Apartment rental in Italy?

I will preface with this first, I have never been to Rome, that being said, after a lot of research, I chose http://www.vrbo.com/77017. I'm going for two weeks at the end of April and first of May. It is close enough to the center of Rome that I can walk to nearly all the sites (plus the Metro is only 2-3 blocks away). I have had several friends make the trip and I took their advice and did not stay in the central part of the city. They had complained that it was too touristy and they felt that they didn't get to experience the feeling of "Roma". Hope this helps, David

We have had good luck with these folks in Venice. they now have an operation in rome as well.

www.veniceapartments.org

Vacation rentals in Florence are very popular - it all depends on your budget. If you want something in the heart of the city, this site has several apartments in an historical palazzo on Piazza Signoria: http://firenzerentals.com/

Loar, we had an apartment in Rome, we really liked it, we used www.b-b.rm.it/, we had a very good experience with them, our apartment was in piazza novana, very good location.

When are you going? We're leaving for Italy on Sunday, October 4, and will be staying in a hotel in Rome, but in an apartment I found on VRBO in Florence. I can let you know our experiences when we return! I'm looking forward to it! Last time I was in Europe, I was in the military and they took care of everything.

I just returned Monday from a month in Italy where we stayed in apartments. All were outstanding and I highly recommend them. Owners were fantastic and provided lots of extra ammenities.

In ROME we stayed at Margutta 120 which is about 5 blocks from the Spanish Steps, 8 blocks to the Trevi Fountain and is a VERY fashionable area of Rome. Easy transportation access and the owner was totally awesome. View the apartment and make contact via the websiteat www.margutta120.com.

In VENICE we stayed in a great apartment that is located 3 housed from the grand canal and the San Stae vaparetto dock. Fabulous location as very easy to get on and off the vaparetto plus not in the congested touristy area. Good shopping close by. Owners were great and apt. darling. Check it out at www.venetianhome.altervista.org. Absolutely perfect for 2 to 4 people.

In Florence we stayed in a cute house located a few blocks from the train station. Very easy walk to the house from the train and only a few blocks to the historic district ie Duomo, Uffizi and Academie.
Contact Sarah Martini at [email protected]. The address is Via di santa Reparata, 17 blu. She can direct you to the website to view it.

If you are heading the Cinque Terre then I have the ULTIMATE PLACE TO STAY. I came across it on accident and it is the BEST place! The owner was fantastic and drove us around on a tour, fixed us dinner one night, booked our flight seats as we were unable to do it as we were on the train........anyway he went way beyond the call of duty!!! The photos shown on his website are just as the place is! Don't miss this one!!!!! www.villainlerici.it - Gianluca is the owner - be sure to tell him I referred you. Rates are wonderul!
If you need more info let me know - still a bit jet laggy but wanted to get this out to everyone as we loved each place.

We used cross-pollinate apartments and B&B's in Rome twice and also in Venice. Their service was great and the cancellation policy is very generous - unlike many other services we previewed. Search at cross-pollinate.com

I had very good results with vrbo. Rented an apartment in both Venice and Florence. Reasonable rates and nice properties. I wouldn't travel any other way.

Loar,
Take a look at Slow Travel http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/vr/reviews.asp
This is a large database of user reviews.

I had a great vacation rental in Rome. We used vrbo and rented this studio: http://www.vrbo.com/239958.

It was perfect for two. Small but very cozy. The owner is very helpful. Its in a quiet neighborhood and a little far from everything; however, once you learn the metro system - everything you need is just a hop away on the metro bus. What made this place so great is the owner, Lorenzo. Very helpful in anything you need. There was also a kitchen there that helped us save money and cook some of our meals. It enjoyed our stay there.

Have fun!

We got a place through VRBO in the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome for a week last year. Really enjoyed it. It was particularly roomy and a great location. Let me know if you want more details.

We just came back from Italy and rented three apartments during our stay (Rome, Florence, Venice). In Rome we rented through www.vaticanvacations the San Marco Apartment - Large, great location but the bathroom smelled so we bought cleaning products and attacked it. In Florence we rented this one http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p420459 . It was unbelieveable. Simona the owner is terrific. We are telling all our friends. In Venice we rented this one http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/IT3199.htm. BEWARE the apartment is nothing like the pictures on the website. it's falling apart. We ended up calling the owner and requesting our money back. She agreed and we had to find a hotel to move into the evening we arrived.