Alternative Accommodations: 2004
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?
YMCA
I recently paid $39/night for a private single room at a YMCA in Berkeley, CA. It occurred to me that Y's can be good places to stay in Europe. I've stayed at the Y in Bath, England, in a private room for about 20GBP/night. Rick has a listing for a Y in Munich. All ages and both sexes can stay and some have internet availability. Food is served at very low rates in the Bath Y. Breakfast is included in the price of the room--sort of a "continental-plus" meal. Lunch runs about 4-6GBP (a la carte).
USA Fri 12/31/2004
Venice Italy nice apartment for 6 months
I've just returned from one of the best trips of my life. Being an art historian, it has been a dream to live in Venice for an extended period and melt in with the locals and the city's delights. I planned this trip for over a year and did lots of research when selecting my home away from home which was an important part of the experience.I decided to rent an apartment for a 6 month period with a company from Boston that a colleague turned me on to. After researching, I found that they came highly recommended and were written up everywhere including a wonderful guide book by B. kerper called Condensed Travels Venice which I purchased on E-Bay (excellent book).
Venice Rentals were also highly noted in the Frommers guide book of Italy and noted on this site as well. Upon booking with Venicerentals.com (that's their site where I located my apt. under "special offers") I was sent directions of getting into the city, helpful tips, info on the different types of passes I could purchase, boat information, potential dangers of theft, etc. I must have received 5 lengthy emails with so much extremely helpful information that I was looking for.They were so helpful and friendly which made it easy working with them. Within a couple of days I had my dream apartment reserved.I spoke with someone directly in Venice and drilled them with millions of questions and they were very pleasant and patient with me.
Upon my arrival into the city, I was met by a lovely couple, Denise, she's from Boston, and her husband Maurizio, a gorgeous Venetian man, who offered to help me with my bags. I had alerted them that I would be by myself and that I had a slight foot ailment, and that I would be full of luggage since my stay was such a long one. Denise dragged her husband along to help out with the 5 minute walk to the apartment and up the 2 flights of stairs, I couldn't have done it without them. Reminder to myself...Next time I will pack Much lighter. Over the 6 months, I received upon occasion, a phone call from Denise checking on me to see that all was well. It made me feel good knowing that they were nearby.I must say, they do a fine job at running their business and were always accessible.
Venice Rentals is run by just a husband and wife team. They have 2 young women that help out from time to time but basically they do everything on their own. This lovely couple lives on the beach of Venice, the Lido isle and a few months in Boston as they have an agency there that Denise's brother handles. This agency has been renting apartments for 7 or 8 years and as they mentioned, are now getting work from just referral business alone which says a lot!They had many apartments to choose from but since my stay was a long one, there weren't too many for me that didn't already have some short stays booked in them. If you want a long stay, you really should do it well in advance like I did (a yr.) otherwise you may not have a lot to select from. Denise told me that they do a lot of 3 and 4 night stays lately and the turnover is a lot of work and she prefers longer term customers and offers a significant discount to entice them. I was given a very good discount.I ended up paying for 2 weeks out of every month which I thought was very generous.
I am writing to highly recommend Venice Rentals to anyone looking to stay in Venice for a longer period of time since apartment living is ideal for just that.Now, about my apartment. It was grand! I had a large place with an eat in kitchen, separate living room and a full bathroom with a bathtub (I found this to be imperative). There was large refridgerator that had a tiny icebox in which I could make ice. There was an oven with 4 burners, a microwave oven a washing machine and a small television. The kitchen had pots and pans, dishes and the basics for cooking. I did end up buying a few things such as a better bread knife and tea pot. There was a kettle and Italian coffee maker which was fine.I was extremely comfortable in my home and I am planning to do this again next year with a friend. Venice is a beautiful city at anytime of the year.For first time visitors I would recommend not missing the Rialto fish market, (I did lots of cooking), the Campanile tower for the tallest view of the city (I saw the Dolomites several times from there), riding the entire length of the Grand Canal very late in the evening and sitting outside, walking down to the Giardini on a warm day and eating al fresco, going to the island of Lido and renting a bicycle (just off the boat stop behind the yellow hotel)and biking the beach wall called the Murazzi to the end, it was about 4 miles. I could have stayed forever but now must get back to reality. Oh how I already miss it. Venezia la luna e tu! Here is Venice Rentals' information.www.venicerentals.com617-472-5392 Boston39-041-276-9798 Venice
Lilly <email>
Tucson, AZ USA Wed 12/29/2004
Hostel In Rome
Cheap,convenient,clean and safe-- the Casa Olmata hostel, which is located about 6 blocks south of Termini rail station in Rome. Walk to Coliseum,Forum and Pantheon.Easy connections to subway- rather longer walks, tho. Our cost was ?45/night and we got breakfast coupons for coffee and a sweet roll,which was great.
