Websites for rentals in Italy?
 

Sorry for all my posts recently, I have a lot to plan and not very much time to do it! I usually use vrbo.com and homeaway.com to look for apartment/house rentals for our trips. However, I know sometimes there are country-specific sites (like the gites site in France) that can be better . . . does anyone have suggestions for such a website in Italy? Or are there any general sites besides the two I mentioned that I should be checking? We just decided that we are going to Lake Como in mid-September, so I am scrambling to find accommodations. Thank you!

A lot of the apartment sites are for the major cities -- Rome, Florence, etc. There are at least two for Como:
www.ParkerVillas.com/ItalianLakes
www.cecmaison.it

I can't vouch for either.

I have been using this site to look at Lake Como apartments for future trip.

http://www.bellacomo.com/

I have been using this site to look at Lake Como apartments for a future trip.

http://www.bellacomo.com/

I posted this on your other thread but will add it here as well:

Many people on Fodors like this group of apartments near Bellagio.

http://www.residencelalimonera.com/

also try looking on www.slowtrav.com for suggestions and reviews

I agree that La Limonera is a good option---right in Bellagio and good prices. Also look at the Lago Como selections at www.summerinitaly.com--easy to deal with.

Wow, thanks!!! I have a lot of looking to do tonight, but good to have options as many that I've found already are booked.

http://www.discovercomo.com/como_accommodation.asp


http://www.ilporticcioloviaggi.com/

Here are two more, one with a helpful map:


http://www.vacanzelago.com/en/map-lake-como.php

An agriturismo where you can have meals; located in a lovely area just outside, but within walking distance of, Bellagio:



http://www.agriturismo.it/ittiturism...la/enindex.asp

This is the site we used (the link is for the apartment we stayed in. The location was great for us - near the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. It was a great little apartment and made for a great stay in Rome!

http://www.rome-accommodation.net/ro...margutta.xhtml

These are all great but, wow, I am really impressed with Bella Como . . . almost too good to be true with their beautifully (photoshopped?) pictures. Has anyone rented through them yet?

Alright, I just booked one of Bella Como's apartments for five days in September. They were so nice and friendly to deal with, got back to me right away, etc. Quite a pleasure and if the place is half as beautiful as the pictures I will be VERY happy. Thanks again for all this information!

audreyleigh,

I was trying to remember where I heard about Bella Como and looked through all the forums I use as resources, but couldn't find anything. Then I remembered that it was an article I read and was able to find it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...george-clooney

I am very anxious to hear about your experience with the apartment. Which one did you book? I hope you have a great time!!

This is the one that has made our short list so far for next year: http://www.bellacomo.com/english/COM...%20Tivano.html

We booked this one - http://www.bellacomo.com/english/COM...-%20Panna.html. I spoke to the co-owner (Lynne) and she recommended it over the others I was considering. I will definitely try to remember to report back on my experience! Now I almost wish it was sooner than September!

Audrey it looks wonderful! In fact it looks divine and I would not mind staying there myself someday!

PLEASE report back and have a wonderful trip. Let us know if you want restaurant information...

The rental you selected looks VERY nice. One thing I like about the Bella Como site is that you can use a credit card for the deposit. Using a credit card sure makes things a lot easier. I hope that you have a wonderful time! Please tell us all about it when you return.

deniseredeker, the appartment you stayed in Rome, it was Apartment AP49 - MARGUTTA from Rome-accomidations.net, I am looking to book that appartment for an upcoming trip this fall but I am concerned as left over smoke causes problems for my allergies & they do not have a no-smoking policy. Can you tell me much about that appartment? Much thanks for your help!

For all of Italy www.slowtrav.com is a great place to look.

For Venice, I've had very good experience with www.venicerentals.com.

sleepinitaly.com also has lots and lots of rentals.

Yes, I will definitely report back! The entire experience with Bella Como has been wonderful - Lynne called me personally so I did not have to send my credit card info via email. She is very nice, told us about the assistant that will be meeting us, told us to call if we needed anything, etc. Very pleasant.

I would love restaurant recommendations, particularly for casual/affordable but good ones! And recommendations on any sights/activities that are a must would also be great. Thanks so much!

Alright, reporting back as we have just returned from our trip. I would give Bella Como a B- overall. I would not recommend against renting from them, but would just rather be clear about what you are getting. We rented the Panna apartment I linked to above. It was absolutely gorgeous, the views were to die for and the pictures of the nicely remodeled and maintained space online were accurate. So no problem there, they have nice, upscale properties. My two complaints are as follows:

1. Misinformation about transportation - BC claims you do not need a car for the Panna location. They also recommended taking the bus in to the apartment from the train station upon arrival. Having experienced this firsthand now, I strongly disagree on both points. The bus is not a suitable way to get to the Panna apartment initially if you have anything but very small carry on bags, possibly with rubber wheels. The bus service is unreliable (frequently 30 minutes late, sometimes does not show at all), very crowded, and it is difficult to find your stop the first time around. I had to stand holding my 2 year old and her stroller for the better part of the 45 minute journey from the train station. The bus was so crowded I could barely see out and it is a miracle that we found our stop. I would GLADLY have handed over the 50 euros it would have cost for a private driver. In addition, the Panna apartment is located at the top of a very steep hill, about half of which is paved in uneven stones. You can imagine how much fun that was with luggage and a two year old. And I have to add that, while I am pregnant, I am still in fairly good shape as is my husband. Also, we had one carry on size bad, one medium bag and a small folding stroller. So it is not like we had tons of luggage or are out of shape -- I absolutely cannot imagine this trek if you had lots of luggage, did not work out or had any problems with walking. I seriously hope they do not try to rent this place to elderly people. While the apartment was beautiful we truly came to dread the daily trek back to the apartment in the afternoon; tired after walking around all day, sometimes with a few purchases, bottles of water, etc. it was really a pain. And it is very difficult to get to other towns on the lake from here. You are stuck with either the unreliable bus service or the strenuous walking every single time you want to go somewhere as there is no ferry service. And you will want to go somewhere most days as there is next to nothing to do in Mezzegra. Finally, this location would be just fine with a car but there is no parking space, so I do not think this is an option.

2. Lack of information - From the website, Bella Como seems to be a fairly comprehensive travel type agency. While they provide a few recommendations on restaurants and activities, you should not expect them to be overly helpful or volunteer information. This became clear upon check on when the girl rushed through a few basic points, noted that there was a pile of brochures prior guests had left in the corner and then left us. Given how difficult it is to get from Mezzegra to anywhere, a bit of information and a map would have been fabulously helpful and significantly improved our experience. It took us some painful trial and error to realize we could take the greenway to Tremezzo but not to Lenno with the stroller, and that there was no way to walk on the main road ever. Also, this could be just a cultural thing, but I very much felt that I was bothering them whenever I called to ask a question or even to ask for help with making a restaurant reservation through their "concierge" service. After paying for the rental I never again experienced a warm and chatty call from the owner. This is in stark contrast to our experience with a private rental in France last year where the rental agent stayed and talked to us, recommended sites and was generally very concerned that we have an enjoyable stay. I did not get the feeling there was this concern with BC.

So those are my thoughts for what they're worth . . .