- Italy
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This was a nice quiet hotel in an area of Rome called Trastevere. Since this was our first trip to Rome I'll include lots of info that I wish I would have had.
The hotel is very clean... and classic European style. Nice room and the staff is excellent. Thanks! They know the city well and will try to accommodate anything you ask.
It's located in a cool area of Rome across the river that's less touristy but has some of the best restaurants. Prices are lower since it's not so touristy. A nice place to be for nightlife and there's a peaceful piazza, and St. Marie de Trastevere church. It's a cool place to get cappuccino and gelato (which we had every day). Also nice is a grocery store a couple of blocks down where you can get water and food instead of getting it in restaurants. Saves a lot of money (.50 euro compared to 2-3 euro).
Rome is relatively small compared to any US city. If you like walking you can pretty much walk anywhere - we walked a ton. But there is a tram that is right in front of the hotel. It's like an electric car on rails... that just goes down one street and takes you into the city area. From there you can walk anywhere. You can buy a transportation card but from what I noticed no one even checks tickets in Rome. So you could theoretically go through the city without having to pay a dime. But we bought the week pass to be legit.
Getting to the hotel is easy and cheap. 11 euro gets you two tickets using the FR1 train to Roma Trastevere stop. Then take the tram two stops and you're at the hotel. Directions on their website help.
Sightseeing:
The Vatican Museo was by far the best. Get a tour guide definitely. We chose Presto tours which was awesome. They guy knew everything and it made the Vatican more interesting. Plus you get to avoid the huge line. Although February had less tourists and since the euro was so high... there still was a TON of people. I would also recommend a tour for Foro Romona and Coliseum. We didn't get one but probably would have made it more intersting.
Food:
Pizza is good ANYWHERE. Just varies in price depending where you are. The house wines are excellent and cheap. They charge your for bread so sometime if you don't want it tell them. Otherwise it's like 2 euro's for bread. That's something we couldnt' get used to...since it comes with the meal in the U.S. There was an excellent restaurant called L'orange right next to the hotel so that was nice. Also a restuarant called Le Fate. The waiter could speak Enlgish so that helped. The seafood is not so good in Rome but maybe that's just us. They salt the fish and the shrimp is tiny. We just stuck with Pasta. Itialians eat multiple courses so on the menu the first course is the pasta dish and the second course is the meat dish. We normally just got appetizer and pasta...otherwise it would get too expensive. Also they eat SUPER late like 9-10 PM is when the restuarants start getting crowded.
Well that's it. Rome is an cool place! We loved it. Trilussa Palace hotel is a really cool place to stay if you like to be adventurous and be part of the culuture it's the place to be. You won't get lost with Sergio either! Thanks!
Piazza Ippolito Nievo 27
00153 Rome Italy
Tel +39065881963 Fax +390658331770
www.trilussapalacehotel.it
info@trilussapalacehotel.it
A family-run four-star hotel right on the edge of the lake. Large comfortable rooms; wonderful lake views; great food and welcoming and helpful owners.
hotelladarsena.it/darsena_tremezzo/index.html
Fly or take the train to Milan or Como; use the public boat or bus service to reach Tremezzo
In a little town near Fermo you will find these two nice and quiet houses with five flats, recently gone through a gentle restoration. Panoramic view, 20 minutes to the Adriatic sea, one hour to the most beautiful part of the Apennines, the Monti Sibillini.
I had always wanted to visit Rome (all that wonderful history and art to see), but was on a budget and didn't think I could afford a decent hotel.
Some time spent scouring Google came up with Italy Accom - a Rome-based firm who rent out apartments, villas and farmhouses across Italy for holiday tourists.
The owners (Jill & Leon) are Australian/English and they were wonderful with the help they provided me and my partner in finding a lovely place to stay for our two weeks in Roma!
We got a lovely studio apartment located on Via Vittoria. This is one of Rome's best streets, with lots of lovely cafes, bars and shops nearby.
The equivalent in a hotel room in this area was at least 60 Euros a night more expensive, plus we got privacy AND space to stretch out.