Paul and Sara <email>
Newburyport, MA USA Sat 12/18/2004
apartment, sleeps 5, near Vatican, Rome
Sept. 2004, 1 weekApartment is located in a quiet building and neighborhood with easy access to Metro, bus, shopping and Vatican.
There is a wonderful large market for fresh foods and many small butchers, bakeries, etc. within 1 or 2 blocks of the apartment. There are larger stores for groceries and shopping within 4 blocks. The cafes and restaurants are very close by.The apartment was clean and comfortably furnished.The kitchen was very usable. Some of the inexpensive pans needed to be replaced but we ate several full meals in the kitchen.Best bonus was Mauro's service ... pickup/dropoff at the airport and intro tour of the neighborhood made our stay in Rome most enjoyable.Mauro spoke very good English, was very helpful and very easy to deal with.
We have rented apartments in Europe several times and this was definitely one of our best experiences. We would recommend this apartment ... especially the location and Mauro.
D from CA
USA Sun 11/14/2004
Wonderful Apartment in Venice
In Oct 2004 we had the enchanting experience of staying at a wonderful apartment in Venice. The apartment information can be accessed at www.homeinvenice.com. The web site speaks for itself! The apartment is ideally located 2 minutes from the Rialto Bridge. But aside from the obvious that you'll find on the web site, the unknown surprise is Maria Antonietta, the owner. Maria Antonietta personally met our water bus and escorted us to the apartment which she had stocked with yogurt, eggs, juice, bread, cookies, etc. We truely felt this was our home away from home. So much so that we hope to visit Venice within the next 2 years just to stay at the apartment and see Maria Antonietta.
One other wonderful surprise was that several of the gondolas pass right by the apartment - we were in heaven! Our only concern in sharing this info with all of you is that we won't be able to make future reservations.
Eileen <email>
Seattle, WA USA Fri 11/12/2004
Consider FranceForRent.com when looking for a Paris apartment
I just wanted to report a great experience with france for rent.com. We found a wonderful aparment in the Marais district in next to the Place de Vosges. The prices were in dollers so you didn't have to worry about the exchange rate getting worse and Jamie, based out of San Francsico, was wonderful to work with. We couldn't have been more pleased.
Amy Peltier <email>
New York, NY USA Thu 11/11/2004
Affordable Apartment in Rome
My wife and I highly recommend the affordable Le Petit apartments for your stay in Rome. You can find them at www.venere.com (go under the 'residences' tab and scroll down to Le Petit). Everything was as stated in the property advertisement and more. Andreas was extremely helpful. After we were caught in traffic on the autostrada for over two hours and arrived very late in the evening (well past our stated arrival time), Andreas was right there to let us in and give us our key. He answered all of our questions and was available for consultation during our entire trip.
The property was terrific and very spacious. The room was very clean, the a/c worked as well as the stove and fridge. The apartment is located just around the corner from the Metro (a couple stops and you're right in the heart of Rome, about a 5-8 minute ride). We like to walk and experience the different areas. It took us about 20-25 minutes to walk to the Coliseum. A supermarket is located at the end of the block and there is a coffee shop around the corner that has inexpensive internet service. The neighborhood was safe and comfortable. We felt like locals, except for our bumbling of the Italian language.
You can't beat the price (75 euro/night). We searched all of the discount hotel websites and nothing came close to what we paid for this apartment.There is parking on the street, if you can find it. Also, there is a 24-hour parking garage on the next block over. They also offer a pick-up service from the airport for a fee.
Noise Factor: As with the majority of European hotels or apartments, you can hear your neighbors coming and going (thin walls and floors). It was minor here, but something many Americans are not accustomed to. We experienced no street noise at all.Give it a try, you'll be glad that you did. This is where we are staying on any future trips to Rome.
