I'm hoping someone here can help me retrieve a sample letter, in Italian, to send to hotels to make reservations. I am sure that I saw such a letter on one of the many websites I have been reading about travel in Italy, but of course now that I would like to use it, I can't find it again. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

Karen, First of all I would suggest trying to write the letter in English in the first half. You will be surprised at the language ability of anyone working at a fairly good hotel in Italy. English is almost a requirement. The one stumbling block I've found is the date and so spell it out as "10 September 2000" rather than the 9/10/00 which an Italian would write 10/9/00, and list each night that you will require the room rather than an arrival date and departure date. Then if you are going to really small hotels in the remote areas, I would add an Italian "translation" at the end of my letter in English. <BR> <BR>Start: I would like to request: <BR>Vi prego di voler reservare: <BR> <BR>Number of rooms with private bath/shower:____ <BR>Numero delle camere con bagno o doccia privata:_____ <BR> <BR>Number of rooms without private bath/shower:_____ <BR>Numero delle camere senza bagno o doccia:____ <BR> <BR>Number of people in our party:______ <BR>Numero delle persone nel nostro gruppo:___ <BR> <BR>Arrival date:____ Data di arrivo____ <BR>Departure date:____Data di partenza____ <BR> <BR>Please inform me about the following: <BR>Vi prego inoltre de fornirmi le seguenti informazioni: <BR> <BR>Is the reservation possible?_____ <BR>Potete riservare le camere richieste?___ <BR> <BR>Rate per night?____ <BR>Prezzo giornaliero?_____ <BR> <BR>Breakfast included?______ <BR>Prima colazione compressa?_______ <BR> <BR>Do you require a deposit?_______and how much?____ <BR>E necessario un deposito? e quanto deposito?____ <BR> <BR>Thanks, Best regards_______ <BR>Ringraziando, saluti_________ <BR> <BR>Your name, address, phone, fax, email etc. <BR> <BR>I really don't think it's necessary to send in Italian, but hope this helps and I apologize for any mistakes I've made. Haven't seen this on a website, so you might keep looking. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Unless you're writing to a very small hotel in a very small town you should send the letter in English. Far smaller chance of mis-understandings. <BR>If it's really a small town they may understand dialect far better than formal Italian, as well. <BR> <BR>If the hotel has fax or e-mail, that would be much preferable to regular mail. Americans do not know the meaning of snail mail unless they've used the mail service to/from Italy. <BR> <BR>Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria <BR>www.twenj.com

Good evening, Karen <BR>My recommendation is to write in simple <BR>english, this will not be a problem on <BR>the other end, have been doing this <BR>method of reserving hotels since 1975.. <BR>Richard of La Grange Park, IL... <BR>In sending your reservation would also <BR>include one days room rate as a deposit. <BR>Also have always used bank checks and <BR>in only one instance were accepted with <BR>out a fee for handling by the hotel. <BR>rjv <BR>

for a form letter to fax or mail to hotels, visit www.ricksteves.com, click on the 'travel tips', then see the form under the topic 'Food and Shelter'.

Karen <BR>it's good advice to send it in English if you are not fluent in the language.i <BR>If they reply in detail in Italian, you may not understand the nuances of the response. <BR>If you are sending letters by snail mail overseas to small hotels, it is a courtesy to enclose a couple of international reply coupons (available from your postoffice) to pay for the return postage. However, I prefer faxes whenever possible.

I would add that you should be sure to request their cancellation policy as well, so there is no misunderstanding should you change your plans! We have seen places with policies of up to one month to cancel or as little of three days. By the way, we have been very successful using email and faxes recently to book our hotels for May, as time is of the essence. Good luck with your search. <BR> <BR>

Agree with the others that faxing (not posting/mailing/or even telephoning)in English is the most reliable way of booking rooms in Europe.

I guess I'm in the minority. <BR> <BR>Although I don't speak Italian, I faxed my reservation request in Italian( with brief English translation) and asking them to reply in English if possible. <BR>I also listed my email address in the fax. As a result, I got responses back from virtually every hotel..even if to say they were full..All replies in English except one. <BR> <BR>I have spoken to others that only sent their request to the hotels in English,,.,and they got very poor response. <BR> <BR>With the larger hotels it probably makes no difference. But with the small family run hotels,,,I think writing in Italian helped get responses back from them. <BR>

Go to my website <BR>http://www.HelloEurope.com and click on the Italy book then the fax form form for Italy hotel. It is very detailed hotel fax form. <BR>