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Apartment rental in Rome and Florence

Has anyone used Trip Advisor, VRBO, or AirBNB for apartment rental in Italy? We usually stay in hotels, but we are taking the whole family this time so will need at least a four-bedroom. I have never used these sights for booking and am a bit apprehensive. I would be interested to hear which you prefer and why, and also the pros and cons. Also, any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

Posted by
11247 posts

We use VRBO and Homelidays as well as Booking.com all the time. I have used TripAdvisor once, as well. I am not an AirBnB fan but many here are. I find their policies very rigid.

Rentals have always gone smoothly for us. Be sure to read the cancellation policy completely and ask the host any questions you might have. Check for air conditioning if it is summer! And always pay through the site, never a wire transfer! If you want a washing machine don’t assume there will be one. Look for it to be listed. Also, if the apartment is on a high floor, will you want a lift? Should be specified in the write up.

Four bedrooms is hard to find but sometimes you can get two apartments in the same location, so communicate with the owner and look for those who say they have multiple properties.

Posted by
4138 posts

What Laurel said, plus look carefully at the pictures if there are some deal breakers for you.

For example, although my favorite, Booking.com, has great filtering options, it does not specify the main thing picky me requires for a shower -- there must be a shower head on the wall, or at least a hook to hang the shower head. I have to look closely at the pictures, sometimes looking at reflections in mirrors, to see what the shower is like.

With a need for 4 bedrooms, you will also likely need 2 baths. It ain't gonna be cheap, but it will probably be cheaper than 4 separate hotel rooms, especially when you can eat some of your meals at home anytime you want.

Posted by
133 posts

We have used VRBO (Homeaway is the same) in Rome, Vienna, London, Cotswolds and all around the US and Canada (8-10 stays). As commented above AirBnB is a bit rigid and tends to higher prices for the same property. All our experiences have been very good. However, you do have to spend some time doing your own due diligence. Read the listing carefully for what is said and what is NOT said. Read the reviews with a grain of salt but look for trends. We tend to shy away from propertied without any reviews but sometimes there is no choice. You will find that some properties are managed by property management businesses and some by individual owners. We have had good service from both.

Then go to google. Look for listings of the same property on other web sites (often there is a fairly unique property name or descriptions) and compare the listings (they usually use the same photos). Most rental properties are listed on multiple sites. Use google maps to check out the location relative to transportation and all that. Ask for the street address and use google street view to check out the neighborhood. Feel free to ask any questions of the owner. The responses will tell you some things about their attitude toward service.

For a large family group like yours an apartment/house is highly recommended. Your own kitchen means breakfasts as needed and snacks on demand. Maybe takeout Pizza if you wish or even an simple dinner. Shopping in a Rome grocery is a fun experience!. A washing machine/dryer is a great thing to have if you are traveling with kids. The downside, obviously, is that there is no daily maid service. You have to hang up your towels and make your own beds. The upside is that net costs are nearly always substantially lower. We usually get a place anytime we are staying 3 or more days. Less that that and one time commissions and cleaning fees can skew the costs higher that a hotel.

Watch out for "bait and switch". We have had this happen in Rome and in NYC. A property you request that clearly has open dates turns out to be unavailable due to ???. Instead you are offered a different property that is "just as good". But you have no listing, photos, reviews, etc. for that property. We have never taken one of these "deals". Just look elsewhere.

Start your search early. Good properties, especially larger ones in Europe, book out early. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Robbie

Posted by
3112 posts

I've used VRBO/Homeaway several times and Airbnb once for apartment rentals in Florence, and my experiences have been very good. The one Airbnb rental was because a weekly discount was offered, while the exact same property on VRBO offered no weekly discount. Despite the service fee, I now rent only when payment can be made in 2 installments on the VRBO website. I did pay upon arrival for one of my rentals and all went smoothly, but then I found out you have certain added protections when paying through VRBO. I agree with the prior suggestion to very carefully review the pictures and the list of included amenities. Especially watch out for properties listed as 2+ bedrooms that are really a 1+ bedrooms with a sofa bed or futon in the living room (tip: count the actual bedrooms as you flip through the pictures). Also read the reviews and avoid apartments without predominately favorable reviews that are fairly recent. I also avoid apartments with "slow" bookings, as there might be a good reason. Finally, don't hesitate to ask questions or for clarification from your prospective hosts. The good hosts won't mind at all.

Posted by
344 posts

My family of 4 loves our apartment rental vacations, using VRBO.com (Vacation rental by owner) in Rome, Padua (Italy), London, Paris, Barcelona, Seville, and in US locations. I have nothing but praise for VRBO.com's website and the many landlords have all been ideal to work with. We love the space of an apartment, the togetherness yet option for privacy, the ease of being able to grab a quick and affordable breakfast/lunch/dinner. Plus we pretend we are "living" wherever we are and for us that makes the vacation more fun. The cons---there is no front desk, no lobby to converse with other guests. There is no restaurant onsite...except your kitchen. You have to go to a grocery store (which we love doing) to buy basic staples for the apt: butter, jam, milk, pasta, cereal, cheese & crackers, produce, toilet paper, shampoo, hand soap.

