We have booked first 4 nights in Florence and last 5 in Sorrento. Have 7 nights left in between, but should we book time in Cinque Terre and Rome or leave open for plan changes as we are 1st time visitors to Italy?
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
It completely depends on what time of the year you are traveling and how many people are with you. I have had great luck showing up to find rooms on a whim, but weekends, festivals and times of tourism crush can be difficult. If you want certainty, book ahead. If you value spontaneity, wait 'til you get there.
Posted by
Westside, RP, Germany
109 posts
I would go one farther than Doug, if you want a decent price book ahead, if you're willing to take what's available and risk paying more, leave it open.
We usually book the hotel rooms ahead of time, so we pick an area to be in that we want to do a few things, and then plan "open" days to do as we wish.
Posted by
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1127 posts
The time of year you will be traveling play a big part in the decision to book or not. Since you know where you will be going I would book. The only time to not reserve is when you don't know where you want to travel.
Posted by
Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
It depends on your transportation, time of the year etc. The best price/quality hotels are always booked up first. A solution, frown upon by some fellow travelers here, is to pick up a safe bet reserving hotels online for those 7 days, in places that will accept free cancellations up to 24h before scheduled arrival online. That way, you have a place to stay, but you can still make late changes (like you arrive in Firenze, find the weather next week will be all but miserable with rain and wind, than cancel the Cinque Terre part and find something else to do in Bologna, Urbino and Napoli (for instance).
Posted by
Toledo
653 posts
I've completely booked ahead for a 10-week trip, but I wish I'd left some flexible time. If you think you may need to cancel, I suggest going through a booking service, they will take care of the cancellation for you and you won't be charged as long as you are within the compliance window for the particular hotel (even with a booking service, some hotels allow 24 hours, others require 7 days notice).
Posted by
OP
Mattawa, Ontario, Canada
3 posts
Thanks for the info. We are going in Oct. Any preferences out there between Manarola and Riomaggiore in CT? Travelling by train from Florence & arriving on a Fri in CT, so are 2 nights enough? Also do people enjoy staying right in Rome, or outside Rome and touring daily into city?
Posted by
Park Ridge, IL
524 posts
Debbie. For Cinque Terre, I would do some quick checks on hotels you might want to stay in, to see if they are available. In other threads, potential travelers to the area, have not been able to find accommodations in September which is still high season in Italy. Not sure about October availability and the later in Oct., the more rainy and cool it is. And, if you feel lucky, use Rick's idea of getting in early in the morning and checking with folks who are at the train station looking for guests. Or cafes, etc. This only works if you have 2 people. For Rome, definitely stay in the city! Lots of cheap hotels in the Termini (Rome main train station area). See RS recommendations on this and other areas of the city. Bobbie