I can spend the month of April 2010 in Italy but have extremely limited funds. Therefore I thought that renting an apartment for the month would be the most economical way to go. I am considering Florence or Rome and then taking lots of day trips. Is one month in Florence too long, even with day trips and getting into a daily routine of walking and getting to know the town like a resident? Is Florence overcrowded with tourists in April like it is during the summer? Would Rome be a better choice? Am I missing another economical, really cheap, way to spend a month in Italy? Does anyone know of great vacation rentals in Italy?
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I'll be in Italy most of April, too. It may be just as inexpensive to spend a week each in four different places. Start south and work your way north. Apartments in Italy: I'm sure rental by-the-week is available. Let's say Sorrento, Rome, Florence, and the Cinque Terre as the four week-long stays. Fly into Rome or Naples and fly home from Pisa, if you can. Train travel between the cities would not be very expensive, or you could take a bus.
For an entire month's stay, I would choose Florence then take day trips to other towns. I would try to find a place that isn't right in the central area, maybe farther out where you would be in a neighborhood. There are city buses in Florence, so getting around and to the train station shouldn't be difficult. Consider taking some Italian language classes, either at home before you go or after you get there. There are some language schools in Italy that aren't expensive and will find lodging for you.
I'll be spending a few days in Venice where it is possible to rent a room fairly inexpensively. From there I will probably take a train to Sorrento and work my way north during April. I'm hoping to spend a couple of nights in Siena. A couple of other places I have in mind are Volterra and Arezzo for short stays. I'll spend about a week in Monterosso.
Posted by
Florence
362 posts
There is so much to see in Florence that a month is really not too long. Add to that the/weekend trips and you should be fine. I say Florence over Rome because Florence is truly a walkable city. You won't need a car and really can walk or bike anywhere so you won't need public transportation around town either (only on trips outside). And there are so many places to visit by bus and train - you definitely won't get to them all. You can get a one BR or studio in the center cheap at the moment - you should check the Florence Craigs List page: http://florence.en.craigslist.it/vac/
I think renting a place and having your own kitchen is another big money saver. You can still get a taste of great Florentine food by having lunch out (which is way cheaper than dinner) but cook you own pasta etc. at home.
Anyway - with this global recession and travel slow down there have been many bargains popping up.
PS- it can be busy here during Easter - not sure when it falls in 2010 - but Rome is just as crowded then if not more so.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
Easter in 2010 is April 4.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Personally, I think a month in Florence would be overdoing it. I'd split between 2 weeks in each...Florence and Rome. Rome is a walkable city with enough to keep you busy for two weeks...and you may want to splurge on an overnight visit to Sorrento, visiting Pompeii and/or Herculaneum on the way there or back. As others have noted, Florence is a great base for day trips. Rail travel in Italy can be inexpensive, with deals available in advance. If you sent your travel times in advance, you could purchase whatever rail tickets you need when you first arrive in Italy....the automatic machines at the major stations are very user friendly. Rome-Florence, for example, on an InterCity (IC) train can be as low as 22 Euro, second class, if you can get one of their 20% off "Amica" fares.