to note is that you can drink tap water in Venice, however the restaurants will not serve it to you. You must buy their bottled water – I guess that’s how they make the extra money back.

Venice doesn’t attract the heavy party go-ers and has a very relaxed vibe. It is a beautiful place to sit and enjoy a glass of wine adjacent to the water and soak in the Italian atmosphere. A glass of wine will set you back a few euros, and Aperol Spritz cost €4.

Snacks in Venice

It is possible to spend €20-25 a day on food if you are smart about what you eat. For lunch, you can buy a big pizza slice for €2.50 from a local bakery and other Italian delights. Gelato icecream is a must-have when you are in Venice and costs €2-3 depending on where you buy it.

Public Toilets in Venice

There are NO free public toilets in Venice. I only came across two public toilets while venturing around the city and they cost €1.50 each! Maybe this is my budget backpacker self talking, but that is a lot of money to do something that all humans need to do.

I decided to try and time my pit stops with meal times so I could use the facilities in the restaurants.

TIP! If you can’t hold it – Go to KFC near St Venezia Lucia train station and order a small re-fill drink for €1.25. Make sure you ask for the receipt and use the code to access the toilet. This way you can have 2-3 drinks (or as many as you can drink really, although you better watch that bladder!) and also use the toilet. Keep your cup if you want another re-fill later on in the day. Win-win.

Planning An Onward Journey in Italy?

The trains in Italy are rather cheap and something I used to get from Venice to Verona. However, do note that they have no luggage storage. I had a big suitcase with me which I had to put next to my seat, but the train filled up completely. People were trying to climb over it and asking me to move it but I had nowhere to go. I spent 2 hours crammed between strangers and it was rather stressful lol! I highly recommend using Flixbus if you are travelling around Italy. Flixbus is usually cheaper, takes relatively the same amount of time and has a compartment under the bus for luggage storage. Please read their requirements to see how much luggage you can take as I believe it is one piece under the bus, and one small handbag.

Another tip for travelling on a budget:

Sign up to TransferWise; an online money transfer service that lets you send, receive and spend money internationally. You can spend money abroad on the TransferWise debit Mastercard, with the correct exchange rate and very low fee.

I have an international card with *TransferWise and save myself a lot of money on online transactions and daily spending while travelling.

*With my link you get a fee-free transfer of up to 500 GBP.

Did you like this post?

Please leave a comment below if you have any other tips on how to visit Venice on a budget. Keep your eyes peeled for a new blog post coming soon; Free things to do in Venice

The post How to Visit Venice on a Budget appeared first on Green Eyed Traveller.

Transportation in Rome – Getting to and from the Airport

Transfer Buses

When you arrive at the airport there are a number of ways to get to the city centre. Most hotels have shuttle services available which you need to pre-book, taking you directly to your door.

There are also a number of companies who offer door-to-door services at the airport if you were too busy to organise it beforehand. These companies charge 15euros per person and it is around an hour drive to your hotel. 

This probably works out easier and cheaper than taking the train to Termini in the city centre. The train costs 14euros and then you need to make it from the station to your hotel (via bus or tram). 

Public Buses

There is a cheaper option which is the SIT bus. As you come out of Terminal 3 at the airport the bus stop is on your right hand side. The bus only stops in two places: Termini station and …. street on the Vatican side of town. 

The bus costs only 6euros. Everybody at the airport makes it seem like it is hard work getting the bus – it’s not. 

We took a car on the way in as we didn’t have much time to pre-plan. As we were in the city, we talked to our concierge and found the bus stop to only be a 10 minute walk from our hotel so we used the bus service on the way back. 

The bus was actually quicker as it only made one other stop. With the car we had to drop off 6 other people.

Here is a link to the SIT bus website, providing information on the bus stops and a bus timetables: http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/bus-stops/

Transportation in Rome – Transport Within the City

Getting around Rome is simple, cheap and user friendly. There are trams, buses and sightseeing tours available, stopping at the famous landmarks around Rome. 

You can buy bus passes online for 1,2,3+ days depending on how long you are staying. The bus passes will save you a lot of walking around the city.

We like walking when we get to new places so didn’t buy a bus pass. The city of Rome is a giant tourist attraction in itself so by walking you can experience it all first hand. It is true however that some of the landmarks have too large a walking distance between each other.

