h2babe

I've been reading a lot of the posts here about renting an apartment in Italy for about 3-4wks, and it looks like their rates would work out cheaper if I had more than 2 people in my group. I checked out sleepinitaly.com and rentvillas.com - and the cheapest option they have (for up to 2 people) all ranged about 100Euro/night, which would be too expensive for me --> 2500-3000 Euro for a month. I thought that renting an apt for an extended period of time would be cheaper. For 100 Euro/night, I'd probably better off living in a hotel which would offer more conveniences than living in an apt. What are your thoughts? Thanks!!!!

miasmadude

I am a solo traveler to Italy every year, and I rent an apartment in Rome for two weeks each visit. With some searching, I have found a place I like for about 75 euro a night, which is a deal. I like the apartment stay because I feel more independent that way. And I don't want to eat every single meal in a restaurant.

I love tooling around looking at things all morning, then having a nice lunch at some outdoor restaurant, relaxing in the afternoon, shopping and cooking dinner in my own joint. Dinner alone seems to be a bit grim for the single traveler, in my opinion, while lunch is a treat. And I save money as well.

Plus one gets to be a local, shopping in your neighborhood. It sort of depends on your comfort level in doing things alone, without a helpful desk staff a hotel supplies.

Where are you planning to stay? Rome? Another city?

WillTravel

You can often get a much-reduced rate with a month stay. Check out the reviews and apartment rental information at http://www.slowtrav.com .

h2babe

Miasmadude, I've never been to Italy before - but I'm actually looking forward to some quiet time alone, that's why I figured that I should rent an apartment. I still haven't decided if I wanted to have 3 cities as my bases for my 4-wks trip or just 2. But I definitely want to stay in one place for at least 10 days so I get to really savor the city. I am a little bit nervous about the language though, but I am still gonna go.

Thanks for the website WillTravel, I'll check into it!

SuzieC

I vote apartment. Some days you just may want to do nothing...you'll have a month! What a delight to go buy your bread, wine, cheese, pasta..or whatever it is you enjoy...and have it "at home" in peace and quiet, wearing your most comfortable duds...shoeless even!
And in the morning ... no hassle about getting up and getting ready and getting out...you can ooze into your days, you're on vacation right?

Bluehour

Apartment. Definitely.

Do you really want to have to eat out for 2-3 meals a day? Get up every morning and stay our so the maid can get in? Fill a tiny trash bin with takeout containers every day, or risk being scolded by the management for inviting vermin into the room?

Not to mention the added cost of eating out, laundry etc. So there are some savings there.

As Willtravel pointed out, you can get discounts on long stays. This may mean the whole month in 1 place, or shorter stays booked through the same agency.

Even the simplest apartment should have the basics of civilization: Plates, glasses, cutlery, a knife for the bread, some way to make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, a refrigerator for staples & leftovers. Maybe a sofa to sit on (doing every single thing on the bed gets old after awhile). And I get tired of being observed all the time, and having to be polite to 50 other people before I've had coffee.

What kind of conveniences are you looking for in a hotel? You can get an Italian cell phone, ask here where the grocery store is or any other specific information, talk to locals and visit the tourism office when you get there and that might just take care of your needs.

Have fun planning!

ira

Hi h2,

>..renting an apartment in Italy for about 3-4wks,...<

Lucky you.

For a month, I would rent an apt in one place and do daytrips from there.

It would be just like living in Italy.

Keep in mind that an apt saves money on food, because you can eat-in several nights a week.

If you have laundry facilities, you can pack less.

sandi_travelnut

also look at www.vrbo.com

h2babe

Thank you everyone for your posts. SuzieC , Ira and BlueHour, I definitely want apartment simply because of all the reasons that you all listed. I want to just be able to wake up when I feel like it, do a little yoga, take in my morning slow, and start the day when I am ready. And the cost saving would definitely help.

suze

I definitely prefer a small hotel when I am traveling alone. I do not like the isolation of being in an apartment when I'm solo.

