Alternative Accommodations
House swapping, convents and monasteries, college dorms... when it comes to beds, the less you spend, the more of Europe you experience. Others swear by renting a "flat" (apartment) or "villa" and becoming a temporary local. Any tips about fun, unique, or unusual accommodations?
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Villa in Tuscany
We stayed in a villa in Tuscany in late Sept. We also used Rentvillas.com. This is the second time we have used this agency and have been very pleased with them. They have a very good web site. The villa was Casa dell'Olivo and it slept 8 with 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, wash machine, dish washer, fireplace and beautiful grounds. It is in the country side so a car is necessary but the views were beautiful and it was very quiet. My husband and I have been to Tuscany twice in the past but ths was the first time for our traveling campanions. They all agreed that Casa dell'Olivo exceeded their expectations. I would recommend this villa and Rent Villas.
Deborah Bayliss
Ft. Collins , CO USA 11/18/2008
Paris Apartments
I haven't posted here in some time. I do go to Paris often..most recently mid Sept. - mid October for a month. I am returning for a short trip Dec 3rd to 15th. I also will be there for a month mid Apr to mid May and for the month of Nov., in 2009.
I have stayed in hotels and many apartments. I have used Parisian Flat, Paris Vacation Apts. and www.parisperfect.com is now my regular for all stays above mentioned. I not only like their apts.but I like the Bourdonnais/St. Dominique area where most are located. It feels like home to me when I arrive..also the multitude of great restaurants in the 7th. I would like to pass on to those who might be interested that they do have a discount currently of 15% if you just mention TRIP15..a bientot..Joan
Joan Grace <email>
Asheville, NC USA 11/18/2008
Stone Cottage, Dingle.
We have just arrived back from Dingle Ireland. We rented a Self catering Traditional Irish Stone Cottage. near Dingle Town, on the Dingle Peninsual, We had a wonderful time.
the name of the cottage is Conor Pass Cottage. Cosy, and Delightful,
we have sheep in the back lawn,
Mary Courtney, <email>
H,B., C.A. USA 11/17/2008
Apartment in center of Salzburg
In August we stayed at this great private apartment in the center of Salzburg.It took less than 5 minutes to walk to the fortress and historic center.Beautiful old architecture,recently renovated.Huge garden,and very spacious apartment. It is run by a Canadian woman and her Austrian husband. It was very reasonably priced.Email me if you have any questions.
Link with contact info:
Salzburg Festspiele Apartment Vacation Rental
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=SALZBURG%20APARTMENT%20RENTAL&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
Karen R.
Medford, Mass USA 11/13/2008
Italian Villa Stay
We stayed in the most marvelous 550 farmhouse in the Tuscan hillside outside of Florence, named Il Pioppo. We used Rentvilla.com and they were excellent. Everything was clean, well furnished and the owners delightful and hospitable.
Anne Frame
Morrison, Illino USA 11/12/2008
Vacation Rentals
Le Torri in Montespertoli, Italy is a wonderful place to stay if you want a quiet, authentic Tuscan experience. Only a 20 minute bus ride to Florence, it is in a beautiful village with all amenities. Highly recommended!
Julia Eargle <email>
Asheville, NC USA 11/04/2008
apartment rentals in Paris
I can highly recommend www.vacationinparis.com for apartment rentals in Paris. I have just booked my 3rd apartment with them. They have a large and varied selection. The fees are paid in dollars and are reasonable. They mail you the keys from New Jersey before your trip begins. We have had occasion to seek help from their local management service in Paris and were satisfied with the result.
Christine <email>
Palm Beach, FL USA 11/03/2008
Villa Rita in Paestum
During the month of June Villa Rita has an english camp for kids. If don't mind 20 screaming kids it's agreat place to stay if not stay away in the month of June.
Joe Gri
Langley B.C. Canada, 10/27/2008
Villa Girardi, Cortona, Tuscany
Earlier this October 2008, we rented Villa Girardi, just 5 km outside Cortona in Tuscany, through Rentvillas for a week. Our experience was outstanding. This 2 bedroom 1 bath Villa was very well furnished and beautifully equipped. It was well situated for daily sightseeing trips and was blessed with an excellent tratoria just across the stret, and another good restaurant just 2 km up the road. Renters enjoy the ground floor of this old restored farmhouse, and the owners live upstairs. They are delightful people, helpful and sharing of produce from their large garden, eggs from their chickens and constantly brought treats the Mama had made. She also cooked some dinners for us. The son speaks excellent English and was most helpful. This gem shouldl not be overlooked.
John Naylor <email>
Pinehurst, NC USA 10/25/2008
Apartement in the center of Rome
I stayed for two weeks in a very calm and pleasant apartement in a very central part of Rome near Campo dei Fiori, via Pettinari. All renewed with a large room for two, kitchen, restroom and wifi connection for a very convenient price. The person who rented me the apartement was very kind and helpful, his name and email is giuseppeamorosi@yahoo.it and phone number ++39 3386361325. A very confortable place where to stay in Rome and very convenient.
Carine
Lausanne, switzerland 10/23/2008
Short term apartments
This past Spring, I rented an apartment in Paris, on Rue Duvivier, one street over from Rue Cler, for about $105 a night. And this was when the euro was at it's almost absolute worse ($1=euro1.65). It was so wonderful to shop in the markets, then cook in my own apartment. I was actually one block from the Champs de Mars Hotel that Rick always gets. And all the major sights are a walk away. I was lucky to have found a nice place, at a good price, and could do my own cooking, thus saving in meal costs. Look up paris apartments on the internet and you should be able to save a little over staying in a hotel. After a 2 week in Paris, my 14 year old son and I went to Frankfurt for a week to visit my brother, and saved money on our train ticket using this website. Thanks , for all the great advice on this website, I reccommend it to all the people I know that will be traveling to Europe.
Renee Tacquard <email>
Durango, CO USA 10/23/2008
Rome Guest House in Trastevere
We stayed the last week of September at the Guest House at Arco de' Tolomei in the Trastevere district in Rome. Staying here was one of the most enjoyable parts of our visit to Rome! We would not think of visiting Rome without a return to Arco de' Tolomei. A wonderful room on the second floor with a private deck on a nicely planted courtyard. The host, Marco and his wife Gianna, were wonderfully hospitable and helpful, greeting us with tourist tips and restaurant recommendations each morning at a generous breakfast. In particular the Pamphilij gallery was fascinating. Manager, Katia, gave us directions and transportation information, was well as ideas for spots that are not on the usual tourist itineraries. The Trastevere is a vibrant neighborhood where we had our best dinners in Rome and strolling after dinner is a real treat. Via dell'Aro de' Tolomei 27; tel 06/58320819; www.inrome.info; email - info@inrome.info
Jeff Wood & Diane Summerhays <email>
Seattle, WA USA 10/20/2008
Apartment in Varenna, Italy
We stayed in Varenna at Marilena's house. It is a lovely apartment on the second floor of a house which is in the center of town. Marilena's house had everything we needed. A fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, two satellite tv's, Kingsized bed, and bathroom. My friends met us in Varenna and rented an apartment from another individual. We met them in Milan and took them to Varenna via the train. Their landlady met them at the station with us. She asked where we were staying...when we said 'Marilena's house', she pulled my friends aside and told them they were not allowed to let us into her apartment - due to us staying with the 'competition.' I found this rude, offensive, and immature. When I told my landlord, Marilena, she was gratious and stated that my friends were more than welcome at her house-anytime! Besides, my friends invited us in- and their apartment did not have the options/amenities that Marilena's had. I could not believe that this other landlady would attempt to ruin a vacation planned with friends, simply because she had issues. Thank you Marilena for being a wonderful landlady!!!
Ellen Nelson <email>
York, Pennsy USA 10/20/2008
Apartment in Prague
We just returned from our European vacation. We stayed in Prague for 5 days and could have used another 5 easy. We rented a fantastic apartment from Katarina Kruspanova (www.prague-perfect.cz or package@prague-perfect.cz). It was clean, spacious, and near the tram line near the monestary for easy access around town for only 2200 crowns a night. Additionally, Kat does tours of Prague and the surrounds. We had a wonderful tour of the castle cathedral and the city with her. Highly recommmend taking a look at her website.
Casey
Clermont, FL USA 10/16/2008
Family Sized Apartment in Great Location in Rome
We had a very comfortable stay at an apartment on Via del Pellegrino - just down from the Campo de Fiori. Mauro (contact mauro@team-shock.it) met us at the station and escorted us to the apartment and also took us to the airport at the end of our stay. The apartment was very spacious and clean. Our family of five stayed for 4 nights and were joined by my niece and her boyfriend for 2 of the nights. Location is terrific with most of the attractions within walking distance. Supermarket at end of the street was also very handy.
Denise Ghea <email>
Alice Springs, NT USA 10/14/2008
Apartment in Florence
We found an absolute gem of an apartment for our 4 week stay in Florence, Italy. We highly recommend contacting Ana and Lorenzo at www.florencehousing.it - they manage several apartments in and around Florence. Really friendly and helpful folks.
Joy <email>
Mesa, AZ USA 10/14/2008
apartment in Rome
Therese
Great Service-Perfect Location-Wonderful Apartment.
Thanks goes to Giulia for helping to make a weeks vacation in Rome as good as it could be.
We were met at the train station, driven to our beautiful apartment in the historical centre of Rome, had our
luggage carried and given the assurance that any help we needed was only a phone call away.
The apartment had everything you needed to make you feel at home. It was a very charming apartment, clean and comfortable.
When it was time leave Giulia was at the door at 6:45 Sunday morning to drive us to the airport.
Along the way she insisted that she take us for a Roman breakfast. We couldn't have asked for more.
We will be sure to contact Giulia again for our next trip to Rome.
New York, USA 10/10/2008
Craig's List!
That's right, we used Craig's list to book apartments while on vacation. Our first one we booked about a week out before our arrival in Budapest, the other we booked just a day before our arrival in Vienna. Prices were great and it was so easy. Look into craigslist.org for vacation rentals. You'll love it.
Budapest: www.budapestapartment.weebly.com
Vienna: www.best-of-vienna-apartments.com
Matthew Clark
Seattle, WA USA 10/08/2008
Camping Tiber in Rome
My daughter and I stayed at Tiber Camping outside of Rome. It was really OK! (I was a little scared when I made the reservations.) It is a very nice campground with non-coed dorms and hostel rooms. The "crowd" is nicely mixed, international student types to retirees. We planned on the dorms but they upgraded us to a room with 4 bunks but which we had to ourselves. It was clean and well-managed, bathrooms were clean but not the most convenient shower set-up. The beds were a little saggy, but clean. The restaurant was great, open until 2am, so you can do Rome, get back and have dinner if you want. There is also a little grocery store. The shuttle bus arrives at the station every half-hour, on the half-hour (+/-) so the trip from downtown isn't bad at all. We paid for three nights what one would have been at most other places.
Debbie
NH USA 10/07/2008
The best vacation ever!
We would like to thank Gloria and Marcel of Casina di Rosa (http://www.casinadirosa.it), the lovely vacation house in Tuscany where we have spent the best holiday of our entire life. We will be back!
