Which area of Rome/Florence/Venice is best to find accomodation in?

Question

I would be making a trip there in Oct and i'm thinking of arranging my own accomodations instead of getting land tours from my local travel agencies. Any suggestions? I'm looking at a mid-range, 3 or 4 stars.

Answer 1

I would suggest a centrally located hotel. Look at a site like Expedia or Kayak for lists of hotels.  Check the pictures and descriptions because just the stars mean very little. They are given in Italy based only on the kind of service (like a bathroom or a TV) but not the quality of that service, an old worn out bathroom and a TV from 1972 is the same as a beautiful new bathroom and a plasma TV as far as the stars are concerned.

Answer 2

I returned from the same three cities on 3/15.  I don't know where you are from, but the star system works differently in the US and in Europe.  I will tell you about the three hotels I stayed in in this range.  

In Venice I highly recommend the Hotel Abbazia.  I can't sing their praises high enough.  The room was small (I mean small!), but it was lovely.  It was down a small alley right next to the Termini and a waterbus stop.  The bathtub was a wonderful treat after a long plane ride from NYC.  The staff is the most accomodating, kind people I have ever encountered.  My husband was in the hospital while we were there, and they called to check on him even when I didn't ask.  The breakfast was delicious.  My view was of the courtyard.  In October you will probably have the same view I did, of  a garden not in bloom.  And they have internet access in the rooms!  It's not directly on the large canal, but it's a close walk to everything.  When I go back to Venice, I will stay at this hotel again.

In Florence we stayed at the Hotel Meridiana.  This hotel was exactly what you would expect in a mid range.  It was clean, the staff was nice and the breakfast good.  The decor was dated, but not worn.  There was no internet access in the room, but for 5 Euro you can use a computer in the lobby.   The one thing I liked about this hotel was the location.  Out of our window we could see locals living their lives.  It was very interesting.  

While we were in Rome we stayed at the Hotel Mariano.  This hotel had a great remodeled room with a waterfall shower.  It had very basic service.  The staff was friendly, but not nearly as helpful as the other hotels.  The breakfast was very basic.  The hotel is located near the Termini which has a bad reputation, but we had no problems at all.  At first I was hyper viligant, but then I realized how populated the area was and it was fine.  This hotel had no internet connection at all, but there were a few cafes close by.  

Depending where you live it may be less expensive to book through a travel agent.  I found that the cost was signficantly higher in the US when I tried to book the hotels by myself.  I found the same with the trains from city to city.  It was a lot cheaper to purchase the tickets at the Termini than online here.  Good luck and have fun!

Answer 3

rome and venice florence i don't know...visit milan!!!

Answer 4

Raffaello Hotel in Florence is a good one

Answer 5

Frommer's Italy,   Rick Steves' Italy,  and Rick Steves' Europe through the Back Door; and DK books on Italy,  and Lonely Planet's Italy

Rick Steves  as  well as the other 3  have books on all of these cities.I would advise you to check them out .

http://www.ricksteves.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguid...

http://www.us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/tra...

http://www.frommers.com

You find them at your local Barnes and Noble; Borders , and other bookstores.

http://www.bn.com and http://www.bordersstores.com

I would advise to go to the bookstore and look at these book to see which one you like best. Personally, I like Rick Steves' books.

Answer 6

Venice: http://venice.craigslist.org/vac/

Rome: http://rome.craigslist.org/vac/

Florence: http://florence.craigslist.org/vac/

The best area is centre of city.