I am actively planning my trip to Italy for September. I have booked my room in Verona, and am about to book Florence. Next is Rome; I see that prices in Rome are higher than the other two cities and wonder if I should go ahead and book Rome now or wait till we get to Florence and book it then? How much of a discount can be had, in general, by booking last minute? And is it wise to risk that? We will be in Rome from September 27 till October 2 (5 nights).
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
It really depends. If a hotel has unsold rooms left a few weeks out they'll put them on sale but you can't count on that. September, while not peak season, is still going to be quite busy. I would probably book a refundable reservation and then check back a few weeks before you go to see if something cheaper can be had. That way, if something is cheaper you can cancel the other with no penalty but if nothing pops up at least you have a room.
Posted by
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1127 posts
September is peak season in Rome! The weather is perfect - warm but the city is over the high heat of summer. Most Italians escape the cities during the summer and find relief along the coats.
If you know the dates you will be Rome it makes sense to book ahead. The only time you shouldn't book in advance is if your dates are unknown. You could be one of the lucky people that show up last minute and find a 5 star hotel at a dirt cheap price but I doubt it. The internet has changed hotel booking Europe.
Posted by
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
705 posts
David's idea is a good one. I always use venere for my hotel bookings as you can cancel them pretty much up to the last minute and don't need to prepay anything. You can check the site as the time gets closer and see if anything discounted comes up.
Posted by
The Hague, NL (AMS)
2207 posts
Robyn, I 'm more aligned with Sam on this question. When traveling the most valuable asset that I protect more than any other is... MY TIME!
I know I'm only going to have a limited amount of days and hours in a city or country - and I want to get all I can... so spending TIME searching hotel to hotel for a "deal" is less important to me than ensuring I have my TIME to optimize my stay!
You also have more OPTIONS now with the internet than you have in the past. You can "shop" for the best price in an unlimited number of hotels... when you get to Rome without a room you will shop for as long as your pateience (and stamina) holds up. At some point you'll just NEED a room - and who knows what you'll pay at that point.
Because of the limited TIME you'll have here - TIME becomes more valuable than $$ -- Make your best deal NOW, and enjoy your TIME here THEN!
Ciao,
Ron
Posted by
Bel Air, MD, USA
261 posts
I'm with Ron. Book something now. Why stress yourself in Florence looking for a hotel when you could be eating gelato! I used VRBO.com to book an apartment in Rome for 4 nights. Once we were in touch with the owner, we negotiated a reduced rate. Our 2 bedroom apartment in Rome is costing us less than a quad room in a hotel. We only paid a modest deposit up front.
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
143 posts
Venere.com is a good site to check prices and availability on-line. You provide a credit card to hold a room and pay when you get there. Very easy to book rooms with them and I didn't have any problems. And I must admit I don't admit I don't quite get the rationale for shopping last minute - if I ran a hotel in a big tourist area trying to book a room last minute, I'd be tempted to jack up the price figuring they's be happy just to get anything.