Anne
Montéal, QC Canada 10/04/2008
Dubrovnik Accomodations...
Ivana Raic has newly remodeled very comfortable apartments...ours was located in the Old Town. She is new to the tourist rental business so we are pleased to recommend her excellent hospitality!
http://www.dubrovnik-area.com/Eng/vlasnik.asp?vla=679
Peter & Gretchen Byfield <email>
Madison, WI USA 10/03/2008
Madrid - ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR A LACK OF A BETTER PLACE - I COULDN'T FIND AN APPROPRIATE "WALL" TO POST MY COMMENTS ABOUT HOTEL LA MACARENA.
Discovered a wonderful small hotel - Hostal La Macarena - centrally located that is a few steps from Plaza Mayor. From the hotel you are a 10 minute walk from Plaza Puerto del Sol and the gaudy Palacio Real. Also there are many many restaurants/tapa bars all within walking distance. We did not even have to use public transportation. The charge was E79/night and the desk people, who spoke little English, were still quite helpful and accommodating. e-mail: macarena@silserranos.com and the website is www.silserranos.com. A great place and inexpensive restaurant - Museo del Jambon - to have breakfast, at least. E4.30 for freshly squeezed orange juice, coffeer/tea, 2 eggs and bacon/jambon, a thick slice of toast to get you going until lunch. There are two Museo del Jambon - one in Plaza Mayor and another on Calle Mayor between Plaza Mayor and Plaza Puerto del Sol. PLUS they open at 8 AM.
Aero City Shuttle from the airport to Old Madrid was excellent service from door to door, as mentioned in Rick's book, but prices have increased.
Southern Spain - forget Gilbaltar and Tanger!
CLIFF <email>
SEATTLE, WA USA 10/02/2008
Haarlem Sleeping
Haarlem Hotelsuites was a wonderful alternative to a hotel. They are actually small apartments in the central area. Quieter than a hotel, not much more expensive, kitchenette, really, really nice and truly a delight!
Eileen Engel <email>
Hammond, LA USA 09/25/2008
Apartment in northern Tuscany
Grifoglia is a great apartment in northern Tuscany near Barga. Kerry and Pietro were
wonderful hosts and had pointers on what to see and do in the area. The road up to their home was an adventure in driving but
a part of Tuscany that made our trip memorable. http://www.apartmentvacationsitaly.com
Kathy
Auburn, MI USA 09/25/2008
Paris Apartments
I have used residence-paris.com several times and have found Vladimir to be honest, helpful, and a wonderful host. His apartments are in the Left Bank area and are economical. Don't expect huge, luxurious spaces. They are clean and the pictures you see on his website are truthful. He is a wonderful person and I recommend him highly!!
Barbara <email>
Lexington, KY USA 09/25/2008
Glastonbury
if you're going to Glastonbury, try staying at glastonburyholidayhomes.com
they have self catering units that are on a georgeous courtyard right in the middle of town. they are the same people that own knights fish and chip shop that Rick reccdomends---which is awesome!!! Tell them dave and donna sent you.
David N Hess <email>
Kirkland, WA USA 09/22/2008
Renting from Rentvillas.com was the way we wanted to see Italy. We were able to go where we wanted and relax and enjoy the view if we wanted to just stay home.
Bev Gallant <email>
Dixfield, ME USA 09/18/2008
Paris apartment
Hi all,
Has anyone used Citalys.com to reserve an apartment? I am attracted to it because there is no deposit but the website doesn't seem as professional as parisattitude.com
Heather <email>
Portland, OR USA 09/18/2008
Stirling Scotland B&B
In Scotland, if you have a rental car and are going to the Stirling area, you must try the Hillview Cottage B&B! The owner Jon is so friendly and helpful and cooks up a fabulous breakfast. He has the best showers (loads of hot water and great pressure) and comfiest beds we found in all of our B&B stays in Scotland. Rates as of Sept 2008 was only 54 GBP/night for a double, the lowest we found. Parking is tight and you do need a car to get there but from there you can sight see Stirling as well as the little villages of Thornhill and Doune. In Doune you'll find Doune Castle, used in the Monty Python "Holy Grail" movie.
Linda Turner
Aiken, SC USA 09/16/2008
Nunnery in Rome
Ok I am probably not posting in the right area so sorry there.
A while ago I posted about staying in ROme nunnerys and a lot of people emailed me asking for that information which I kindly passed on however if any of those people still have that info and could resend it back to me that would be great as I lost all my info on the computer including that.
It was about staying in a nunnery in Rome.
Thanks
tracy <email>
australia, austra USA 09/16/2008
Best B&B in Southern france!
If your travels take you through the south of France- or you are looking for a peaceful town to visit in France- you will find a hidden treasure in the small town of Granes France (near Carcassonne). Judith and John Stevenson's B&B offers the best of French hospitality. Judith's home cooked dinners rival the best restaurants in France featuring variations on traditional French fair and vegetables from their garden in the village. Judith can also handle any and all diets including vegan!! I may have been the first vegan she ever cooked for but she did an outstanding job. After dinner in what my husband and I dubbed "the most romantic restaurant in all of France" John treated us to a piece of music composed by a past guest that truly echoes the peace and tranquility travelers experience in Granes. We stayed three nights as part of horses back riding trip, but learned this British couple also hosts a number of hikers and anyone looking for a nice break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. To learn more visit their website at www.southoffrancebreaks.com and if you do stop by, please let them know Sarah and Brian sent you!
Sarah Tormey
Brooklyn, NY USA 09/15/2008
farmstays
A couple of sites that I have used for B&B's while staying on local working and non-working farms in both France and England are: farmstayuk.co.uk and
http.//www.gites-de-france.com/gites/uk/rural/_gites
these are really nice sites to get off the hustle and bustle of traveling.
BOB <email>
ENUMCLAW, WA USA 09/13/2008
Flat Rental London
We have found renting a flat in London is a less expensive and much more comfortable alternative to a hotel room or B&B. Having a kitchen is a big plus and saves a lot on eating out and most of the flats even come with a washer/dryer which makes it even easier to pack light. For the past couple of years we have rented from a company called, A Place Like Home. They have an excellent selection of flats conveniently located within walking distance of the tube. They are very helpful and accommodating. I would highly recommend them. After a bad experience our first year in London with Coach House Rentals. We have rented from A Place Like Home the last two years and been very pleased with their service.
Cindy
Holland, PA USA 09/09/2008
Flats in Edinburgh during Festival Time
I listened to Rick Steve's radio show about Edinburgh, and they talk about how difficult it is to find accommodation during the festival. I would highly reccommend looking on websites such as www.gumtree.com for apartment ("flat") listings. A room in a flat for the duration of the festival is often no more, and sometimes less, expensive than a hotel. You also should have access to a kitchen - cooking meals is far cheaper than eating out! Also check out accommodation on the University of Edinburgh website. The advantage of this is you know what you'll get - it's clean, well maintained, etc but probably more pricey than renting elsewhere. If you go this route, I'd highly recommend Kincaid's Court if you can handle noise. It's literally 2 minutes walk from the Royal Mile and all the festival activity. If you want a more residential area, Marchmont Rd _+ surrounding is lovely. I lived on Spottiswoode Rd and had a head on view of the castle from my bedroom window. There's nothing like watching fireworks from your own bed!
Emma <email>
Edinburgh, UK 09/07/2008
Great apartment in Rome!!!
I just got back from an awesome stay in Rome and feel I have to recommend Leisure In Rome (www.leisureinrome.com). Having always stayed in hotels, I wasn't sure about renting an apartment but Sonia was very reassuring and found me and my fiancè a gorgeous place to stay near Campo di Fiori. Balestra is a really cute apartment which was so romantic and tranquil and has been amazingly restored to show some ancient Roman remains. It was so nice to have the freedom to please ourselves and really experience the city. Leisure in Rome have a great range of properties can even take care of the airport transfer. I'll definitely contact them again the next time I go to Rome!
Nancy
Denver, CO USA 09/05/2008
Giuseppe Amorosi apartment in Rome
my review of Giuseppe Amorosi's top floor apartment:
I have been staying in Giuseppe's apartment from Aug15th-22nd, 2008. Found him on the Craig's list. I stayed with my mom and she is an older and demanding lady, so If I tell you that she was happy with accommodation, that should really mean something.
-it's clean, new, recently renovated
-second, top floor, easy steps, no neighbors upstairs, really quiet.
- it couldn't be more in the center of everything. we walked everywhere. right next to night life of campo dei fiori and trastevere, and around every sightseeing possible
-has everything you need, including decently working wireless internet.
-it is not huge, but quite enough. nice room with two beds (bit on the soft side), little bathroom, closet, working desk, shelves, night tables, all simple ikea mixed with some antique pieces, tasteful.
-kitchen where you will not be cooking 10 course meals, but definitely enough for coffee, light meals, fridge for food, all the dishes, cleaning materials, etc..
-washing machine! didn't expect it but very much welcomed it.
-it's quiet, not on the street, super important
-area is busy and very safe, never felt dodgy about anything
-supermarket two doors down, which is something since it's hard to find one around the block in Rome.
-has lots of light, windows on both sides, so enough breeze
-excellent air conditioning, which was a must in august
-we paid Giuseppe in cash upfront, but at no point had I any reason to feel uneasy about it. seemed like a young, normal, nice guy.
All in all , couldn't have been happier at any price, especially since this was pretty much the cheapest reasonable accomodation I found.
In fact I hope to come again, even swap my apartment in New York for a while with Giuseppe...
Either way, hope this helps you decide...
Milena
New York, NY USA 09/02/2008
Trastevere Apartments in Rome
We just spend several nights at the "La Scala" apartment offered by http://www.trastevereapartments.com. We also found the same listing under the VRBO wesite and a listing on this forum. 50 Euro a night for a traditional Italian apartment (compact and rustic) in the Trastevere section of Rome. There are lots of authentic restaurants that magically emerge only at night right outside our front door, and the apartment was clean and very quiet. Serenella provided us with a map and showed us where to find the Rome tourist sites, area grocery stores, laundry and internet services nearby.
Mitch
Fremont, CA USA 08/28/2008
Apartment Rental in Rome
We rented an apartment in Rome through rentvillas.com, and we had a great experience. The apartment was clean, had plenty of room for a family of 5, reasonably priced, and best of all, it was in a wonderful location. Located near the Campo de' Fiori, in 5 minutes, we could walk across the bridge to Trastevere, to a supermarket, to numerous restaurants, and to the open market in the Campo. In 30 minutes, we could walk to St. Peters, the Colosseo and Foro, or to the other famous sites like the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Trevi Fountain. A nice apartment in a real Italian neighborhood!
Chris Pazienza <email>
Westford, MA USA 08/25/2008
London dorm accomodations
We rented three rooms at University of Westminster dorms in London for our family of five (Kids aged 11, 7 & 7). We chose it because it was centrally located and had a kitchen where we could cook and save on meals. The kitchen was poorly equipped and our rooms were spread far apart even though I asked them to be next to each other when I booked six months in advance. Students in the dorm were up until all hours of the night. Not a good choice for families.