Joe Keithley <email>
Indianapolis, IN USA Thu 11/11/2004
Normandy, France (Bayeus) 13th Century Millhouse and Riverside Apartments
Run, don't walk, to the Black Swan Mill (Le Moulin Morin) just outside of Bayeux in Normandy, France! We had a wonderful family vacation in the 13th century Mill House (mill wheel inside). There are several apartments in addition to the Mill House. The owners, Andrew and Pauline Payne, are a lovely British couple. They are warm, friendly, and full of helpful hints. This place has it all - peace, quiet, lots of land to explore, kids playset,washers and dryers, central location in Normandy,and a friendly Golden Retriever named Simpson! It is central to all of the D-Day Beaches and about 1.5 hours from Mont St. Michel. Visit the website at www.blackswanmill.com. We are living in Germany for a few years and travelling like mad with the Rick Steves guides as our travel "Bibles". The Black Swan Mill is not in the Rick Steve's guidebooks but should be!
Ellen <email>
Oggersheim, Germany Thu 11/04/2004
Paris apartments
We have falen in love with apartment stays when travelling-it saves restaurant money and let's you "live like a local". We found our Paris flat at lodgis.com (the owner will directly rent if I refer, saving the agency fees). Ours was in the 11th, a metro ride from the city center, but a nontouristy neighborhood. Being a little farther out got us a 2 bedroom apartment for 600Euro/week. I can also recommend Vacation Rental by Owner(vrbo.com).
Susan <email>
WI USA Mon 10/18/2004
Welsh castle
My husband and I have been on four trips to Europe and have always followed Rick's advice religiously. Last year we tried something new during a leg of our Britain trip and spent three days and nights at a not-so-well-known (not in Rick's book), but historically significant castle in Llanrwst, Wales called Gwydir Castle. Owned and operated by a yuppy-ish thirty-something couple, it is a Welsh landmark (with American connections) and we found it to be not only charming and very authentic, but also convenient to four of Wales' more interesting castles (Conwy, Harlech, Caernarfon, and Beaumaris).
The town of Llanrwst also offered a back door slice of typical Welsh life with surprisingly good and inexpensive small restaurants. If you are interested in staying in a real Welsh castle and Ruthin just isn't your thing, try this one at http://www.gwydir-castle.co.uk/.
Anne <email>
Milwaukee, WI USA Sun 10/10/2004
Self catering apts in Western Andalusia
An interesting possibility to stay if visiting Western Andalusia is self catering apartments in Costa Ballena, in beautiful and authentic Cadiz province. These could be a good example: www.encostaballena.com
Javier <email>
Santa Rosa, CA USA Mon 10/04/2004
Chambre d'Hote in the Loire Valley, France
For an excellent Chambre d'Hote in the Loire Valley...
try "Les Sarments" in the village of Candes Saint Martin.
It's a lovely stone house with charming rooms.
The owners will give you a warm welcome and there's a great variety of homemade jams with your croissants in the morning.
A beautiful, peaceful location with a great view and garden.
The house is made of the local white stone called tuffeau.
The village is between Tours and Angers -- the 2 major cities in the Loire Valley.
Here's a link to their site which includes pictures of each room and rate info:
monceau <email>
New York, NY USA Tue 08/10/2004
Favorite apartment in Hallstatt
The apartment in Hallstatt rented by Theresia and Reinhold Kerschbaumer (http://www.hallstatt.net/kerschbaumer/?klick=1&lang=en) was the hit of our four-week trip with three kids through England, France, Germany, and Austria. It's a beautiful, spacious, waterfront place, well-equipped and roomy, and the Kerschbaumers themselves were a delight. Also good were Manfred Lehman's apartment in Zell on the Mosel (behind his excellent restaurant and Weinstube) and a charming log-built cottage on a farm in the north of England, south of Durham (Highcliffe Waters -- http://www.countryholiday.co.uk/). We stayed in apartments, hotels, and B&Bs, and ended up liking the apartments best due to low cost and freedom.
Mike Plumer <email>
Poulsbo, WA USA Thu 08/05/2004
French hotel rooms for families
If you are travelling with children, take a look at novotel.com. Novotel is part of the Accor chain, but the outstanding thing about Novotel in particular is that 2 kids under 16 stay free with a parent, and get a free buffet breakfast (presumably if the parents pay for a meal). They are all over Europe. We stayed at the Novotel Gare de Lyon in Paris, and the Novotel in Nimes. The Paris hotel was terrific, and I got special internet rates so the average price was about 135 Euros per night for four of us. The room was large, with a queen bed and a daybed with trundle, so both kids got their own bed. It was air-conditioned and totally soundproof, the breakfast was great, there was an indoor pool, and the kids loved the game-room with foos ball and playstation. I also appreciated being out of the heavily touristed areas; our hotel was filled with French business people during the week, and French families on the weekend, so it seemed more like we were experiencing life in France. The hotel in Nimes wasn't as slick and new, but the room was very comfortable, the location was great, and the price was right at 72 Euros. I recommend both, especially if you have hungry teenagers!
