Where to stay
Cheap hotels and hostels town by town, villas and rentals.
What to Expect from Italian Hotel Rooms
People traveling to Italy from another country are usually aware they have to prepare themselves for a few differences - different language, different currency, etc.
Vacation Rentals in Italy: What to Expect
No matter how much you might be aware that apartments and houses in Italy aren't like the ones you're used to where you live, it can still come as a surprise when you turn the key to your Italian…
Hotels in Rome: How to Find Where to Stay
When it comes to figuring out where to stay in Rome , the trouble isn't a lack of choice - in fact, it's quite the opposite.
Win a 1-Week Stay at Brigolante Guest Apartments in Umbria: Passports with Purpose 2011
One of my very favorite things about getting involved in travel writing has been the truly amazing community of travel writers I've met.
Italy Lake Hotels with Great Views
Vacationers in Italy might think first of the Amalfi Coast or Italian Riviera when they think about views over water - or, if they're more familiar with the country, they could name any one of the…
Italy Hotels with a View: Lake Orta & Lake Lugano
Say " Italian lake " and the first bodies of water that likely come to mind have names like Como, Maggiore, and Garda - but there are several beautiful lakes in Northern Italy, and only a few of them…
Italy Hotels with a View: Lake Iseo
Anyone who has visited Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, or Lake Garda might think that every lake in Northern Italy is well and truly overrun with travelers - but there are a few other lakes in the area…
Italy Hotels with a View: Lake Garda
Lake Garda is Italy's largest lake, and as such it belongs - in part - to three separate Italian regions : Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Lombardy.
Italy Hotels with a View: Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore - Lago Maggiore in Italian - is, as the name implies, one of the larger lakes in the country.
Italy Hotels with a View: Lake Como
As Italy's most famous lake, Lake Como is understandably surrounded by luxury hotels boasting fabulous views.
Amalfi Coast Hotels with Amazing Views
There are many reasons to spend time on the Amalfi Coast , and the spectacular views over the water are definitely among them.
Cheap Hotels in Orvieto
Orvieto is an incredibly picturesque hilltop town in Umbria , but it's also close enough to the Lazio border that it makes an excellent day trip from Rome.
When the Hotel is the Town: Albergo Diffuso in Italy
In the September 2011 issue of National Geographic Traveler, you'll probably understand why the article called " The Towns Italy Forgot " caught my eye.
Venice Hotel Tax: What it Costs & How to Avoid It
2011 is, as far as I'm concerned, going to be known henceforth as the year of the hotel taxes in Italy. In January 2011, Rome added a new per-night tax on hotels in the city.
Hotels in Italy Where Movies Were Filmed
Italy has served as the backdrop for many movies over the years, and you can pretty easily re-live some cinematic moments by throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain or having a cappuccino at Caffe…
Florence Hotel Tax: What it Costs & How to Avoid It
Following closely in Rome's footsteps, the city of Florence voted recently to implement a hotel tax , which took effect July 1.
New Hotel Taxes in Florence & Venice
In January 2011, Rome introduced a new tax on accommodation , amounting to €1-3 per person per night, depending on the type of accommodation.
Cheap Hotels in Bari
The beachside city of Bari is Puglia 's capital, and it's also a major port city for southern Italy in general.
Cheap Hostels in Aquila
The Abruzzo region in central Italy is often overlooked by tourists, although the region made the international news in 2009 when a massive earthquake reduced several historic cities to ruin.
Cheap Hostels in La Spezia
Visitors to the Cinque Terre will be familiar with the name La Spezia, as it's the largest major city near the collection of five small fishing villages.
Cheap Hostels in Lecce
Lecce is the capital of the southern region of Puglia - the heel to Italy's boot - and a city of great importance to the region.
Cheap Hostels in Lucca
There's something appealing about old walled cities, and the town of Lucca in northern Tuscany is no exception.
Cheap Hostels in Macerata
The hilltop city of Macerata in Le Marche is, like many historic cities in Italy, two towns in one.
Cheap Hostels in Matera
The region of Basilicata may be overlooked by many visitors to Italy, but those who do go to Basilicata most often do so in order to visit Matera.
Cheap Hostels in Montepulciano
When you see pictures of the rolling hills of Tuscany, complete with pretty hill towns, chances are pretty good you're looking at the area that includes the town of Montepulciano.
