Hello everyone...I really need help! Is it remotely possible to get double rooms at a cheapskate (frugal or prudent?) rate of under 100 USD in Rome, Florence, Venice and Capri? I am running short of time as I have my tix booked for 2nd April. Looks like most places are fully booked. It's my second honeymoon and we would like to go on a photography expedition.Here's hoping to survive a vacation without a cardiac arrest when the bills arrive. Thanking y'all in advance.<BR><BR>Karma

Karma,<BR>about Capri I advice you Florida and about Roma, Trastevere.<BR>Ciao.

To find the budget accommodations with three weeks notice in four of the most sought-after, most expensive cities in Europe is not easy. The good budget hotels are the first places to book up. Try searching the Forum for Rome hotels, Venice hotels, etc. Then look for the budget suggestions. People have posted 1000s here if you search for them. Good luck.

I'm going to Rome, Florence and Venice in May, and was also hoping to keep the cost to $100 per night. I did get a room at the Smeraldo in Rome for exactly $100 (keep in mind, that is inclusive of all taxes, surcharges, etc.). The Smeraldo is highly recommendd on this forum. I was not so fortunate in Florence, but did find the Hotel Rex for $114 per night. Their website is www.hotelrexflorence.com Venice, on the other hand seemed impossible. I found the Art Deco for around $135 per night. What you're looking for does exists, however. Check venere.com. I just ended up splurging a little and spending a bit extra since it's my first trip there, and don't really know what to expect. Good luck.

In FLorence check out Hotel Casci, www.hotelcasci.com. Venice, in general is pricier then the other places so you may have to up your budget a bit there. Enjoy!

Karma, I will be going to Europe this summer and have also been cost conscious with regard to hotel rooms. In Rome, we have booked a small hotel recommended by Rick Steves. The Hotel Oceania has offered us a double room for roughly $88 USD/night if we pay cash. Their website: www.hoteloceania.it<BR><BR>In Florence, we're staying at a small bed and breakfast next door to the Baptistry. It's called the Soggiorno Battistero. I've read some nice comments about it. They've offered a double room for $72 USD with a small discount for cash. Website: www.soggiornobattistero.it<BR><BR>As for Venice, well, we've decided to stay at the Pensione Accademia. A wonderful pensione which has gotten great reviews. We're paying about $126 USD.<BR><BR>Have fun!!!

These are not romantic honeymoon accomodations by any means, but I was happy with Pensione Panda in Rome (www.hotelpandaparadise.com), and Hotel Abaco in Florence was adequate (www.abaco-hotel.it). Good luck.

Hello Karma,<BR><BR>There aren't many budget places in Capri. <BR>Try www.villaeva.com in Anacapri. This is budget accm. rather than a place for a 2nd honeymoon, though.<BR><BR>Steve

-<BR>Very challenging to find a place on Capri for that price range. Have you considered staying in Sorrento? I've been to Amalfi coastline and stayed in Positano (another place that tends toward more pricey accommadations). There is one place that may be close to your price. I've never stayed here. Walked by the place & it seems pleasant. It's listed in Rick Steves' book. <BR><BR>Hotel Bougainville <BR>Via C.Colombo, 25, 84017, Positano - Italy; Tel: +39-089-875047 - Fax: +39-089-811150 <BR>

You may also want to look into convent accomodations. i've heard good things about them. Maybe a test search here will bring up some info.