Dawn
Centennial, CO USA 08/23/2008
Tuscany
We rented a villa throught Rentvilla.com and had a wonderful experience. the villa was perfect for two families a total of eleven people. It was centrally located and had views that were extraordinary.
victoria Rossi
wilton, Ct USA 08/15/2008
B&B's in Rome Florence & Venice
I recommend www.cross-pollinate.com. We used this Rick Steve's recommended website for our Italy vacation in 2006, and we are using it again for our trip on 2009. It lists B&B's for Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris & Barcelona. In descending order of price, with photos & locations. We found wonderful, modest & clean accomodation's in Rome & Venice. B&B's are the way to go. Thank you Rick & Thank you cross-pollinate !!!
Ray Bartley <email>
Saint Helens, Oregon USA 08/13/2008
Flat in Florence
When i decide to spend three days in Florence i decided to follow a friend's suggestions and booked this Flat on line (florenceflat.com).
Located in a very quiet, nice, side street, it was easy walk to all sights. I felt like I was staying in my own florentine home like any other locals. It was very clean, very well organized with all amenities we needed (Including DSL lan).no view.
It is a particular experience I suggest this place if you have in program to visit Florence.
Caroline <email>
SF, CA USA 08/08/2008
St Petersburg inn with breakfast.
Include accommodations at Nevsky Inn in St. Petersburg. The Inn(s) are run by English-speaking Elena, who we consider the jewel of St.Petersberg. She provided Visa support, arranged an airport pick-up from one of her staff and even purchased our train tickets to Helsinki in advance of our arrival. The first impressions of the Nevsky Inn upon arrival were a little cautious (a keycode entrance into a dark walkway to the stairs), but after we got settled in it was great. This is a typical European budget accommodation, so don’t expect frills, but Elena always has a Russian lady on site to assist. They can speak a bit of English and will call Elena who is available by cellphone 24/7. And what a tremendous location a couple of blocks from the Hermitage and a half block off Nevsky Prospect. Check it out: www.nevskyinn.com
Dennis <email>
Thousand Oaks, CA USA 08/07/2008
Accommodation in London
The London School of Economics rents out its dorm rooms during the student off-season (Jun-Aug). A room with twin beds and bathroom includes a buffet breakfast. In July 2006, 3 nights for a family of 4 cost less than $550.
Mary Byrne
Alamo, ca USA 08/07/2008
Florence Apartment
We felt like we lived in Florence for three incredible weeks by renting an apartment from www.florencehousing.it. Ana and Lorenzo were so helpful and the experience was great. We'd go that route again in a heartbeat.
Joy <email>
Mesa, AZ USA 08/05/2008
Apartment in Rome
My family of five (children 14, 11 and 9) returned from a wonderful trip to Italy and I wanted to share a few highlights from the trip
We left May 30 and flew into FCO-- which incidentally is a long way from the tourist sites in Rome. We were fortunate to have booked our apartment through Mauro (email at mauro@team-shock.it) and were so happy to see his smiling face and placard at the baggage claim! Mauro was an excellent reference point for us in Rome and a real gentleman that offers exceptional service at a good value. He picked us up and dropped us back at the airport between our stay at our lovely apartment at via del pellegrino 81. The drive to the apt. was peppered with interesting insights about Rome.
We paid 680 Euro for 4 nights which included transportation to and from the airport which would have easily been at least 50 Euro each way for the five of us. Also, for five of us-- we would have had to rent two hotel rooms at most locations for quite a bit more—so we were very pleased with the accommodations. Mauro also gave us a cell phone that we could use to contact him at any time and we gave it out to family back stateside before we left if they needed to contact us.
The apartment we rented was clean and a marvelous location, situated equal distance from the Vatican, Coliseum, and Pantheon. Mauro also was a great source for booking top-notch guides at the Forum, Vatican and for a stroll around Rome that included a church and the Pantheon (Flavia, Fabio and Serena were terrific as all three spoke great English and each had Ph.D's in archeology). The final note on the apartment was that it was two blocks from Campo di Fiori-- a wonderful square filled with excellent restaurants. Our apartment was also less than a block from a local grocery where we stocked up for breakfast, lunch goods and beverages. We had tacked on this four night stay in Rome to a Mediterranean cruise at the last moment-- so Mauro's help in arranging quality guides was a key positive for us.
Our first day we visited the Forum with our guide Flavia. It was a wonderful, hot day in Rome and we spent about 4 hours there before the short walk to Coliseum. The Forum continues to grow as new archaeological teams expand the site through the years. Flavia had herself participated in one of the recent digs which made it more interesting in some respects for our children. We also took in the Capital Line Museum. Flavia left us after an overview of the Coliseum and we were all so thankful to have had her wonderful insights as made our way through the Forum. The coliseum was an hour or hour and a half well spent before venturing back to Campo Fiori for a magnificent family style Italian meal where we split a few appetizers and a few entrees between the five of us. I was prepared for the worse in terms of expense in Rome-- but the restaurants at Camp Fiori were a decent value for the quality of food with entrees running about $15-18 each.
The next morning our guide, Serena met us at the apartment and we set out through a very light drizzle through the side streets of Rome on our way to the unforgettable Pantheon. On the way, we stopped in at a Church to view a wonderful Caravaggio painting that Serena was familiar with. She told the story of the painting in such detail that we were all captivated by the nuances she explained. Then we wandered through "story filled" streets with our guide to the famous Pantheon-- an amazing precursor of the basilica-styled churches and an astronomical wonder. After a tour at the Pantheon, Serena walked us to Trevi Fountain at which we through a few coins before heading back to the apartment for lunch.
After a quick lunch we headed over to the Vatican to meet our guide Fabio-- a guide that was second to none. Fabio knew the Vatican inside out and spoke perfect English. The Raphael room was a highlight for sure but the entire tour was unbelievable. Fabio was patient enough with our children but also had an amazing knowledge of the art works and history that could keep my wife and I on our toes. We ended the tour with a walk through St. Peters—where we had worshipped the previous Sunday before walking out through the square and bidding Fabio farewell.
The next morning we got up intending to try to get in stand bye at the Borghese Gallery. Unfortunately, the Gallery was closed due to Independence Day celebrations in Rome. We walked through the lovely grounds and wandered our way to Villa Medici, which was also closed due to the French Ambassador's luncheon there later that day. The good news is that we were not far from the Spanish Steps and the Trinity Church. We took in both before a nice luncheon at the bottom of the stairs. From there we grabbed the Metro and stopped a few stops later at St. Mary Marjorie Church, which had amazing art and sculptures. After the church, we grabbed a bus out of the city to the Catacombs and the Apian Way. The catacombs were interesting and it was nice to take in a bit of the Roman countryside on the Apian Way—the original road in and out of Rome-before returning back to the center city and our apartment.
The next morning Mauro was at our apartment in plenty of time for us to make the flight from FCO to Athens where we caught our cruise. It was a short stay in Rome-- but absolutely packed with beauty and fun.
Mark Johnson <email>
Naperville, USA 08/04/2008
Paris 12th District Flat
My husband and I recently honeymooned back in May, in Paris and stayed at a wonderful flat in the 12th District. It was cheaper than a hotel and our host, Zenatti Farid, graciously even gave us a bottle of wine. It was wonderful to have a small kitchen to cook in, WI-FI, and a place to call "home" for a week. If you want to get out of the major tourist neighborhoods, I would highly recommend this place. Farid's email address is zenattihome@yahoo.fr. I believe he has other places he rents, but you would have to contact him for more information.
Jennifer <email>
Minneapolis, MN USA 08/02/2008
Alternative accommodations
Our family of 4 used apartments found on VRBO.com for Venice, Florence & Rome and had excellent results. It was much cheaper than any B&B, convent, etc for 4 people! We shopped the markets & ate like the locals, plus, we felt more apart of the local culture.All close to sights, but off beaten track. All private owners. Check out VRBO#128367 Venice-Pierre (E120/nite); VRBO#72053 Florence-Marrazzao E80/nite & VRBO#125775 Trastevere, Rome. Able to rent for as little as one night, we usually stayed for 2-4 nites. Happy to answer any questions!
Lynn <email>
Colbert, WA USA 08/01/2008
Paris - VIIth Arr
My family rented a 2 BR, 2 bath apartment in the VIIth Arr of Paris through Rentvillas.com. It was magical, an immersion in Parisian culture. Paris becomes your neighborhood. We were a few meters from a Boulangerie Eric Kayser, half a block from Maitre Fromager Androuet, a 5 minute walk to Musee d'Orsay, 20 minute walk to Notre Dame and the Tuileries. Down the street from us was the home of the late Serge Gainsbourg who is an icon of French culture and whose house is a shrine decorated with brilliant graffiti. Even though we were in the very heart of the city our courtyard kept the roar of city life so quiet that we kept the windows open at night. A week was too short a time to spend there.
Eric
Birmingham, MI USA 08/01/2008
Free Beds for Fachwerk Work
I've got an old farmhouse in Southern Germany that my family has been restoring not far from Heidelberg. Currently it is in pretty good shape (I can send you my blog if you are interested) but there is always a project to do. I'll be here until late August doing some painting, work in the orchard, or restoring an old piece of furniture. If you want to come by and help out there are plenty of free beds. Just pick your tool, be it shovel, hammer, paintbrush etc. The closest town of decent size is Mosbach. I am a young (30 yo male) Architect from California. Email me if you are interested.
Andrew <email>
Hassmersheim, Germany 07/31/2008
B&B in Rome
I have just come back from a vacation in Europe and found a very nice and affordable B&B in Rome. It is only two blocks from the Coluseum and the ruins of old Rome. Also it is a 15 min walk from the train station and there is a subway enterance right next to the B&B. Across and up the street to the left is a grocery store. When you walk out of the B&B, there is an internet cafe and a pizza place to the right. The B&B has free internet as well. Rooms have a mini fridge. The breakfasts are very simple. Coffee, some juice,a crusant, and some packaged toast with jelly. It's ok for something quick. I suggest going to the grocery store to get something more. The views from the B&B are breathtaking. It's just like the site says. It was an extremely pleasant experience staying there. The man who owns the place was very helpful and friendly. It's usually he and his brother, but his brother was on vacation. There was a man named Juan who spoke only Italian and Spanish, but he was also very helpful. There is no receptionist at night, but there is a number that is left to call if you need anything. This place is nice and quiet as well. The bank on the corner always had the ATM out of order though, but there was a post office just down a little further that had an ATM. There are many tourist shops that are nice and lots of restaurants behind the B&B. The subway is extremely nice to use. It's not too expensive. 1,50 Euro and as long as you stay in the subway, you can use the ticket as long as you want. The best way to get to the Vatican is by subway. You can walk, but it's a half hour. It's only about 5 min on the subway and well worth it. It does get crowded, but not for too long. I would highly recommend this place to stay. The name is "Tourist House B&B" Website is www.touristhouse.it-
e-mail: info@touristhouse.it
Tel: 06 47824682 cel: 320 6585072 Fax: 06 48904681
Address: Roma Via Cavour, 211
Shari Shaw
McHenry, IL USA 07/29/2008
Bed & breakfast - Rome
I recently was in Rome with some friends and we stayed at Tourist House B & B. It was great! It's located just a few blocks from the coliseum and ruins, and right around the corner from the subway. So going to sights was real easy. It's clean, comfortable, priced right, and comes with a continental breakfast. Also had a/c. I would stay there again and I highly recommend it. e-mail addy is www.touristhouse.it Their website is info@touristhouse.it
Zoe M.
