Air BnB

Yes, back in 2013, we stayed in an apt via Airbnb. It was located behind the Pantheon by Largo Argentina. Make sure you look at all the fine print. There’s usually a charge for extra people and a cleaning fee. Look at the reviews and make sure there’s constructive comments. I’ve stayed at Airbnbs here in the US and in Europe and my experiences have always been positive. It’s nice to have access to a kitchen and washer/dryer. We never really cooked with all the wonderful restaurants around us but nice to have a kitchen for storing snacks and drinks.

I love AirBnB. Have stayed in them in Italy and Germany. Read the description carefully, though. And look at the pictures. Read the reviews, and the ones in a different language can be translated. When you go to book, the price may change as you add more people. They try to entice you at first with a cheap price, so be careful!

Another source, which I prefer, is www.VRBO.com. Booking.com has many apartments now, too.

I have and it’s been very good. Like the previous posters said look at reviews and check the final price before booking - it can go up with fees for cleaning or extra people. Also make sure it’s a 2 bedroom and not a one bedroom and a sofa bed (unless that’s ok with you). 2 bedrooms are easy to find, but you will also see 1 bedrooms that sleep 4, with a sofa bed in the living room. The listings are clear, just be sure to look.

One consideration is how you get the keys. Some have an electronic entry system and they just email you a code that is valid for your stay and you can enter whenever you want, starting at the check in time. Others need to meet you at the apartment to physically give you the key and you set up a time with them to get it. It’s quite easy, but one more detail vs. just arriving at a hotel.

I also use booking.com to find apartments, and have equally good luck. Same precautions apply

Yes, having a few things for your own breakfast is good. You can buy bread, fruit, yogurt, whatever you like quite easily. The kitchen will have a coffee maker, too but I like to pop out to get an espresso anyway. Good way to start the morning!

I do like having a kitchen for longer stays - even shorter ones, which is why I like airbnb's - because generally they have use of the kitchen (even if you just have a room, most will give you some fridge space). I like having a warm drink at night, so having somewhere to store milk (for my tea/hot chocolate) is a plus. And we may pick up some soda, or breakfast items like juice, yogurt.

We had a great airbnb in Rome (whole apartment) that was a block away from the Colosseum - look out the window and there it was. Had 5 nights. I even cooked supper two nights. Picked up some pasta and chicken from the grocery store around the corner - it does get a bit tiresome trying to find restaurants all the time. Also, we were there at a warmer time of year, so most days found us back at the apartment waiting out the afternoon heat (it had a/c, so it was great)...so cooking supper was easier than going back out.

Of note to those who may be coming here for basic advice and not specific to Airbnb, "Airbnb" has become a brand name that substitutes for a broader category: vacation rentals. Like "Kleenex" means tissue and "Xerox" means photocopy, there are other brands. Some of those brands have advantages that Airbnb does not, so shop around. VRBO.com, Booking.com, Bed & Breakfast Association of Rome, Views on Venice, and so on. Sometimes I just Google "Apartments in _____" and get directly to owners who may not lease on fancy big name sites.

There are many options to "Airbnb" (which is my least favorite site).

I pretty much only use Airbnb now. On my budget, they are usually beating a comparable priced hotel room in both comfort and quality. Make sure it has the amenities you’re looking for. Read the reviews carefully. Most reviewers are very general, but will often insert a detail that means something to you (lots of stairs, smaller than expected, not super clean). You’ll start to get a sense of it. All I can say is, I’ve yet to end up in a place that was unacceptable, and there have been more than a few that were out of this world.

I am in the plannng stages of a 5 month trip to Europe and am using AirBnb in Paris, Rome, Florence, Naples and in the Salento where I have rented a house overlooking the Adriatic where it meets the Med for a month and also in Bulgaria and Budapest.. My experiences in the past have been 100% positive and their system is very good and secure.

There are some tricks however when using the web site. To be sure you are getting the right price for the right number of people etc. be sure to carefully fill in the "Dates" "Guests" "Home Type" "Price" and "More Filters". Once I get to the location I want Lets say Rome, I then zoom in very close. AirBnb doesnt show you exact locations until you book. But if you read the property descriptions carefully you can often figure out just where a place is by comparing to the map and nearby landmarks or Metro stations.