Funny because I live alone at home, no problem, but have found it depressing when I tried it out of the country. So much so that one trip I even left a paid for apartment and moved back to a cheap favorite hotel for the last few days.

h2babe

Hi Suze - Do you have any specific good cheap hotel recommendation in Rome? While I am very much leaning toward apartment for the privacy and freedom, I still havent finalized my decision yet. I dont mind being alone actually, but I've never been to Italy before, so I have a slight apprehension about renting an apt during my first visit.

WillTravel

h2babe, I liked this hotel, and found it convenient, pleasant, quiet, friendly, and safe. I have to say that the single room was small, and a month there might not be ideal. Plus, like everywhere else, it seems so expensive relatively speaking (although still cheaper than many places) during the high season (I was there in mid-low).
http://www.hoteljulia.it
But they do have adjoining apartments also:
http://www.domusjulia.it

Have you thought of trying out several different options and locations? You could do one week in a convent, one week in a hotel, one week in an apartment, etc. I really liked the areas around the Vatican, although those aren't so popular on this board, and wouldn't mind spending a few days there, for instance. I also really liked the Gianicolo area, and I have noticed there's a convent there that serves half and full board for people who want it. I liked the Via Veneto area also. Well, I guess I liked almost all areas of Rome that I visited, except that some around Termini, the Colosseum, and St. Giovanni in Laterano were rather scruffy. My idea, though, is that you could get to know several areas of Rome quite well by staying in different places.

h2babe

WillTravel, I think you mentioned this hotel on another post, because I had it noted on my cheat sheet I was going to divide my time between Rome (2wks), Florence (1w) and Venice (1w). I was able to find reasonably priced charming and well-located apt in Florence, that I am considering to book. But I haven't really found one in Rome that's centrally located that I liked in my price range. Of course, I should expect that it would cost more when it's in the middle of the city. Did you find it troublesome to be staying outside the city center where it'll take you 20-30 mins to get to the places you wanted to go?

wliwl

h2babe:
Stay inside Rome someplace. Commuting in and out will not be good.

Check out these apartments - we rented from him and he was completely reliable and reasonably priced and will pick up and drop off free to Rome airports:
http://www.rome-apartments-for-rent.it/default.asp

WillTravel

h2babe, I have never tried staying outside the city center in Italian cities. When I was in Rome, though, I visited a bunch of different areas, and liked most of them in their own different ways. Rome is relatively small, so even the areas I mentioned aren't that terribly far from everywhere else.

Brazilnut

Willtravel,

I was just getting ready to post a message asking if anyone had stayed, or knew of, Hotel Julia in Rome. There will be 6 of us there at the end of September, and we were hoping to book their top apartment. Could you tell me more about it?

WillTravel

Brazilnut, I don't know their apartments personally. As I said, though, I really liked the hotel. And it's on a quiet street (at least it was in the winter), which is very nice in Rome.

suze

h2babe- nope, sorry never been to Rome to help with hotels. my comments on preferring a hotel especially the first time you visit somewhere, and especially solo come from trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Amsterdam, Venice.

it's just my own theory and personal experience that i appreciate having the resources of a hotel front desk and that I feel more a part of things and less isolated in a hotel than an apartment i a strange city.

Leely

Don't know if he has anything small enough or whether he discounts for month-long rentals, but I second wilwi's recommendation of Mauro's apartments (see the link she provided above). He's reliable and helpful. I think we rented from a different apartment but in the same building as wilwi on via del Pellegrino.

I've also rented from realrome.com, and they were great too. Used cross-pollinate when I was a bit younger, but I didn't make any of the arrangements myself that time, so I'm a bit clueless about them.

Good luck--I really envy you.

h2babe

Thanks again everyone for your inputs, suggestions, and links to more apartment rental sites... you guys are awesome! Would Travtevere and Testaccio be good bases for me? Has anyone ever stayed at these locations? The apts around Campo de Fiori or Pantheon are a little bit more expensive than I have the budget for.

Wliwl, I am 28, so I guess I am still young But I have been working for about 5 years now, bought my first house 4 yrs ago, a car, finished my master's degree, and now I guess I am just a bit burnt out and need a time out from everything.