I know that a lot of people rent apartments in Europe instead of hotels. What are the advantages? Are they cheaper? Better locations? We are going to Rome and Prague in May...should we look into apartments instead of hotels?

I am one of those who usually prefer apartments, especially for stays over 4 nights. We've stayed in apartments in Germany, Austria and Italy, and will be staying in them in Croatia in November. Usually they can be cheaper, especially given their location. We are staying in one in Rome next week. We got a small apartment near Piazza Navona for about 90 euro per night; cheaper than many hotels in the area. In my opinion they also have a "homier" feel to them, and I love being able to shop at the local markets and bakeries for breakfast goodies and snack items. However, they are not for everyone. I don't really care about all the amenities that hotels have to offer, especially in Europe, as I don't plan on spending a lot of time in the hotel/apartment anyways.

There is tons of apartment information on this board, but you can also check out slowtrav.com for apartment info in Italy.

Tracy

I also vote for the apartment. First of all, it's not really somebody's apartment like I first thought it was. It was specifically bought & kept up to rent to visitors. We are a family of 4 & really save money on food. We don't cook evey day, but it is nice to wake up to a refrig & toaster & to have breakfast there in your apartment.
We have traveled both ways - one week in an apartment & the 2/3 days in every city. We really liked the apartment as it makes you feel like a temporary local. You have your grocery store, your pizza place, post office, etc nearby. We rented an apartment in Paris, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, & we are planning one in Rome next month.
It is also nice to have more room than just the standard one room with 2 beds as the hotels would be. You make your own bed & keep it clean. That is all that is required.

maria,

It all depends. Apt. prices and locations are as varied as those of hotel prices and locations.

If you are 3 or more persons, an apt. is often cheaper. The larger the number in your group, the greater the savings. For instance, we've rented a 1br (king) with 2 fold out couches in LR for much less than we could find for 2 doubles in the Campo dei Fiori area. When not sleeping, having 2 large sofas in the LR is much more pleasant than sitting on a bed. It's also nice to have a dining room table if you plan on eating ANYTHING in - even a snack.

As for you in particular, it depends:
Do you use concierge services a lot?
Do you use room service?
Do you need a business center?
Pool?
Gym?
Conference facilities?

If you answer "No" to most of above, then you may be a candidate for an apt.

I pick up after myself at home (and make my own bed), so it is not a hardship for me. I just love all the extra room.

Just for reference, here are the apt's in ROme & Prague I've enjoyed:

ROME
http://www.romanhomes.com/ We stayed in the "Julia", which is no longer listed but you can see the reviews on slowtrav.com

PRAGUE
http://www.7angels.cz/

BTW, the Prague apt. included daily maid service - though we didn't need it. Ususally they just changed the towels and linens though I tried to leave something for them to do, even if it was one coffee cup left unwashed.

We enjoyed our first European apartment stay last year, in Positano. We liked it so much, we'll be renting again this June (a house in France this time).

As mentioned before, the advantages of a rental are all the conveniences of home. Larger living space, furniture, kitchen, washing machine, etc.

Pricing is, of course, all over the map...but it seems to me that a rental property is the better overall value in most areas. That's especially true when you factor in the cost of meals prepared "at home".

The main drawback is that you have to stay in the same place for a solid week. In a location like Positano (and, hopefully, the Dordogne Valley), that is no drawback at all!

>The main drawback is that you have to stay in the same place for a solid week.< why should you?
Now one can find rentals for a few days only, but I reckon it is not everywhere!

Hah, hah, hah--I can just see Mrs. Fly's reaction if I suggest that we cook and do laundry and make beds while on vacation!

Hah, hah, hah--call me Black-Eye Rufus!

I prefer simple hotels. Because I am often solo I like having the front desk staff to help me if needed. No, I don't need a gym, pool, room service, or conference center. But do like a pleasant staffed lobby to come home to, a maid to bring fresh towels, and most important I find I feel less isolated in a hotel than an apartment in a strange city where I don't speak the language.

On a second or third trip to the same city or traveling with a friend I might consider it.

Ahem...<i>The main drawback <b>with most rental properties, as far as I can tell,</b> is that you have to stay in the same place for a solid week.</i>

There, I fixed it! ;-)

In some cities there are such things as aparthotels.
In these places you can have a front desk and a restaurant but also have your own place and it is usually bigger than most of the European hotel rooms.
I prefer an apartment for many of the reasons already listed.
On our next trip to Portugal we are renting three different apartments. We are lucky that there are many short term (less than a week) options.

P.S. You don't really have to make the bed if you chose not to. We have had serviced apartments in France and Portugal.

We are looking for an apartment for 4 the first of June in Rome for about 1-2 weeks. I have been to Rome,but never stayed in an apartment.
Tcreath, would you please give the website for the apartment you stayed in Rome. I am a senior,but traveling with my adult son, plus another couple.
We would like a 2 bedroom,but would not mind sharing a bathroom.A website I checked was www.cross-pollination.com
Some looking promising,but many are already booked at that time. Having stayed in the Pantheon, Piazza Navona area I would like to find something there.

maryanne, we used sleepinitaly.com to rent our apartment. We found a nice one bedroom apartment between Campo di Fiore and Piazza Navona. Its fairly basic, as we really don't plan on doing much cooking in Rome, but after doing lots of hotel searching I found the location and price is unbeatable.

Slowtrav.com has listings for lots of apartment agencies in Rome, so if you don't find any on Sleep in Italy, definitely check out some of the others.

Good luck!
Tracy