Kathy F.
Seattle, WA USA Thu 07/22/2004
Home Exchange - Home Swap
As a long time home exchanger, I have tried many exchanges over the years. I'd like to recommend http://www.ahaGO.com as a home exchange site to try regardless of whether you already use another home exchange service. Unlike most sites, there are no subscription fees to try and lock you into their service, so they promote themselves as an "Open Home Exchange".
There is absolutely no cost to use all of the necessary home exchange features of this site. They do ask that you donate a small amount if you actually find a home exchange through the site and were happy with their service.
Bruce Liebstrom <email>
san francisco, ca USA Sat 07/10/2004
Budapest Alternative Accommodation
I just got back from a fabulous trip to Budapest, and I have a great accommodation tip. I stayed in a homey, comfortable room complex right in the heart of Budapest. The complex consists of five bedrooms and is located in an apartment building overlooking a quiet interior courtyard with small shops and a cafe. There are two kitchens and five bathrooms, two of which are very spacious and include bathtubs. Each of the rooms had a television and a small refrigerator, and the manager said it was possible to sleep up to four people per room if desired. The room complex is situated in a great location two underground stops from the train station, just steps away from the nearest underground station, and minutes away from the pedestrian area and the Danube River. The price was a great deal ? just 30 Euro a night. It was so easy to make myself right at home, which made my stay in Budapest more enjoyable and relaxing. The live-in manager was so sweet and friendly, and the owner of the complex was really helpful and spoke perfect English. If you want more information, the owner?s name is Elisabeth Mayer, her e-mail address is mayer@intiago.hu, and her phone number is 0036-309-903700. I hope you have a great time in Budapest! It?s such a fun city!
J. Kunrath <email>
Colorado Springs, CO USA Fri 07/02/2004
Apartment in Rome
Myself and 3 friends spent several nights in an apartment just north of Vatican City. (When I say just north, I mean that when we opened up the double doors in the living room, our view was the dome of St. Peter's basilica.) In addition to the view, the location was great, close to the metro, markets, several places to eat. Mauro Sachetta Cali, the agent who helped us arrange the stay, was very helpful, and picked us up at the airport upon our arrival. The apartment wasn't air conditioned, but this time of year, it wasn't a problem (there are also air conditioned apartments for those who want it). We were given a cell phone for our use during our stay; the space in the apartment was abundant (two bedrooms with much storage space, living room, kitchen, utility room). Any questions, just email. The website for the specific apartment we used is:
Carolyn Golden <email>
St. Joe, MO USA Mon 06/28/2004
Apartment in Paris
We had a great experience renting an apartment from France: Homestyle, Inc. We had a studio apartment in the 2nd that slept four (myself, husband and two daughers, 8 and 10) for far less than we would have paid to stay in a hotel. It was a great location, steps from a Metro stop, also within walking distance of the Louvre. The price included linens and utilities, and all the details of the contract, rental, arrival and departure went very smoothly.
AMH
Oakland, CA USA Sat 06/26/2004
Paris apartment: Chez Vous
Our group of five just spent a week in a 2 bedroom/1 bath apartment that we rented from Chez Vous (www.ChezVous.com). I was attracted to this company by their website, which has pictures of every room, and was relieved to find out that what you see is what you get.
They are not cheap, but if you have the right number of people, it can be competitive with the mid-range hotels, and may well save money in the long run by allowing you to eat meals at the apartment (which also allows you to take full advantage of all the local shops have to offer). Our apartment, just down the street from Bon Marche, was in a nice, safe neighborhood (the backyard of the Prime Minister's residence was visible from our apartment) and a different experience than you would get from staying in a hotel.
Other benefits: It's a US company that prices in dollars; no security deposit required (although you must pre-pay, in cash, for your stay); you can book as little as five nights.
The only negatives I can think of are that they don't take credit cards and they don't give refunds for cancellations. If you are considering an extended stay in Paris, I would highly reccommend them.