Cheap Hostels in Parma
The city of Parma is familiar to foodies as the birthplace of some of the most famous edible Italian exports - especially parmigiano-reggiano cheese and prosciutto.
Cheap Hostels in Pescara
While much of the Abruzzo region is mountainous, it does have a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea - and the most populous city in the region, Pescara, is located on the coast.
Cheap Hostels in Piacenza
The Emilia-Romagna city of Piacenza lies in the far north of the region, nearly in Lombardy.
Cheap Hostels in Pienza
The town of Pienza is in beautiful central Tuscany in the famous Val d'Orcia, and the region surrounding this pretty town is incredibly picturesque.
Cheap Hostels in Portofino
If the first place you think of when you think of Liguria isn't the Cinque Terre, chances are very good it's Portofino.
Cheap Hostels in Portovenere
How can you enjoy a view off the Ligurian coast without squeezing into the tiny Cinque Terre with everyone else? Easy - pick a different Ligurian coastal city.
Cheap Hostels in Ravenna
For anyone who has looked up in awe at the sparkling golden mosaics on the domes of St. Mark's in Venice, I invite you to make a beeline for Ravenna.
Cheap Hostels in Rimini
With the enormous amount of coastline Italy claims, there are several beachside towns that have become famous over the years.
Cheap Hostels in Salerno
For anyone traveling on a budget who's interested in a visit to the Amalfi Coast, one of the ways to save money is to look for places to stay that aren't on the Amalfi Coast proper.
Cheap Hostels in San Gimignano
One of the more popular hill towns in Tuscany for day trips from Florence is San Gimignano - but as is the case with many hill towns, staying overnight in San Gimignano often is a more fulfilling…
Cheap Hostels in San Martino di Castrozza
With all the mountains in the northern part of Italy, it's not surprising that there are several ski resort towns in amongst the peaks.
Cheap Hostels in Sanremo
Not far from the French border is the seaside city of Sanremo in Liguria . It's less famous as a beach town than the Cinque Terre villages or the cruise port city of Portofino, but it's well-known…
Cheap Hostels in Stresa
The largest lake in northern Italy is appropriately called Lago Maggiore, and taken together with the other lakes in the area it's one of the popular vacation spots in the country.
Cheap Hostels in Taormina
The beautiful beach town of Taormina on the eastern coast of Sicily is an incredibly popular tourist destination - and it has been for more than 100 years.
Cheap Hostels in Tropea
Beach resort cities in Italy aren't necessarily havens for budget travelers, since they're usually popular (even if they're not full of American tourists, they're full of European tourists) - and the…
Cheap Hostels in Udine
The city of Udine is the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the northeast of Italy, not far from the Slovenian border.
Cheap Hostels in Urbino
Look further to the east in central Italy, past Tuscany and Umbria, and you arrive in Le Marche - a region that's similar to its more famous western neighbors but less popular with tourists.
Cheap Hostels in Ventimiglia
In Liguria , the Cinque Terre get nearly all the focus - and understandably so. But the region is narrow and hugs the coastline, so there are many more seaside towns to explore, many of which are…
Cheap Hostels in Vicenza
In the Veneto , the cities of Venice and Verona are probably the most popular tourist destinations - but there's another city beginning with V that pulls in a good number of visitors each year, too:…
Cheap Hostels in Viterbo
Even if Rome doesn't overwhelm you, you may still want to get out of the big city for a few days - and while you can take day trips to nearby towns, spending the night in one of them is even more…
Cheap Hostels in Volterra
Much of Italy is well-known for its hill towns, and Tuscany in particular has many famous hilltop villages. Volterra is just such a town.
Cheap Hotels in Rimini
The Emilia-Romagna region is rightly famous for its contributions to what much of the world considers Italian food, but it also happens to have a long coastline along the Adriatic and some popular…
Cheap Hotels in Ravenna
One of the highlights of many a trip to Venice is staring at the sparkling mosaics on the inside of St. Mark's Basilica domes - so if you like those mosaics, you'll want to book a stop in Ravenna.
Cheap Hotels in Sanremo
Liguria is probably most famous for the towns of the Cinque Terre, or the cruise port of Portofino, but the city of Sanremo is famous for its own reasons.
