Any inexpensive places to stay in Florence that you'd recommend?

We stayed in the Istituto Gould
http://lnx.istitutogould.it/foresteria/index.php/en/content/prices.html, recommended by Rick Steves, and found it to be a great value for Florence. The rooms were very clean and comfortable and the building had lots of character.

JILL,

On my last visit to Florence I stayed at Hotel Aldobrandini and found the experience very different than Brad described. The facilities were clean and comfortable, there was good security and the owner was extremely helpful. They weren't luxurious, but were just as described in Rick's book. The breakfast was also quite good (but typical for that part of Europe). As far as the cost, it was less expensive than I had paid for comparable facilities in Venice, so I had no complaints.

I usually prefer to stay in a location closer to the city centre rather than out of town for several reasons:

• More distant locations often mean more time and cost to get to the main Museums and other attractions in the city, which are usually the main focus of my visits.

• I like to walk about especially at night and explore local restaurants and other attractions. I like the ability to have a flexible schedule, without worry on when the last train or Bus to the outlying areas leaves.

• As I normally travel with just a Backpack, I like to be fairly close to the main rail station as it makes both arrival and departure much easier.

I'm assuming you've checked the accommodation listings in Rick's Guidebooks as there are lots of properties listed in various parts of the city and in different price ranges.

Happy travels!

I was happy with Hotel Enza. I was there a couple of years ago. It is about 10 min walking from the train station and from the major sights. The neighborhood seemed safe, the staff was friendly and fluent in English. Breakfast was extra; it was good. For other places, go to www.venere.com, then check with TripAdvisor.com before committing.

We stayed at hotel Aldobrandini (one of Rick's recommendations) and my wife nearly revolted. It was our most expensive place in Italy although considered a budget hotel in Florence and was the only one my wife was really upset about (including hostels). After talking to other tourists it seems Florence lodging is generally expensive and not that great.

If I were going tomorrow, I'd look for something outside of town with good public transit into the center.

I'll second Instituto Gould. We loved it - our room overlooked a really nice garden. The location is just over the river and it's pretty quiet. Very clean and I remember our room being larger than normal.

Jill--I stayed at Gianna's B&B. I found the details on venere.com, and cross-pollinate.com. I booked with venere because it was cheaper. This apartment was only 75euros/night and the hospitality was over the top--breakfast was delivered to my room each and every morning. It is 5-10mins walking from the train station, blocks away from the Accademia. I can't speak highly enough about this place!!!!

Thank you all! Michelle in particular: thank you, that sounds great. As does the suggestion of staying a bit out of town. Happy New Year and Happy Travels!

Jill - stayed at Soggiorno Battistero (B&B) last year and the off-season rate was under 100 euro. Very central - we opened our window shutters and looked right out onto the Baptistery and Duomo. Clean, modern interior. It's in Rick's book. www.soggiornobattistero.it

I stayed at Hotel Centro near the san lorenzo market in May. They were really nice. Beds were comfortable enough. http://www.hotelcentroflorence.com/

give bellevue house a try, close to train station, and very clean. i think it was around 85 euro's per night. good luck :):)

We stayed at Hotel Casci. Clean, comfortable, great location. The composer Rossini lived there at one time. Also great breakfast. We were a family of 4 looking for budget accomodations and Casci was perfect for us.check it out

Jill-

I am headed to Rome in March myself...I found that you can rent a private apartment cheaper than a hotel... go to greatrentals.com... we like our privacy. Plus you can cook and store cold drinks in the fridge. Doesn't sound wonderful to cook until you have a lot of people to feed. We are going to cook breakfast or have cold cereal. You can get all the stuff you need at the store and save on your pocketbook. But we do plan on eating out some for dinner. We found a 4 bedroom for 408.00 a week!!!!! with laundry and kitchen. Hope that helps!!!!

In September 2008 we stayed at the Hotel La Venere for about 90 euro per night for 2 people. Smallish room, large bathroom, quiet and all very clean. Very nice breakfast and a complimentary glass of wine each evening. Friendly and helpful folks. Short walk from train station, near the Palazzo Riccardi and the Tourist Information office. Would recommend. There were other hotels (pensions?) on the other floors of the building but we didn't check them out.

Try Hotel Collodi. Small, clean, inexpensive and conventiently located near San Lorenzo and the Mercato Centrale. You can read reviews on venere.com.

Jill, we have just returned from Italy, and while in Florence, we stayed at Soggiorno Allessandra. Recommended by Rick, very clean and roomy. A double was 75E per night. We would stay there again. An easy walk to anywhere. Contact Allessandra at www.soggiornoalessandra.it

We spent six days at Hotel Dali in Florence this spring. Large clean comfortable rooms and delightful very helpful staff. We had a double with shared bath for 65 euros a night I belive the rooms with private bath and fridge were 80 euros.

Samanta made our museum reservations for us and Marco had many helpful dinner suggestions. Great friendly place. We will be going back in May.

I HIGHLY recommend Hotel Cestelli. It is beautiful, clean, quiet, centrally located-- a real gem.

Rates range from 60E/night (single, shared bath) to 115E for the huge suite. We paid 100Euro a night for a charming, uncrowded, comfortable room with a private bath.

You might find a place that's a little cheaper, but it won't be nearly as nice. This is a fantastic value for the money (for Florence).

There are only eight rooms so book ahead for the cheapest ones. Read rave reviews on tripadvisor.com

Try www.monasterystays.com. I have not used them, but someone on another thread recommended them. Their website looks very promising.

http://www.johanna.it/struttura.php?file=residenze&leng=eng

They have pretty good pricing and the reviews I read about them through tripadvisor are good as well.

Good luck!

Fiorenza B and B. I've heard nothing but great things about it and it's highly rated on Trip Advisor. 90 euros for a double. The owner is very accessible and helpful!

Hotel Alexandra. Just stayed again last week. Close to Uffizi, Arno River. Great location. OK Rates,50E. The wierdist elevator in the world! Starts one floor up and fits 1 1/2 people; actually fun in a strange way. Nice breakfast in a sunny room. Location, price, warm service, strange access; it has in all. -Chris