Tom Key <email>
Wichita Falls, TX USA Thu 06/24/2004
Lodging House in Dubrovnik
Good lodging value in Dubrovnik. Within walking distance of old town, clean, kitchen available. Delightful owner speaks English and picks up guests at the bus station. Lodging House S.B. Info online dubrovnik-online.com/house_sb/
Ruth
Wilmington, DE USA Thu 06/17/2004
University Lodging in London
King's College (Univ. of London) has a website for vacation lodging in the summer. WWW.kcl.ac.uk/kcvb or e-mail: vacations.at.kings@kcl.uk
They have several dorm complexes at various locations around London. Last year there were several choices of accommodations and rates (all reasonable). I stayed there and found it not fancy, but acceptable.
Swan
USA Sun 06/13/2004
global freeloaders
Can I just second the rave for the website globalfreeloaders.com? Anyone interested in alternative accommodations and traveling on a shoe string budget, you have to check this site out! It's a worldwide network of people willing to host travelers in their homes--the only condition to sign up is that you have to be willing to host too. Don't worry, you get to choose when you're available (and you don't have to have a spare room or anything, a mattress or a couch or even floor space is acceptable), and if someone is interested in staying with you, the site sends you a message but you're never obligated to host anyone. Anyway check it out, not only are the prices unbeatable (can't get much better than free), but both hosting and "freeloading" hold great potential for interesting cultural exchanges, or just a fun time with locals in whatever city you want to visit!
Camille <email>
Avignon, France Fri 05/28/2004
Apartment in Budapest
In Budapest we used budapest-hotels.com and got a nice two bedroom apartment a block from Vaci street for 65 euros a night. It even came with a washing machine. The outside wasn't much (and there still were bullet holes in the walls but the inside had two bedrooms, a room with toilet and small sink, a room with shower and sink, living room, kitchen with fridge (so we could make that rarest of European items - ice) and TV with a few channels. Since my wife and I were traveling with my cousin, it worked out great. I have no connection to the web site or the company and found out about them only from someone else who posted about them in the rec.travel news group.
John Pezzano <email>
Hendersonville, NC USA Wed 05/26/2004
Unusual Hotel
I stayed at Hotel du Commerce on Paris' left bank. It is a cross between a hotel and a hostel. There is a common breakfast room where people can prepare (heat) and eat. Toilets are all in the hall. People from many countries stay there and it's easy to meet them. The desk folks are all friendly and fluent in English. I had several interesting conversations here, and this made travelling alone less lonely.
Swan
Calistoga, CA USA Thu 05/06/2004
Gay & Lesbian Travellers in Germany
For Gay and Lesbian travelers, there is a great service listing B&Bs and apartments that is run out of the Gay Community Center (Mann-O-Meter) in Berlin at www.ebab.com (for Enjoy Bed And Breakfast). Their inventory for Berlin is fantastic, and they cover many parts of Germany and Europe. You can stay in a room in someone's home or apartment (with breakfast included), OR, rent a flat all of your own. We rented a beautiful apartment close to the center (walking distance to KaDaWe) for 50 Euros per night. The apartment had a lovely balcony and featured a washer (clothes). This service caters to Gay and Lesbian travellers and they are very helpful, friendly and (ofcourse) non-judgemental. Oh, and it's free!
Gerry M
Seattle, WA USA Thu 04/15/2004
Landmark Trust - historic properties
www.landmarktrust.co.uk
We stayed in 3 of their historic properties this month and it was quite an experience! Some of them can be quite inexpensive if you can fill all the beds (i.e. travelling with a family or group) and living in historic properties is great! Some have historic heating and hot water systems too though, but Landmark is generally straightforward about that if you call or email and ask. We stayed in an abbey, a castle and a palace!
Their catalog shows the tourist sights within a 15-mile radius of each property which helps to plan your vacation. Prices vary depending on time of year and if you want full-week or partial-week rentals. Other than Hampton Court Palace, which was somewhat expensive (but exceedingly cozy and it's a PALACE for heaven's sake!), I don't think we paid more than we would have at a mid-price hotel and we had a lot of space. I'm hoping to stay in more of their properties next time we visit the UK.
They all have full kitchens so you can cook your own meals if you want, which will save some money.
Barb
IA USA Tue 03/23/2004
England Home Swaps/rentals
We love England and try to get there every 2 or 3 years for at least a month!! We usually do a house exchange as we do in the US and in Canada. We joined a home swap...IHEN.com several years ago and have had nothing but good luck. Also if you can't get a swap in London and want to be in a certain neighborhood...for at least a week try LondonConnections.com It is located in Utah and they will see to getting you into just what you want!!
