Ozziez

I can't believe what has just happened. Just when I thought I had everything under control, days 8 - 19 of our holiday to Europe have been cancelled!

We are a family of five from Australia who are spending 4 weeks in Europe and 2 weeks in the UK from 2nd December onwards this year.

When I first booked this holiday (in January 2008) my DH and I were working so hard we, as Aussies say, were "running around like chooks with our heads chopped off". I was persuaded by a travel agent to book a 10 day tour of Italy (Rome, Florence and Venice).

Subsequently I have had health problems and had to take leave of absence in August for the rest of the year. Although I don't feel very well and have been in and out of hospital 4 times in the past 2 months, I really felt I had everything under control. My good friend introduced me to Fodors earlier in the year, I got wonderful tips from reading trip reports, and great advice from Fodorites to all the questions I have asked, and I have booked flights and accommodation for the entire 6 weeks, working around this 10 day tour.

Anyway, I just phoned the travel agent to ask what time we would be getting back to Florence after an excursion to Pisa because I wanted to book tickets for the Uffizi. I nearly dropped the phone when she told me the tour has been cancelled. I wonder when she would have told me if I hadn't phoned her today?

Anyway, now I need to plan our Italian sector of the trip. We arrive in Rome on 10th December and need to fly to Paris from Venice on 21st December at 10:10.

Do you think it will be too late for me to find decent apartments (or anywhere else to stay)?

I'm going to frantically start searching Fodors for apartment/ accommodation advice from everyone who has been to Rome, Florence and Venice.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Help!

JudyC

Don't panic, you still have plenty of time to arrange accommadations, even possilbe to get some good deals. As I have been trying to find a hotel in Venice for mid-December (I usually spend one week in Venice every other winter), there are lots of bargains. You might like to check following sites:
www.booking.com
www.expedia.com
www.laterooms.com
www.venere.com
www.lastminutes.com
www.florenceby.com

Ozziez

Ah JudyC, thank you! I will try to stop panicking now and approach this whole thing more calmly. Can I ask you more questions if I need to please?

kayd

Sorry to hear about your health troubles, but want to tell you to take a deep breath and do not panic about the change in travel plans. You will certainly be able to find accommodation in Rome, Florence, and Venice -- it may take some effort but it can be done without great difficulty. You are traveling at a season when tourism is not at its peak. And once you do it yourself, you'll be pleased with your accomplishment and learn that you do not need to rely on package tours to see the sights or move between Italian cities.

For the hotels, use fax or email and write in English. Every hotel in those three cities has someone who can read and reply in English. Once that is done, book only those attractions where advance reservations make a real difference -- Uffizi, Vatican Museums, and Borghese are examples -- and pick up other tours, tickets, etc, after you arrive in each city. You can easliy buy train tickets in Italy several days in advance for your Rome-Florence and Florence-Venice travel, but it would be wise to buy a bit earlier if you intend to travel on a weekend in the week or so before christmas.

You can still have a wonderful holiday and might even find you prefer doing more of the planning yourself, as so many Fodorites do. Good luck and buon viaggio.

cigalechanta

speed ahead, follow the tips and have a wonderful time. We are all hoping the best for you. You deserve it.

tuscanlifeedit

Ozziez

Of course, ask all the questions you need to.

I have stayed in an apartment in Florence that could easily accomodate 5, and its best feature is that it has two bathrooms! Try

florencevillas.com

We have stayed several times in Santa Croce 1, but they have lots of apartments if that is filled.

In Venice, this time last year, we used veniceapartments.org which had very reasonable apartments.

Somewhere among my old emails, I have addresses for other recommended Venice apartments.

My mother-in-law died this morning and I'm a little distracted but I can look for you if I remember. You can drop me an email at elvis mom two thousand two (drop the spaces and change the written numbers to the numeral) at yahoo dot com

You have all my sympathy because I am often planning trips while dealing with health problems. I know what that is like.

This won't be too hard. You can easily train from Rome to Florence to Venice and people here will help you figure it all out.

In each of these cities, it is easy to find your way around using guidebooks, and there are walking tour, etc.

First book your accomodation then figure out transportation, then picking the sights you want to see.

I know how hard this can be when you aren't feeling well. Wishing you good health.

Ozziez

Thank you all so much for your good wishes and excellent advice.

I have noted all the sites you've suggested and will start researching right now.

Tuscanlifeedit, I am so sorry for your loss. I wish you all the best for getting through what is a stressful and sad time.

I'll let you all know what I find and perhaps you'll be able to advise me further.

Once again, thank you so, so, so much!

LoveItaly

Well Ozziez, thank goodness you found out now and not at the last moment! What a shock it must have been when your Travel Agent gave you the news.

To help you get started here is the official website for the Italian trains.

http://www.trenitalia.com/trenitalia.html

At the top, toward the left click on "English" for the English language version.

So many people have such difficulty booking on the website for online tickets it is best to buy the tickets when you get to Italy. In Rome an easy place to buy the train tickets is at the American Express office which is at the Spanish Steps. You do not have to have an American Express card to buy the tickets.

