Laundry

In Rome, out the front of Termini station, turn left (southwest), left as if going back down the side of the station (southeast), then right on Via Daniele Manin (southwest), 1 block, right on Via Giovanni Amendola (northwest), great launderette on the right that does wash/fold service or self-serve coin-op.

No, I couldn't remember the street names... but Google Earth is great for a reminder...

Seems like they charged about $8-10 per kilogram of laundry, and did a decent job folding. I've also done the self-service there. The attendant was very helpful, and gave us some great restaurant advice!

In the Cinque Terre, the laundry in Vernazza is self-serve only, I think, but is adjoining a coffee shop... so you can relax with the locals while your duds ride the suds.

Sheree,

Yes, I've used laundry services in several parts of Europe, but I'd have to check my travel records to find out how much I paid. I normally prefer Laundromats, but the services did a good job.

As the others have said, ask the Hotel for recommendations. To specifically address your question about Italy, I used a laundry service in Varenna (Lago di Como) and they did a great job. I dropped it off in the morning, and picked it up in the late afternoon. The lady that ran the service didn't speak much (any) English, but I was able to manage with my limited Italian skills.

Cheers!

Just ask you hotel for directions. Laundry service is common and comes in a variety of forms. We use the laundry service where we give them our clothes and they wash and fold for us and return with a couple of hours. Goes by the washing/dryer load -- up wards to 10E.

It's expensive. You're paying for the free time it gives you to go do other things. BTW, do be sure to ask if they fold the clothes out of the dryer. We didn't, and came to pick up our dry laundry which had been shoved back into the bag we brought it in, clearly right out of the hot dryer.

It's not unusual to find laundry service from the better hotels. Let's say 4 star or better. It is difficult to find laundrymats where you can do your own laundry; but, they do exist. The one's I have used are clean and appear safe. You can bring your laundry to a commercial lavandaria (excuse my spelling, but I think I'm close) and pick it up in a few days. Lavandarias seem to be relatively inexpensive. Hotels a bit pricy. Plan on a couple of days weekends not included.
Ciao

Thanks everybody...I really want to do this pack light thing (new to me) but that means I will be doing some laundry either myself or at a service. I am grateful for any and all ideas. Ciao

Sheree, if you make it to Syracuse, there is a wonderful American/Italian couple that run an immaculate, fairly priced laundromat. It is called Wash and Dry. Corso Umberto I,13 . It is just outside the Ortigia area but worth the walk. Otherwise, I've had excellent luck and disaster using local people to wash my clothes. Ask at a hotel, don't just try to guess. Good luck! Peggy

One great feature of Rick's books is that he lists laundry spots---self-service if there are any, but serviced if not.

We used the serviced laundry in Varenna which was the only game in town. We dropped it off one day and picked it up the next. It was very inexpensive---3 euro or so per kilo, so around 5 euro for our whole laundry drop. Everything was folded nicely and then wrapped in a package for pick-up. The only problem was that they won't take lingerie, so we took that back to our hotel and did some washing in th esink.

We did laundry in Venice (a pain just having to haul it up and down bridges) but it was easy and reasonable once we got there. About 8 euros per load to wash and dry - takes about an hour total and I did a load of whites and one of darks.

I always did it kind of late - went there at 9pm and was out by 10. No crowds, write postcards and relax after a busy day. Bring small bills due to limited change available from machines as the facilities are often unmanned.

Doing your laundry in a self-service laundromat can actually be an fascinating thing to do in a foreign country. It's a great place to meet the locals, who seem to enjoy helping confused Americans.

If you do decide to try the self-service route, I'd recommend bringing along some Purex laundry sheets; they're about 4" x 6" and contain detergent & fabric softener. You can put a couple in a Ziplock bag; they weigh practically nothing and do a good job.

Finding a laundry in mid-trip is the real key to packing light. They can be hard to find, but they're out there. They usually charge by the kilogram. In our experience they're FAR cheaper than hotel-based laundry services. The biggest problem we've found is that they almost never speak a word of English. So learn the Italian for "by tomorrow morning", and "I don't know whose underwear that is, but please wash it, too."

In Italy have only done laundry at apartments we have rented but did go to a laundromat in Beaune, France a few years ago. We couldn't figure out the machines but there was a very nice attendant lady who did not speak English but was able to help us. Dryers took forever and then my kids' socks were still damp so had to lay them out to finish drying once we arrived at our next destination. It was an experience though and one we all remember!

Kinda depends on where you're going. In the north where I live you can find a lavanderia on just about every street in town at an average of 6 Euro per load to wash and dry. Just came back from Marsala sicily and the few laundry places that there were would take your load and do it for you but at very high prices. We did alot of bathtub laundry while we were there.