My Mom and I are planning a trip next summer. We want to visit (mostly) Florence and Rome. Should we stay in one city and do day trips from there? Stay in one of these cities or somewhere in between?
Will it be more cost effective to stay in an apartment and cook some of our own meals, or stay in a hotel that includes breakfast
Posted by
Carbondale, IL, USA
1201 posts
IF you want to visit Florence and rome, then stay in both Florence and Rome. Investigate flying into one and out of the other.
apartments can be cheaper if you were planning on getting two rooms at a hotel. If you were going to sharea a room then a hotel would probably be less cost. Cooking is a personal choice, part of the appeal of Italy is the food. If you are an accomplished cook and would relish marketing and working with fresh local ingredients and the local cuisine then cooking can be a great experience. If you are going to fix the same food you would at home then I'd say skip cooking.
Posted by
Malaga, Malaga, Spain
410 posts
We always try to stay in an apartment - we prefer it for many reasons - primarily space and flexibility as well as cost. Many seem to think an apartment equals self catering and while many do this, we rarely have more than breakfast, some snacks and perhaps one dinner in the apartment in a week, but it is lovely to have the option. Depending on the season we would try for a balcony or terrace.
We spend time in the apartment - and are not the sort of travellers who are out the door at 9 and back only to change and go out again for the evening. We love shopping at the local supermarkets.
We find hotels expensive, intrusive, don't want or need the mini bar, bed turn down service, concierge etc, get annoyed by noises from adjacent rooms, other guests coming back late, having tv on loudly, elevators pinging etc. Of course nothing guarantees that will have none of these in an apartment- but chances are it will be far more private.
Cost wise an apartment will almost always be cheaper. For us, we make simple breakfasts and have tea and coffee there, at our leisure, keep wine and soft drink there etc - all of which we buy in the local supermarkets, therefore much cheaper than in a hotel or in a cafe or restaurant.
An apartment also gives you more flexibility - it is available anytime of day - how often do you go back to a hotel room to find them cleaning it or wanting to check the mini bar/change towels or whatever.