I will be going to Italy in Sept, I will be in Florence, Naples and Rome. In Florence should I stay near the Ponte Vecchio, or in the city? What's a good hotel or section of Rome to stay in? I'm looking for 2 star hotels, nothing fancy.

Hi <BR>Ponte Vecchio is definitely in the city, and just as convenient a location as any. the heart of Florence is quite small, you can walk from the train station to the river in less than a half hour. <BR>You can do a search on this board for <BR>Florence Hotel or Rome Hotel and find many suggestions, but if you're going in Sept 2001 you will find that many of the small popular hotels are long since fully booked. <BR>Also look at www.venere.it, a good <BR>hotel source. <BR>If you'd like to see my files on <BR>Florence and Rome, with hotel ideas, feel free to email me

You are going to have a horrible time finding anything decent in Florence and Rome for September (if you haven't already booked it!. September is considered one of the best and therefore one of the most popular times to travel to Italy. However should something be available in Florence I would try for a hotel near the Duomo and in Rome, near the Via Veneto or Spanish Steps. Good luck!!!!

Dell, <BR>For Roma, you might want to check out Casa Howard, which has its own web site, www.casahoward.com <BR> <BR>It's an economical B & B between the Fountain of Trevi & the Spanish Steps and...it's only about a year & a half old! <BR>Buon Viaggio, <BR>BC

Just back from Florence. <BR>I loved where I stayed: The Hotel Monna Lisa (doubt you'll be able to book it on short notice), but you can certainly try. <BR>Everything is very easy to get to and so this hotel with its beautiful public spaces (it's a 15c. palazzo) and gorgeous gardens and sitting area were a lovely respite at the end of a long and hot day.

Florence - everything is very close. Good areas are near Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Republica, or the Piazza Del Duomo. We stayed in a 2-star B & B right at the Duomo (ask for a room with a view) called Battistero Soggiorno that is very nice and fresh, though three flights up w/ no elevator. Great location - Kelly and her Italian husband Lucca were very nice. Many on this board have recommended Hotel Casci. The Monna Lisa is quite upscale and usually booked well in advance. Another popular 3 star/reasonable place is the Pensione Pendini. All can be found on www.venere.it or www.itwg.com. <BR> <BR>In Rome, the most central area would be near Piazza Navona or Piazza della Rotonda/Pantheon. Since the Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps are very pricy areas, I think you should consider the above areas instead. We liked the Santa Chiara very much but it's a three star, also a great location.

We just returned from a trip to Italy. In Florence we stayed at the Belletini. We loved it. It was a block away from the Duomo. Great air conditioning, clean, huge buffet breakfast. A triple cost L280,000. In Rome we stayed at the Smeraldo, which is in a very central location (Campo D'Fiori). I'd also recommend that one, but it's definitely less frills than the Belletini.(A triple cost L240,000.) English is spoken at both hotels.

Two great hotels you can check out. In Florence check out Hotel Alessandra and Hotel Domus Julia in Roma. If you want pics email me. Price around 100.00 for two. Location both excellant. Clean fairly large for europe and owner you see every day. Need something ask them. Did much calling for us for reservations. <BR>Garry