Backpack & Budget : When in Rome, Do as the Roamers Do

Budget travelers needn’t worry about scrambling to find an inexpensive, safe place to stay after arriving in this huge Italian city. For a $2 fee, through Hostelling International’s booking service, you can reserve a bed at Rome’s international youth hostel from selected major cities throughout the world.

In addition, after you arrive at the Rome hostel, no service fees will be charged you to reserve youth hostel accommodations in Venice, Florence and Naples.

Rome’s Foro Italico Youth Hostel is at 61 Viale delle Olimpiadi, in the northwest section of the city near the Olympic Stadium, about a mile and a half north of Vatican City.

The building is a national monument from the Mussolini era. It’s functional, but don’t expect coziness. The 350-bed facility has large dormitory rooms (some with as many as 20 beds) and high ceilings. Beds cost about $12 per night, with breakfast. The large self-service restaurant in the basement is an ideal spot to meet other travelers.

To book a reservation through Hostelling International from London, you can stop at the YHA Adventure Shop, 14 Southhampton St., Covent Garden, London WC2E 7HY, England. In Paris, you can do the same at Le d’Artagnan Youth Hostel, 80 rue Vitruve.

When visiting Rome, you’ll find that many of the major tourist sites are within walking distance of each other--that is, if you don’t mind dodging noisy motor scooters. If you need to use the subway, a single fare is 65 cents. Sites such as the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and the Pantheon can be viewed for free.

Some museums, such as those of Vatican City, offer student discounts. Remember, all museums are closed on Mondays. And whenever you are in crowds, especially at popular tourist sites, keep your valuables in a secure pouch underneath your clothing.

When you are ready to escape the big city, consider packing a picnic lunch and spending the day at Ostia Antica, the ancient ruins of what was once Rome’s major port city. This site is 13 miles southwest of Rome, near the main airport. You can reach it by taking the Metro to the Magliana stop, then a train to the Ostia Antica stop.

Once there, you can walk the ancient streets, rest in the amphitheater, see the beautiful mosaic floors of the shops and even sit in a centuries-old, marble latrine. The entrance fee is $5. No student discounts are available.

If your route to Rome is by rail from France, here are some historic hostels you could stop at:

* Just inside the Italian border is a turreted castle overlooking the sea at Finale Ligure, one of the most famous places on the Ligurian Riviera. The 88-bed youth hostel here is less than a mile from the rail station, at 46 Via Generale Caviglia in Finale Marina, near Savona. Inside it’s decorated with pink marble. The hostel closes in mid-October and reopens for the year in mid-March. Bed and breakfast costs about $9; dinner is $8.

* In Savona, 30 minutes farther by rail, is a youth hostel located in the Fortress of Priamar, a national monument at Corso Giuseppe Mazzini that dates to the middle of the 16th Century. During the 1800s, it was used as a prison. The hostel, which is about a mile from the rail station and is open year-round, has 60 beds. Bed and breakfast is $10.

* If you want to relax on the coast, check out the town of Marina di Massa, about 100 miles southeast of Savona. The Marina di Massa Youth Hostel, at 89 Viale delle Pinete, is two miles from the Carrara-Avanza rail station. This 200-bed hostel is a beach-front villa, operated by a 93-year-old warden, Papa Giovanni. Plenty of water sports are available. The hostel is open March 16 to Sept. 30. Bed and breakfast costs $8.

* In Florence, there’s a hostel in a villa, located in a park at 2-4 Viale Augusto Righi. The hostel organizes classical music concerts for guests, performed by the local Academy of Music. You can reach it via bus 17b from the central rail station. Bed and breakfast is $11.50.

For more information on budget travel in Italy, a good source is “Let’s Go: Italy” ($16.95). For more detailed information on Rome, refer to the 256-page “Let’s Go: Rome” ($11.95). Revised editions are published around Christmas each year by Harvard Student Agencies. For a list of youth hostels in Italy, and more information, contact the Italian Government Tourist Board, 12400 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles 90025, (310) 820-0098.