Before you get on each train you need to validate each train ticket at the yellow box at the train station.

The train trips from Rome to Florence will take 90 minutes. The train from Florence to Venice will take around 3 hours. Please note Ozziez, there are two train stations for Venice. Mestre which is on the mainland and the last Venice train station which is the Santa Lucia Station which is along the Grand Canal in Venice proper. That is the train station you want to go to.

No doubt you will have a lot more questions but be assured you will get a lot of help here. And I think you will have a better visit in Italy travelling on your own versus with a tour.

Best wishes dear one, and I hope you will get feeling better.

aussiefive

Hi Ozziez,

First of all - don't panic. I only booked around this stage when our family of 5 went to Italy in December 2006. And friends we knew booked even later. You have plenty of time.

I used Venere.com and TripAdvisor as my booking gurus. I always look for location first, then price. The reviews will give you a good idea of how suitable the palce is for you.

We booked hotels (which was 2 rooms) but that was just our choice at the time.

Second of all - I am very sorry to hear about your ill health. You are so active here I imagined you fit and well. I hope you recover quickly.

I am happy to answer any questions for you.

Ozziez

Hello LoveItaly! Thank you so much for the train information. Now I feel much calmer. Yes, it is much better to know now than ina few weeks' time. Thank you also for your good wishes.

Hi Aussiefive - so wonderful to hear that I am not too late to make bookings. Thank you so much for the reassurances and for the good wishes.

I'll be back with more questions as soon as I've done some more research. Thank you so much everyone!

TDudette

If DIY (do it yourself) is too much, American Express can also help with hotels and intra-city travel.

Best wishes for getting well-it really makes a difference, eh?

Ozziez

Thanks TDudette for the good wishes. And thanks to all of you, I’ve made some progress today. I have been researching apartments in Rome.

We want to show our children (17, 12 and 10 years) as much of the famous sights of Rome as possible, without totally exhausting them, so we would like a fairly central location that is close to transport, while still being quiet enough so that they good a good night’s sleep.

We are also doing a mad dash to and from Pompeii, just for the day, on 11th December, so being able to get to Termini easily and quickly early in the morning (about 7am) so we can get the train to Naples is another requirement of ours.

I’ve read lots of Fodor’s reports (including Franco’s) today and it seems as though the southern part of Trastevere, Piaza Navona, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Farnese, Via Giulia, the Ghetto, Piazzo Navona and the Pantheon come highly recommended.

I have found Sleepinitaly very helpful, patient and prompt in answering many, many e-mails from me today. They have helped me to short-list 6 apartments that are available for the 5 nights we will be in Rome (the nights of 10th – 14th December).

I will describe the 6 apartments below, and if anyone has any comments/advice to offer that will be great!

1. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_manara.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Via Manara Big- Trastevere”. It is on Via Luciano Manara, between Via Giacomo Venezian and Via Goffredo Mameli. It is on the first floor, with a lift.

2. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_falegnami.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Via dei Falegnami - Campo dei Fiori”. The apartment’s position doesn’t come up on the map on its web page, but if it is in Via dei Falegnami, this is about 3 blocks south of Largo di Torre Argentina, to the East of Via Arenula. The description says it sleeps 4, but Giulia says the owner has added a double sleeper couch so the apartment will sleep 5. It is on the first floor and doesn’t have a lift.

3. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_leopardo.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Vicolo del Leopardo – Trastevere”. It is half way down Vicolo del Leopardo and is on the fourth floor without a lift.

4. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_coppelle.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Rome Piazza Delle Coppelle – Pantheon”. It is just north of via della Coppelle and to the east of via degli Spagnoli. It is on the 3rd floor and doesn’t have a lift.

5. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_piazza-fico.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Rome Piazza Del Fico - Piazza Navona”. It doesn’t give a map reference, but describes the location as “few meters from Campo dei Fiori, Navona Square and Pantheon”. It is on the 3rd floor and doesn’t have a lift.

6. http://www.sleepinitaly.com/files/apt_rotonda.html

Sleepinitaly calls this apartment “Rome Piazza della Rotonda- Pantheon”. It is on Via della Rotonda, just North of the Pantheon. It is on the 5th floor and doesn’t have a lift.

All opinions will be very gratefully received!

ira

Hi Ozz,

Lucky you.

Will now save money and enjoy Italy much more than if you were attached to a tour.

In Florence, I suggest that you check out www.bedinflorence.it.

Sorry, can't help with where to stay in Rome or Venice.

For trenitalia, you can use
www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

You can buy tickets from Travel Agents as well as at the train stations.

Enjoy Italy.

Lexma90

Sounds like you're making some progress on lodging, etc.

