Pro tip: skip the $45 airport express train in Rome and take the local bus for $1.50 instead
I know everyone says the Leonardo Express is the safe pick, but a guy at my hostel in Trastevere showed me the 720 bus from Termini that took 40 minutes and cost me pocket change, and has anyone else tried the slower local routes to save real money?
My buddy did the same thing in Lisbon and ended up on a bus that looped the wrong way for an hour before he gave up and grabbed a taxi anyway. The savings are real but sometimes the cheap route turns into its own little adventure, and you have to ask if your time is worth more than the few bucks. Local buses can be a gamble, but when they work out it feels like you beat the system.