SpeedySinghs1

Hi All,

My wife and I will be travelling to Italy between 20 April- 10 May. We will be in Rome (4N), Florence (5N), Venice (3N) and Como(2N).

Many thanks to Fodors members who have helped us greatly to freeze our itinerary (flights booked now!!!) and now comes the time for finalizing accomodation!

We will really appreciate recommendation from all of you about places (Hotels/B&B) which you have personally experienced and really liked in Rome/Florence/Venice/Como.

We are price sensitive (euro 80-130) so do not mind small rooms however will definetly want :

a) Clean rooms with attached bathroom
b) safe location (will be great if in an upscale location ) - especailly place where we can return comfortably in night after late dinners
c) Central location - walking distance from railway station/ short cab ride (to manage luggage)

Hoping to find some small gems (B&B included) that satisfy 3 criteria + do not cost a bomb!

Thanks

MFNYC

Hotel Casci in Florence is a great place and very reasonable.

Michael

For Venice, you can start searching here:

http://en.turismovenezia.it/

Andrew

In Venice, I stayed at an apartment called Ca' Maria twice and was very satisfied. It's a clean, comfortable, safe place, a nice apartment. I just looked at their website, and they are quoting 90 euros/night for two people. It's a 1 bedroom apartment with a kitchen and even a little living room besides separate bedroom:

http://www.royalapartmentsinvenice.com/en/

It's about halfway between the train station and Rialto - two bridges I think, just off the main Strada Nuova but on a side street, very quiet. Slightly less busy because it's neither at Rialto or the train station. A Billa and a Coop grocery store are nearby.

Downsides: no view at all, and no wireless internet (at least as of 2009). Also, it is a bit of walking from the train station, maybe 10-15 minutes, or 7-8 minutes from a closer Vaporetto stop. Not a problem for me, though. I was in Venice two weekends ago for just a few hours in the afternoon and had to keep all my luggage (too long a wait to leave it at the train station) and still wound up taking a walk past the place.

Jojonana

Are you open to rental apartments? That's what we always do abroad and love it.
For Rome, this is the absolute best (we just came back and really really enjoyed it). Very close to metro, train, etc. and steps away from St-Peters. And since you mentionned food, great restaurants also are nearby!
http://www.rhomeylets.it/
We also stayed in a nice apartment in Venice. There are many posts on the subject on the site.
Enjoy!

Lexma90

We loved the B&B that we stayed in on our last visit to Florence, Casa dei Tintori , http://www.casadeitintori.it/en/index.php. The owners were delightful, the B&B was gorgeous, and most of the rooms look in your price range. It's a little further from the train station, as it's close to Santa Croce, but still a short cab ride.

PatrickSch

We stayed at Caesar House in Rome in September. The room was above your price range- about $250/night but have you looked at prices in Rome- we had a hard time finding something for less that was acceptable. It is on the Via Cavour very close to the forum. My review and many others are on Trip Advisor so check it out if you are interested.

Jojonana

That's precisely why we prefer apartments. Our 4-room rental was 110 euros a night...

tuscanlifeedit

I'm not sure what Arco del Lauro B&B in Rome is going for right now, but check it out if you aren't interested in apartments. It was fine for us.

Another that I hear recommended is Arco de Tolomei. You would have to check that spelling.

charnees

Check out sleepinitaly.com for lots of apartment choices, or VRBO.com (Vacation Rental by Owner).

We did stay at Alloro B&B I Florence, which fits your criteria. Although if they have raised the price, it might be too expensive. Large rooms and bathrooms, right in the center, safe location, etc. The very good, ample breakfast is brought to your room at a time you choose the night before. The only negative is that there is no staff there at night.

carolw

We really liked this place in Florence. It fits your criteria and also will do your laundry for a reasonable price!

www.hotel-nuovaitalia.com/

PeaceOut

My personal experiences were great at these three.

Rome: the Domus Julia, a nice little B&B type hotel, just below the Barberini Palace and very near the Spanish Steps, at via Rasella 32.

Florence: the Relais Cavalcanti. a very charming little 'hotel', at Via Pellicceria, 2. It occupies one floor of a building located near the Uffizi gallery, in a very good central location.

Venice: the Hotel Riva, at Ponte dell’Angelo, a small one-star hotel, very quaint and charming.

SpeedySinghs1

Hi everyone

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

@jojonana : you are right, apartments in Rome seem to be more affordable and value for money given the high costs of the rooms in almost all decent, clean B&Bs and hotels. The one you suggested is unfortunately not available during our travel dates for Rome.

