Karen

The travel bug is biting me again. After a magical Greece vacation in 2000... I am already planning my next vacation to ?Italy. I am worried because of how expensive I hear it is there. Is it possible to find $20 - 30 USD/night/double room? I don't need much but clean and safe. <BR>Also, do you need to book accomodations in advance? In Greece, when you get off the ferry there are swarms of head-hunters trying to get you in their hotel. How does it work in Italy? Do they meet you at the train station. Or do you find them? <BR>I'm planning to go May-June. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance. <BR>Karen <BR>

Deb

Karen, I never saw anyone soliciting the train stations for business but maybe I wasn't looking. Depending on where you are planning on going you may have a tough time finding a room that inexpensive, especially Venice and Florence.

Chris

I don't think you will find much for that price range

Eva

I am planning on a similer trip - can anyone say what we should expect to spend in Italy - how expensive is it?

Rex

For the villa portion of our fall Fodorites trip (Lake Garda), we MIGHT be able to get it down pretty close to that ($30 per night) - - based on bedrooms for 11, at $2200 for 7 nights. <BR> <BR>See http://communities.msn.com/RexBickers/messageboard.msnw for more info. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

chris

For those kind of prices you're going to have to stay at hostels. Though many have double rooms available, but you will most likely have to share bathroom. For those expect to pay about $60 per night. <BR> <BR>We've stayed twice at Hostel des Artistes north of Termini in Rome. Very nice new, spacious, clean double room with sink and hairdryer, in-room safe for 135,000itl or about $55 per night (high season). www.hoteldesartistes.com <BR> <BR>We've also stayed in the Hostel in Menaggio and even though shared with another couple it was quite good. <BR> <BR>In Venice we stay at Hotel Florida near the station. A little more though then what you want to spend. <BR> <BR>the Fattorio Bassetto in Certaldo near Siena, Tuscany gets very good reviews. They have private rooms for about $60 http://www.backpackitaly.com/ <BR> <BR>My suggestion is that you start checking out hostels and seeing which ones have private double rooms available. <BR>places to start. www.eurotrip.com/hostels/ <BR>www.iyhf.org <BR> <BR>I think for May-June if you have an itinerary to follow you should book ahead. I just returned from Rome and can't tell you how many backpackers I saw standing next to public phones, guidebooks opened and wandering around from Hostel to Hostel.

aaargh

Dr. Ego strikes again. Doesn't matter what the poster wants to know, Dr. Ego wants you to know he's running a trip ... and still needs victims ... oops, participants.

Carey

Karen, <BR> <BR>When I was in Rome in 1996, my girlfriend and I stayed at a hotel about 5 blocks from the train station near the Coloseum. We didn't have reservations, but rather, when we got into the train station we asked the information desk (you know the international "i") and told them that we wanted the cheapest hotel/hostel that we could find. We told them of our budget, $50.00 a night for two people, $25.00 each. They found the hotel, made the reservation for us, and gave us directions. The hotel room was very small, and the bathroom was down the hall, but we had our own room, which was great. And there was a bus stop near by. I can check to see if I can find the name of the hotel, but I really can't remember. My suggestion is to just ask the info desk, and they will help you find something. Good Luck. I am sure you will find something that maybe be a little higher than your price range but still dirt cheap!

zz-top

During your time frame (May-June) I think you'll find it relatively simple to snag impromptu accommadations in Venice --- I had reservations when I went (Oct-2000), but did notice several "head-hunters" asking if a hotel room was needed (this was in train station). Additionally, I think that the major cities all have a Tourist Bureau or a desk at which you can ask for an available room. <BR> <BR>As to the price issue, that's a bit lower than what I'm usually seeking and guess your best bet would be either a hostel or a convent (yes, there are convents in Italy that provide very basic accommadations). And if you go to a bookstore, you could flip thru 2 books which provide specifics in Italy ---one is "Bed & Blessings" & other is " Monastaries & Convents in Italy". Don't know names of authors.

Ed

Check Let's Go Italy for listings of budget hotels. We have reserved hotels in Rome, Santa Margherita, Florence and Siena for $50-$75 a night, all with bath (one with only a shower). For $50 a night or possibly less you can find a double with bath. I would guess outside of the major tourist destinations it's easier to find a budget hotel under $50.

Susan

Hi Karen. I remember your going to Greece last year, a few months before we did. I know what you mean about the travel bug biting again! I'm always planning ahead. <BR> <BR>I haven't been to Italy myself, so I can't give any personal advice. However, I was on jury duty a couple of weeks ago here in Toronto and spent a few days sitting with some other potential jurors waiting to see if we would be selected. Toronto has a big Italian population and one of the guys happened to be Italian. We got talking about European travel. One of the other women was asking me about the cost of travelling to Greece and I mentioned that our hotels were usually around $60 CAD. To make a long story short, the Italian was amazed at the cheap prices for hotels in Greece. He didn't think we'd find anything comparable in Italy. <BR> <BR>I guess I can afford more, but I don't like to pay more if I don't have to. Fortunately there's still a large part of the world to explore and it's not all expensive. For our next big trip out of North America, we're thinking of going back to Turkey since we didn't see much. <BR> <BR>Are you really sold on Italy? What about Portugal? I think it may be less expensive (but that's just a guess).