I'm trying to plan a vacation to Vatican City?

Question

I'm curious to know your experiences, what you recommend for a less expensive yet fulfilling experience. With the money conversion (coming from LA) how much would it cost for food, lodging, tours, etc?

I've heard about room rentals with shared bath, etc.

Best time of year to go?

We will have a week or less to spend there and I'm looking for the cheaper route for a romantic, educational experience for myself and my boyfriend.

Answer 1

Rome/Vatican city are quite expensive all year round.  If you go off peak (November, January, February - not including Valentine's weekend, you may get better deals on accommodation, but it is known as the Eternal City and that applies to its tourist season too.

There are some sites which offer apartments for rent for a week or two. Prices vary hugely depending on when you want to stay and how far from the centre of Rome you are willing to go, but for a small apartment in the Vatican City, expect to pay anywhere from Eur 650 to Eur 2000 for the week. Look at http://www.romesweethome.it/ for details.

For the cheapest option, there are hostels that do private rooms: go to www.hostelworld.com.

It may also be worth your while to check out www.lastminute.com (specify en suite for a private bathroom) as they sometimes have late availability at discounted prices.

Eating out is extremely expensive in Rome, watch out for hidden cover charges in the restaurants along the main drag (dinner costing upwards of Eur 25 for ONE course). If you are more adventurous and venture out to the residential areas, you will have a much cheaper and authentic experience.

Tours vary in price, you can get a combi ticket for about 20 Eur that gets you in to the Vatican Museums and there's a separate one for a bit less for the Rome museums and galleries.

I've been twice, but I was so disgusted by overcharging and poor service the first time that when I came back with my b/f two years later we only stayed 2 nights in Rome and the Vatican and then moved down to Naples which was a much better base for day trips and our hotel cost about Eur60 a night. We went to Pompeii, Vesuvius and Sorrento and took a ferry out to Capri for a day (Eur 8 for the return ferry ride and Eur 25 for a boat tour round the island - well worth it). Things were hugely cheaper, friendlier and much more romantic. I booked our accommodation that time through lastminute and it was fine.

Use www.xe.com for up to date currency conversions.

Answer 2

You want to have a romantic vacation with your boyfriend in Vatican City?

Hmmm.  Kind of a weird combination of ideas.

And, I don't think there is any accommodation in the Vatican.  You stay in Rome.  And if Italy is anything like Spain, they don't have that shared bathroom down the hall in many places any more.  Just look for a place that tells you private bath or ensuite.  

Yeah, you don't need any more than about two days for the Vatican, but you might want to spend about a week to see Rome!

Figure, for a week in Rome, including airfare, probably about $3000 - 5000 per person.  The airfare alone will cost you around $1000.  You could probably get off at around 250/day or so, once on the ground.  Maybe more, because you aren't going to want to eat terribly economically for every meal.  And you'll want to buy post cards and mail them, and some souvenirs.  The more deluxe you want to go, the higher things will get .

Answer 3

www.tripadvisor.com