We kicked off the very first leg of our sabbatical with a high-speed, multi-city sprint: three nights in Rome followed by one whirlwind night in Paris. Our mission? Live beautifully, eat exceptionally well, track every penny like proud nerds, and prove that "affordable luxury" isn't an oxymoron - it’s an art form.
Here is how it all went down...
Rome: Carbs, Canovas, and Accidental Yacht Days
We flew into Rome using Avios points, which meant our flights only cost us £17 in cash on top. A major win right out of the gate.
Our accommodation, however, was a different story. We dropped £537.31 for 3 nights on an Airbnb, which blew straight past our £100-a-night goal...
But here’s the thing: we wanted to be right in the beating heart of Trastevere. Plus, the money we saved on flights meant we technically had it to spend, right…? Look, I’m going through a lifestyle adjustment period, ok?! #girlmaths.
So yes, we decided to splurge, knowing this was the celebratory champagne-pop start of our entire adventure. No regrets.
The First Evening: Trattoria Perilli & The House Wine Revelation
We hit the ground running on night one, meeting up with a local friend for dinner at Trattoria Perilli. If you want a masterclass in traditional Roman dining that locals actually swear by, this is it. We ordered traditional deep-fried veg starters, carbonara that genuinely deserves a solid 5-star rating, and a parade of desserts.
Our entire three-course meal with wine came out to €70 for two people (€35 pp).
If you usually drink high-end wine back home, remember that in countries like Italy, Spain, and France, "quality wine" is the baseline standard. We ordered the house wine - €12 for a literal litre (?!) - and it was wonderful. Was it an Amarone or a top-shelf Chianti? No. But it wasn't harsh or cheap-tasting either. And it kept our bill remarkably light whilst tasting like pure holiday.
Day Two: The "Friends in High Places" Yacht Day & Street Food
Day two got slightly ridiculous. We lucked out with a boujee yacht day, spending hours out on the water in the Mediterranean sun, sipping wine, and eating incredible food. Now, if you tried to book this commercially, it would cost a small fortune (definitely look up private chef yacht days in Rome if you want a laugh to spoil yourself). But because our friend knew someone who happily lent us their boat, we completely cheated the system.
If you don't happen to have a boat-owning bestie, step one: find one. Step two: you can easily replicate the vibe with a beach day. Rent a car or grab a taxi, pack a killer picnic, and call it a day. For our entire boat expedition - beers, free-flowing wine, soft drinks, and all - we pitched in €80 for 5 people (€16 pp).
By evening, we were deliciously exhausted from sun and wine, but we still wanted to wander our temporary-home turf of Trastevere. After a quick pit-stop drink (€12 total for a wine and beer), I got peckish. I stopped by a hole-in-the-wall shop and grabbed one of the best slices of pizza of my life for €3, while Marcus picked up an ice cream for €2.50. High-low dining at its finest.
Day Three: DIY Walking Tours & The €2 Masterpiece Cafe
Rome has so much history that you could spend a lifetime there, but when you're short on time, skip the overpriced guided tours and build your own walking map. We wanted to see Il Tridente (those famous three intersecting streets branching off Piazza del Popolo), the Vittoriano Monument, and catch a glimpse of the Forum.
Midway through, fatigue hit hard at Piazza del Popolo, and nature called. We sat down at a tourist-square cafe where a single coffee was going to cost €10. The ambiance was great, but the service was sluggish, and feeling socially awkward and desperate for the loo, we panicked, got up, and walked out.
Best accidental move of the trip. Stumbling down a side street, we found Caffè Canova Tadolini, and my coffee cost €2. It was one of the best I’ve ever tasted, served inside a gorgeous, jaw-dropping working sculpture museum built in a former 19th-century artist's studio. A place you’d normally walk straight past, absolute gold.
We finished the afternoon by climbing to the very top of the Vittoriano Monument (which is free to enter) for panoramic views of old and new Rome, then strolled past the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, admiring them from the outside since we’d done the deep-dive tours on past trips.
For dinner, we decided to lean into romance and splurge.
Search Michelin Bib Gourmand for top-tier meals that won't completely shatter your bank account.
We had a five-course tasting menu paired with a nice bottle of wine for €100 total (€50 pp), preceded by €20 in pre-dinner drinks. Afterward, we met some friends back in Trastevere, tracked down a live jazz band playing right on the bridge, and bought €4 drinks from a corner shop instead of paying €15 for a gin and tonic at a square-side tourist trap.
The Exit: Taxis to the airport aren't cheap, so check the buses in advance. We split a taxi (€100 total, or €33 pp), and grabbed a €30 airport breakfast (including a sandwich for the plane).
Paris: Romantic Kebab Shops and Accidental Champagne
Let's be honest: Paris is notoriously expensive. We spent £150 for one night in a hotel, pushing past our sub-€100 goal, and our flights from Rome ran us £199.28.