Villa Park, IL USA 07/29/2008
Hostel & Bed and Breakfast
Salzburg - Austria
A great place to stay, cheap. This is a family oriented hostel actually. Great view of the fortress and in walking distance of old Salzburg. Dormitory type rooms, beds were a little hard, but okay. You could purchase dinner there every night at a good price, cafeteria style. Breakfast is free, and quite a good selection. The reception desk is extremely helpful in giving directions, information, and booking tours, checking train schedules, purchase train tickets, etc. Warning of a bit of cheesieness: they play "The Sound of Music" movie at 8 p.m. each night, but it's fun to watch while you're actually there!! Lots going on on the main floor where there are tables, chairs, internet is 3 euros/hr., the movie, etc. all going on, but the dorm room areas are quiet and very clean. They also have an arcade in the basement, laundry room and lockers. I would recommend this place if you are looking for a very inexpensive, clean, well located place to stay in Salzburg. It is 3 euros more without a hostel card, but well worth it. We enjoyed being here very much as the atmosphere is very cheerful, it's very family oriented, and extremely helpful!! Youth & Family Guesthouse e-mail: r.Salzburg@jfgh.at Phone: 00 43 662 8426700 P.S. Their directions from train station were VERY easy to follow!
Fussen, Germany
This was mentioned in the Rick Steve's book and it was the best!!! The directions in the book were a little vague and we had trouble figuring it out. If you do stay here, take the bus to "Horn", a very short bus ride, get off at the first stop in Horn, look across the street, and there is the B & B. A sign is right next to the bus stop. The accomodations were beautiful!!! The rooms extremely spacious, with little balconies in just about each one. Knotted pine woodwork and beautiful furniture. This is a working dairy farm within walking distance of Neuschwanstein Castle. the walk there is the most beautiful you will ever take (partially along the "Romantic Road"). Do NOT take the bus there. Walk it and enjoy the surroundings which are awesome!! Breakfast was served each morning, drinks could be purchased at any time (colas and/or beer), you have a great view of the mountains and castle. You can easily walk into the town of Fussen via the bike path which runs right next to the B&B (although I wouldn't recommend the walk if you are pulling a suitcase). Bike rentals at the train station. This is the most beautiful area I have ever seen! The hostess does not speak much English (so she says), but we had no problem at all communicating. Highly highly recommended
Biem "Landhannes" Website: www.landhannes.de E-mail: mayr@landhannes.de
Wendy S
McHenry, IL USA 07/29/2008
Apartment in Florence
Apartment in Florence. The Hotel Dali, in Florecne, (a R.S. recommendation) is owned by Marco. He also has an apartment located a few blocks from his hotel. We rented the apartment is it was great! Location super, quiet, everything you need -- thoroughly enjoyable 00 and great price! Contact Marco through the Hotel Dali. E-mail us if we can answer questions for you.
Dick Krepel <email>
Lakewood, CO USA 07/25/2008
Apartment recommnedation in Venice
When I priced the hotels in Venice, I had sticker shock! So I decided to look for an apartment. I couldn't be happier with the apartment I found through cross-pollinate.com. I had a two bedroom, one bath very modern apartment in an older building. The kitchen had stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, all the conveniences!
The location was excellent as well (it took me seven minutes to walk to the Rialto). I wanted to visit Murano, and the apartment was a five minute walk to Fondemente Nove (which is where the vaporetto stop for Murano is). Very quiet area. We paid 144 Euros a night (which included breakfast at a hotel one block away), and we were in Appartamento Gallina.
This a great alternative to the over-priced hotels!
Debbie Rowden <email>
Ellensburg, WA USA 07/24/2008
sleep cheap and central Roma
Giuseppe Amorosi has cornered the market on cheap (45 euro per person per night in high season) and perfectly located apartments (most are in the Campo di Fiori/Piazza Navona area). The places range from functional to slick/flashy Italian pads (which I am sure are WAY more than 45 per night). He has very good command of the English language and is trustworthy - which is super important when paying cash without receipts. He will also give even better deals if you stay longer or are willing to stay in a shared flat. He is found on craigslist but I now have both of his email addresses - he answers email but it takes him a few days as he told me he can receive up to 200 a day! twothousandsunflowers@hotmail.com or giuseppeamorosi@yahoo.it contact: cell – 011.39.338.636.1325
Kristi Jacobson
San Rafael, CA USA 07/22/2008
house exchange
Our family is doing a home exchange that we set up through intervac.com We spent a week in Amsterdam and now we are in Paris for three weeks. It is great to pretend to be a local, cook and have a home base for laundry, relaxing with our six and eleven year old. I highly recommend it! Made it possible to come financially.My kids have met locals and are perfecting their bissous. I can e-mail the people staying in our home and our neighbors are entertaining the French children.
Carolyn
Hood River, Oregon USA 07/21/2008
Pension Peters Apartments Berlin
Pension Peters' Apartments are well located in the former East Berlin, but don't stay here if you are a light sleeper. Also would have been honest of the owners to tell us that road construction was going on in front of the apartment, although that didn't turn out to be as bad as the road noise.
Rich Smith <email>
Issaquah, WA USA 07/20/2008
Hotel Kugel in Vienna
Great location, but at the intersection of two busy streets with trams and buses running till late. If you stay here be sure not to take any of the corner rooms.
Richard Smith <email>
Issaquah, WA United States 07/20/2008
Garni Pension Berc - Lake Bled Slovenia
Pension Berc was the nicest, most hospitable place we stayed in our entire one month trip to Europe. The owner even drove us to the train station in Lesce! Be sure to check this place out. We'd definitely stay here again.
Richard Smith <email>
Issaquah, WA USA 07/20/2008
AVOID OSLO APARTMENTS
AVOID OSLO APARTMENTS!I booked a 3 week stay with oslo apartments in oslo norway.even before i left home i started having problems with them. they could not give me directions to the apartment from sentral train station. when i got there i was shocked to find out my apartment was under construction. really dirty. only one drinking glass. garage sale type furniture. the worst bed i have ever tried to sleep on. One towel in the bathroom. the apartment was directly on the street. across a sidewalk from the tram which stops about every five minutes all night long. party central for the college students down the block. the ceiling connected the next apartment which was so full of cigarette smoke and came into my apartment, i had to leave my windows open night and day in a bad neighborhood. i am asthmatic.AND they raised the price of the room after they confirmed the price via email. when i got there the manager said "oh its just a few hundred US dollars more than i told you." A FEW HUNDRED!
Maritsa
houston, tx USA 07/20/2008
Gerace, near Locri in Calabria, Italy
This was my wife's and my second month- long trip to Italy. We went to the Calabria region in the south of Italy where little info. can be found in books or on the web. La Casa di Gianna(.it on the web) is a special, small boutique type hotel in Gerace (about a 20 min. bus ride from Locri in Calabria). We stayed in a Jr. Suite that made our 280 euro/night hotel room in Venice look like a cracker box for a good deal less. Gerace is a hill town that surpasses all hill towns that we've been to in Tuscany and Umbria in view, history and the graciousness of it's towns people. We didn't find much info. or pictures that gave us a good preview of what beauty we found there. A very special place we will never forget!
Steve
Littleton, CO USA 07/16/2008
Apartment in Rome
We stayed in a GREAT apartment in Rome - on Via Pellegrino, just two blocks from Campo Dei Fiori (by day a lovely square and market, by night a hot spot with great restaurants and people-watching). The apartment was extremely roomy - with plenty of space for my daughter and me, plus my best friend and her daughters. It was very comfortable and charming. We loved that fact that we were staying in the same building as Italian families, and enjoyed seeing them come and go. We imagined we fit right in!
The kitchen and fridge allowed us to shop at the local grocery for yogurt, cheese, snacks and drinks, perfect for cutting down on "on-the-go purchases." And the A/C helped a ton during the heat wave Rome had during our stay.
We concur with the other comments, Mauro was absolutely the best, picking us all up from the airport, giving us restaurant recommendations, providing us with a phone, and transporting us to the train station when we left. He was very nice and easy to work with, staying in contact with us and answering all our questions. We highly recommend contacting Mauro at omtour@omtour.com for this apartment or his other properties on your trip to Rome!
Kay Miller and Teri Thompson
Kay and Teri <email>
Seattle, WA USA 07/15/2008
Hotel near Amboise for Loire Valley touring
We stayed at the Auberge de Launay for 4 nights this past April and it was wonderful. It is across the river from Amboise so not in town at all (great for us as we had a car and it was very easy to drive in and out). We took the meal plan that included breakfast and dinner; the dinners were served in a lovely terrace and rivaled those we have been served on cruises. We paid 110 euro for 2 in April and that included breakfast and dinner.(our Paris hotel was 120 euro and pretty dumpy at that). The owners are wonderful...this was truly among the real highlights of our 3 week trip.
Denny
Columbus, Ohio USA 07/13/2008
Rome apartments
Apartments in Rome - unless the owners make improvements, avoid the "via del Reginella" apartment in Rome in the summer months. Although advertised as airconditioned, the system was basically a glorified dehumidifier which had to be emptied every 3 hours night and day to function. After walking around the hot city all day the last thing we wanted to do was to come back to an overheated top floor apartment. Other than that, the apartment's location and manager Mauro (www.consult-italia.it) were excellent.
Robin K.
Bethesda, MD USA 07/13/2008
Great Place to stay
Our studio apartment in Rome, 2 blocks from Piazza Navona, 15 min. walk to Vatican or 20 min to Forum, was perfect. Studio Via della Pace, on Homeaway.com . Most "cheap" hotels are closer to the termini and much further from the sights. Price...150 EUR per night, by the night!
Joan and George <email>
Orlando, FL USA 07/12/2008
Alsace France Hotel Winzenberg
Lovely small hotel in Blienschwiller - Typical cute and cozy Alsatian architecture, recently remodeled - Good central location for trips to Strasburg, Colmar, Obernai, and Mont St Odile. Caring owners made phone calls for us to find out hours of church services, offered to make restaurant reservations. Very reasonable rates and also gave us a discount for staying 5 nights. We were very comfortable and well taken care of!