Other posters have given you very good suggestions. A few more tips:

  1. I NEVER book an apartment unless it has had at least 20 reviews. It's tempting but not worth the risk. VRBO has a good sorting mechanism (# of bedrooms, # of baths). I first sort by # of reviews so I'm not wasting my time looking @ an apt that has never been evaluated or evaluated only 3 times. I also use the map sort and stay in the historic section.

  2. I rent only apts rated 4.5-5 stars and usually only 5 star. I read every review because what is "fantastic" to one person ("the area is full of trendy clubs" ) can be a deal breaker for me who prefers a quiet location where I don't hear 2am clubgoers. The other benefit to reading all of the reviews is I frequently see 10 great reviews and then someone says "It was great except there was no refrigerator (or no heat in the bedrooms)" and I wonder---huh? no one else noticed that? If I then later see another mention about the lack of a fridge or heat, then I'm cautious and I may ask the landlord about it.

  3. I will not rent from a landlord who replies to a reviewer with a nasty response or one that blames the reviewer. Unless the review is really off the wall---but still, a nasty landlord? Nope.

  4. I look for an apartment that mentions "location, location, location" or says 5-10 minute walk from metro/bus station. Always look at the map to make sure you are not staying 30 minutes away from where you want to be.

  5. If you need air conditioning , Ask "Which rooms in the apartment have AC?" (and can I control it?) People expect US-type AC--and perhaps the AC is only in 1 bedroom. Ditto with Wi-Fi !!! Ask!

  6. What floor is the apartment on? For security and privacy, a ground floor apartment is a no-go because I like to open my windows. Is there an elevator for passengers? 5th floor apartments have great views....are you willing to climb up 6 flights each time...if so, go for it! Look at the windows in the apartment (Do you see any windows? could this be a basement apartment with no windows? Ask).

  7. Sometimes the apt says "sleeps 4". Look at the details to see the # and size of the beds and consider what you need. "sleeps 4" might be 1 double and 2 twin beds, 1 double and 1 double sleeper couch, 4 twin beds, etc. If you need 4 BRs, think about how many beds you need and what size.

Following those tips, we have always had super fantastic apt rentals with VRBO.com. We have had no sketchy behavior. Every landlord has been responsive and helpful. The apartments have always looked like the photos on vrbo.com. Renters have to be reasonable, too. If you are someone who must have maid service everyday, an apt is not for you. If you rent an apt on a bus line, then it's not reasonable to complain that you hear the bus go by all day. The kitchen is not going to have spices, or every type of pan you might have at home. Yet, for us, we can't imagine staying in a hotel.
Good luck!
SuzieeQQ

Posted by
39 posts

We have used all three services to rent apartments in the US, Europe, and South America and never had a significant problem. We rented an apartment in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue that had a burst pipe the day before we arrived and the local contact found us a perfectly acceptable replacement that ended up being cheaper. I think all the advice I would give is included in the previous posts but I would reiterate to read all the reviews and avoid anything with few reviews. If you find something that looks good, try to find it on all three sites as I've found significant price differences and/or cancellation policies for the same apartment. Four bedrooms may be a challenge but we've rented apartments that were close to each other if we couldn't find one that was big enough.

Posted by
824 posts

I used TripAdvisor for a trip to Italy (Venice to Florence to Rome) and I was very satisfied with the experience. I don't think I'll stay in hotels while vacationing in Europe ever again. By the way, most properties are listed on all the major rental sites so pick whichever one has the user interface you like the best.

Posted by
1157 posts

As far as I can tell there is very little difference between AirBnB and VRBO in terms of fees or procedure. In the past, VRBO may have have had lower fees or used to allow host to just advertise and book direct with guests without charging a fee. Now that is pretty well gone. Like AirBnB, VRBO (Homeaway) wants to get paid a fee on every stay.

Two things to note:

  1. Both websites will prevent you from calling or emailing hosts directly until after you book. You can only use the sites messaging system to ask the host questions and discuss the property. However, they have a strong algorithm to block any exchange of contact info or any discussions of direct booking. They say it is for safety, but it is really to protect their fee. After you book, you and the host can freely communicate and exchange emails and telephone.

  2. They may ask that you scan and send a copy of your picture identification. The id is only seen and kept by AirBnB, and not the host. I was reluctant to do this but I had no choice in the end. I can see the safety benefits. There is some comfort on both sides that respective host and guest were able to provide official identification which verifies personal info before booking with each other. You just have to trust that AirBnB takes care of the info.

PS. I have never had a problem using either VRBO or AirBnB. You just have to factor in the booking fee and cleaning fee (and possibly other fee like a refundable damage deposit or non-refundable damage "insurance"). If you have a large group or longer stay to average down the daily average fee costs, they can be a great deal.

