Rome with teenagers, apartment or hotel?
Oct 16th, 2014, 07:00 AM
#21
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There's so much to see around Sorrento that I'd feel guilty just relaxing. And knowing I was missing Capri, Pompeii, the Amalfi coast, Mt. Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Naples, Paestum, etc. Unless of course you've already been to these places. But you could relax while the others explore.
Oct 16th, 2014, 07:28 AM
#22
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 19,736
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm an apartment guy, especially when traveling with family. I love sitting around at the end of the day, maybe having a glass of wine, and discussing that day's itinerary. But noting what others said about hotel services, I agree that a hotel offers some valuable benefits for the first-time visitor, but ...
You can balance the lack of benefits from staying in an apartment by doing a lot of research on the area and deciding what you want to see and do. And there's a variable about apartment owners and managers. Some are quite helpful with info about restaurants, attractions, etc. (One of ours was helpful and provided a 3-ring binder with info about the area.) Some just hand you the keys and say, "See you when you leave." Sometimes you can feel them out by asking questions via email and seeing how they respond and how helpful they are.
Plus, a lot of people here have stayed in apartments in places like Rome, so you should be able to get some recommendations.
You can balance the lack of benefits from staying in an apartment by doing a lot of research on the area and deciding what you want to see and do. And there's a variable about apartment owners and managers. Some are quite helpful with info about restaurants, attractions, etc. (One of ours was helpful and provided a 3-ring binder with info about the area.) Some just hand you the keys and say, "See you when you leave." Sometimes you can feel them out by asking questions via email and seeing how they respond and how helpful they are.
Plus, a lot of people here have stayed in apartments in places like Rome, so you should be able to get some recommendations.
Oct 16th, 2014, 07:46 AM
#23
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<i><font color=#555555>"how many nights make sense for a first visit to Rome during July?"</font></i>
The weather these days is SO unpredictable. This past July, northern Italy had more rain than I'd ever experienced before, while temps were on the cooler side. The July weddings around Lake Como were drenched.
In August, there were several days when Venetians took out their fall jackets to deal with the unusually low temperatures. It's a good thing I had packed a light jacket and planned my wardrobe around layers.
I would never plan a trip to Rome in July, just as I would never plan a trip to NYC in July. However, this past July, NYC experienced some of the most glorious weather on record.
So the bottom line must be: be prepared for anything, and go with the flow. Enjoy the good days, and make a good plan to deal with the not-so-good.
If I take a 10-day trip, I try to spend all my time in one place. The word <i>relax</i> for me means more than just a 30-minute coffee break at some outdoor cafe. I need at least one day at a spa.
Rome is a major, lush city. It's very easy to cram loads of things to do into a very short time period, which is utterly exhausting in the best of weather conditions. If the weather is hot and humid, I would not want a crammed schedule, and I would have to be near water. If I had to be in Rome during summer months, I would happily plant myself at the glorious Rome Cavalieri. There is no greater place for summer fun in Rome, and you're just a short shuttle ride (or taxi) away from the city center. Kids of all ages love staying at this hotel.
If I had to combine Rome with a 10-day trip to the southern coast in July (with kids), I would spend more days down south, possibly 4-nights Rome, 6-nights Amalfi. I don't like touring in the heat, but I love spending summer days near a beautiful body of water.
The weather these days is SO unpredictable. This past July, northern Italy had more rain than I'd ever experienced before, while temps were on the cooler side. The July weddings around Lake Como were drenched.
In August, there were several days when Venetians took out their fall jackets to deal with the unusually low temperatures. It's a good thing I had packed a light jacket and planned my wardrobe around layers.
I would never plan a trip to Rome in July, just as I would never plan a trip to NYC in July. However, this past July, NYC experienced some of the most glorious weather on record.
So the bottom line must be: be prepared for anything, and go with the flow. Enjoy the good days, and make a good plan to deal with the not-so-good.
If I take a 10-day trip, I try to spend all my time in one place. The word <i>relax</i> for me means more than just a 30-minute coffee break at some outdoor cafe. I need at least one day at a spa.
