Rome on $4,000… It is Possible!

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Melissa and I had talked about going to Europe but I did not think we could do it on our budget. The first thing that I did was talk to friends and family who have traveled to Europe and they pointed me to Rick Steves’. From my research Rome is very Americanized (English Menus and a lot of  English speeking locals) this was very important to picking where to go because we have never traveled out of the US other than a cruise.

The second thing I did was start shopping for plane tickets, as this is one of the most expensive things about traveling to Europe. I found tickets on Expedia.com for $750.00 round trip per person and I knew at that point that we could do it. After I located tickets I used Rick Steves’ book to help me calculate the expenses for 6 days and 5 nights in Rome.

I found the Hotel Paba in Rick’s book and then searched the internet for reviews. It turned out that it was a great place with great service. You will learn this when you research, but hotels are not like American hotels small rooms and even smaller bath rooms. That is part of the fun… When you are in Rome do as the Romans do.When we got there we used the local tourist information center for mapps as well as Rick’s book to pick places to eat and visit.

As you will find out the time of year has a lot to do with the cost of going to Rome. We went at the beginning of May, this is at the edge of peek season so peak season prices have not started yet.

Approximatly what we spent:

Tickets: $1500.00

Hotel (Hotel Paba): $1400.00

Food: $800.00 (most important part, don’t hold back)

Other Travel: $20.00 per day (used public transportation or walked)

Attraction Fees: $20.00 per day

You can do it! You just need to do your research. Books like Rick Steves’ and your friends and family are the best resources for deciding where to stay and eat.

– Chris Rawson, Pensacola Wedding Planning LLC