Cheap Hotels in Stresa
Finding a place to stay just about anywhere on one of northern Italy's beautiful lakes is probably enough reason for a celebration, but finding a hotel in the picturesque town of Stresa is even…
Cheap Hotels in Taormina
Sicily is lined with beautiful beaches and full of stunning sights - including some of the most impressive Greek ruins anywhere.
Cheap Hotels in Tropea
The beaches in Calabria hardly need a salesperson - once you've seen what's on offer, it's almost impossible to resist them.
Cheap Hotels in Urbino
While the regions of Tuscany and Umbria get far more attention, Le Marche has its own charms.
Cheap Hotels in Portovenere
Despite the fact that the five tiny towns of the Cinque Terre take up only an extremely small portion of the Ligurian coast, they remain one of the biggest tourist draws in the region.
Cheap Hotels in Pescara
While the capital of a region usually turns out to be its largest city, that's not the case in Abruzzo .
Cheap Hotels in Lucca
Lucca is one of the highlights of a trip through the small towns of Tuscany - its old city walls are its defining feature, and ring a beautiful historic city center.
Cheap Hotels in La Spezia
When you begin looking for a place to stay in the Cinque Terre, you soon realize that this tiny collection of five villages gets quite booked up in the high season.
Cheap Hostels in Ischia
All you have to say is "island off the coast of Italy" to make most budget travelers look elsewhere for a place to stay. And who can blame them?
Cheap Hostels in Grosseto
With cities like Florence and Siena at its heart, it can be easy to forget that the popular region of Tuscany also has a long coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Cheap Hostels in Ferrara
Foodie travelers often make a beeline for the Emilia-Romagna region , and with good reason.
Cheap Hostels in Como
The Italian lakes in the northern part of the country provide some of the most beautiful scenery Italy has to offer. They're also notoriously expensive to visit, especially in the high season.
Cheap Hostels in Capri
The island of Capri is absolutely one of those places where Hollywood actors go on holiday, so the concept of a budget traveler visting Capri for anything more than a day trip might seem silly.
Cheap Hostels in Bergamo
Bergamo has a beautiful old walled city on a hilltop overlooking the modern city beneath, and it's a popular day trip for people based in Milan.
Cheap Hostels in Arezzo
Arezzo may be a relatively major city in Tuscany, but it falls so far below the radar of most visitors to this incredibly popular region that it's usually busy with residents rather than tourists.
Cheap Hostels in Ancona
Budget-conscious travelers make a point of skipping over the hotspots just about anywhere in order to avoid the most expensive places. In Italy, that often means avoiding Tuscany altogether.
Cheap Hostels in Amalfi
Travelers who are on a serious budget may hear "Amalfi Coast" and assume it's off-limits to anyone but the rich and famous.
Cheap Hotels in Ischia
For some people, "getting away" to the Amalfi Coast for an Italian holiday isn't "away" enough.
Cheap Hotels in Ferrara
The Emilia-Romagna region has been a popular draw for foodie travelers for many years, and there are plenty of good reasons for that - but the region is a great tourist destination for more than just…
Cheap Hotels in Como
Who doesn't fancy a stay on an Italian lake? The name Lake Como conjures up all kinds of glamorous images, but if you're traveling on a budget you might think the hotels in Como are all out of your…
Cheap Hotels in Bergamo
The pretty old city of Bergamo makes a delightful day trip from the hustle and bustle of Milan, but if Milan is a little too busy for your taste and you'd rather find another homebase altogether,…
Cheap Hotels in Arezzo
Travelers in Tuscany may have to work harder to get off the beaten path than people visiting Basilicata, but even in some of the region's bigger cities you may be surprised how few tourists you run…
Cheap Hotels in Amalfi
It's one of the most popular parts of Italy for vacationers, but many people don't realize that the Amalfi Coast contains a town called Amalfi.
Where to Stay in the Cinque Terre
When the initial giddiness of choosing a vacation destination wears off, it's time to start planning out the nitty gritty details.
What the Italy Hotel Star Classification System Means
Booking a hotel in Italy can feel a bit like shooting blindly, especially when it's your first trip and you have no idea what you're looking for.
Rome Hotel Tax: What it Costs & How to Avoid It
You may have heard through the grapevine about Rome's new hotel tax , approved in late December 2010 and scheduled to begin January 2011.