Since we will be staying in a rental apartment during a holiday .. that too our first european holiday!! .. so we dont really know what to expect? could you all let us know how does it work? what will be included in a rental apartment? In short how does the whole model work.

It will also be great if there are any other good rental apartments that you all suggest in Rome. We are really struggling when it comes to finalizing our place of stay in Rome. We are looking for a clean, safe and central location hotel/B&B/ Rental apartment within our budget.

@Lexma90: Thank you so much for your suggestion for Casa Del Tintori in Florence. In all probability, we will book it
Just one small question:There are 2 places of stay that we are a little confused about in Florence.
Between Casa Del Tintori and Casa Barbano .. which is better? Any first hand experience of staying at any of these would really helpful in having us decide our place of stay in Florence.

Thanks a lot ..!!! as always .. we are banking on your expert advice !

sarge56

Second high recommendation for Hotel Casci. Fabulous hotel. And very, very affordable. Indeed, even more affordable if you pay cash. Great breakfast, rooms are clean and most have recently-remodeled baths.

Property is family-owned and run. Marvelous. Free wi-fi and located just 2 minutes from the Duomo. One other nice thing, if you are staying 5 nights, on morning 4 you can drop your dirty clothes at the front desk and they will get them washed for you. They will be back in your room, folded and packaged by 5-6 pm. Price is per kilo, but I think we paid about E30 for two people's clothes used for 5-6 days of travel. Well worth not having to wash/dry our own stuff. hahaha

I have stayed 3 times at Hotel Casci and won't stay anywhere else. Absolutely fabulous and affordable! (If you want a room with a bathtub [and the tub is huge], make sure you mention that when booking.)

sarge56

PS See tripadvisor.com for pictures/reviews by people who have stayed at the places you're considering. Hotel Casci consistently gets 4-5 stars.

charnees

Look at http://www.slowtrav.com/vr/index.htm

there are several articles here that explain about apartment rentals and reviews (although many of the reviews are quite old).

As far as what is included in an apartment, it's hard to say, as some are almost bare, and others have lots of stuff like olive oil, vinegar, spices, maybe coffee, tea, sugar, pepper and salt, and other condiments, and paper goods. We stayed at one in Bologna that also had fruit juice, milk, eggs, pasta, and more. Many reviews will tell you what people found when they arrived.

We found that the apartments we found at sleepinitaly generally were fairly well stocked.

SkiChamonix

Here's something completely different. To save on costs, why don't you stay in Greve in Tuscany and make your visit to Florence a day trip?

We nearly always stay in apartments as this saves on accommodation and catering costs. You'll be surprised owners are happy to take part week occupancy, rather than have a vacancy.

The outstanding and best value apartment was the Castello Colognole in Greve, Tuscany. It's a medieval castle set in vineyards and olive groves. It was the best Italian experience for our family. Here's the link: http://www.castellodicolognole.it/

I understand the owners are happy to pick up guests from the train station.

Happy traveling!

Mormor

We stayed 12 nights at B&B Sandra in Venice. Do look at the website. It is exactly as pictured, the breakfasts are first-class, immaculate rooms, wonderful hosts. All the reviews are good. The only downside is that there are a lot of steps. But - once you are up there - it's magnificent. They have two rooms available; one of which has their own altana, where you can sit outside overlooking a canal and the Venetian rooftops while sipping a glass of wine. Like your own oasis. And the price is right!

PeaceOut

"It will also be great if there are any other good rental apartments that you all suggest in Rome. We are really struggling when it comes to finalizing our place of stay in Rome. "

Have you looked at the Domus Julia, as I suggested above?

They have apartment-style suites. Very good prices. Nice breakfast offered. Use of the hotel reception desk. Very clean and safe.

Lexma90

Re your questions about Casa dei Tintori and Casa di Barbano, and other suggestions of Hotel Casci. I've never stayed at Casa di Barbano, and I'm not familiar with that part of Florence. Casa dei Tintori is about a 5-minute walk closer to Piazza della Republicca than Casa di Barbano is, which we like visiting, and sitting at a cafe in the evenings. Casa dei Tintori is closer to our favorite gelateria, as well! It's also closer to the river. The owners were very helpful and welcoming, and their breakfasts included all sorts of freshly-made items. The street that the B&B is on is quiet.

We also stayed at Hotel Casci, many years ago. The staff there is very nice, and I hope the breakfasts have changed since then, as we were served cornetti (croissants) that came in sealed plastic bags. Also, Hotel Casci is located on a somewhat-busy street. I don't recall hearing any noise while in the rooms, but I didn't find the walk from the hotel to anywhere else very enjoyable, due to the traffic.