Spurred on by another post, I looked into VRBO properties in Venice for September.
Can anyone tell me why they are so cheap? Like 500€ a week cheap?
I can speculate but I am interested in what you may have learned from property owners or other credible sources. I'm looking for answers and the evidence to back it up.
cross check with booking.com do the pictures seem to be legit?
I always make sure there are a reasonable number of reviews before booking on sites such as Vrbo, Homeaway or Air BnB. If you can find the same property on booking.com with reviews that is also a good sign.
Also, where are the properties? Are they in Mestre? That may partly explain the low prices.
Thank you for your suggestions thus far!
The photos seem legit. These are all modest places. I haven't seen any common to vrbo and booking.com. If they're not on both, are they necessarily scams?
Not in Mestre, not even looking at north of the station. The maps, descriptions and directions to get there indicate right in the heart. I agree with wanting at least one review. Lots have reviews, some have mostly reviews in French and Italian. I am fairly fluent in French and can get by on my rusty Italian (taken 20 years ago). If the reviews were in broken English, I'd be more sceptical - not sure it would be a legit basis!
I've used vrbo in Maui, SFO, London and Paris all with excellent experiences.
Copy the reviews and paste into translate.google.com to read non-English reviews.
You can also email the owner with questions. The replies will also help you decide if they are credible.
I too decided to rent an apartment in Venice for Oct 2015 - of course, the price was of importance (85 euros per nite) but the reviews are my main consideration. I also made it a point to select one next to a major attraction, so it would be easier to find. (I have a horrible sense of direction) - Have had great luck in the past with both Home Away and Flip Key. - Most importantly, I did not want a cookie-cutter, Motel 6 experience - just an old palazzo with several apartments. Good Luck!
The apartment I rented last October was slightly under 100 euros per night and it was great. So it's definitely possible to get a very reasonable apartment even in Venice. I've also found reviews of apartments I've rented on Trip Advisor so you might want to check there, too.
I feel better if I get prompt responses to emails. You can also use google maps to 'walk' around the neighborhood. One of the things that decreases the cost of apartments is having to walk several flights of stairs. Remember that the European first floor is the second floor in the U.S.
I am pretty trusting of the bigger sites like VRBO and Home Away. I've rented apartments in a number of European countries for the last ten years and have never had a bad experience..
Thanks for the replies! I was particularly heartened to get a response from someone who has rented and had a good experience. After a closer look the apartments were more in the 700€ range. Still cheap in my books.
I think that I am leaning towards renting so I have a stove. The convent I was considering has a kitchen to use with fridge and a microwave. Better than a hotel room but not great for cooking seafood.
Buon viaggio à tutti!
Apartment life makes sightseeing much more enjoyable in my book.
I completely agree. Bigger spaces, often washing machines, room to sprawl out in and get away from each other, if needed and the ability to eat breakfast in pyjamas and unwashed hair.
There was a website called "Things White People Like." Going to farmer's markets was on the list. I like going to farmer's markets and I'm not white. Very excited about getting seafood from the market in Venice and cooking up a storm.
I need to eat and don't always feel like going to a restaurant or even being out. I even resorted to eating ready-made meals in Paris once or twice because we were so exhausted. It was scallops and baby shrimp in a white wine cream sauce over rice for 3-4€. It came in a little ceramic dish which I brought home. It was delish.
Haha! I think I was the first here to introduce the crowd to stuffwhitepeoplelike.com ! My friends serve hummus if I rsvp I'm coming :) My sister and I rented an apartment through VRBO for half the cost of a lot of hotels. It was an awesome 1 bedroom close to St. Marks. I think it was around €700 a week. Let me know if interested and I'll be bothered to search for it. The downside was it was across an alley from a restaurant that started up at 8am.
We were in Venice last month. We rented a lovely apartment using Cross Pollinate. was very pleased. Check them out.