oops..thats teXt search not teSt search

Hotel Galleria may already be booked as it's small, but heck, worth an email. I stayed there in Oct-2000 and it's a quirky charming place. I'm not sure of what their prices are now. Believe it may fall in your range. If you're willing to go for one of smaller rooms that share bathroom down hall, I found bathroom to be clean & well maintained. And never had a problem with running into anyone else, strangely enough.<BR><BR>Here is info on Galleria:<BR>GALLERIA (LA): Rio Ter&Atilde;  Antonio Foscarini 878/A. Tel: 041-5232489. Tel/Fax: 041-5204172. <BR>Web site: http://www.hotelgalleria.it/ <BR>E-mail: [email protected] (10 rms., 6 w/toilet & shower.) <BR>The rooms without views (#1 & 2) & no bathrooms are cheaper. Breakfast (8-9:30am) is included in the rates & served in the room. Visa, MC, AX, DC. English spoken (Luciano & Stefano), phones, no TV, wonderful charming 17th-century palace hotel w/beautifully & individually antiquish Venetian style furnished rms. that vary in size. Vaporetto: Accademia. Located at foot of the Ponte dell&acirc;?™Accademia (bridge). <BR><BR>Alternatively, another poster mentioned that the same family has opened up a new hotel. <BR>Locanda S.S. Giovannie E Paolo: Calle Ospedale 4529, Cannarggio. 8 air-conditioned rms., all w/toilet & bath or shower, phones, no TV, 3 rooms for a double & 5 rooms for a triple or family. No elevator, 3 flrs. <BR>Vaporetto: Ospedale.<BR>I'm not familiar with this place, but based on my experience @ Hotel Galleria, I'd be willing to give it a try. Particularly like idea of staying in Cannarggio section of Venice as it's away from tourist hustle of St. Marks. (But certainly within walking distance.)<BR><BR><BR>

Karma:<BR><BR>I will be in Rome that same time and am staying (again) at a semi-convent in Trastevere. Now that we have our reservations secured (they require a deposit), I'm happy to share the information! Here's the link to an article about the location. Best of luck.<BR><BR>http://www.myoc.com/travel/world/122...ent_rome.shtml

-<BR>Karma,<BR><BR>Bumped into a website called http://www.hostelworld.com and it's all about frugal accommadations. Obviously a majority of their listings are hostels. Also appears they have smaller 1-star hotels that'll fall into your price range.<BR><BR>Another website to look under is Scala Reale. They are a company that arranges day tours in Rome --- one of their links directs to accommadations in Rome, providing a variety that includes apartment rentals --- http://www.scalareale.org/Rome/accommodations.html<BR>

Try www.laterooms.com

We stayed at the Hotel Ferdinad II last September in Florence. Very nice! (I actually phoned Evelyn's hotel and she recommended them to me... It's a little hard to find. It's a door on a little side street off Via Corso, right downtown. Nice big room. Kinda wierd but practical - our bathroom was the shower - just close the door, so what if the fixtures get wet?<BR> Did a quick search for it on Google and here's what I found:<BR>Credit==&gt; Travelwriters.com Joe Cawley <BR>[email protected] <BR>"...For an equally central situation but with considerably more character, the affable proprietor, Welsh-born Evelyn, will grant you a room at the Pensione Maria Luisa De’ Medici (Via del Corso 1; 00 39 055-280048). The aroma of soapy suds from the Lush bathtime shop below follows you up a monumental staircase to this second floor hotel of unrivalled personality where an eclectic collection of antiques brazen the hallways and individually styled bedrooms. The mattresses are firm, the upkeep immaculate and helpfulness unmatched. A double, with facilities requiring a short jog across the corridor in your pj’s, start from &pound;37 per night. Evelyn will begrudgingly haggle if you forsake the room-delivered breakfast. Just around the corner, Elissa runs the newly-spruced 12-room Hotel Ferdinando II Dei Medici (Via del Presto 2; 2608665), which has very comfortable doubles starting from &pound;33, some overlooking the House of Dante."

look for a bed and breakfast instead of a hotel. The prices should be half or less. <BR><BR>use google and type in the town name plus Bed and Breakfast. I saw many affordable accomodations available on Capri.

Try Hotel Elite in Florence. Clean, newly decorated rooms available for about $55-60 a night with shower. Near Santa Maria Novella. The staff is very friendly. Ask for a room off the street if available. You can find the phone number in Rick Steves or Frommers. I have seen virtually nothing on the Web about this hotel, so you may find a vacancy despite the guide listings.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

It's kinda scary that $100 U.S. is considered budget! That used to translate to over 200.000L, which I think is not so cheap. Last fall I did really well all over Italy paying no more than 120.000L a night. I wonder if prices went up with the Euro conversion, but now I'm finding the average rates for my typical hotel to be closer to 100 Euro.

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