By the time we checked in, we were a little jaded, travel-weary, and nursing mild hangovers. We wandered out past Notre Dame for a sundowner drink (c. €40 for three wines and three beers).
Always hunt for happy hours. One spot caught me with a massive glass of Provence rosé for just €7!
For dinner, Marcus tracked down a Turkish restaurant because we were craving spice and chili. There’s definitely a joke to be made here about our very first romantic night together in Paris turning out to be a high-end kebab shop, but honestly? It was immaculate. We had beer, wine, a massive Turkish mezze, a wrap, baklava, and Turkish tea, all for €62 total.
France has a robust minimum wage and does not expect tips. You can leave a couple of euros if you want, but don't ever feel obliged - everyone here is properly taken care of.
Day Two: Pantheons, Protests, and Pied de Cochon
After fueling up on a €9 coffee and pastry breakfast, we wandered back toward Notre Dame. The queues were long and we knew we'd be back, so we pivoted to the university area and the Pantheon.
Since Paris was mercifully cooler than Rome, I was dressed appropriately this time and we could actually go inside. The Pantheon is incredible, complete with a massive underground crypt and - if you visit in summer - a rooftop you can climb for sweeping city views. Bonus cultural immersion: a student protest was actively happening outside, so we officially got the full Parisian revolutionary experience for €26 for two tickets.
We hopped on the Metro (€2 a single ticket), strolled along the river in the gorgeous summer sun, spotted the Eiffel Tower from a distance, and walked past the Grand Palais (which happened to be hosting a Chanel event, though Marcus firmly vetoed trying to sneak in).
Grab a multi-pack or digital pass for the metro if you're zipping around a lot.
For lunch, we went full bougie French bistro at Pied de Cochon, dropping €115 total. Marcus ordered moule marinière, I went for oysters followed by salmon tartare, and we both finished with dessert (a sundae for him, crêpe suzette for me). Oh, and I accidentally ordered a Kir Royal thinking it was standard sparkling wine instead of Champagne - whoops, luxury tax initiated.
The Train Home & European Rail Tips
To head back down to our base in Niort, we caught the train. We opted for first-class tickets, which cost €56 each. It was only €5 extra for first class compared to standard, and it was worth every single cent for the extra legroom, peace, and guaranteed power sockets to catch up on work (and start writing this blog…).
If you’re crisscrossing Europe by rail, don’t just buy standard point-to-point tickets blindly. Platforms like Omio offer clever subscription options - like paying around €19 for a 90-day pass that unlocks consistent discount codes across your bookings. Alternatively, if your itinerary involves heavy hopping across multiple countries, look into an Interrail Pass (or Eurail pass if you're non-European) to lock in fixed rates and total flexibility!
The Financial Reality Check: How We Spent £1,600 for just 4 Nights
AUDITED EXPENSE LEDGER // STANDARDISED IN GBPTo keep things completely honest: yes, we spent £1,608.31 total for this four-night sprint across Rome and Paris (plus an extra £100 for the train to our next stop). But if you look under the hood, a huge chunk of that was heavy-hitting fixed infrastructure - like a £537 design Airbnb in prime Trastevere and multi-city flights - while our actual daily lifestyle spending was remarkably lean.
Let’s look at the actual math broken down by category (once standardised back into GBP):
Part 1: Rome (3 Nights)
- Fixed Infrastructure (Flights & Stay): £554.31 Flights (via Avios points): £17.00 cash Airbnb (Trastevere splurge): £537.31
- Daily Lifestyle Spending: £470.00 Food, wine, culture, local transit. Includes: 3-course local dinner with €12 house wine liters, €3 pizza slice, €2 museum-cafe espresso, €100 Michelin Bib Gourmand tasting menu, corner-shop jazz beers, and our shared airport taxi.
Part 2: Paris (1 Night)
- Fixed Infrastructure (Flights & Stay): £349.28 Flights from Rome: £199.28 Boutique Hotel: £150.00
- Daily Lifestyle Spending: £234.72 (rounded to £235) Food, wine, Metro, surprises. Includes: Happy hour Provence rosé at €7 a glass, high-end Turkish kebab feast (€62), Pantheon entry (€26), Metro tickets, and bougie seafood lunch at Pied de Cochon (€115, plus accidental Kir Royal Champagne!).
What’s Next?
Four nights, two iconic capitals, zero instant noodles, and one very educational crash course in European house wine and multi-city logistics. Not a bad way to kick off a sabbatical!
Up next on The Latitude Ledger: we’re trading the romance of Rome and Paris for the design capitals of Berlin and Milan, before chasing the late-season Mediterranean sun down to Sardinia.
Make sure you’re following along on Instagram:
@pathwaysandpassports ↗Let us know in the comments if you’ve got any questions about how we balanced the books!
Pathways & Passports
Chronicling sabbatical travel across Europe with radical fiscal honesty, curated aesthetics, and a love for high-low dining.
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