One thing you might see on AirBnb is a Host that has canceled bookings. I avoid any host who has done this. And I read the reviews.
Here is the place I am staying in Rome. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12601668

Good Luck and have fun.

Hi Cynthia,
I was SO nervous the first time I booked an air b’n’b abroad but now I wouldn’t travel any other way! I thought I would miss the sense of luxury and service that a hotel provides but honestly, I prefer the feeling of being a local more.
It really does save you money and having a kitchen is a huge benefit. Go to the grocer on your first day and buy some fruit, cheese, wine, snacks etc. This can be a fun experience and will set up nicely.

Most air b’n’bs are run very professionally and have everything you will need for a comfortable stay. Just be sure to read reviews.
The only factor that gives me pause is four people sharing one bathroom in the morning. But if you think you can sort that out then go for it!
Good luck and have a great trip!

Yes, a 2 bathroom would be nice. Most of the 2 bedrooms I’ve stayed in were also 2 bathroom. Just another thing to look for.

Four people sharing one bathroom -- not TOO bad if it's all your party, so you can pound on the door (lots of us grew up that way); more difficult if it's a couple plus the other random tenant plus the host (we had that in a Los Angeles area Airbnb.)

Used vrbo.com and stayed at Via del Leoncino. No issues at all. In fact, arbnb / vrbo is the way to go.

I've used both AirBnB and VRBO in Italy many times, but never in Rome, but I'll be using one or the other there this fall. They've all been positive experiences. Staying in an apartment in a neighborhood rather than a hotel seems to add a "lived in" dimension to travel, even if it's only for a week. As for having a kitchen...maybe nice for snacks, but I don't travel to Italy to eat my own cooking!

Many apartments are listed on multiple sites, such as Air BnB, VRBO, Flipkey/TripAdvisor, Homeaway, etc. They all have different reservation, deposit, and cancellation policies, so check carefully. The places we have rented from Air BnB have required full payment up front at the time of reservation. TripAdvisor, on the other hand, usually asks for a deposit of around 1/3, with the balance due two months before arrival.

We had a lovely 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartment in Rome (Trastevere) was perfect for two couples, although the two bedrooms were not equal in size and amenities. And lots of stairs. But the two-level rooftop terrace was lovely in the evenings. I found it on TripAdvisor, but it also has its own website:

http://www.malvapalace.com

Airbnb. Pretty much our exclusive booking option. You have a variety of filters to choose from and all costs are up front. We have 4 separate apartments booked for an upcoming holiday. Just make sure if you are booking, you check ALL reviews first. You can even take apartment descriptions and cross reference them to see if the apartment is on another site. Read all the reviews. Be cautious of "Cancellation by host". Other than that, ENJOY!

Airbnb all the way. They have a way better guarantee than a hotel or VRBO. Their satisfaction and cancellation guarantees are great even on a strict rental. And in all the places I researched they are cheaper, even with the cleaning fee, and in many cases better than a hotel. You can stay in more areas of where locals stay and less hotel central... Our trip in May is entirely Airbnb. I love the filters you can put as well to find the perfect place. The place we found in Rome is awesome and right near the metro if we don't want to walk the whole city.

I've traveled in northern and central Italy, ending in Roma for 35 days in 2017, staying in AirBnBs all the time, and did similar trips in Sicily, once in 2015, once in 2016, also for 17 days in Tuscany in 2015. It's easier if you speak and read some Italian, but that's not necessary. Remember, in Europe, one climbs four flights of stairs to get to the fourth floor. We had a wonderfully located (Monte/Pantheon) apartment in Roma but it was on the fourth floor so we generally left it only once and returned only once each 24 hours. You might be younger.

Oh yes...I’m always wary when I see ‘cancelled by host’ in the reviews. If I see that more than once, I move on. Especially if it says cancelled only a few days before the person was to stay (usually it’ll say something like cancelled 7 days before or 20 days before or whatever). That would be the worst for me because I do a lot of research into finding the perfect one.