We are looking for an apartment in Rome from <BR>15-28 June 2000. Anyone know of a good reliable service? We've heard lots of horror <BR>stories about people wiring deposits to Rome <BR>and then finding the apartment wasn't available or wasn't as portrayed....then no deposit return either! <BR>Thank <BR>Ron Edinger

I'm feeling courageous tonight, so I'm going to answer by saying that we rented a very nice apartment in Rome last March from Romanhomes (the Raphael, near the Pantheon). It was just as advertised, without surprises on the rent or the terms. Good luck, and have a great visit!

Try www.scalareale.com--many of us fodorites have been very pleased with their Rome tours and tour leaders--the head of the company is a young American architect who lives in Rome. They have apartment listings on their site and I'd trust them. They seem like really decent people.

Ron - we rented an apartment in Rome last year from Doorways in Bryn Mawr, PA. (http://www.villavacations.com). They were good people to deal with, and all monies were sent to Bryn Mawr. We did expect the landlord to collect a deposit in Rome, but she didn't ask for one. <BR> <BR>We rented "Apartment Lenti" from them. It's very small, and can hold no more than 2 people. We really loved it! The location is superb - just 2 blocks from the Pantheon, right behind Pza. Minerva. There's a little grocery store just around the corner, and you can walk to most everywhere. I'd do it again in a second!!

In June of 1999, 4 of us went to Rome. We had booked an apartment, through a bed/breakfast web-site, that was within walking distance of the Vatican. When talking with the owner on the day of our departure, we found out that booking through her was much cheaper. Her email address is [email protected].

We had heard MANY wonderful things on <BR>this board and others about Scala Reale's Tours. Last year we decided to use them for lodging arrangements and booked an apartment through them. What a disaster! When we were picked up at the airport, (booked them for airport transfer as well)the driver,(who smelled as though he had not taken a bath in ages)handled us our welcome packet which contained a letter stating the apartment we were to rent was not available and that they had found us alternative lodging. The place was aweful and we refused it. The landlord of the alternate apartment was very upset that we weren't going to stay there as Scala had told them we would. We wasted 3-4 hours worrying and walking around looking at alternative sites. They told us we'd probably not find a hotel at the last minute. Having been to Italy before I was not <BR>concerned about finding lodging in Rome, however, the rest of the group were 1st timers and this was pretty tramatic for them. Using the phone system there though, for the first time, was hell, as we called around trying to find rooms. I ended up calling a place that I had stayed at on a previous trip and stayed there. <BR> <BR>We had paid for the apartment several months in advance, but they refused to give us cash back. We were refunded our money by check and had to wait to cash the check until we got back, as the check was drawn on a US bank. Thankfully we all had credit cards so money wasn't that big of an issue. <BR> <BR>Perhaps they've gotten their act together since last October, but we will never use them again!

For Terrie-- <BR> <BR>Thanks for the important feedback re Scale Reale's apartment service. A word to the wise....

Just a reminder about 'feedback'. There are two sides to every story. <BR> <BR>Ed