Brain finally clicking in, you could do that with a hotel too, which ever, but staying in one place and going back and forth by train. (Hmm, didn't fbaezer say that in the first place, pages ago?)
The hotel in Bologna that didn't look bad and was near the center was, I think, $70. for a double..
that was the Best Western Donato.
FB mentioned one or two in Modena, back on page x.
ossobuco wrote:Well... there's the apartment (wasn't it?) that Loisl mentioned in Venice..
or, a middle place, like Modena or Bologna, you could stay there in an apartment and whiz around by train...
I have no experience with apartments, can you just take them for, say, four days?
It seems that you can, Osso. I don't know about one day though. The only worry I have about these apartments is that it seems pretty impossible to find independent reviews of the places. I don't want to get stuck in some place and then find out it's filled with cockroaches or that the shower doesn't work. But it's an interesting idea.
Don't worry kicky, the Italians are clean people.
When I was still living in Europe, we always rented
apartments in Italy because we had no money to speak of,
and 5 or 6 people could easily share these places.
We cooked for ourselves and bought groceries at
the store, vino too, and it cost as half as much as a
hotel incl. meals in restaurants would have cost us.
Eating prosccuto and cheese, with good bread,
and drinking red wine while you enjoy the scenery
is just part of the ambience.
That does sound awesome. It sounds like a good way to get at least a taste of what living there is like. I might take my chances and give it a shot for the Forence part of the trip.
Rounding up F/b's choices for hotels -
fbaezer wrote:
Rome: Albergo Palatino, Via Nazionale (or Via Cavour, I can't remember)
Florence: Albergo Savoy (this one is ritzy!)
Venice: Albergo Ca' d'Oro or Albergo Cavaletto
Milan: Rosa Hotel, Piazza Fontana
Modena: Albergo Canalgrande ($$$) or Albergo San Marino ($)
I just noticed this post. I agree with Calamity and Lois that the Oltr'Arno is not so touristy and is wonderful. The week we did drive in italy, it was from Firenze, and it makes sense to get a car in the Oltr'Arno if you do get one.
loislane17 wrote:I think for the first trip...depending on the age of the parents, Kicky might want to stick with the train.
But I'm with Calamity--if only on the Tuscan leg, if you stayed Oltr'Arno (across the Arno, not so touristy and very wonderful place), you could pick up a car and drive out without being fearful of the crazy intown Florentine driving.
Oltra'Arno--great site--
http://www.firenze-oltrarno.net/ Not sure I'd do their tours etc., kind of expensive, but fun for basic info.
Anyway, it would get you to and from Siena and Lucca quickly! And on the way to Lucca, you could stop off and take another funiculare up to Montecatini Alto!
Here it is, way back on page 3, I think, and then the info on the apartment is in a recent post.
loislane17 wrote:Booking anywhere in Italy during the summer is nearly impossible, but May is perfect; Venice is getting more difficult to visit on the fly now that travel has picked up again, although, so far they are a little below usual accomodations. Unfortunately, this usually means the high-priced places are the ones with the vacancies.
Also, if you're going with your folks, they might enjoy knowing where they are staying and for how much in advance.
In Venice, one of my favorite spots is a little out of the way--La Calcina is on the Fondamenta zattare Gesuati. They serve breakfast in the garden in warm weather, and it's one of the spots that Ruskin stayed. They also have a rooftop terrace, although, once you get there, you have to reserve a spot for sunset (no charge) so they don't have a huge crowd. They have nice rooms, several with terraces, and generally larger than many.
Ph-041-5206466 and this is the website for it--
http://www.lacalcina.com/HTML/en/calcina_menu_en.html
I also like the Albergo Doni if you want to be in the thick of it. Doni is a few canals away from the Piazza, and very close to the amazing seafood trattoria La Rivetta. It's on a side canal that many gondoliers use to access the Grand Canal, so sometimes you'll hear the singers as they go by. Simple and quaint. You can have a courtyard or canal view.
Best to call in their early afternoon or late morning to get an English speaker. You can also fax at late night to the same number. Ph/fax - 041-5224267. You can book and find info at this site
http://www.veneziasi.it/ita/hotel.asp?ID=DONI or you can just google albergo doni venice and it will lead you to some reviews and sites.
I tend to stay in Dorsaduro or Castello-in the Venetian action rather than tourist one. In Dorsaduro, if you can stay in the main area and not the annex, I rec. Antico Capon. Wonderful people and right on the Campo Santa Margherita, which I adore. 041-5285292
I also know of a great small apt. perfect for 3, but I think I only have the info at home, so it will have to wait. I've got a few rec.s for Bologna and nothing on Parma, but you can always trust Osso on food and place!
I'll try to get back here tonight to give you more info.
Riffing again, if you stayed in a Venice apartment, you could also run off to Ravenna and Padova and Verona and and and..
say good night, osso.
Okay, I forgot that I sent an e-mail to this place, but I got a response from a hotel in Florence. Tell me what you guys think about the location, how it looks, etc...
http://www.hotellascaletta.it/
Looks nice, but it will cost you 160 Euro a night and
that's around 200 Dollars. For one night doable, if you
stay longer than it get's pricey.
Check out the apartments in Firenze.
Here is what they said in their e-mail response to me.
"I could put at your disposal a comfortable triple room, equipped with all modern comforts. The rooms furniture are in traditional old Italian style, there are bathroom, TV, telephone and air conditioning.
Triple room in B/B solution EURO 160,00
The rates must be considerate per night per room including an Italian breakfast and taxes."
I am definitely going to look at the aparments, but 160 Euro per night for for three people doesn't seem pricey to me.
Make sure the 160,00 isn't per person, sometimes they put that in the tiniest print at the bottom.
But it says right there that it's per night, per room. Can't I trust that?
Firenze runs high for hotels, generally, as opposed to a place like Greve down in Chianti - or used to. So I think the price is reasonable. But..
agree on the apartment looking. That might mean an out of town place, like Sesto Fiorentino or some other suburb, but hey, they have buses. It's a crapshoot, but then it all is. Half the fun. You might google a Firenze map that doesn't just show the center. Some people may know the neighborhoods better.
where is that hotel you found?
I just started looking and found a triple room here, also too high a price (165Euro), but I can't resist showing the link for the photos...
http://www.villafiesole.it/
As long as it's clearly stated, you should be fine.
Actually, Siena is not so far from Firenze and much
cheaper. We had a deluxe room in Siena wit a/c and paid
for 2 people around 80 Dollars/night.
Siena is really centrally located, plus you MUST
visit San Gimignano.
http://kunmr2.chem.ukans.edu/~dave/sg.html
I just ran into a list I don't have time to scan - on the lower left on T/Advisor on the page for Florence hotels, they have at the bottom lists of 424 hotels, which if you click on have price breakdowns.
Work interferes with my play here, see you later.
Yes, re Siena, it is cheaper. And, given a car, I know an inexpensive place 9 miles out. But I've stayed twice at a place in town for about $60/double. So... maybe Florence is only one night?
I don't agree that SGimignano is a must, at least on first trip.
