Advice on Rome & Florence
 

My fiance and I are meeting in Rome at the end of this month (he's in port off the USS Enterprise) and I am trying to plan our trip and am some what overwhelmed!! We are looking for hotels in both Rome and Florence under $140 and in central locations with bathrooms and charm. Has any one stayed at Hotel Marcus or the Teatro di Pompeo in Rome? Or the Pendini in Florence? Also I really want to go to the ballet in Rome. Any ideas how I can find out if there's a performance? Restaurant advice would also be great!! We haven't seen each other for 3 months and I just want this to be special, any help is welcomed. <BR>Thanks, Jenn

<BR>Jenn - Hi I am also going to Rome to meet my husband off of the Enterprise - small world. I have never been to Italy before so I don't have any first hand suggestions. I did find a helpful website for Florence hotels - [email protected]. We have booked the Pendini Hotel for about $115 a night, although I have not heard anyone reccomend it except for the Fodors book - so I'm anxious to see if you get any comments on that hotel. Good luck with your planning and have a great trip! Heather

Good afternoon. Jennifer <BR>Two sites for hotels in EUR are www.travelweb.com and www.hotelguide.ch. <BR>Search individual city and all hotel listings for that city. Note location <BR>which is very important. <BR>www.comune.roma.it/comune/apettacolo/ may have ballet information... <BR>Ristorante list will follow for Rome and <BR>Florence. <BR>Richard of Hickory Hills, Il....

Jennifer, Many years ago, when we furled our sails and anchored out in Naples bay the USN arranged some great tours. Perhaps your fiance could use the resources of the Navy to help you with lodging and sight-seeing.

My son is also on the Enterprise and his fiance is also flying over. Small world! My husband and I found Karen Brown books to be very reliable for a trip to Italy last Spring.We stayed at Marios in Florence and the Alexandra in Rome. They may be somewhat over your price but meet your criteria. . Mama Ginas in Florence was a terrific restaurant.This site is a fabulous source of info. Have fun and if you have any more questions E-mail me. Terry <BR>

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Florence and Venice. In Florence, we stayed at the Hotel Pendini and were, overall, very pleased with it. Since we were there in the off-season, they were in the process of upgrading some of the plumbing and electricity, and our room looked to have been recently wallpapered. The bed was very comfortable, the bathroom small, but clean. The toilet required a 15-minute wait between flushes, but it was never much of a bother! At 180,000 lire (I think it's just gone up to 190,000), and with its terrific location exactly in the middle of everything in Florence, it's a real bargain. I've heard it can be noisy if you have a room on the Piazza Republica--ours was on the inside courtyard--no view, but also very quiet. All we ever heard were the lovely bells of the campanile chiming the hours--a sound we sorely miss now that we're home in Louisiana.

Well, here's another coincidence on this thread, I'm from Louisiana as well, though I just returned from Germany. Its been a few years since I've been to Italy, but I'm sure a few recommendations will still stand. For dinner in Rome, try Da Mario, via della Vite, 55. Fabulous food and a friend of mine went there a few months ago with the same result. Also Al 34 on the Via Mario de Fiori was excellent. For a hotel, I would recommend the Hotel Margutta, especially room no. 54 on the roof top terrace. Its on the via Laurina no. 34. Mind you, a few people on this forum were not as pleased with the accomodations, but they did not did not stay in one of the terraced rooms. I think the Margutta is about $100 U.S. <BR> <BR>In Florence, the Residenza near the La Trinita bridge was very nice. For a small family run restaurant, try Il Barraccio near the Bargello Museum.

Jennifer, <BR>My husband and I just stayed at the Hotel Pendini in November. We thought it was an incredible deal for Florence. We were a little sceptical because of the price but it turned out to be a real find. It's in a great location, it's clean, the staff was very nice, the hotel has charm and they have e-mail by the front desk so you can contact people at home (although it takes about 24 hours). Depending on what you like, you can request a quiet room off the piazza or a larger room facing the Piazza. We stayed facing the Piazza because I don't mind the noise and I loved looking into the Piazza at night through the big windows in our room. The piazza is filled with people throughout the day and it is lines with restaurants. Our room was huge with a modern bathroom. We had a King Bed and a twin bed and a sitting area. I;ve been to Florence several times and usually stay at the Hotel Hermitage. It's more expensive - around $200. It's in a townhouse that's filled with antiques and has a roof garden/terrace where breakfast is served is the weather is good. Florence is one of my favorite cities. I'd be happy to give you more info on restaurants, day trips to hill towns, great place for leather gloves, etc.. if you want to contact me directly. I've also bewen to Rome and stayed at Hotel Residenza. It may be a little more that you planned to spend but there was a great little hotel with tons of charm right off the Piazza Navona call Campo Dei Fiori (something like that) that came highly recommended but was booked at the time we inquired. Have a great trip. Danielle <BR>