On the different apartments in Rome, I didn't check them, but in terms of location, I'd go for the Piazza Navona/Pantheon area. They are more centrally located than Trastevere. I love Trastevere, and definitely spend time there, but especially for a first visit, the other locations will be easier. Campo d'Fiori can be a bit noisy. That piazza/campo attracts more young people, in addition to the market, but it may be more than you want for your kids.

daveesl

It may be the same in Australia as in Italy, but "4th floor without lift" actually means the 4th floor above the street level floor.

Next, many of the buildings are very old, so a "floor" in one of those may be like 5 meters high, where a modern "floor" might be 3.5 meters high. Believe me, it can make a big difference if you are way up and have to climb the stairs several times a day.

daveesl

By the way, if you do not mind climbing lots of stairs, a good apartment that Sleep in Italy has, with an unbeatable location and price is Piazza Montecittorio.

It is on the 5th floor, no lift. The apartment is huge, 2 bedrooms and a giant living room/dining room. 2 small terraces that you can stand on. The location is right in the middle of everything, about 50 meters from Navonna. Several grocery stores very close and a couple of bus stops within 100 meters.

surfwidowoxnard

Ciao, Ozziez,
Just finished a week in Rome and Florence. As a banker in the US, the last few months did not allow me one minute of time for pre-planning, so we "winged it".

I highly recommend the Campo di Fiori area in Rome for accomoations - it is central, quiet and you can walk or take a bus/tram anywhere easily, including the Termini. Walking at night through the Piazza Navona and the Campo is one of our favorite memories. I also recommend "Rick Steves Italy" as a guide book. Between his advice and that of the Fodorites here, you can't miss!

Another bit of advice for a quick trip to Pompeii - definitely take a guided tour, but plan to stay a bit after to lunch and explore on your own. (the panini sold in the stands on the way to the Porto Marina entrance are very yummy). That and a bottle of water and you're set for a day in 79 A.D. You will be amazed at what you can see, touch, walk on in this amazing city.

I also highly recommend the "Original Walking Tours of Florence" to see the city, the Uffizi and the Accademia. You can book them online and although the website is a bit "messy", the reservations clerks are excellent. The guides were so knowledgeable and clearly loved imparting their knowledge. My DH, who took a nap and missed the Accademia, didn't understand how we could have spent 45 minutes circling the statue of David, but let me tell you, it was fascinating.

Well, enough long-winded words of advice from me. Please know that the easy transportation, accomodations, food and people of Italy will assure you an incredible trip. As another poster said, you will save $ and have a better trip on your own.

Mimar

I agree. Trastevere, while delightful, is a bit out of the way.

The other apartments look reasonably good. Some questions: not all of them look big enough for 5 people to eat at the table? They say washing machine; does it include a dryer? And that fifth floor walk-up might be a bit much at the end of a long day sightseeing.

You and your family will enjoy taking the train to Florence and Venice. No need to buy the tickets before getting to Rome. You can pick them up at the airport train station or at a travel agent. As you sightsee around Rome, look out for a travel agency with the Trenitalia logo in the window. They always have some one who can speak English.

Hope you're feeling much better.

Lexma90

I checked out the Piazza del Fico apartment - that location is very good (there is a map at the link you provided), just off Piazza Navona. We stayed very near there on our last trip to Rome (on via dei Coronari), and I loved the area. Just a block from Piazza Navona, but quiet.

FYI, we've found that we don't use public transportation a lot in Rome. We don't tend to use buses, so I can't tell you about the bus routes. The metro, which is good, doesn't have many stops in the oldest part of the historic city. We walked almost everywhere (except to Museo Borghese), including the Vatican, which is quite close to Piazza Navona.

Lodging that is close to Termini won't be real central to much else. I would suggest that for your Pompeii day, you take a cab to Termini. Also look into one-day tours from Rome to Pompeii - that will cut down on the hassle of getting to and from train stations.

And while I loved Pompeii, and it was at the top of my "must-see" list on our first visit to southern Italy, make sure it's at the top of your family's list too. You don't have a huge amount of time in Italy, or in Rome specifically, and that visit will take an entire day. If you want to see an ancient town, but not take an entire long day to do so, consider Ostia Antica, which is much closer to Rome and easier to get to. Some people feel it's better than Pompeii - I didn't think that - but for an alternate site, it's also impressive. (FYI, we took a picnic lunch to Ostia Antica and ate among the ruins.) Or you could schedule Pompeii for later in your time in Rome, so you could go or not, depending on what you still wanted to do in Rome.

In your researches for apartments in Venice, look in the Dorsoduro area, which is a little less touristy area that a lot of people like to stay in. We prefer the Cannaregio area, on the edge closest to San Marco and Castello (from "our" hotel, it's a 15-20 minute walk to Piazza San Marco). Also, parts of Castello will have lower prices than San Marco but still be close.

By the way, is a "chook" a chicken?

travelfan1

These apartments in Venice were recommended to me on this forum. We ended up staying at a different apartment which wouldn't accommodate your party of five.
Good luck with your plans...you will be fine! Have a wonderful holiday with your family.

http://www.cortegrimani.com/en/index.htm