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Ask HuSi: Any advice on where to stay in Rome and Florence?

By TheophileEscargot (Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 06:23:11 AM EST) Me, Italy, Florence, Rome, Ask Husi, MLP (all tags)

Holiday plans. Web.

Holiday
This is probably a very bad idea: ought not to leave these things to the last minute. This can't be a good time to travel, everything will probably be closed, don't speak any Italian, don't trust these dubious budget airlines, present buying and transportation will be a nightmare. Will probably end up spending Christmas day curled up on an airport floor after the latest strike, bankruptcy or terrorism scare.

Anyway, current plan is:
12 December: Fly from London to Florence
18 December: Train from Florence to Rome
23 December: Fly from Rome to Manchester to see parents
1 January: Train from Stockport to London

Good points: only a week with the parents which should be bearable.

Anyone have any advice on where to stay in Florence or Rome? Any other tips?

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Ask HuSi: Any advice on where to stay in Rome and Florence? | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Firenze, Roma, Bell'Italia by TurboThy (4.00 / 1) #1 Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 04:39:57 PM EST

Florence: Only stayed in the city for one night. Would recommend the hotel, if I could remember what it was called ...

Other tips for turisti: If you're going to see the Uffizi (we know you are), bring a book (we know you will) and go stand in line at about 7 in the morning. They open at 8:15, and it's worth the wait to beat the crowds (then again, fwiw we didn't find the museum to be all that - ymmv, of course).

The Institute and Museum of the History of Science ("Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza" - see, Italian's easy!) near the Uffizi is very interesting if you're into strange instruments and stuff. Child annoyance level: Moderate to high.

In Via dei Cimatori, just about here iirc, is the bestest gelato pusher in Tuscany.

For lunch, there's a small trattoria called "Le Mossacce" in Via dei Proconsolo - between the Bargello and the Duomo - that makes killer pastas for reasonable money. It's unpresuming, but if you're single you might have to share a table.

Rome: If you take a cab, tell the driver what you're paying him with ("here is ten Euros!"). That twenty might become a tenner mighty quickly, and suddenly he doesn't speak English anymore. Yes, I've been had D-:

Italy in general: It's not likely they'll do, but if the Carabinieri approach you, do what they ask.
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You can't fix anything, you can't change anything, so just tell them that everything is A. The Fuck OK. —Rogerborg

Thanks! by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #2 Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 04:42:14 PM EST

Very helpful.
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"Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise." -- Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

never stayed in a hotel by martingale (4.00 / 1) #3 Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 06:49:29 PM EST

so can't tell you best hotel to stay in Rome :( Couple of things. If you get there by train, you'll arrive at Termini, which is fairly central but not the prettiest sight. You can walk the whole city from there.

There's hotels everywhere, but it gets quickly cheaper if you move away from the center and/or go to the other side of the Tiber (ie the side where the vatican is, but don't stay close to the vatican since for some reason it attracts a lot of bible tourism). If you want to stay a bit out in the suburbs, stay close to the underground line. Don't go with included meals with your room: for breakfast, just go to the nearest bar and get yourself a cornetto and your favourite coffee, it'll be cheaper and the coffee will be better. For lunch, look for a trattoria, don't go to a restaurant. For dinner, restaurants are fine. Again, prices vary enormously as tourists are being fleeced.

Public transport isn't great, and you can't buy tickets on a bus, you have to get them at a tobacco shop. Also, buses don't really have time tables in the swiss sense, they're more like guidelines on an hourly basis. But if you're anywhere in the center you can walk anywhere, and there's plenty to see.

At least once, go check out EUR to the south.
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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]

Find somewhere at the top of the Spanish Steps by Dr H0ffm4n (4.00 / 1) #6 Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 09:00:36 AM EST

There are a few hotels up there. Varying in price/quality. Good views too.

At the stations and airports, you can spot the tourists as they're the ones forming queues at taxi ranks. Don't queue for cabs. Italians don't. When in Rome...

Rome is small enough to walk most places and it's a more interesting city to see by foot. You really do get the feel for the age of the place when you wander through some of the side streets.

[ Parent ]

: oh right, Theo's a Londoner by martingale (4.00 / 1) #7 Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 09:26:24 AM EST

He can easily afford that area, I guess. Great for shopping, all the designer labels are close to the steps.

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$E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
[ Parent ]
: never been to Italy, by garlic (4.00 / 1) #8 Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 09:38:38 AM EST

but in London and Paris I really appreciated travel by foot and tube/metro. And in both places, finding someone to give a walking tour worked out very well and helped me spot and understand stuff I wouldn't have on my own.

[ Parent ]

crossing roads by Merekat (4.00 / 1) #4 Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 05:48:40 AM EST

Being a pedestrian in Italy takes balls. IME you really do have to step out in front of the moving traffic or you'll be stuck there all day.

Just got back from a family holiday near Rome by Phage (4.00 / 1) #5 Mon Nov 27, 2006 at 06:37:29 AM EST

My Uncle-in-Law is Italian and owns a holiday home about an hour out of Rome. See my my diary.
The Italians are very forgiving of Inglese mangling their language. Make a bit of an effort, take a phrase book. We found this one very useful. and they'll try and help you out. The food, sights and people were all great.

Founder member Golgafrinchan 'B' Ark

I really want to visit Florence by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #9 Tue Nov 28, 2006 at 05:22:30 AM EST

And I reckon winter will be the best time. Hope it goes well.

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It's political correctness gone mad!

Ask HuSi: Any advice on where to stay in Rome and Florence? | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback