Eli

We are 4 women in our early twenties traveling to western Europe Dec 16-Jan 4. I am doing most of the planning for our stint in Italy, about a week. Finding -affordable- accomodations that are -safe- is a major concern for me. Are hostels safe? Can one leave baggage in a hostel room during the day? I would prefer to stay in $100/night hotel rooms that can situate the 4 of us. I am thinking about staying in Florence with daytrips to Sienna and Fiesole, a few days in Venice, and...where else? This is our first trip to Europe, and while I enjoy this planning stage of the trip, I also find it frustrating in that I know so very little information upfront. <BR> <BR>Would anyone like to recommend a particular city to spend New Year's Eve in? <BR> <BR>Thanks for any help.

cheryl

You should look into Hotel il Bargellino in Florence. We stayed there in May and were very pleased with it. This is a family run, one star hotel not far from the train station and the Accademia. It has to be one of the best bargains in the city. We paid about $60 per night for a double with private bath. You could easily pay considerably less than $100 per night for 4 people by getting 2 rooms with a shared bath. Our room opened onto a lovely terrace that all of the guests can use. A great place to sit and chat over a glass of wine at night. There are only 10 rooms, so I would suggest calling soon. The owners are an italian and his american wife, so English is no problem. You can fax Carmel at 011-39-055-238-2698 or call at ...2658. I hope this helps.

Beth

Just an idea, but you might investigate staying in Convents. From what I've read the prices are very reasonable, and I would think it would be safer and more comfortable than a hostel. You might get more info from other posters, I know I first read about it on this site.

elvira

You might consider renting an apartment or small house, if you're staying put for one week with day trips. It can be cheaper than hotels or b&bs, you have more room, a kitchen, a sitting room... and the thrill of shopping for groceries in a foreign language. There are several posts about renting in Tuscany, so if you do a search under Tuscany Rental, you should find lots of suggestions for rental companies/websites.

Paulo

In Venice, I doubt you'll find anything better than the Ostello della Gioventu. My daughters stayed there two years ago and had no complaints whatsoever. It's very well located (a 5min vaporetto ride to San Zaccaria/San Marco), clean, safe (there are individual lockers for luggage), 6-birth dorms and fun. The only drawback ... the 11:30pm curfew. Current rate for B&B is Lit 27,000. Online booking possible. For details, refer to <BR>http://www.hostels-aig.org/shop-uk/in-venezia.htm <BR> <BR>We visited the hostel in Florence and the girls loved what they saw and will definitively stay there the next time up (they didn't stay because we had already booked an hotel room for the 4 of us). It's a very nice garden villa in the country side, a bit far from the city centre, but with convenient public transportation. There are family rooms and dorms, private lockers, and very nice lounges. For details refer to <BR>http://www.hostels-aig.org/shop-uk/in-firenze.htm <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>