Hi All:

I had been planning to go to Dubrovnik but am reconsidering to stay in Italy and
settle near Florence and take day trips by train. I will be flying in and out of
Milan and would like help with reasonable priced hotels or apts for a woman
traveling alone. Florence is a more manageable city for me. I will also spend 1-2
weeks in the Milan /Como area taking day trips. Would like a room with a small
refrig, a/c and a lift. Thanks for all the help. Johanna

Joanna...this may fit your requirments..Hotel Residenza on upscale Tornabuoni (all the "boys" are there..Vuiton, Gucci, Versace, Armani, etc). It has a wire-caged lift, rooms are large, as are the bathrooms..adequate breakfast buffet...and you can walk everywhere in town from that location. Very safe well lit aea. The walk to the train station is about 15 minutes or less. Duomo only a few blocks away, etc.
We stayed there two years ago and would do it again.

stu

sorry, typo..make that "Johanna"

http://www.laresidenzahotel.com/en/

Johanna...link to La Residenza..looks like rates for a single are still under 100 euros.
stu

HI Stu: Thank you so much. La Residenza looks like it will work. It seems to be in a very nice area and has a/c and non-smoking rooms and a refrig (which is great for such a long stay). My only concern is its cancellation policy. Do you know if they bill your credit
card up front for the entire amount or wait until one checks in? ( I will be going from
the 5th of June until the 24th of June.) I usually book through Venere or Booking,com,
so just in case there is a problem, I can always cancel or change the date and my
credit card is only charged when I arrive. Thanks so much. I am very grateful
for the information and help. Johanna

I stayed at Alloro B&B a few years ago. It's between the train station and the Duomo. I had a single (Topaz room) which had AC, fridge, tea kettle and snacks. They had some snacks that were free and also some for purchase. The room was quiet even though it had a window on a street. The street was a small side street with very little traffic. I paid 60€ for a single, but was a couple of years ago (mid Sept.).
http://www.allorobb.it/

Last year I stayed in an apartment, but it might be a little further than where you want to stay. It's about a 15 minute walk from the station. I had the Oro apartment. I booked last minute rate for 79€ for a double apartment (early Sept.).
http://www.residenzailcarmine.com/e_5.htm

Johanna...I don't recall...but I may have just gven my cc info with a 24 hour cancelation agreement...which I always prefer. I think in your situation, a hotel would work better than an apt. Just my opinion. Can't beat that location. The rooftop is quite attractive also...and free computer use.

we used vbro and stayed in #338213 for a month. For that length of stay you might also want a washingmachine in the unit which I alway need. This was a 1/2 a block from the train station, major bus station and a grocery. We did not get a local bus pass but always walked as the apt was that convenient.

Thanks everyone, for your help. Stu, I was able to book the hotel. Jan47ete, I am going
to look at the apt when I arrive and perhaps stay another time. It looks very nice but
being alone, I prefer to be in a hotel like atmosphere, where there are people to talk to.
kybourbon, the apt looks very nice. It is a little farther away. Peace of mind now that
I have a reservation. Johanna

Johanna...I isolated some Florence pics just to show the Residenza:
Have a great time.(Stu)
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...elLaResidenza#

Stu, I love the look of the Residenza. Thanks for posting the pictures. May I ask if your room was a standard double? It looks huge.

Thanks, Deb

kyb: I've been looking at the Carmine apartments. Do you think they are too far from the center for

a) a short visit of 4 nights
and
b) my health issues?

Of course you can't know what kind of shape I'm in, but if you could speculate on someone staying there who occasionally has a difficult time getting around, I would appreciate it.

We are familiar with Florence, but I've only been to the Carmine area a few times. Is there bus service?

Thanks, d.

I have stayed multiple times at the Hotel Casci. It is a small family-owned and run B&B, they take VERY good care of you and include a wonderful varied breakfast, free Wi-Fi and extremely clean rooms in their prices. Very highly recommended.

Tuscanlife:

In answer to your question, yes, very large (by Euro standards) standard double with tennis-court sized tile bathroom...and overlooking Tornabuoni street. Original recommendation came from EKScrunchy whose parents stayed there at one time. Getting around the city, which is one of your concerns, couldn't be easier, IMO.
On a previous visit ('93)to the city, we chose the Quisisanna and actually booked the famous "Room with a View" Situated next door to the Uffizi, the collateral damage of the bombing two months after our stay, rendered he hotel unserviceable and it closed. Have a great trip!
Stu

Tuscan - The apartments are a good 15 minute walk from the train station (cut through Piazza S M Novella), but you can take bus D from the station. It departs about every 15 minutes. Stop #9 on this map is closest to the apartments, but you can take this same bus to a stop close to Ponte Vecchio (#12) if you don't want to walk from the apartment to the center. You may have to zoom in a time or two.
http://www.ataf.net/tp/navigator.asp...=As&dt=2&cmd=3

The apartments show a couple of maps to arrive.
http://www.residenzailcarmine.com/e_3.htm

There are quite a few regular city buses, but you would have to figure them out on ATAF. Here's a map of the electric buses which includes D (page 2, zoom a bit).
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/images/..._elettrici.pdf

One of their apartments is located at the Ponte Vecchio. I don't know if it would be quiet like the rest of their apartments or would have an interior garden.
http://www.residenzailcarmine.com/ap...amaglianti.htm

I didn't use the buses and I've been to Florence multiple times so was a little more interested in being out of the center. It's a good 15 minute walk to the center (flat),but the high end shopping is a little closer (just across Ponte alla Carraia). There is a laundry on the corner from the apartment and a small grocery.

Tuscanlife, Johanna...Just a matter of interestt...these are the pics from "Room with a View"...I had sent a letter requesting that room, and received a letter back assuring me. My thought."Yeah Right!..but sure enough when we arrived, we got THE room...and a handsome one it was,(large balcony and all as shown in the movie)as you can see. Click on magnifying glass icon to enlarge and move around with mouse. The newspaper article describing the bombing is included.

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...60741360454658

stu


stu.

Fabulous photos, Stu. I finally got a reply that I could reserve by credit card and
the cancellation, was as you mentioned. (which is great). I will try to reserve
"the room with a view", but since it is single occupancy, I don't know if they will reserve that room for me. I am still having difficulty getting a room in MILAN. Deciding whether to stay around the train station (which I think will be easier as I plan to take day trips) or have to travel to/from the city center and travel by metro each day to train station. Thought about staying in Como, but I will still have to travel each day into Milan to take the train to all the surrounding cities I wish to visit. (I tried to get into the Hilton using points, but unavailable.) I need a safe area for a woman traveling alone, clean a/c, lift..don't care about the breakfast so much as I will try to leave early each day,(Have about 8 days before I take the train to Florence. All help
greatly appreciated. I think I will be tired each evening when I arrive back....but are there any places to walk to around the train station in the evening? All suggestions
greatly appreciated. With thanks, Johanna

Johanna....you may have misubderstood my post. I was talking about The former Quisisanna next door to the Uffizi, not the Residenza.

<i>On a previous visit ('93)to the city, we chose the Quisisanna and actually booked the famous "Room with a View" Situated next door to the Uffizi, the collateral damage of the bombing two months after our stay, rendered he hotel unserviceable and it closed.</>

Johanna, here is a link for supermarkets/grocery stores and laundromats in the area, you can also find pharmacies if you want. Hope it helps.

supermarkets

http://excusemewhereis.blogspot.com....s-oltrano.html

Laundromats

http://excusemewhereis.blogspot.com....s-oltrano.html

Have a great time.

Thank you, Francoisebelle, for the Excusemewhereis.blogspot link. Answers to many of my questions!