Being able to cook your own meal with fabulous fresh ingredients from the local market was a delight! It tastes a whole lot better than the "stuff" from Italian restaurants back home.
Thanks Jill and Leon for your help. We had a wonderful time in Rome, in no small part due to your great service (and the lovely studio Vittoria we stayed in).
Rome is the experience of a lifetime! But, we'll be back - one visit is just not enough.
The centre of the city is not large, so it makes this place easy to visit in a day.
You can choose to visit Florence by bike, following the cycle tracks that reach the most famous historic sites.
What to see:
- Piazza della Signoria
- Piazzale Michelangelo
- Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
- The Bargello Museum
- Ponte Vecchio: To one side of the bridge there is the majestic bust of the most famous Florentine goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini.
Scenic views:
- Bike along the romantic Viale dei Colli up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the wonderful landscape of Florence
- Panoramic view of the Boboli Gardens
Bike rental estimated prices:
1 hour - about 3 Euro
1 day - from a minimum of 14 Euro to a maximum of 27 Euro
It's a little corner of Cuba in Sardinia! I am a local and love Sardinian cooking, but also love trying new cuisines.
This little spot in the old Marina quarter serves authentic and hearty dishes (rice, meat, fish).
Don't miss a real mojito and the fried bananas!
Via Porcile 17 Cagliari, Phone +39-340-9243996. adjacent via Roma (main thoroughfare opposite Cagliari's harbour).
A cheap alternative to paying Rome prices. Rent the entire three-bedroom two-bath bath villa in Umbria with whirlpool bath, fireplace and panoramic views for less than the price of one room in the city.
Great for families since the yard is completely gated and sleeps up to six. Very nice, clean and convenient located one hour from Rome's Termini station by car or train. Day trips can be taken to nearby cities such as Siena, Perugia, Assisi and Florence. No car is necessary since public transportation is nearby, as well as shopping.
Quiet hillside location. Outdoor swimming pool can be reached within minutes for a cost of 5 - 8 euros a day. Owners are very helpful and full of information about nearby sights such as Cascata della marmore or the ruins of Carsulae. During low travel season, they like to house artists looking for reasonable studio spaces to live/work. Pets are welcome!
Terni, Umbria
www.myspace.com/la_posta
A haven of a bar near the Rialto in Venice! Happy hour between 5 and 7.30pm makes the delicious cocktails very affordable.
This was actually recommended to me by another traveler and the fact that I'm passing on the tip says it all!
There may be tourists here but they are mostly backpackers and young people, giving the bar a fun international flavor.
The owners are super-friendly too and seem genuinely interested in their visitors, particularly those from elsewhere in Europe so be prepared to engage in some lively conversation!
San Marco 5546, Venice
www.bacarojazz.com/
Popping into this cheap little Venice restaurant near the train station on the way home bought an unusual surprise.
I've been told since that it's a chain but it's not like places in England. The dishes are simple but tasty and my pasta was cooked fresh to order while I watched.
The salad was also good quality and (another surprise!) we had a reasonably priced beer to accompany it too.
Lista di Spagna, Canneregio 124
I don't know what to say about this Venice hostel except that it's everything a good, cheap hostel should be.
The location is unbeatable, a five-minute stroll to Piazza San Marco and even closer to the Rialto Bridge. You really get the feeling that you're staying right in the heart of the city and on a typical Venetian street.
It's very reasonable for a private room – and a room that's nice and sunny, too!
They said they do special last minute deals that work out even cheaper, but, it's such a great place I can't imagine they've spare rooms all that often.
San Marco 3358, Salizada San Samuele, Venice, 30124
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/venice/25275/
A Venice restaurant with a proper city feel! This eatery is trendy and fun – and a welcome change from the tourist haunts that dominate the city.
The food was interesting - as well as the usual pasta there were dishes like beef with nuts and plum - and also quite reasonable. I think it was about 30 euros for three courses.
We ended up staying here all night (with another bottle of wine, of course) as there was live music and were surprised to find ourselves staggering back to our hostel at nearly 1am!
