Is it safe to assume that there are laundromats readily available to us in Rome, Venice and Florence that run essentially the same as laundromats here(you bring your own soap and dryer sheets, etc.)?

When we visited Italy we had two expierences with laundromats.

In Venice the lady at our hotel told us there were no laudromats on the island but they would arrange with a company to pick up our clothes and take them to the mainland. They did a beautiful job -even ironed our underwear. We had one tiny load of clothes and BEWARE! ... we were charged over $100. for this "service."

In Florence we found a normal (according to american standards) laundromat. Some laundromats have soap but it just drops out of the vending machine - so you will need a cup or something to catch it.

I found them all over Rome. In many cases it is easier to just drop off the laundry and have the operator do it for you (for a fee). Be aware that their idea of dry is "sorta damp", but a quick layout on the bed when you get back to the room and it is fine.

Beats wasting time waiting for clothes to wash and dry.

dave

I found them all over Rome. In many cases it is easier to just drop off the laundry and have the operator do it for you (for a fee). Be aware that their idea of dry is "sorta damp", but a quick layout on the bed when you get back to the room and it is fine. I think the cost was like $20 per load.

Beats wasting time waiting for clothes to wash and dry.

dave

Thanks to you both -- for the warnings and suggestions! Much appreciated!!

BTW, what is a laundromat called in Italian?

A laundry is a "lavanderia".
My dictionary says a laundromat is a "lavanderia automatica", but I'm sure I've heard "lavanderia al gettone" where a "gettone" is a token used instead of a coin.
In any case, self-service ones are rare in Italy in my experience, and it's much more common to have to pay for a service wash and dry.

Last week I talked to 2 American kids in Florence, I commented that I had seen hardly any Americans so far on my trip and they replied "They are all at the laundromat!" I saw plenty of self service
places in Rome and Florence.

We were in Rome last week and used a self-service laundromat where you could also drop off. It also was an internet point and international phone center. Very convenient. It was on Via San Francesco a Ripa. I'm sure they have laundromats all over the city.

It's a lie if the woman told you there are no laundromats in Venice, or at best a linguistic misunderstanding.

Here's the one I used:
http://tinyurl.com/e82b3

In Florence, I saw two near where I was staying at Piazza del Carmine, one of which I used.

I've used that same one in Venice from the link above. It is easy to find and easy to use, and if you run into a problem, a person from the internet shop next door will help you.

There's a reason that dishonest lady at the Venice hotel told you there were no self service places. She probably got at least 10% of what you paid as a kick-back.

In Rome, I know there are some self service ones, but I've had no luck finding one to use. The few I've seen near my places are small and have always had no machines free as they primarily do the "drop off" method and the attendants keep all the machines busy.

One word of caution on the drop off and pay by the kilo or load method -- make sure they "fold". We've had things taken damp out of a dryer and just stuffed into a laundry bag. They could not be worn until they were washed again they were so badly wrinkled. Even a travel iron wouldn't take out those pressed in wrinkles.

In addition to NeoP's cautionary comment re: folding. Don't do what I did: assume that they will use anything other than the hottest of hot water. My little cotton dress got littler (and no, you wiseacres, it wasn't the gelato I was eating.)

Other than that, I had no trouble finding either self-service or drop-off laundries in both Rome & Florence when we were there in October. Just ask your hotel or B&B.

In Florence, Wash & Dry Lavarapido has 8 or 9 locations, and there are city maps with the locations available, maybe at the Tourist Info Center. (Look for the yellow sign with letter "i" across from the train station.)

There is a Wash & Dry west of the train station, and another east of the Bargello, and two south of the Arno.

hi willtravel!
you are absolutely right about her not being honest with us!

it was definately not a linguistic misunderstanding - her english was perfect.

at least they weren't rumpled and damp.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, editorial comment and warnings. I now have a much better feel for what I should expect, and will arrive prepared!

To save money at the hotel in Venice we asked that our laundry not be pressed, only washed & dried, and we wrote specific instructions on the form that warm, not hot water was to be used. Cost us about half of what the total bill would have been had our clothes been pressed. Also, there is a laundromat up the street to the left of Hotel Antiche Figure as you face the hotel.

When I was in Italy in October, we went to a lavenderia in Poggibonsi and the detergent was automatic, but we didn't have to have a cup to catch it. It was dispensed directly into the machine.

We did have to have coins to get tokens, and there was not a change machine inside.

We were in Italy for 3 1/2 weeks and needed to do laundry. We used a "self-serve" place in Siena where we bought soap and did it ourselves. This is what we preferred to do but when we went to Rome, I could not find the Laundromat I had used 5 years ago (I assume it is now something else). We ended up using a "service" place as we needed our clothes cleaned and didn't feel like running all over Rome to find a "self-serve." The place (close to our hotel in Campo de' Fiori) did a good job, but it was expensive (20 euros per 5 kilos). One suggestion: make a list of what you give them and make sure you get all your clothes back. We didn't do that and when we picked up our laundry, when we went through it, noticed some items were missing. When we went back, she gave us those items (plus others we forgot we also gave her) and then that jogged our minds again and we asked again for some other items and she found those for us too.

I still ended up with one tee-shirt missing but didn't realize that until the last day when I was packing everything to go home and noticed it wasn't in any of our suitcases. Anyway, next time I'll make an exact list and check to be sure I get everything back.

In Venice, I tried to find lavanderia, wash and fold places.

Venicexplorer.net indicated a couple of places near the Rialto bridge where I was staying but one in Cannaregio was closed and the other in San Polo said I would have to go by the train station for a lavanderia.

Didn't bother as that would take too long, although had I known, I would have planned by day trip to Verona around that so I could drop it off as I got on the train.

In Florence, I found one just to the east of the Piazza Signoria, in one of those narrow streets between the Piazza and Santa Croce. Cost me like 13 euros but they washed and folded very nice and I could use my Amex. I think it was per kilo so I got a pretty good load, probably 2 kilos.

It's worth paying more to have someone do it because I don't want to hang around hours at a laundromat when I could be elsewhere and your time on vacation could be used for other activities.

When I'd rented apartments in France or Spain with washing machines which also had integrated dryers, it took hours and hours to get washed and dried clothes out of them. They use much hotter temperatures than the washer I have at home and it seems way more thorough. So I think machines in self-service laundromats may take up a lot of your time.

There are several lavanderia in Venice, and you should use the www.veniceexplorer.net, click on Venice shops, and then select "laundry" from the drop down box. Most of the lavanderia are located in Cannaregio, but there are 3 in Castello, and a number of others in the other sestiere of Venice.

I always rent an apartment with a washing machine in Venice, so I don't have to look for a lavanderia.

Gave lots to the Hot in Ravello in mid May: no problema and inexpensive.
M