Rome is a major, lush city. It's very easy to cram loads of things to do into a very short time period, which is utterly exhausting in the best of weather conditions. If the weather is hot and humid, I would not want a crammed schedule, and I would have to be near water. If I had to be in Rome during summer months, I would happily plant myself at the glorious Rome Cavalieri. There is no greater place for summer fun in Rome, and you're just a short shuttle ride (or taxi) away from the city center. Kids of all ages love staying at this hotel.
If I had to combine Rome with a 10-day trip to the southern coast in July (with kids), I would spend more days down south, possibly 4-nights Rome, 6-nights Amalfi. I don't like touring in the heat, but I love spending summer days near a beautiful body of water.
Oct 16th, 2014, 08:20 AM
#24
wherever you stay in Rome you'll need a/c and in Sorrento/Amalfi, access to a swimming pool. Those would be my absolute priorities, especially with kids who will need somewhere to get some exercise and cool off.
For day times in Rome, I would plan to do the top sights in the morning, then have a long lunch, a siesta, followed by a stroll round an interesting museum [air-conditioned for preference] and supper somewhere nearby. One day it could be the Colosseum, etc, another day the Vatican museums and St Peter's, the third the galleria Borghese. All of these can be pre-booked which will prevent you having to hang around in the heat. Places like the Piazza Navona, Trevi, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon etc can all be seen in evening strolls.
as for the old hotel v apartment argument, I find that I do just as much research if I am planning to stay in a hotel as I do for an apartment. Whichever I choose, I still need to know about the neighbourhood, the public transport connections, etc. And you can still have problems in a hotel - a dirty room, poor service, etc.
For day times in Rome, I would plan to do the top sights in the morning, then have a long lunch, a siesta, followed by a stroll round an interesting museum [air-conditioned for preference] and supper somewhere nearby. One day it could be the Colosseum, etc, another day the Vatican museums and St Peter's, the third the galleria Borghese. All of these can be pre-booked which will prevent you having to hang around in the heat. Places like the Piazza Navona, Trevi, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon etc can all be seen in evening strolls.
as for the old hotel v apartment argument, I find that I do just as much research if I am planning to stay in a hotel as I do for an apartment. Whichever I choose, I still need to know about the neighbourhood, the public transport connections, etc. And you can still have problems in a hotel - a dirty room, poor service, etc.
Oct 16th, 2014, 09:17 AM
#25
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,893
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<i><font color=#555555>"I find that I do just as much research if I am planning to stay in a hotel as I do for an apartment."</font></i>
Not sure why that would ever be the case.
The hotel market is fairly stable. New hotels in Rome's city center are very rare. It takes a lot of time and money to create a new and substantial hotel offering. The "known" hotels come with a long-standing reputation, and are constantly reviewed on various internet sites with daily turnover.
The vacation apartment market is as fluid as any real estate market, and one can find changes almost every day. Many vacation rentals are eventually "sold" properties, for one reason or another. None of the apartments I rented in Rome in the 1990's exist today.
It takes a lot of research to find specific apartment reviews, and rarely do you find many. Some are so out-of-date, you can't trust them. There are so many new properties each year, many do not have any published reviews. And if you care about being in a legal rental, good luck doing the research on that.
As for hotel "problems," most reputable hotels care about hospitality and customer service. They offer a built-in staff to deal with any customer issues that may arise. In general, the same is not true for apartment vacation rentals. It's an unregulated industry, and in many cases, it's the wild, wild west.
Not sure why that would ever be the case.
The hotel market is fairly stable. New hotels in Rome's city center are very rare. It takes a lot of time and money to create a new and substantial hotel offering. The "known" hotels come with a long-standing reputation, and are constantly reviewed on various internet sites with daily turnover.
The vacation apartment market is as fluid as any real estate market, and one can find changes almost every day. Many vacation rentals are eventually "sold" properties, for one reason or another. None of the apartments I rented in Rome in the 1990's exist today.
It takes a lot of research to find specific apartment reviews, and rarely do you find many. Some are so out-of-date, you can't trust them. There are so many new properties each year, many do not have any published reviews. And if you care about being in a legal rental, good luck doing the research on that.
As for hotel "problems," most reputable hotels care about hospitality and customer service. They offer a built-in staff to deal with any customer issues that may arise. In general, the same is not true for apartment vacation rentals. It's an unregulated industry, and in many cases, it's the wild, wild west.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
gwenjunebug
Europe
12
Jan 29th, 2010 02:21 PM