Constance Johnson <email>
Chico, CA USA 07/11/2008
Rothenburg Germany - Karin Weiss B&B
We found this tip on the graffiti wall and all the good comments are correct! Karin is a terrific hostess - rates are reasonable - her home is your home - www.haus-karin.de - she knows every inch of Rothenburg, which is a short 5 minute walk away
Constance Johnson <email>
Chico, CA USA 07/11/2008
Alsace France Hotel Winzenberg
Email for the Hotel Winzenberg is www.winzwnberg.de
You will receive a prompt reply in English
Constance Johnson <email>
Chico, CA USA 07/11/2008
Wonderful hotel in Tuscany
If you are looking for a great and affordable place to stay right at the heart of Tuscany, look no further. Go to www.le7camicie.it. This place is part of agriturismo and is set at the top of a hill overlooking the Tuscan hills. They don't serve any food, so be prepared to eat out. But the place is gorgeous and the views are unbelievable! Worth checking it out!
Lidia
Mountain View, CA USA 07/08/2008
Magical Studio in Provence
Our stay at the studio in the charming village of St. Saturnin was fabulous. The fun part was getting to know our wonderful owner, Abby. What a character! She was as charming as her favorite village and helpful with her many suggestions of places to visit and the most scenic routes. The studio was perfection with everything we could need. Abby even has DVDs and books in many languages for her guests to enjoy. Our time in Provence was indeed magical and we look forward to visiting again soon.
Barbara <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 07/08/2008
Apartment in Paris
Just returned from a wonderful stay in Paris, with Apartment-in-paris.com. I was apprehensive about an apartment as we speak little French, but it was no problem. We had a place labeled Champs Elysses which is stretching it a bit as that was about 15 min. walk, but we learned to love the area.
Be warned that there can be many "rules" that come with staying in an apartment. We were told we must be very quiet to not disturb neighbors, not run appliances after 9 p.m. etc., which didn't stop the people upstairs from having a party until 2:30 a.m. You can be "fined" from your deposit for breaking any of these rules.
All in all, we loved the privacy and value. Having a well-stocked kitchen and washer was very nice. Air conditioning over there is not as good as ours, so be prepared.
Deborah Sabolich <email>
Paris, OK USA 07/07/2008
Great apartment in Rome for family of six
My husband and I spent 11 days in Italy with our 4 children (5 nights in Rome). We rented a great place called Terry's House from vrbo.com. Giovanni Neri, the owner was great to deal with and we paid 170e/night for a spacious 3 bedroom apt. It was one block from the capital steps and the forum. Lots of hot water for all of us, great air conditioning, quiet, washing machine etc. I would highly recommend it for large families as it is much less costly than two hotel rooms.
S. Hoffman
PA USA 07/06/2008
Misleading apt. info. in Roma
Just a word of caution for those using Homelidays to rent apartments in Italy. We booked an apartment in Rome with Homelidays (property reference #165756)and found the information provided to be very misleading; resulting in an unpleasant experience. The place was described as central and very quiet but the reality was that it was central to the party district so very noisy throughout the entire night. City workers collected garbage etc. so crashed their trucks up and down the street below, in the wee hours of the morning. The ad also boasted a double bed and two bedrooms however we were only provided with one bedroom inwhich two old roll-away cots were pushed together to form a most uncomfortable bed. The owner of the property wanted a 30% deposit up front (via bank transfer which cost an additional 35 Euro) then (after refusing to answer our emails asking for confirmation of receipt of funds) said not all the money had arrived (contrary to our bank documentation) and demanded we pay the difference (which we refused to do but it did cause us alot of stress). Finally, when we provided a negative testimonial on the Homelidays website, it was never printed with the other testimonials on the owner's listing. Consequently, I would not book with Homelidays again but would instead try to go with word-of-mouth from a trusted source; whoever that may be.
Roberta
Calgary, AB Canada 07/06/2008
Paris Apartment Rental
Our family of 5 just returned from a Paris Apartment Rental through FranceForRent.com (Birague Apt). Apartment was great (small bathroom and small kitchen, but that's part of the charm), and no issues at all dealing with FranceForRent, which is actually based out of San Francisco. Entire transaction was in US$, and just received my deposit back in the mail. With three kids (15, 9, 6) the apartment is much more convenient than cramming into one hotel room (if possible) or splurging for two rooms. Apartment also gave the kids a better "feel" for the country.
Louis Hendrich <email>
Denver, CO USA 07/05/2008
Rome Apartment Rental
Rented an apartment in Rome (family of 5) through SleepInItaly.com (Monte Di Pieta'), and had fantastic accommodations. The apartment was two blocks from Campo de Fiori, and very centrally located. The area is quiet, and had lots of shops and local flavor. We walked to all major sites in Rome easily. I would highly recommend the apartment, and SleepInItaly.com was great.
Louis Hendrich <email>
Denver, CO USA 07/05/2008
Flat in Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Assisi is an amazing ancient hilltop town in Umbria, which is very clean and friendly and full of atmosphere. My stay of two weeks there was made much more interesting by the decision to rent a large flat, San Lorenzo, right in the centre opposite the Cathedral. The flat is tastefully decorated and comfortable, the views unbelievable. The owners, who live in the same building, cannot be more friendly. If interested, contact Anna Maria at Palazzo Minciotti, Phone 0039 075 813168 or email info@palazzominciottiassisi.com
Maria Teresa Rinaldi <email>
Bristol, UK 07/04/2008
Nice B&B in Naples
My husband and I live and travel extensively in Italy, and we've recently found a great B&B in Naples that we wanted to share with you.
The place is called 'Locanda del Mare' and it's located on the riviera (Via F Caracciolo 10) by a great seafood restaurant (Ciro a Merghellina) and multiple traditional pizza places (in Piazza Sannazzaro). With clean rooms, AC and extremely friendly service, this place offered us a very pleasant stay. The rooms are market by pictures of Vesuvius on different color backgrounds, and the same images are used on key chains so the patrons don't get confused. We stayed in the blue room which offers a nice view of the Piazza Sannazzaro and of the marina. Stefano and Claudia are the helpful owners of the place, and Herat (from Sri Lanka) is their friendly receptionist who is always ready to chat and share very interesting sheik stories.
www.locandadelmare.it
Lumi
Florence, FI Italy 06/30/2008
Gorgeous rental in le MARAIS - Thierry from PARISBESTLODGE
We had a tremendous one month stay at the Bourg-Tibourg apartment from PARISBESTLODGE. Beyond how great the home base was, the neighborhood was, and the area was...came a surprise: Thierry, our host. Any time we had the least little problem, Thierry quickly responded by phone, e-mail or in person to assist us and get us on our way. We really did not expect such great service, but rather hoped for it. It made us feel very secure that no matter what we ran into, Thierry would assist us with it...almost like a trip ombudsman. We would return again to our Paris home, and our supportive host without a second thought.
Chuck Nakell <email>
USA 06/30/2008
Studio apartment in Florence, Hotel in Bruxelles
I like to stay in the center of a city.
A lovely and cheap Studio apartment in an historical medieval building in the real center of Florence for 3 or more days. The owner's address is lstad@inwind.it
A cheap hotel in central Bruxelles Hotel Matignon
Patric
Paris, France 06/29/2008
Venice - Albergo Marin
My two previous stays at Albergo Marin had been very pleasant. Not sure of what has changed, but my recent June stay was disappointing. The management would not honor the price stated in the 2008 Guidebook (max $110 dbl) and charged my party $120 each for two dbls, we had also booked a triple,and when I protested they denied us the 5% discount for cash. They have lost my future business.
Stan Easterwood <email>
Coppell, TX USA 06/28/2008
“Nothing but praise for the Hotel Nerva -staff, accommodations, location!!”
Went by the recommendation found in Rick Steves' "Rome" and couldn't have been more pleased. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. Room and bath are comfortable and spotless. Being served breakfast in the cozy breakfast room is a very pleasant way to start the day. Location is wonderful. Would return to stay there in a heartbeat!
cahrcgjpc
Pasadena, CA , CA USA 06/26/2008
Apts. in Paris
Just returned from Paris. We rented an apartment from http://www.apartment-in-france.com/. We stayed in the Beaubourg, in the Marias. Absolutely fabulous, Isabelle was so easy to deal with and the apt. was great!!!!
Ambrosia <email>
Mar Vista, CA USA 06/20/2008
Hotel in Carcassonne
The photos of this hotel (Hotel de la Bastide) on all the websites made it my pick to be the absolute worst of our reservations for our three-week trip in France. We were too late to get another reservation in Carcassonne. But it turned out to be a very nice and reasonably-priced hotel with a friendly staff. Definitely recommended.
J. Sinclair
Vallejo, CA USA 06/19/2008
INEXPENSIVE PRAGUE APARTMENT IN OLD TOWN
Hello
I can recommend apartment or room in PRAGUE Old Town,we stayed last time..
with great last min prices..we got apartment for 45EUR/night/2p
you can find it on www.platantour.cz
Cristina
Zurich
Cristina <email>
Zurich, Swiss 06/18/2008
Apartments in Krakow
Our family of eight just returned from a Family Heritage Tour in the Krakow area. We decided to stay at Krakow City Apartments, and were most impressed by the accommodations. We rented four of their six apartments, each of them including a kitchen, living area, bath, and one or two bedrooms, all in modern furnishings. These are located in the Old Town, within a few minutes walk of the Market Square and, in the other direction, the train station and new mall. Because they all face a courtyard, they were totally quiet. It was easy to email the owners, and they were responsive to all our needs. www.krakowapartments.info
K & F
Oregon Coast, USA 06/17/2008
apartment in Paris
I enjoyed a stay in the center of Paris in a lovely apartment beside Le Louvre and Palais Royal, metro station nearby, cafes and restaurants very close: perfect and very convenient!
http://www.paristay.com/paris-apartment-rental/900/Louvre/75001/vacation-apartment-paris-louvre-rental.html
williencourt <email>
Briancon, France 06/16/2008
Inexpensive B&B near Giverny
The B&B at Notre-Dame de la Mer : http://www.untourscafe.com/profiles/blog/show?id=676822:BlogPost:49507&page=1#comment-676822:Comment:49523
Bill Kover <email>
Piscataway, N.J. USA 06/16/2008
sobe in croatia
Rick was right-the only rooms available throughout Croatia are sobe-they are comfortable and cheap.They are rooms in private homes.
mary
costa mesa, ca USA 06/06/2008
Hotel in Palinuro
While on a short trip into Cilento on our honeymoon, we discovered a lovely little place. The Hotel Saline gave us the privacy needed, with a touch of luxury, while we were exploring fabulous Italy to relax and enjoy. The white sand beach was fabulous, and hotel service exceptional.
Alexandra Tustin
Edmonton, Albert Canada 06/02/2008
Prague and Vienna Hotels
My wife and I just returned from Prague and Vienna. We stayed at the Bishop's House in Prague, just yards off the Charles Bridge. It was incredibly quiet after 6pm when the tours had departed and the location was great for going up to the castle or across to the Old Town.
We stayed at Pension Pertschy in Vienna and were really pleased! We followed Rick Steve's recommendations and this was probably the best hotel room we enjoyed through several trips through Europe.
Tom R
McLean, VA USA 05/29/2008
Five star treatment @ one star price
Five star treatment @ one star price
My wife and I like to see all the sights in the big cities but we don’t like to stay in them.
The small towns are safer and cheaper and the people are friendlier.
