Hotels vs Airbnb’s?

Could you clarify?

"Airbnbs' are different from "b&bs" (bed and breakfast)

We don't use Airbnb anywhere.

I recommend small hotels for first timers. It's nice to have the 24/7 front desk to help with questions, directions, etc. Most offer breakfast. Many offer parking. They will hold your luggage before and after check in.

Hello dcasey2931,

Qucik question - do you mean for your Topic to be "Hotel's vs BnB's?" - versus Airbnb's? Because that sounds more like what you are asking. (If so you might want to edit it for clarity.)

This is totally possible in Italy. Just as in Ireland smaller towns tend having more homey BnB's than big cities but it is possible. We've stayed in BnBs in most of the cities you list and will being doing that in Rome next year. My only caution would be some BnBs are more mini hotels with breakfast while some have very involved hosts. I would try and filter BnB options for a more involved host if that's what you want.

Rick does a pretty good job of finding those kinds of places and most cities have one or more "BnB" listing places. And, of course, there is always here to ask.

Happy Travels,
=Tod

Sixteen trips to Italy and I have never stayed at a B&B. Not that I wouldn’t like to. Even hotels are rather rare outside of larger towns/cities. What I usually come across and stay at is a place with a few rooms in a large building with an owner/manager who is offsite but reachable via phone. Often a voucher for breakfast (coffee and a pastry) is provided to use at a nearby “bar”. It’s okay if you are independent!

We often stay in Airbnbs when we’re going to be in a city more than 3 nights. We looks for ones with a washer and comfortable couch if possible. In Tuscany we have mainlt stayed in b&bs, especially in smaller towns or in the countryside. I like both options.

We often stay in Airbnbs when we’re going to be in a city more than 3
nights. We looks for ones with a washer and comfortable couch if
possible. In Tuscany we have mainlt stayed in b&bs, especially in
smaller towns or in the countryside. I like both options.

Ditto, Becky. In April of this year...myself, wife and 2 cousins did 4 nights AirBnB each in Florence, Rome, and Taormina (Sicily), with 3 nights hotel in Salerno. My requirements: ground floor or apartment that has 'lift', high ceilings, plenty of windows, at least a galley kitchen, washer, walking distance to most things.

For the most part, communication with hosts through AirBnB has been efficient with no language barrier whatsoever. Just be specific with what you want & questions you're asking. If a place has a high rating (hi 4's) with many positive reviews, that's a good sign. One more thing--if a place appears abnormally cheap, there's usually something they're not showing in the pictures!

RE: Cost AirBnB vs. hotel, all I can say is that it depends. This year, for our apartment with 3-4 BR, at least 2 Bath, it was between 250-350 Euro/night, over 4 people not so bad, and those apartments were in desirable areas, near everything--you pay for that especially in Florence and Rome.

For March 2027, I'm scouting out places in Rome for a stay of at least 2 weeks. We've found over the years that a nice apartment was so much more pleasant than a hotel--room to move. If it's just 2 of you, I think if it's 4 nights or more like Becky says, I'd pick an AirBnB even if apples-to-apples you're paying more than you would at a comparably-sized hotel room or suite.

We have had very good experiences renting bnb's in Italy - found places via this excellent site:
https://www.bed-and-breakfast.it/en/
If you're interested in an agriturismo in Tuscany, here's the site I've used for that (also many good experiences):
https://en.agriturismo.it/
As you would do with any hotel or Airbnb, study the reviews...

I also had good experience with the b&b website recommended by msmithbothell.

Factors I like to consider for lodging is whether I’m arriving earlier than checking time or very late in the evening. The 24/7 front desk is a nice convenience along with holding your bags.

Nowadays you can't expect to make a "connection" with an Airbnb host. Many are not owned by individuals and many check ins are now automated.

I have stayed in small family owned hotels in Italy where I did get to see the same faces everyday and they get to know you and have time to ask about your day and suggest places to visit or help with restaurant choices. Many years ago one owner was invaluable in helping me navigate a train strike even though my Italian was as bad as her English.

My last Airbnb stay, I was met by a friend of the owner and shown the apartment. That was the last I saw of anyone. Upon checkout I was instructed to drop the keys in the mail slot.

We have traveled a lot in Europe and prefer a B&B to a large hotel. We never do the airb&b (we are only two persons and we have found the air&bs tend to be farther from city centers.

Still, in larger cities, B &Bs are harder to find, so we just compare hotels in price and location. We see little advantage to 5 star expensive hotels, since we spend so little time there. If we can't find a good B&B we go for a 3 star or perhaps a 4 star hotel .

If you rent a car, suggest doing so if you stay in a smaller city or town, since parking is limited and often costly.

We did a great Road Scholar tour of Tuscany and Umbria earlier this year and loved Siena, Assisi, Spoleto and Orvieto. Even in the smaller cities, parking could be an issue.

There are Bed and Breakfast in Italy. Those are defined as small hotels, sometimes family run. They are more common in smaller towns, but are available everywhere.

If you intend AirBnB, that website specializes in apartment rentals, which are different from Bed and Breakfast hotels, which are small hotels.

I like apartment rentals for longer stays (more than 3 nights) and big groups/family which otherwise would need multiple hotel rooms. If it's just me and my wife, and therefore need only one room, I don't rent apartments much, unless it's a longer stay (like a week) especially in new locations I'm not familiar with.

If you rent a car at any time, while you have a car, you should seek accommodations that have parking facilities, preferably outside of historical centers, which in Italy have traffic restrictions for non residents which may result in hefty fines.

If you will rent a car in Tuscany, you might look at agriturismi, which are on farms, and offer an interesting experience. Prices vary. although I usually stay in hotels, I also enjoy staying on working farms--very good for people interested in local foods. There is often the option of having dinner there. If the farm grows olives, you have a chance to watch the harvest in the fall. (We just had this experience in Puglia and it was wonderful to watch the harvest close up, and without taking a tour)

https://en.agriturismo.it/farmhouse/tuscany

Have visited Italy several times and what we like to do is mix it up in terms of lodging choices. Upon arrival and departure we like to stay at either a hotel (preferably small), a B&B or an agriturismo as it is nice to have staff/hosts who can assist with getting one's bearings. Also, it is wonderful to have someone prepare a yummy breakfast for you!

Generally, somewhere near the middle of our 17-day trips we select an Airbnb as it is nice to have access to a washer and dryer and spread out a bit and feel more like a local. Also, by this point having a kitchen can come in handy for making small meals as going out to eat every day can get to be a bit much. When we look for an Airbnb place we limit our selection to "Guest Favorites" as it makes for a more curated list rather than the pages and pages of listings which can be overwhelming. Have a great trip!