We used the buses a total of two times and both times we got on, we tried to pay and couldn’t? The driver told us to just sit down. I believe they couldn’t collect cash on the bus, but there was nowhere to buy tickets at the bus stops either. Everybody got on the bus without tickets, or cards, nothing?

I did some research and found that the transportation in Rome is NOT free. However, there was nowhere online to explain how to pay so we didn’t end up paying anything for either of our two bus journeys. 

Use of Buses

There are sightseeing buses that take you around the city, in a hop on, hop off system. They cost 15€ a day. 

To save some money, the public buses offer a day pass for 6€ and stop at all the main points in the city too. They don’t offer a tour guide explaining the history and the culture of the city, though. 

Navigating Your Way Without Internet

You can also download an app called Maps Me. We use this app religiously.

You pre-download the map of the city/place you are visiting while you have wifi, then you can use the map offline. It’s perfect when you’re travelling around and have no data package! You can type in a location and it will bring it up, showing you how to get there by foot, car or public transport. You can also use the map to pinpoint locations, so you can save a place you have already been too. It is great if you wish to re-visit the place, or just to have it there as a memory of everywhere you have been. 

The post The Best Ways to Get Around Rome City appeared first on Green Eyed Traveller.

There are a number of things you must eat when you’re in Rome. It goes without saying that you have to induldge in a huge homemade pizza, and a delicious pasta dish, but there are a few other things you need to try.

Suppli, is a traditional Italian street food, now served in many restaurants alike. Suppli are rice balls coated in breadcrumbs, with a melted mozarella centre. Many people serve it with ragu (bolognese) sauce. This is something you need to try, they are incredibly delicious, and cheap too!

Biscotti, is an Italian cookie. Typically baked with flaxseeds and Italians (and tourists) can enjoy them with a cup of coffee. If you fancy something sweet, definitely try a Biscotti.

And ultimately, speaking of fancying sweet things, let’s not forget about the Gelato. Italians are known for making some of the best homemade icecreams in the world. You definitely have to try a range of flavours.

TIP! Rome is known to be an expensive city, so we were expecting to pay big prices for food. While we were there, we found many 2 or 3-course deals for under 15€. Look out for good prices and offers! Many restaurants are competing with each other so there are deals to be found.

Here are a number of restaurants we found in the city, where you can happily eat for 15€ or less!

Click on the links for reviews of each restaurant.

Porta Castello

Largo di Porta Castello, 28, 00193, Roma

A beautiful Italian restaurant in the heart of Vatican. Porta Castello was our favourite restaurant in Rome.

Ciao

Borgo Pio, 146, 00193 Roma

Just two streets down from the Basilica church, we found a lunch deal for 10€ at Ciao Restaurant.

L’insalata Ricca

Piazza del Risorgimento, 5-6, 00192 Roma

Means ‘The Delicious Salad’. L’insalata Ricca is lovely restaurant with a huge variety of fresh salads (and pizza’s of course).

Mannozzi

Via della Panetteria, 14, 00187 Roma

A couple of streets down from the Trevi fountain lies Mannozzi Restaurant, offering a meal deal for 13€.

The post 5 Things You Must Eat When You’re in Rome appeared first on Green Eyed Traveller.

Rome is the most amazing city, built around 100’s of Roman ruins. Walking around the city is a Rome Attraction in itself. Here are a list of things that we visited in the 3 days we spent in Rome and what we thought about them.

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica is known as the largest church in the world, and for its impressive architecture. The Basilica attracts many people throughout the year, both tourists to see its beauty, and local people to witness the Pope preside at several liturgies.

St. Peter’s Basilica is very impressive. As you enter, you get that “WOW” factor! Both the architecture and the designs inside are simply stunning. There is an audio guide available for 5€ if you wish to understand more about its history and importance.

The square surrounding the church is also spectacular, with many statues and fountains. Tourists can sit around the square, soaking up the sun and taking photos.

TIP! If you can visit St. Peter’s Basilica during the week, DO IT! We went on a Thursday and only had to queue for 5 minutes through security. It was the perfect wait time.