Centrally located between Pisa, Florence, Lucca and Leonardo’s hometown, Vinci, is the Hotel Savoia e Compana at Montecatini Terme.
http://www.hotelsavoiaecampana.com/
The family that owns this hotel is among the most attentive and sweetest I have met in all my travels (I’m 65 and speak 5 languages).
The young man who does the booking is Giacomo. He is sympathetic to the problem with our dollar in Europe and gave me a very good price.
We also like old, historic hotels and this one qualifies. It is elegant, well preserved, very clean and has all the charm of an old Humphrey Bogart haunt. The town is lively and colorful and the Trains are good and run often. We went to Florence everyday for 5-6 days and didn’t find it tedious, expensive or boring.
John Gordon Martin <email>
Dallas-Albuquerque, TX-NM USA 05/28/2008
Paris Studio
We have just returned from Paris where we rented a studio from Vacation in Paris (www.VacationInParis.com). The reality exceeded our expectations. Check their Eiffel Tower Lookout Studio. Beautiful. Clean. Convenient.
Sue
Portland, OR USA 05/26/2008
Hotel Amber in Krakow, Poland
When traveling to Krakow, Poland, I'd highly recommend staying at Hotel Amber. My wife and I stayed there last year and the place was amazing. The hotel is new and it is just about a 5 minute walk to the city center. All of the staff speak excellent English and are very helpful with setting up transfers to the airport or with suggestions on places to eat, etc. On www.tripadvisor.com, the hotel currently ranks #1 among the readers. I can't recommend this place enough. I'd definitely stay there again.
Mike Davis
Fort Worth, TX USA 05/25/2008
Paris Hotel
This is not exactly a well-known site (yet) but I found it rather helpful at the last minute when I could not find a hostel/hotel in Paris for the dates I would be there or for the price I was willing to pay. Being a college student who had to save for almost a year to go on this trip, price as well as quality of cleanliness and customer service are of great importance. All of these are stated in black and white on each hotel web-site listed once you have punched in your search and get the results.
http://www.paris35.com/
I actually was able to book a room that was not as pricey as you may think and more accomodating to my needs than that of any other nearby hostel. Or at least what I had seen.
I can not guarantee anything for you, but it certainly was the better decision for me.
Erica <email>
Houston, Texas USA 05/20/2008
sleep cheap
There is also www.eurocheapo.com for other parts of Europe if Paris is not your travel destination.
Erica <email>
Houston, Texas USA 05/20/2008
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland... good time! Great golf! I had heard many mixed things about Belfast, but I am glad I did not listen to any of it. Belfast was really nice. Small city but nice. Great restaurants and pubs. The Giants Cauesway (Northern Coast)was really something as well as the rope brige, the Antrim coast and coastal route to Bushmills, Portrush, Portstewart, Londonderry was truley breath taking. Bushmills (not impressed, we did not want to walk around), the tour was really good though, had a nice tour guide. Portrush is where we stayed for our 2 nights. In itself Portrush is a very small sea side town, our time there was sunny and warm, people were on the greens and the fishing boats were in the harbour. It was lively. The Harour Bar and the Ramore was a absolutly a great place to eat, drink and dance. The buildings in Portrush do need alot of maitenance and restoration. However, "The Belvedere Town House" was better then expected and was comfortable & beautiful. The home was very very large, and the room we had was the Causeway Suite. Very BIG room, with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows that you can lay in bed and watch the sea. Just great place and great great hosts. The Hotelier was an American named Scott from San Diego, California. He could not do enough for us. Portstewart is the seaside town that is pictured when coming to the Antrim Coast. It is very well maintained and you can walk along the sea with ice cream or sit outside with a cup of tea and people watch, it hass really nice little shops.
Londonderry is a beautiful drive from Portrush (about 30 minutes) very busy mini city.
SO there is a little of my trip. I hope it may help someone.
Donna
Cl., ohio USA 05/11/2008
Staying in Krakow Poland
We used one of Rick's alternative hotel recommendations and found the most perfect guest house in Krakow. It is 1 block from the main square. You can even walk to it from the train station. The rooms are huge and can hold a large family or two people. The staff is very friendly and helpful and speak English fluently. The location, cost and room were all above and beyond our expectations. Check it out when you travel to Krakow:
http://www.cracow-life.com/globtroter/
Natasha Moser
Dallas, TX USA 04/29/2008
If Budapest, then Marton
We had a wonderful time staying in Budapest on our Eastern Europe trip. We followed Rick Steve's recommendations and had a great time. In Budapest we booked a studio apartment from Marton, who is a young Hungarian guy, who rents out rooms in the flat where he lives and also he has 1 studio apartment to rent. We found out about him here and everyone was writing very positive things so we decided to stay with him too. The flat we had was clean and nicely done also we had a big and comfy bed, but the biggest plus were his recommendations and tips on what we shouldn't miss and also he bought us concert tickets and told us a lot of information, which we would never get staying at a hotel. We took him out for dinner the last night and so we left very satisfied. I can highly recommend it to anyone who is traveling there. He also rents out a house at the lake Balaton, but we never made it there, you can ask him about that.
His website:
www.superroom.fw.hu
Amanda
Bristol, UK 04/28/2008
Free Accommodation!
There are plenty of websites on the Net that put you in touch with fellow travellers who are willing to put you up for a night or three. This page includes a comprehensive list of them:
http://www.acarnos.com/accommodation/free_accommodation/free_accommodation.htm
Veronique
Montreal, QB Canada 04/23/2008
Alternative accommodation Santa Margherita Ligure
we stayed in a lovely apartment that we found by change as we were looking for a hotel. The owner's address is
italprof53@yahoo.com
Ask if they have space when you want to visit
Lia <email>
Astoria, NY USA 04/19/2008
Camping in Europe
Don't forget camping! There are tons of campgrounds, many appropriate for RV'ing (yes, you can RV in Europe) and some have trekker huts or cabins you can rent.
Some resources:
* ACSI (camping directory is free): http://www.campingcard.com
* Our blog: http://www.eurorv.blogspot.com
Makes it easy to enjoy some of the "off the beaten path" towns. Enjoy!
Sherry Scherer <email>
Woodinville, WA USA 04/18/2008
Wonderful Apartment in Vernazza - Cinque de Terre
My family of four stayed at a perfectly located apartment in Vernazza. The Orange Room at www.egirooms.com. This very modern space was all one room, but comfortably slept four of us and had a full kitchen. It is located right in the heart of Vernazza, only a few flights up from the main square, so not a lot of climbing. Egi and his wife, Sonia, made the stay extra special by meeting us at the train station and making sure that we had everything we needed. He gave us his cell number so we could contact him at any time with any questions or problems. He also rents two other rooms in the same building that share a bathroom - perfect for friends traveling together but that want some privacy. We were isolated from the noise outside the building, which was nice as the square can be very busy and loud.
Julie <email>
Seattle, WA USA 04/14/2008
Paris apt.: good alternative to hotel
My family and I had a lovely 10-day stay in Paris in March and rented 2 apartments from parlerparisapartments.com. The prices are reasonable (always a priority for us!), the accommodations spotless, and the location was very convenient (we were in Le Marais). If you are staying in Paris for more than a few days, consider the apt. rental option for greater comfort and convenience. We also saved money by cooking dinner with the gorgeous food we bought at the Bastille marketplace--which, by the way, I would classify as a "must-see."
Mary <email>
NYC, NY USA 04/05/2008
Switzerland farm stays
Some of the farms on the "sleep in straw" list also have rooms you can rent.We stayed at 2 different farms on our trip last summer and had a great time.The Peter Schar farm,Langrickenbach, Canton Thurgau is a working farm in gently rolling farm country, would be a wonderful place to bicycle, best breakfasts of our trip. Their English isn't good,their son helped with conversing.The Kuenzi farm near Wattenwil,Canton Bern has a small cottage behind barn.In area of pastured hills,quite scenic,Mrs.Kuenzi speaks pretty good english. One warning, farms smell like farms and depending on the time of your visit they may really smell, if that sort of thing bothers you.Also,the bathroom/showers were in the barn.We enjoyed our stay at these 2,there are others,some more touristy.
Greg <email>
Mi. USA 04/03/2008
New wonderful B&B outside of Rome in the Etruscan Hills
This great B&B is called Il Sogno (the dream) and the website is www.bbilsogno.com. They have been open for just a few months but Sheryl is a great hostess. Il Sogno is so beautiful - out in the country with gorgeous views and so close to Rome. You can have breakfast on the terrace; cool off in the pool; and the artist's studio has a kitchen. It is very near Etruscan ruins, medieval towns, lakes and the sea. The train station to Rome is a 5 minute drive with free parking. The train comes every 15 minutes, takes about 30 minutes to the center of Rome and costs 1 euro! An amazing stay! Say hi to Sheryl from Cyd and Dave!
Cyd
Chicago, IL USA 04/02/2008
Castle View Apartments - Cesky Krumlov
Castle View Apartments in Cesky Krumlov, recommended by Rick Steves, was a hit with our family. We rented two of the castle view rooms, and Jiri, the proprietor, exceeded our expectations in every way. From the fruit basket & treats awaiting us in our room upon arrival, to the heated bathroom floors, our stay was a treat. The building is close to the city square & convenient to all restaurants & shops. Thanks for the recommendation, Rick!
Bill Speer <email>
Coronado, CA USA 04/01/2008
Hotel Gourmet In Chamonix
We recently stayed at the Hotel Gourmets et Italy in Chamonix France. It was recommened in the 2007 guide. The hotel was disappointing. There were major mix ups with our rooms (and from the yelling and screaming in the lobby, other guests rooms as well). The staff did not want to fix the mistakes. We had confirmed our reservation just a few days prior to arrival, but they still made a mistake with the booking and did not want to fix the problem until we pushed and pushed, even though they had promised us and provided confirmation with the expected rooms and people per room.
The hotel had a fire in fall 2007 that they are still repairing the top floor from. The rooms in the 3rd floor of the hotel smell strongly of smoke. The 1st and second floors are much better. The dogs that live in the hotel (we are huge animal lovers...so initailly were happy to see them)bite children and also urinate on the furniture in the dining room quite often, so beware. We witnessed this several times.
I will not stay there again and cannot recommed it. It is sad to post this because I thought the owner was quite charming, but his staff makes a lot of mistakes and do not try to help.
San Diego, CA USA 03/30/2008
Hotels in Italy
Last year in Italy, I stayed at:
Hotel Dante in Florence & Hotel Roma in Rome
I highly recommend both, clean, basic, nice staff. Hotel Roma was just wonderful.
Sue
CT USA 03/27/2008
apartment in Prague
My husband and I spent two wonderful weeks in Prague. We rented an apartment in Old Town from Lida at MagicPraha.cz. The apartment sleeps up to 6 and has everything you need and it is so central. As a plus, the apartment is charmingly furnished. We'll definitely return.