Mollie Bardue
Camano Island, WA USA Sat 03/06/2004
Apartment in Rome
I want to thank Mauro at omtour.com so very much for making our stay in
Rome very special. We have rented an apartment in Rome a couple of times
before, but this time it was very different. First of all the kind reception
he gave us when we arrived and not least the fantastic apartment. It could
not have been better. He also for made us feel he was there to guide us
and give us any possible help. We are already looking forward to going back,
and there is absolutely no doubt that we will contact www.omtour.com when
the time comes.
Berit Viig <email>
Norway Mon 01/19/2004
Paris Apartment
We just returned from a week in Paris in an apartment we rented, 1 block
from Rue Cler. We rented it through Vacations in Paris, email: paris01@earthlink.net.
The rates were very reasonable: $1,005 for 7 nights, 3 people, in a 1-bedroom
apartment with 1 and 1/2 baths and a trundle bed in the living room. Most
impressive was the communication with the company and their flexibility
and the references we could check. They have apartments in various areas
of Paris, and 2 in this building near Rue Cler. January is a great time
to visit Paris!
Marilyn Hughes <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Sun 01/18/2004
Convent in Syracuse, Sicily
My son and I stayed in a convent in Siracuse in December last month. We paid 40 euros and it came with private bath and breakfast. Our room was huge, 20'x20' and had a plug-in oil heater. We had these gothic windows that opened over the sea. The nuns told me there was no curfew but we always came in by 10 pm so as not to disturb them. I found this place by checking into the posh hotel next door the Domus Maria. When I winced at the quoted price there, the sister told me about the convent. There were no other tourists but seemed to be a college student and an italian family staying there long term.
So for contact, please contact the Domus Maria and ask about the convent across the street.
karin <email>
Anchorage AK, USA Sun 01/18/2004
Convent in Rome
My sister and I stayed at: Pontificio Istituto Maestre Pie Filippini Via
Giuseppe Missori, 19 00165 Roma Tel. 0039 06 63 52 01 Fax. 0039 06 63
63 47 Email. tertas@virgilio.it.
It was very very close to the Vatican and to a Bus 64 stop, and also, for Rome, reasonably priced - 60 euros for a sparse clean room with two comfy beds and a sink, with a very clean bathroom down the hall. Breakfast was included and was our favorite breakfast from all of Europe - simple but tasty. The nuns reply by e-mail very quickly - and in English - which was a plus.
The only downside was that we
were far from the walkable center of Rome, but the area is very safe and
very quiet, and there are the handy buses. Plus, living in a convent for
a few days was a kick - although there is an 11 pm curfew, and there are
rosaries and Madonnas everywhere, but you can join the sisters in their
chapel for worship, and it's very comfortable, even if you aren't Catholic.
If you do go, they don't mention that the convent is at the end of a gated
street - ring the bell at the gate for the convent, walk to the end of
the street, and ring the bell again at their entryway. It seems to be
a great place for families or spouses, or siblings or friends, but probably
look elsewhere if you're an unwed couple or looking for a party at night.
Kristina <email>
San Francisco Area, CA USA Mon 01/12/2004
Very happy with apartment
in Venice
My significant other and I just stayed in an apartment last month in Venice
with Venice Rentals (venicerentals.com) They gave us a last minute incredible
deal for a cute, restored apartment near the Campo Formosa, in the center
of everything. We phoned them on their Boston phone number one week prior
to our arrival date, as we were going standby (Delta employees) and the
next day received a return call from them in Venice, Italy. Well, we lucked
out! We told them that we were desperate, which we were, and flight attendants
looking for a good deal.
Denise and Maurizio, husband
and wife owners of the company, offered me a last minute deal on their
Formosa II apartment for 75 Euros a night! We did have to sleep in a hotel
near the airport for the last night as it was booked but for the week
we had this wonderful place that we just loved. The owners are so kind
and thoughtful too. They phoned us the next day to see how we liked the
apartment and if we were happy. I have to say that I think the regular
price is about 130 Euros a night so I can't promise you will get our deal
that we found in the beginning of December, but call last minute, you
never know! If you want to see our apartment, go to www.venicerentals.com
and see the Formosa II apartment. Ciao!
Marilyn Becker <email>
NY, NY USA Sun 01/04/2004