On the Saturday we went for a wander up to the Basilica as it is such a beautiful place, and the queues were horrendous. We were so glad we had already been in there a couple of days before as we would never have waited in that line. It was easily a 3 hour wait.

Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Getting there: Metro station: Ottaviando, Line A (red)
Opening times: 7am until 6.30pm. The Dome opens at 8am and closes one hour before the Basilica.
Price: Entrance into the basilica is free. There is an audio guide available for 5€.
Important information: There is a strict dress code for entrance into the Basilica. Gentlemen must cover their shoulders and legs, and women must cover their shoulders and wear skirts longer than the knee.

What to See With 72 Hours in Rome

Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum is full of historical statues, pieces of art work, brick work and even has real tombs from the Egyptian times. Everything is very well looked after and is kept in an amazing condition.

The Vatican is beautiful, especially for those who appreciate fine art and history. It is huge and usually takes around 2 hours to complete it properly. I will be honest though, we spent a total of 45 minutes in the museum as we were seriously bored.

If museums are not your thing, I wouldn’t recommend going.

TIP! There is a big discount on the entrance fee for students. If you are a student in Rome you must provide a letter from your University, with a stamp from the director, proving you study at the Uni. I do believe it is a little easier for international students as you just need to show a form of ID with your current University on it (student card). The price for a Student ticket is 8€, so definitely worth bringing it if you have one!

There are audio guides available for 7€ which provide you with all the information you need in each room.

Address: Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma
Getting there: Metro station: Ottaviando, Line A (red)
Opening times: 9am-4pm
Price: Standard Adult ticket 17€
Student Ticket 8€
Important information: Get there early to avoid the historical queues (no pun intended). Go on a week day if possible!

What to See With 72 Hours in Rome

Monumento to Vittorio Emanuele II

We hadn’t planned to visit the monument while we were in Rome as we hadn’t heard about it before. As were on our way to the Colosseum we spotted it from the bus window and had to get out to see it.

The building looked absolutely incredible, and as we got closer we could see how much detail truly went into the architecture! We had no idea it was only a 5-minute walk away from the Colosseum, located in the center of Piazza Venezia.

We wandered about the monument for half an hour or so and took plenty of pictures. There is a terrace area at the top of the building, where you can see the city of Rome, including the Basilica located across the other side of the river. It is such an immaculate building and I would recommend you go see it.

Address: Piazza Venezia, 00186, Roma
Getting there: Metro station, Colosseo, Line B.
By Bus: Busese number 40, 84, 780 and 810
Opening times: 9.30am-17.45pm during the week. On weekends, the monument stays open for an extra hour, closing at 18.45pm
Price: Free. It costs 7€ if you wish to access the panoramic lift.
Important information: You are not allowed to take food or drink into the monument. You are not allowed to sit on the steps leading up to the monument.

What to See With 72 Hours in Rome

The Colosseum

The Colosseum is the iconic building of Rome and a must-visit when you are in the city. It is considered to be one of the Roman’s greatest architectural buildings and could hold 50,000 people at one time.

It was primarily built to entertain the locals with brutal games, and shows. They consisted of beasts vs beasts, or humans beating animals to death, until 523. The remains of the Colosseum are what survived a number of earthquakes.

Visiting the Colosseum

There are many people outside the Colosseum offering guided tours and I would recommend that you go on one. There is so much information to learn about the history of the Colosseum that you would miss out on without a guide.

TIP! You can also pre-book a guided tour, which is highly recommended. In the summer, the queues to enter the Colosseum are horrendous. You can avoid these queues by pre-booking a tour.

If you choose to go without a tour, or they are fully booked, there are also audio devices available for 5€. I recommend that you take one with you around the Colosseum if you do not have a guide. The devices explain the purpose and history of the museum.

The Colosseum is always busy so there’s not a bad time in the day to go. Obviously, weekends are busier so if you can avoid them, I would. There are tours running throughout the day and the last tour enters around 15:00.

Address: Piazza del Colosseo, 1, 00184
Getting there: Metro station: Colosseo, Line B
Opening times: 8.30am-7pm
Price: Standard adult ticket 12€
EU citizens between 18 and 25 = 7€
17 and under – FREE entrance

 Rome is an incredible city, suitable for anyone and everyone. Make sure you check out everything this city has to offer!

Check our guide to Eating in Rome here.

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