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This is the best B&B anyone could want to visit in Italy. Letizia and Ruurd are so welcoming - the rooms are simple but beautiful, private bathrooms are immaculate and the views over Assisi are stunning.
The two-day cooking course (optional) is great and highly recommended.
A wonderful, relaxing experience guaranteed. Letizia recommends all the best places to eat locally.
letizia.mattiacci@gmail.com
Near to Assisi and Perugia
Most of the pottery known as Tuscan pottery or Florentine pottery is actually made in Montelupo Fiorentino, one of the most important ceramic centres in Italy during the Renaissance and immediately after.
Considered for a very long time a minor pottery production centre, the role played by Montelupo pottery in the history of Italian ceramics was re-defined only a few years ago, thanks to the unexpected discovery of an old well full of kiln shards.
Hundreds of ceramic pieces from the Renaissance were found in the excavations thanks to the hard work of an association of volunteers. Now they are the core of the Tuscan pottery collection housed in a newly renovated Museum of Ceramics.
What makes the Museum so definitely worth a visit is the uniqueness of its large collection of ceramic works. Most of the 5,500 pieces belonging to the collection come from the excavations made in the area of Montelupo in the last 33 years. They provide an extraordinary opportunity to travel back in time through five centuries in the history of one of the most important ceramic centres in Europe.
More about Tuscan pottery Museum at www.thatsarte.com/blog/highlights/tuscan-pottery-museum-montelupo-ceramics/
Montelupo Museum of Ceramics
Tue/Sun: 10.00/18.00
Tel. 0039 0571 51352
info@museomontelupo.it
Le Real de Luxe has jet-set aspirations, but really the main attraction is its brilliant position, just minutes from the Colosseum. It's ideal for those in town on a flying visit, providing a central base, as well as comfort and luxury. The style is modern – flat screen TVs, wi-fi – but elegant, with polished walnut bedsteads.
I asked the guy at my hotel for a good restaurant, a place where locals go to, and he sent me to this place. It's near Rialto.
To be honest, we saw the queue and for a while we thought of not going in, but we waited (not for long, the service is very quick, maybe too quick) and the place was great. Fantastic food, good prices and a lot of locals.
Calle d. Madonna,San Polo 594
www.ristoranteallamadonna.com/
Me and my girlfriend visited Rome at the beginning of May 2008. During our week in Rome we went on two tours through the Hotel Felice (our hotel in Rome) and both were amazing. From start to finish the tour was simply excellent. The staff were amazing and friendly; we had a wonderful time even on a low-budget trip.
We were really lucky to try the Hotel Felice Vatican Museum tours. If you are in Rome and planning to go to the Vatican museum this is the tour to take.
Address:
Hotel Felice, Tiburtina street, number 30
Url: www.hotelfelice.com
Tel. +39.06.4453347
Fax +39.06.4460290
Nearest Station: Termini station
Event in Rome:
www.hotelfelice.com/en/events.htm
Special Offers and tours:
www.hotelfelice.com/en/specialoffers.htm
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
I would recommend everyone to take a Vatican Museum, St. Peter and Sistine Chapel tour by the Hotel Felice - great price, pick-up and drop-off from to/the hotel; the hotel’s staff booked the tour for my wife and me and we paid the agency directly for this. If you are now in Rome and you have no idea where to start, I recommend to choose one tour, you can skip the line!
The Hotel Felice is around a five-minute walk from the train station and metro station Termini. A good hotel close to the shopping street via Nazionale in Rome. We had no problems finding it and were very warmly welcomed. It is centrally located, easy to find, has a nice staff, free internet access etc. I forgot one pair of shoes at the hotel and they contacted us to get it back. Thanks to the staff. All in all a good place to stay.
Address: Via Tiburtina, 30 cap 00185 Roma
Nearest Station: Termini train Station
Contact:
Phone: 0039-06-4453347
Fax: 0039-06-4460290
mail: info@hotelfelice.com
url: www.hotelfelice.com
Special offers:
www.hotelfelice.com/en/specialoffers.htm
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
If you fancy something quieter than the big cafes in the nearby Piazza Navona and want a place where you will be able to watch real Romans going about their business, try this neighbourhood cafe which has excellent coffee plus cakes and pastries. Coffee and coffee flavoured chocolates are available to buy in signature yellow packaging.
Open: Daily 7.30am – 12midnight. 82 Piazza Sant' Eustachio.
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).
It's a luxury B&B on the Tuscan/Umbrian borders. Has great rooms with views and is only 40 minutes' drive from Perugia airport, near lots of medieval towns.
The hamlet of Lugnano between Citta di castello and Umbertide
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
Charming little bookshop filled to the ceiling with hard to find scores and music books. Don't be fooled by its size, they even host a grand piano. The back room is both a cafè serving gourmet coffee drinks and wine, and a miniature concert hall displaying the work of local artists. Also noticed for their one-of-a-kind recycled and handpainted furnitures and off-beat concerts with a cult following. Concerts draw the attraction of hundreds including famous personalities from the neighbourhood, despite the shop seating about 50 people. Located in Trastevere and not hard to find, just look for the crowd gathering on the doorsteps and listening to live music from street at night.
Via di San Francesco a Ripa, 60
Trastevere, Rome
Tel. +39.06.45422111
www.myspace.com/daseiamusicbookshop
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/
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