"Winging" it in Italy
 

My girlfriend and I are going to Italy next month (October) and hitting the main cities...Rome, Florence and Venice. Is it possible or has anyone gone over without hotel reservations? I like the idea of not pinning ourselves down to schedules but am I asking for a lot of headaches? Planning on about 10 days of travel and on a budget.

I've travelled all over Italy outside the peak season and never booked hotels in advance. In most towns, you will find lots of hotels near the railway station and will have no trouble finding a room. In Venezia, there is a hotel booking office in the station and they will normally find something, though it's best to arrive early in the day; the alternative is to stay in a nearby town and take the train into Venezia.

The only problem with "winging it" is not that you won't find a place to stay but that you will spend so much of your precious travel time looking.

You can walk out of the railway station in most Italian towns and see several hotels, and then find a room at the first of second attempt. To save carrying luggage, it's sometimes easiest to put you bag in the left luggage at the station, then look for a hotel; you can go back to get your bag later, after exploring the city. I've stayed in hotels all over Italy and rarely wasted more than a few minutes looking for one.

October isn't off season in Italy, especially Rome. In fact, it is one of the most popular months to travel there. There have been a couple of recent threads where people have mentioned trying to find a hotel room for next month (they just started looking) and their list of five or six hotels have had no vacancy.

Just got back on Saturday and pretty much "winged it", with few reservations. I made reservations in Venice because it was important to me to stay in Venice and not in Mestre or something and I didn't want to end up spending a small fortune. That was also our first destination, so we knew exactly when we were going to be there. Otherwise we would mostly call ahead the day before to the next town that we were going to. We used places listed in the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. In both Sienna and Florence I had to call several places before we could find a room but it wasn't a big deal- took about 10 minutes total. Sometimes we would just show up and look for something when we got there and it always worked out. We were on a budget too and the most we ever spent per night was 67 euro, one night only 35! You should be fine. Hope this helps, a lot of people on this board will try to scare you into making reservations.

This particular October happens to be a busy one in Rome. Mother Teresa's beatification ceremony will take place, as well as Pope John Paul II's 25th anniversary of having ascended the Papal Throne. I don't want to make you panic, but this is something you might want to keep in mind.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

Anything is possible (I doubt it) but if you were my boyfriend and proposed "winging it" to Italy's big three, especially in October, I'd be convinced you were cheap, lazy, and pretty much a fool. And then, I would leave you and find someone who really knows how to treat a woman well.

wow, that's a little severe. I don't see how that could be thought of not treating a woman well...just a little adventurous maybe. If you can call ahead, like tiffpolm suggested, that would be the best thing. Otherwise, your luggage can get pretty heavy wandering around looking for vacancies. Good luck.

Is Italy really that crowded in October? I leave for Venice and Florence on October 3rd for two weeks and already have all my hotels booked and museum reservations made so I am not worried about that. But after reading all these posts I am concerned that the sights will be especially crowded. Is October more crowded than other months of the year?

Thanks for the help.

Showing up at the holidays with a mohawk and a tongue piercing is a "little severe." Dumping a cheap, lazy boyfriend who doesn't know the true meaning of adventure is heroic. But then again, some women will put up with just about anything to be with a man. I can offer you plenty of adventure stories but none of them will include "winging it" in one of the busiest, high-season months in Italy. If your girlfriend is a tomboy and giggles at this sort of "adventure," then fine. Have a lovely time. I've always preferred the company of a sensitive gentleman, a man who goes out of his way to make my travel experience as romantic and stress-free as possible. Sorry ladies, my expectations are very high.

Winging it is a lot of fun IF you have a car and are travelling around the countryside. I've had some of my best experiences this way.

I don't see the point, really, if you're going to the big three. Many hotels will let you check out early if you really want to leave.

Ciao.

Coachboy

Sanditravelnut: Don't worry, you'll be fine. You've thought ahead and made your reservations. Is October really that crowded? Yes. All those people who shun Italy in the summer due to the heat travel have started to go in October and,to a lesser extent, May and September. Like bookchick said, the third week of this October is going to be especially bad with the Papal anniversary and every Sister of Charity from around the world in Rome for Mother Theresa's beatification. I can't wait to join them!

NYCFS, I am starting to like you more everyday. You have high standards and are not bashful. At first I saw you as a pretender, but you do know your stuff.
I concur--winging it in Oct. is folly unless you want a fleabag near the station.

Darling bob, I've always liked you and your generous spirit. I admit, I prefer your more professional tone over at slowtrav. I just don't like that website.

Thank you for your kind words. I do have VERY high standards and there isn't a bashful bone in my body. Shy women bore me just as much as shy men. I know I "read" like a pretender sometimes but there's no "pretend" here. I'm as serious as a heart attack or your most memorable orgasm.

Keep up the good work! (Now, if only someone would tell Daffy Tuck to shut up.)

Snob,

I second Bob; I like your style. Being a southerner, I didn't know what to make of you at first. Some have an ugly name for it, but all my friends possess it!

I didn't think that October was nearly as crowded as what I've heard the middle of summer to be. When I went in Sept and Oct. we rarely met up with large crowds unless it was getting into the vatican museums or there was a special celebration going on.

I'm curious NYCFS...why don't you like the Slow Travel website?

Viet Nam? Adventuresome! Complimenti!

Eccomi, in as few words as possible, I think slowtrav has serious design flaws. When it comes to user-friendliness, I'm a tyrant and I don't think slowtrav delivers. There's some good information (too little) there but the navigation is too frustrating for me to bear.

WOW! As a new Fodor's member, I was shocked and amused at NYFoodSnobs reply. More amused than shocked though at how someone who hides behind a "clever" ID can throw out opinions and bash people who she knows nothing about. Thanks to all who gave kind advice.