PPS. You may also want to read recent article by RS and consider illegality/morality of short stay providers like AirBnB or VRBO. If you are a guest and saving hundreds of dollars on a vacation, it is great. If you own a home and your neighbour is running an illegal AirBnB/VRBO next door or one floor above you and is not paying proper taxes or insurance and changing the culture of your neighbourhood, then it is probably not so good

Posted by
2281 posts

hey julie
we used trip advisor last year in paris and it was great couple airbnb, which i am not that happy with, horrible experience in london. that place is now off the market of renting, great place in paris but another one off the market. lots of contraversy with airbnb so we stay away. have used booking.com which was good and cross-pollinate.com another good place, shortstay-apartment.com, takes lots of research, patience, reading reviews (the more the merrier), fine print, look at pictures carefully that it's what is listed, cancellation policy, cash euros on arrival (unless arrangements made before hand). security deposit, cleaning deposit, early checkin, if not drop off/hold luggage or lugging around uneven pavement/cobblestones, A/C, exact location, not out in the boondocks, do you need washer/dryer, what floor, if elevator/lift (otherwise carrying bags how many flights) bed situation (double, king, twin), how many bathrooms with your group, total allowed in apartment. Lots to think about but that's the way of rentals nowdays. good luck, let us know if this helps and if you found something.
when are you planning this trip? may to september are busy months as it is summer and first come first serve. if you know all your dates book early for better rates. good luck
aloha

Posted by
305 posts

I have used VRBO and AirBnB. But used AirBNB in Italy. They now take their payments in two chunks so if you book months out you aren't giving all the money for them to hold upfront. The second payment was about a month before left. I will echo everybody's suggestions on reading all the reviews and scouring over all the photos. Make sure the all bathrooms have photos. If they don't there is usually a reason and it probably isn't good. I have only ever done 2 bedroom apartments so I can't speak to that. Good luck and use those filters.

Posted by
1929 posts

Have used VRBO for an apartment in Florence. I was careful and snagged a place on piazza Santa Maria Novella. It was late February and I wanted to be where the action was. In July I'd make a different decision because of the crowds, but this was 105 Euro/night and very spacious--2nd floor.

Then last year, also late February (the time to travel, gang!) through a hotel at which we stayed on a previous trip to Rome, we saw online they were offering 'residenzas', apartments on the piazza Campo de' Fiori that they had purchased. Wow--for 80 Euro a night we got a 2nd-floor walk-up, with a kitchen, great bathroom, more an efficiency but that's all we needed. AND, we got maid service from the hotel for that price!

Posted by
10 posts

Thanks so much everyone for all the great information and advice, I appreciate it so much! I feel much more confident in finding an apartment rental.

Posted by
3067 posts

Hi Julie:
I have rented apartments in Europe for many years; from Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and TripAdvisor.
Only had one bad one in all that time; and that was through a booking site that no longer exists.
Look for MANY photos on the listings; look as near as you can to the apartment on Google StreetView if you can; actually double check with the host if there is a washing machine, hairdryer, or whatever is essential to you before you book, even if it says there is a whatever on the listing.
Check that a bathroom is NOT accessed through a bedroom if more than the people in that bedroom will use it.
Check that for example: "3 bedrooms" is not really 2 real bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room !

I just had to cancel 4 apartments in Italy due to cancelling a trip due to family illness, and I learned two things.
Check the hosts' cancellation policy before you book, and if you are booking for a lot of people: make sure each and every name is somewhere on that booking or correspondence with the host.
I was able to get back 100% of my paid amount from two HomeAway apartments, and one through Airbnb; as they had 100% refund policies within 7 days of arriving.
The other Airbnb was a 50% refund only.
I will hopefully get it all back through my travel insurance.
The reason I needed to have all the names on the bookings, ( and I did, thank goodness), was that my friend in Scotland , whom I was traveling with, has an insurance policy that will only refund her airline ticket if she can prove that she was actually staying with me in Italy on her trip; as it was because of my family member that we had to cancel.
I had put her name in all the correspondence I had with the hosts when I booked; so I can print that off for her insurance company.
So that is a thing to remember .
I did get lovely sympathy letters from 3 of the 4 hosts in Italy, which was just so kind!
Apartments are fun!

Posted by
16 posts

I use vrbo for Rome, Florence, Siena and Verona. Comfort, washer, kitchen (for doing something with the great fresh vegetables and fruits). For Rome - I suggest something either near Piazza Navona or in Trastevere (near the river or the tram line). That said - 4 bedrooms? You're asking a lot! but it isn't impossible. You should still be able to pay under 400 euro. You might need to expand your search to include the forum area, which still is a good location for siteseeing. Enjoy!

Posted by
2281 posts

hey julie
you didn't mention when is this trip taking place? may to october is high season, lots of people july and august are HOT. when you do your filters ask for A/C, how many people and if it's a 3 bedroom if they have a sofa bed, plus 2 bathrooms. if it's a building with 2 units you may want to go that way.
aloha