Patricia <email>
Ottawa, ON Canada 03/24/2008
Best bet for staying in Sorrento
We traveled in the South of Italy in Dec., 07. We stayed at Il Nido in the hills above Sorrento for three nights. This hotel was great. The owners were very helpful. The resturant had very good food. We learned alot about the area on rides to and from town in talking with the owners. The view was worth a million$. The price was great. I would strongly recommend. It is the kind of place that you really get a sense of the country, but it also serves as a base to explore the region.
BillH <email>
Moraga, CA USA 03/23/2008
Madrid Apartment
My family of three recently (Mar 08) stayed in a great one bedroom apartment in the Rastro neighborhood of Madrid.
I highly recommend the agency madridapart.com they were honest, helpful, and friendly and everything was exactly as billed.
John Larkin
Moscow , ID USA 03/20/2008
RentalsinRome.com
RentalinRome.com fails to deliver
DO NOT trust your reservation with Rental in Rome.com. We are about to embark on our long scheduled trip with a family of six tomorrow. We reserved an apartment near the Vatican (Mimosa apartment on their site) a few months ago. We made a deposit and have a confirmation voucher. We have just been informed that the owner requires the apartment in the midst of our visit. They offered to switch to other apartments but those offered were much less centrally located and unacceptable. This is no way to treat travelers and I can only encourage you to be skeptical of any "confirmations" you have from this firm.
John
Tampa, FL USA 03/10/2008
B&B agencies in London and Paris
Hello, fellow travelers!
I'm planning a trip to Great Britain with a several-day side trip to Paris. While investigating my overnight accommodation options, I ran across a couple of great agencies that set travelers up in B&Bs or chambres d'hotes:
www.londonBB.com www.goodmorningparis.fr (their rates are great!)
They're also partnered with agencies in Berlin and Rome. I found the links on the "reservations" page of the Paris site.
Happy traveling!
Erin
Chicago, USA 03/06/2008
South of France
We enjoyed a stay at a old farm in the south of France in 2006, and have reserved another week stay there this summer for a family gathering. It's called Mas de Puech (www.masdepuech.biz) and was recently converted into seven apartments that have all the amenities, with a swimming pool and surrounded by vineyards. It's located about 25 miles northwest of Nimes, with many options for day trips, bicycle rides (bikes provided) or just taking it easy in the countryside. The owners speak English and are happy to answer questions.
Tom
Kirkland, WA USA 03/02/2008
Recommended Hotels from our Europe Trip
Paris: Pavilion Villiers Etoile... We loved this place. It is in right beside Rue Levis, a great market street that feels totally Parisian. We were there in Jan Feb and hardly saw any other tourist but felt extremely safe. The metro is nearby and only a few stops to the Arc de Triomphe. David at the front desk was very helpful, plus it was only 79 euro for a double with bath and shower in the offseason. I highly recommend!!
Berlin: Pension Peters.. We absolutely loved this place. It is in the Savignyplatz and has huge huge rooms with great bathrooms for great prices. If im ever back in Berlin, im staying here no question about it.
Venice: Albergo Guerrato... this place is right near the Rialto bridge. We were there during Carnivale and it was the happening place to be with live music right out our window. The fish market is only steps away plus they have rick steves guidebooks in the lobby. Highly recommend.
Florence: Hotel Maxim... This place had an excellent location about a block down from the duomo. The bathroom sucked but they did have wi-fi.
Rome: Hotel Nardizzi Americana... This place was close to the plaza de Republica and was a good deal for the money. They also had wi-fi. Check there rates online because they are cheaper, once you get there then request the online rate and they will give it to you. Also ask for the wi-fi password and they will give it. It was 5432109876 when we were there.
Sorrento: Ulisse Deluxe Hostel... This place may say it is a hostel but it is definitely not. It is amazing. A huge lobby, huge rooms, cheap prices, wi-fi, & spa. We paid 46 euro total for a double with shower and bath in February!!! Get a massage at their spa with the extra money you save on the room, they are nice. Best place I stayed while in Europe hands down!!!
Nice: Hotel Massena... Great location just steps from place massena and where everyone hangs out. They have great Lasagna in the restaurant for 9 euro. Rooms are decent size and very clean. The people at the desk dress up funny for some reason but maybe that was because it was carnival.
Athens: Central Athens Hotel... Greta location in the Plaka close to Syntagma. We had a great view of the Acropolis from our window. The have internet, nice rooms and an awesome breakfast.
Mykonos: Harmony Boutique Hotel... Wonderful views looking out over the harbor and a nice room with big bathroom. Close to the old port.
Kaiser <email>
Macon, GA USA 03/01/2008
Romance in Riomaggiore
The best place we stayed in Europe during our 3+ week trip was here!
At La Baia Di Rio in Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre), we reserved the Honeymoon suite (more like an apartment) with 180-degree wrap around private balcony, and it was easily the hightlight accomodation of our trip. Each night we had pesto dinners on our balcony and each morning we awoke to views of the hillsides of Riomaggiore - oh yeah, did I mention huge wrap around windows. We even stopped in the town and stocked breakfast foods for mornings on our balcony. I know many of us don't go on vacation to stay in our rooms, but that is how nice this was. A year later, my wife and I still dream of being back at this place! The room was large and immaculate, and it came with a kitchen, nice bathroom, and washer/dryer. The owners are super nice (not around much as it is not a B&B) - it was just wonderful! You will not be disappointed with a stay here!
I've got pictures if you would like to see them!
Warning: Book early as they are very popular.
Robert Villigram <email>
St. Louis, MO USA 02/28/2008
Salema, Portugal
We stayed in a wonderful villa called Dame de Salema run by Xenia and Frido, the nicest people you'll ever meet. They have a 5-bedroom house with four rooms that open to the huge patio with a view of the water, a swimming pool, bbq and outdoor seating. The full kitchen, living room and dining room are yours to use...it feels like you're staying at a friend's house. You can rent individual rooms or the whole house for a big group or family. We're going back as soon as we can!
Lis <email>
Seattle, WA USA 02/27/2008
accommodation in Budapest
Me and my husband just got back from a 12 days Hungary trip. I read so much here, when we were planning, that I felt I have to write some suggestions:
We were in Pecs, Szeged, Sopron, Debrezen and Budapest. The best city was Budapest of course, but I liked the smaller ones also, especially Pecs was a surprise and I heard it will be Europe Culture Capital in 2010. We stayed in small hotels, home-stays on our trip. We had 2 very good accommodation on our trip:
In Budapest we stayed at the www.superroom.fw.hu (also known as SuperChargedRoom) and it was also excellent. We paid very little and we had a beautyful and big double room with a balcony next to the DEKA FERENC TER, which is the main square of the city. It was facing to a silent street so it wasn't noisy, even though we were in the lively center of the capital. The owner /Marton/, who lives in the apartment studies economics and he was absolutely helpful, we were keep on asking our "stupid questions" , but he always took the time to answer. He made our stay perfect, recommended us concerts, restaurants, places to visit. If you stay there then listen to his recommendations, it's really useful!
In Szeged the Kanfalussy Family's small Pension (kanfallusytourism.hu) we stayed at and it was great, the food they made for us was so delicious and we had a real Fishsoup also...
Clara
SuperChargedRoom
Budapest, Hungary 02/24/2008
Accomodation in Antibes, France
I found this great apartment in Antibes, France on line - it is a great place and what a fun place it was to stay. Right in the heart of everything we had an amazing time. The funny thing is, it is owned by people right here in Seattle. www.tkrentals.com
Eileen
Seattle, WA USA 02/24/2008
apartment rental in Paris
Charming, clean, quiet studio in the heart of the Marais. An extraordinary experience to live as a Parisian. Close to major sights, restaurants, boutiques and more. Delightful! "There are no strangers in this world, only friends I haven't met yet." Don't be a stranger.
Steve <email>
Paris, France 02/24/2008
Florence Find
I have to recommend the Hotel David in Florence. They give you a discount if your name is David:) The rooms are huge. We had one on the lower level that was truly fantastic. There is a 'house' computer for internet use and it is nicely situated outside of the really dense part of town. Cost was excellent. Check out their website. www.davidhotel.com They also serve wine and nibbles at 4:00.
Christine
Vancouver, B.C. USA 02/19/2008
Wonderful country villa in Umbria
Our family had a wonderful stay at a lovely villa in Umbria, near the historic town of Orvieto in the center of Italy. The home was comfortably appointed, we prepared many meals (even pizza in the outdoor oven), but there were also great restaurants close by, took the train to Rome and Florence, and found the village and its long-time residents charming. There's even a private pool! A very non-touristy experience. It's called Villa Marielle and though the owners are Italian they live in California. Their number is 650 306 0244 (they fill up fast and I know they book early for the season.) Tell them Maria and Sam said "hello" and "thanks!"
Maria
San Francisco, Ca USA 02/13/2008
Amsterdam Stay
Stayed last weekend at Hotel Freeland, close to Muesuem Area. Found using website sugguestion venere.com from a fellow traveler. Paid around US $210 for 3 nights. Clean hotel, with separate shower and toliet for me.
Important - Most hotels and shops in Amsterdam have NO elevator and steep steps. Toliets and showers are small, so if your a big person watch out.
Mark
ohio USA 02/05/2008
PARISBESTLODGE apartment in le MARAIS
The Bourg Tibourg apartment from Parisbestlodge was delightful! It is a perfect location with convenient grocery store, fun Lizard Lounge, and delicious restaurants! And the perfumeria is a real treat. We were able to walk to the BHV department and the Hotel de Ville metro station. The entire Marais district is full of delightful discoveries!
Thierry, the owner, is a thoughtful host and made our visit one to remember!
Judi M. <email>
USA 02/02/2008
ItalyFarmStay
First off I would just like to say that this is an experience I will take with me for the rest of my life. Being welcomed into an Italian home by such a caring, warm family with a son who is so enthusiastic and passionate about what he does has been such a unique window into the beautiful Italian culture. Between helping to bottle-feed the baby lambs in the morning, an over-night hike in the tranquil Abruzzi National Park, and countless nights spent around the wood stove reading and receiving impromptu Italian lessons, I have truly been at peace during my time at Atonello”s farm (which is something one can rarely say when dealing with the commotion of travel-especially overseas).
Whether you are looking for a place to simply relax and enjoy nature or actively participate in the daily farm activities, there is something here for everyone from all walks of life. Speaking more languages than I can count and having been to the majority of the continents of the world, Antonello brings such a unique perspective to his job that I have learned so much about not only his life, but my own. I would recommend this place to anyone to can afford to make it to the little, sleepy town of Sora tucked between the beautiful mountains of the Italian countryside.
Ben <email>
Seattle, WA USA 01/30/2008
RE:Great place to stay in Florence-RE: Casa Spinelli
I would like to thank all of you who left such kind reviews of our apartment in Florence. The Euro is high against the dollar now and it is becoming a lot more expensive for us to maintain & run our apartment. However we will continue to try and offer reasonable prices to our fellow travellers. We just finished some renovations on our apartment, installed satelite TV, a new air ventilation system and repainting. We will continue to update our apartment throughout the year. Please see our website for updated photos and information. www.casaspinelli.com
Thanks again for your kind words.
