I'm going with my daughter to Italy in mid May. We are booking a flight tomorrow. But I would just like to..

Question

..book a room in a family hostel at our destination, and then we will be travelling around a little bit in Italy. We're going for around 12-14 nights. Will it be possible for us to just go from town to town and go to a tourist office, or take a travel book with us and book a room in a family hostel when we're there? Or would it be better for us to book it all from home?

Answer 1

book in advance its easier ,your not for-st to get a room if you don't, they get full as well.

Answer 2

Go to Yahoo search and type in Bed and Breakfast Rome Italy.  Hotels are crazy expensive. The B and B is the way to go. Maybe you should think about a tour like Gate 1 Travel the airfare and hotel will be less through them then the airfare alone if you book it yourself. You better get your plans nailed down or you will be spending a ton off money and wasting a lot of time.

Answer 3

It depends on how old your daughter is and how adventurous you are.  We didn't stay in any hostels while there, but I did notice that many had curfews.  I do know that it was more expensive to book hotels in the US by myself than through a travel agent, it was also more expensive to book train tickets prior to here as well.  I do know people who have just decided to wing it though, and they didn't have any problems finding a hostel.  But, they did have at one point have to share a bathroom with other people staying there.  To them it was worth it for the financial savings.  I just would also mention that you are paying in a hostel per person.  It may be more economical to book a budget hotel.  I stayed in three hotels while in Italy all were about 100 Euro/night.  I am assuming since you mentioned a hostel you are trying to be economical.  Here is my review of some hotels that you may want to consider and book ahead of time.

Hotel Abbazia (Venice) - Loved this hotel.  I can't say enough about this hotel.  My fiancee ended up in the hospital there.  They called even when I didn't ask.  The breakfast was delicious.  The bathtub was wonderful, especially after the long flight.  And you can get internet access in your room!  It's a great location, although down an alley.  It is less than a block from the Termini.  So if you arrive by train it's close, and if you arrive by waterbus you just get off at the Termini station.  This hotel was 120 Euro/night.

Hotel Meridiana (Florence) - This hotel filled it's purpose.  It was clean, had a bed, shower and a good breakfast.  It was really dated.  The staff was really nice helping us with restaurant choices, finding tours outside of Florence, etc.  They do not have internet access in the rooms, but they do have a computer downstairs they charge for.  The shower might make you experience claustrophobia, but it gets you clean.  This hotel was located in a more residential neighborhood which was nice, but it was only about a 10 minute bus ride to everything.  It was 90 Euro/night.

Hotel Mariano (Rome) - We had a newly remodeled room in this hotel so it was nice.  The breakfast was the worst we had in Italy, still they had enough.  The staff was not nearly as kind as the previous two.  The shower, although small, was a great waterfall shower.  This hotel was located near the Termini.  This area has a bad reputation, but we had no problems.  I also would like to note that this was an area that many minorities lived in.   I am not sure if this is why it has a bad reputation, it was just a note I made myself.  It's three blocks from the Termini and all the busses and subways are there.  This hotel was about 100 Euro/night.

Answer 4

You would be better off to book  from home. the reason is   there are so many different celebrations you may  get there and find that there are no rooms available. If you like you can go to my travel site at www.wyatttravels.com and click on Italy. Also you can go to [e-mail]  with any questions or help with you trip.

Answer 5

Unless what you are looking for is a very adventurous holiday, I would suggest you book your accomodation before getting there, as there is always the possibility that all the hostels are fully booked for some unexpected reason...

It could be a bit more expensive but at least you will have peace of mind and you'll be able to concentrate on enjoying your stay once you get there...

As the proverb goes...better safe then sorry!

Answer 6

I would say it depends on where you are going in Italy and how you are traveling around. If you are hiring a car and/or are going to the less touristy areas then I would suggest booking as you go along . It is much more fun and gives you far more independence and flexibility.

In May you are unlikely to have problems getting accommodation outside of the main tourist traps like Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. In terms of safety you are not likely to have too much to fear in the north of Italy outside of the big cities .

Answer 7

Book it all from home. Dont put yourself in a situation where you are vunerable. Put it this way, if you dont know where you are going or staying, that carnt be safe.