I’ve been beefing up the main site here with tips on finding places to stay in Italy.
You see, over the years that I’ve been traveling, the kinds of lodging you might expect has changed dramatically. Then along came the internet, which ramped up the rate of change in way we look at our little rented sleep boxes.
In the 70s, we’d just get on a train and ride, secure in the knowledge that there would be a hotel across the street from the train station where there’d be a room into which we’d toss our bags before we went exploring.
All you did was look the place over, walk to the reception desk and inquire about price and availability. It was easy. The beds sagged, the bath could be down the hall, and the reception might well be manned by a toothless witch. We didn’t mind. We were young then.
Today, folks want the perfect lodging—and they can find it on the internet. Trouble is, all this market efficiency means all the “top-rated” places are reserved months and sometimes years in advance. The internet also means that big chain hotels can offer unreasonably low prices at the last minute to fill their huge hotels, a strategy that’s caused many independent hotel owners to be flung onto the mean streets, among them those memorable cheery ones you miss because they were a wealth of local insider information and made fresh, homemade buns for breakfast.
But the situation isn’t all bad. What has also skyrocketed is the availability of houses and apartments you can stay in—often cheaper than hotels, especially for families. You might have to rent them for a week minimum, but heck, tell friends you’re contemplating a week in Tuscany (or Puglia or the Abruzzo or Piedmonte wine country…) and see if they advise you that a week is too much! (If they do, dump them, they’re not your friends.)
In any case, I’ve spilled my guts. See Hotels: Finding a Place to Stay in Italy. Then, if you’re not familiar with renting a vacation home or apartment, read about Italy Self Catering and finally read some very short reviews of the places I’ve stayed over the years and really, really, liked: Recommended Self Catering Apartments and Houses
I highly recommend self catering. It gives you a base for some experiential travel. You can go to the same cafe in the morning, making it your cafe. Live like an Italian without the taxes and ponderous bureaucracy. It’s the best of all worlds, believe me.
Bed and Breakfasts? Coming.