Fondamenta de la Misericordia, Cannaregio 2540
Testaccio is a lively and cool area situated in the neighbourhoods of the Piramide and the thousand-year Circo Massimo, just under the famous Aventino Hill and demarcated by the River Tevere. Testaccio district is characterised by several typical Trattorie and offers a slice of trendy Roman life with its multiple nightclubs.
Testaccio district is situated at a comfortable distance from the archaeological area; enjoy the charming Colosseo by night and admire the nearby church of San Pietro in Vincoli with the Statue of Moses sculpted by Michelangelo Buonarroti. Find out what Rome is capable of offering beyond history and culture.
Stresa, like many of the other towns which reside on the lakes, is a typical tourist trap, but is good if you are short of time and fancy some mountain biking or walking (skiing in the winter). You can hire bikes from the cable car at Stresa for €10, put the bike in the cable car to Mottarone and bike down. The routes are clearly signposted and there are free route maps. If you take route L1, one third of the route is on road (not so fun!) but there are other routes you can take.
Stresa has it's own train station. You take the train from Milan Centrale towards Domodossola, the journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
Finally, a gay bar in Florence that doesn't hide behind closed doors. Located just around the corner from the famous and lively Piazza Santa Croce, this is a nice, open and straight-friendly place for having a drink with your friend(s) after sightseeing or after dinner.
For a gay guide and map of Florence see: www.patroc.com/florence/
Borgo Santa Croce 23/r
+39 (0)552001057
Ostello Gallo D'Oro is a central, pleasant and extremely clean hostel in Florence, owned by the most remarkable couple: Massimo and Silvia.
They drive every aspect of this lovely Florence hostel, and are constantly on hand to make sure that their guests (and you really do feel like a guest rather than a customer!) have everything they could possibly need.
I didn't stay long enough to take advantage of the offer, but long-term guests are invited out to their Tuscan farmhouse for the night.
It was a real wrench to tear myself away.
No. 104 Via Cavour, Florence
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/florence/3711/
More of a farmers'/artesans' market than your average fruit n veg affair. Nonetheless, it's a great place to shop for upmarket souvenirs like honey, wine, jewellery and trinkets.
If you get tired of the market stalls, there's also the fantastic - on the inside at least - church of Santa Maria del Carmine to explore, and a host of bars and cafes (the area's also a hub of Florence nightlife) to sit in and watch the hustle and bustle unfold around you.
Sundays, Piazza del Carmine, Oltrarno
It's an incredible medieval event, with the best choreography ever. Watch it from a private balcony or window (you won't see very much otherwise). Unforgettable!
Arezzo, June 21st and September 7
eventsinitaly@gmail.com
I spent my last holiday in a wonderful place: I went with my husband and my son to Tuscany, at Nibbiaia, a peaceful village among the Tuscan hills and, at the same time, extraordinarily near to the sea.
I went to a beautiful residence that I recommend: it is a typical Tuscan construction but inside apartments are entirely restructured. My apartment was lovely and finely furnished, very clean and properly equipped.
Nearby the residence there's a very good and cheap pizzeria (few minutes' walk) and the comforts of the village. I had the opportunity to taste the real spirit of this wonderful region so much loved in the world.
www.residenceilsalice.com
Address: Via Buontalenti 24, 57010 Nibbiaia (Livorno)
Pizzas are a speciality but the menu is great. Rossopomodoro is a chain (Maybe think Pizza Express?) around Italy. This one is in Largo di Torre Argentina, west of Piazza Venezia and three blocks south of the Pantheon. Go upstairs after entering the Tardis-like front door to a large, frantically busy local gem.
Google Map: tinyurl.com/6lwk38
Largo di Torre Argentina
In Italy, the blackmarket football merchandise is the more frequently available - even outside stadiums! The handiest store is at Piazza Colonna on the left as you walk north on Via del Corso. It is also a ticket office for games in the Stadio Olimpico but make sure to bring your passport for ID.
Google Map: tinyurl.com/5dvzf8
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