Best regards,
Heather
casaspinelli@gmail.com
New York phone: 917-922-7186
www.casaspinelli.com
Heather Spinelli <email>
New York, NY USA 01/29/2008
A house in Tuscany (still affordable despite the dollar...)
We had a great time in Tuscany and we would like to recommend Casina di Rosa (http://www.casinadirosa.it) and its owners, Gloria and Marcel. They really made us feel at home! The area is fabulous and the house is really nice, well equipped, in a great spot. The village is neat, non-touristy at all and it has an excellent restaurant (we ate there 4 times!!). We are glad we found this house, and we are looking forward to going back next year: with this ugly dollar, it was really lucky to find such a great place at a relatively inexpensive price.
Joan
Chicago, IL USA 01/27/2008
Couchsurfing
I was surprised not to see CouchSurfing listed here. It's a community of travelers who open their homes to other travelers, and much like eBay or other online communities, feedback and ratings help you assess the fit and safety. See Couchsurfing.com. My daughter and I stayed with a couchsurfing family in Shaghai, and friends of ours from Austria stayed with a family in Germany. My daughter and her cousin stayed with two brothers in Paris, and they had a couch surfing get-together with a hundred or so couchsurfers from Paris. It's "low to the ground" as you're you're staying with locals, free (though we gave gifts to the family for opening their home to us) and an incredible experience. I hope this helps someone looking for the alternative place to stay.
Dave <email>
Grapevine, TX USA 01/27/2008
New B& B in Florence
A friend and I found a new fantastic find in Florence. We stayed at the San Frediano Bed and Breakfast. It was a great location, our room overlooked the Arno River and an easy 10 minute walk to the Pitti Palace and all the other great must sees in Florence. They have 11 rooms, very large in size, frescos on the 12 foot ceilings, clean and great service from the staff. We were surrounded by restaurants and grocery stores and a parking lot was just next door if you wanted to rent a car. Very inexpensive, a real find in Florence.
Tara Dickie
Warwick, Bermuda 01/26/2008
Aurelia Residence (Apartment/Hotel) in Rome near Vatican
We just got back from an 8-day stay at the Aurelia Residence in Rome (located next to the Vatican) and it was wonderful. The best of both worlds - a great apartment with a nice kitchen, living room and bedrooms to spread out in; PLUS a full breakfast and hotel level service during the day. The staff absolutely pampered us! Be sure to say hello to Paola and Diana from us and have Gennaro make you a delicious cappuccino in the morning. Gennaro will even take you on day trips if you like! http://www.aureliaresidence.it/english/aurelia_residence.html
Carol Shea <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA 01/25/2008
apartments in Italy
I just wanted to tell fellow travellers about our accommodation in Florence and Venice. We booked our Florence apartment for one month through www.holidayhomestuscany.com.
It was called the Boboli Apartment and was located in the Oltrarno area, not far from the Pitti Palace. In fact, the back entrance to the palace gardens was just a few metres up the road. An excellent 2 bedroom apartment within 5 mins walk to the Ponte Vecchio and 10mins to central shopping.
Grocery store practically next door, also internet cafe. Loved the proximity and cost Euro 2000 for the month for 3 people. Really friendly owner who met us on arrival.
In Venice, we again rented for a month from www.holiday-velvet.com, another great company. Again a 2 bedroom just around the corner from Campo Santa Margherita. Excellent location, close to grocery, gelato, pizza places etc.
The only drawback would be that the Margherita apartment was on the ground floor and therefore at times could be a little dark, but location more than made up for that. About 10 min walk to San Marco.
Staying one month in each city, you really get the feel for the place and
we felt that we were living the "italian lifestyle".
Next time for me its Paris and Provence!!
Debbie
auckland, NZ 01/15/2008
Dubrovnik Apartment
Apartment Jovic. We stayed in a beautiful, modern apartment walking distance from the old town in Dubrovnik. There was a view of the water and city and the two bedrooms and bathroom were spacious. The friendly Jovic family lives downstairs and welcomed us warmly with umbrellas and fresh tomatoes from their garden. If you arrive by ferry, it's about a fifteen minute walk. We felt that we had the best of both worlds, old city and real neighborhood.I have great pictures. You can e-mail Katija (the daughter who speaks English) at marija.jovic2@du.t-com.hr
Peggy Gloth <email>
Seattle, WA USA 01/15/2008
Accomodtions
We have travelled extensively in Italy as a family and have discovered that the most economical and comfortable way to travel is to rent a house in the country or in a small village, then drive or take the train for daily excursions. It's wonderful to come home to a "home" and it works out so much cheaper than hotels!
Veronica Buxton <email>
Redwood City,, CA USA 01/14/2008
A Comfortable and Convenient Place to Take the Family in Switzerland!
We just returned from a week at a wonderful accommodation near Interlaken, Switzerland. It's a townhouse-type apartment which sleeps 6-8 comfortably. Check out www.swissholidayhouse.com.
The apartment, which was spotless, modern, and very well-outfitted, is located in Wilderswil, just outside Interlaken, making it a great jumping-off place for Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and all the areas accessible from those places. Wilderswil is a lovely small village, and the apartment is just a short walk to the bus, train station and shops, so a car isn't necessary. The owners couldn't have been more helpful and accommodating.
K & F
Oregon Coast, USA 01/05/2008
Easy and cheap studio in Rome
With my boyfriend i spent one week in rome and enjoy a nice and lovely studio with a relaxing terrace right in the city center.very easy access from the airport, and just 200mt from the main city station (train+metro+bus)...just perfect! We found the studio with the help of a dutch friend working in rome and yu can reach Luca (the owner) at www.lechianke.com
Manue Aknouche <email>
Lyon, France 01/05/2008
brighton apartment
For a cool condo near the sea we recommend Brighton Heights in Brighton, a great beach city on the south coast of the UK, an hour from London. It's clean, modern, sunny, central location in a cute little square. One bedroom, living room with table and chairs, bathroom (shower over bath) and separate kitchen.
We paid about $100 a night, good value compared to a hotel and we saved on restaurant bills too. It has an luxe feel.
www.brightonheights.co.uk
Enjoy.
jill wichern
nyc, ny USA 12/28/2007
Sleeping in Rome
I want to add another idea for sleeping in Rome. We stayed at Hotel Domus Tiberina www.gregorihotels.com in Trastevre area. It was very nice and had a remarkably big breakfast. The folks at the hotel were very helpful.
Anne
Dusseldorf, Germany 12/15/2007
month in London for $100
Home exchange is a great way to go if staying in one spot for a week or more. Imagine four weeks in a beautiful condo on the Thames, 10 minutes walk from Big Ben, all for $100 total (the cost of joining the exchange site). We could have never have spent that much time in London if paying for a hotel. Part of the fun is you never know when or where you will get an exchange offer from.
Bruce <email>
Vancouver, BC USA 12/12/2007
Budapest, 5 flats to rent for tourists
5 flats to rent in the main street of Budapest, Vaci utca, pedestrian zone.All the comforts, with prices according to the season.
we are 2 owners.
Enjoy Budapest www.budapest-house.com
marino <email>
budapest, hu hu 11/20/2007
Rome vacation
This apartment was home for my wife and I and our granddaughter in May, 2007, and provided a wonderful base to see Rome. Great location, and really roomy. The biggest plus, however, is Mauro. He picks you up at the airport, introduces you to the apartment, and delivers you to the train station/airport as you leave Rome. He made the visit so much better by being a personal contact on the ground. Great visit, enhanced by great support from Mauro at http://www.consult-italia.it
Jim Felder <email>
Houston, Tx USA 11/18/2007
Apartment rental in Amsterdam
My wife and I recently rented the St. Pieter Apartment in Amsterdam for a week, and we were very happy. The apartment is located about a block southeast of Dam Square off of a quiet alley, and about one or two blocks south of the Red Light District, right off of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal. The apartment was recently renovated and was very clean and modern. It has two bedrooms and a study, and three people, possibly four could stay there comfortably. The apartment had a nice living room with cable television and wireless, high-speed internet. We were able to enjoy the patio garden when the weather allowed. Despite Dam Square and RLD being so close, the apartment was very quiet. Most of the other tenants in the apartment building seemed to be families. There is a nice kitchen in the apartment. The nearby Albert Heijn supermarket allowed us to take advantage of the kitchen in the apartment and save some money on dinners. We paid €190 a night for the apartment. I'd highly recommend staying at the St. Pieter Apartment.
http://www.stpieterapartment.com/
Steve <email>
Raleigh, NC USA 11/14/2007
Hotel Paris Hotel
We stayed at Hotel Paris Hotel located in 23 Rue Henry Monnier. Our room was small but for the purpose to sleep only it was ok. Only downside was that the elevator was next to our room so we could hear it going up and down when we were awake, but we were so tired that we did sleep thru the night. Their people were very very helpful and nice. Hotel is well located in the middle between Pigalle and Saint Georges Metro stations. Breakfast was included.
Katia
Miami, FL USA 11/06/2007
Rome, Italy
Rome
We recently travelled to Italy to stay in Tuscany at a villa for a week and also a villa in Umbria. We had a wonderful time. The start of our trip was made so much easier because of Mauro from Underground Viaggi at website www.rome-apartments-for-rent.it. Our travel companions had contacted him regarding an apartment only to find out he also offers transportation to and from the airport. He also gives you a cell phone to contact him if needed. We stayed in the Pellegrino apartment for a few nights on our arrival. On our return to Rome we were picked up at the train station even though we were coming in earlier than expected. We stayed at the Malpasso for two nights before returning home. Both apartments were in excellent locations close to all the attractions and restaurants. I cannot imagine visiting Rome without the helpful service that Mauro provided. We would glady recommend his service to our friends.
Mike & Pat
Canada
11/06/2007
Hotel Nardizzi
Do NOT stay at Hotel Nardizzi in Rome. We made reservations back in May 2007 and received an emailed confirmation stating "Your reservation is confirmed. See you on Oct 8th" We arrived on Oct 8th to find out that they gave away our room!! This was after we had trekked from the train station through Rome with our luggage to find the hotel. They offered us a room at their sister hotel, but we had to take a cab to get there. We did not sleep at all at their sister hotel, as our room was right above a bar and there were people yelling all night. If we closed the window it was so hot that we felt like we would suffocate. The desk clerk at Hotel Nardizzi was also rude and really didn't care that our room had been given away. This was our only hotel problem in 2 weeks of traveling through Italy!!
Kim
Spokane, WA USA 11/04/2007
Apartment Prague
We stayed in a great apartment in the Mala Strana area of Prague a block from the American Embassy. The apartment is owned by Eva Vesela who owns the Eclectic Gallery downstairs. The apartment can be rented for short or long periods of time. The location can't be beat and the apartment is roomy with all the modern conveniences. Eva's phone is +(420)257 532 509 or (+420) 602 214 774. email is orsini@quick.cz
Elyce <email>
San Diego, CA USA 11/02/2007
Accommodation in Assisi
We had booked a week at the Carpe Diem time share in Assisi but when we arrived found it horribly rundown, dismal and exceptionally unpleasant. We