A couple costs many travelers don't think about often enough are admission prices and inner-city transportation. It's all well and good to budget your spending to include airfare, rail pass, food and accommodation but if you simply can't afford to get around the larger cities or see the sights you came for...what's the point? At the same time these extra costs can add up; so when there is a deal out there, you want to jump on it and use it to its full potential. Rome offers just that kind of deal.
I've been to Rome before and paid 1 Euro for each ride on its two line 
(A & B to keep it simple and because they simply keep running into buried archaeological remains) underground rail system and this adds up quickly. I've also purchased the day pass for 4 Euro and this is more convenient than having to get a new ticket each trip and just fine if your going to spend one day in Rome. There is also a week pass that cost 16 Euros which is a great value if you are going to be in Rome for that long but what about the average traveler who stays in Rome about 3 days and then moves on; Even with the day pass this is going to cost you 12 Euros. Fortunately there is another pass out there that beats all other deals and one that your guide book may not mention.
Its called the Roma pass and costs 20 Euros. You can purchase this nifty envelope of goodies at pretty much any museum or sight you might be interested in seeing or visitor info booth throughout the city. On 
my last trip I found mine in a Tobacco shop at Termini station (the main train station) on the first downstairs floor. You will be given a packet of materials which include a Roma pass (credit card type thing), transit map, a list of all the museums and sites that accept it (any you will want to see), and a list of current events and services useful to tourists. There will be a place to put your name and the date you will begin using your card and off you go. What does this magical card do you ask? Well I'll tell you.
Starting with the date you wrote on your card the pass will be good for unlimited travel on Rome's public transportation for 3 days. This essentially means on midnight of the third day after validation you will need to start buying tickets again (sign it Mon, stop using it on Wed at midnight). The Roma pass covers not only the metro but the buses and railways that you may be using to get out to the campgrounds just outside the city. Just be prepared to show it when asked, along with some sort of ID. So now your thinking..."3 days for 20 Euros? Buying a day pass for three days would only cost me 12 Euros." Besides the really handy maps, ther
e's more...
This money saving little tool also gets you into the first two...yes TWO...museums and or sights for free. When you think about it you are not gonna go to Rome and stand outside the Colosseum or pass by Pa lantino Hill as you walk through the Forum (which is free already). You are going to have to stand in line and buy a ticket for the massive structure, wait in line to be let in and see all that there is to see inside even if you really don't care. There is always the person 
you're traveling with who will insist upon it...and frankly if you're there and haven't seen it...you should. Now, the admission to the Colosseum and Palantino Hill together (they always come together) will cost you 9 Euros. This means that already with the Roma pass you will have saved 1 Euro over buying three one day transit tickets and this one admission ticket. On top of that, you will not have to wait in line to buy the ticket and there is also a special entrance for Roma Pass holders which, at least when I was there, was completely empty while the regular line was about a 20 min wait.
Having already saved 1 Euro and a lot of hassle buying tickets all over town, y ou still have one more entrance to any Museum or sight on the list that came with your Pass...there are a bunch. Then if there is even more you wish
to see, a discount will be applied to the cost of admission when you show your card to all future sights or museums. When I found myself with only 2 1/2 days in Rome last summer to show my travel partner all the obligatory sights...this pass made it possible. There are also several campgrounds outside Rome (nothing like campgrounds in the States...washing machines, cabins/trailers, restaurants, bars, swimming pools) whose transit to and from is covered by this pass; stayin g here will also save you quite a bit of money. You truly can not go wrong with this card and it will save you not only money but what is often even more valuable on a trip around Europe, time.
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