Cheap Hostels in Assisi
The Umbrian town of Assisi isn't as big as the region's capital of Perugia, but because of the famous saint who bears the town's name - St.
Cheap Hotels in Assisi
Perugia is the capital city in Umbria , but the town of Assisi gets as much tourist attention - if not more - because it's the birthplace of St. Francis. (In fact, the sites associated with St.
Amalfi Hotel Review: Hotel La Bussola
Full Disclosure & Whatnot: Just so y'know, my stay at Hotel La Bussola was offered free by the hotel, and the folks at HostelsClub put me in touch with the hotel. My opinions are my own.
Naples Hotel Review: Hotel il Convento
Full Disclosure & Whatnot: Just so y'know, my stay at Hotel Il Convento was offered free by the hotel. My opinions are my own.
Palermo Apartment Review: Via Butera 28
Full Disclosure & Whatnot: Just so y'know, my stay at Via Butera was partially covered by HomeAway , partially comp'd by Via Butera, and partially paid for by me. My opinions are my own.
Cheap Hotels in Cagliari
If Sicily remains off the radar of most tourists, Sardinia is even further off the beaten path.
Cheap Hotels in Catania
Catania might not be the most famous city on the island of Sicily - that honor is typically reserved for Palermo - but it's home to the busiest airport on the island and it's a major port city.
Hostels in Naples City Center
Naples may not be as expensive a city to visit as Rome or Venice, but that doesn't mean it's not still a good idea to save money wherever you can when you go.
6 Reasons to Rent a Villa in Italy
Many of the people who dream of a vacation in Italy thinks about one of two things - visiting all the famous monuments and sights in a whirlwind tour of the country's highlights, and settling into a…
Cheap Hostels in Trieste
The city of Trieste is a stone's throw from the border of Slovenia, in a region that changed hands in almost every war.
Cheap Hostels in Cagliari
Sicily is far less visited than the regions of northern Italy, but it's overrun compared to the even more remote Italian island of Sardinia ( Sardegna , in Italian).
Cheap Hostels in Bari
The region of Puglia in the heel of Italy's boot is famous within Italy because of the many beaches that Italians flock to whenever they can.
Cheap Hostels in Catania
Sicily has a reputation both inside and outside Italy - some people think of it as more challenging to visit than other parts of Italy, some think it's where you find the "real" Italy.
Cheap Hostels in Genoa
The five lovely villages of the Cinque Terre may get all the press when it comes to Liguria, but the region's capital city is worth a visit, too.
Cheap Hostels in Turin
Places that have long been considered destinations of religious pilgrimage tend to have a good assortment of budget-friendly accommodation options to house the pilgrims.
Cheap Hostels in Palermo
The further south you go in Italy - especially as you get south of Rome - two things tend to happen.
Cheap Hostels in Siena
After the Tuscan capital city of Florence , Siena is the most often talked-about - and typically in gushing tones.
Cheap Hostels in Perugia
The Umbrian hilltop town of Perugia has long been famous for its university (especially popular with foreigners learning Italian) and its chocolate festival (held each October).
Cheap Hostels in Pisa
The vast majority of people pass through Pisa for - at most - a couple of hours in order to take one of those must-have photos of themselves "propping up" the leaning tower of Pisa .
Cheap Hostels in Positano
Positano is one of the many jewel-like towns on the Amalfi Coast, climbing out of the water and up the side of the cliffs.
Cheap Hostels in Sorrento
One of the most popular regions of Italy with visitors from all over the world is the Amalfi Coast - and with good reason. But it's also an expensive area to visit.
Cheap Hostels in Verona
Verona makes a popular day trip from Venice, but given how expensive it is to stay the night in the canal city you might want to think about reversing that trend and staying in Verona instead.
Cheap Hostels in Bologna
Bologna may be the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region and home to Europe's oldest university, but it tends to be just far enough of the tourist radar that the youthful energy you're likely to see…
Hotels in Florence Near the Pitti Palace
Florence's historic center is so easily walkable that if your hotel is within sight of one of the major monuments chances are very good it's only a short walk to pretty much all the other monuments,…
Cheap Hotels in Trieste
The area of Italy that includes and surrounds Trieste has changed hands so many times that many people who grew up around here speak a couple languages.