Tips For Renting Vacation Apartments Or Homes In Italy And Beyond

by Dave Seminara on

Italy is an addictive place. You get a taste of it, and you want more. Indeed, one could spend a lifetime exploring Bella Italia and still not see everything. But with the Euro still relatively strong against the Dollar, it isn’t the most budget friendly travel destination for American travelers.

If you want to spend a week or more in any one town or city in Italy, you’ve probably considered renting a furnished apartment. Below you’ll find some tips for navigating the selection process and making the most of your experience.

Weigh your options- and your baggage. If you travel light, and don’t mind packing and unpacking frequently, renting an apartment might not make sense, unless you plan to spend a significant amount of time in one place, i.e. at least a week. Some landlords in Italy will rent by the night, but most do not. If you have kids or are less mobile, using one place as a base makes sense.

Take a look at the places you want to visit and look into the logistics of making day trips from your base. In some cases, the places you want to visit might not be easy or inexpensive to do as day trips. In choosing your base, try to find a place that’s a transportation hub and is big enough to have a wide variety of restaurants. Car rentals can be prohibitively expensive in Italy, especially if you can’t drive a stick, and gas is pricey, so finding a good hub and choosing your rental home or apartment near public transport is especially critical.Consider looking before you leap. There are a host of great sites for browsing vacation rentals, including Trip Advisor’s FlipKey, VRBO, HomeAway, Wimdu, AirBnb,9 Flats, Owner Direct, BB Planet, Ancora Italia, and a host of others. Depending on how long you plan to stay in a place, how risk averse you are, and how important it is not to unpack multiple times, you might consider booking a hotel or B & B for a night or two and then checking out apartments in person before you commit. You can make contact with owners through the aforementioned sites, set up appointments, and pick the one you like best.

This option is more time consuming, but if you want to make sure you find a place you like, it might be the best idea because it can be hard to gauge what an apartment is like based on website photos. (It’s amazing how misleading photos can be in some cases) When you’re on the ground, you can also gauge what the neighborhood is like, and you might be able to negotiate a better deal in person. That said, if you’re traveling during the high season in Italy, you might end up getting leftovers if you wait until you arrive to book.

Watch out for events and major holidays. If you plan to find an apartment after you arrive, contact the local tourism office and find out if there are any major events, festivals or conferences going on at the time you’ll be there. If you arrive in town during an unusually busy period without a reservation, you might be out of luck.

Make a list of the amenities you need. In contacting a host of different property owners, it’s easy to get mixed up with who promised what, so make a list of the things you think you need. For example, number and size of beds required, WIFI, A/C, shower with bathtub, crib, washing machine, (you won’t find dryers in Italy) dishwasher, etc.

Double check their location on Google maps. A lot of owners will try to be vague on the exact location of the apartment and won’t reveal the exact address until you pay them. Don’t accept their assurance that the place is centrally located on face value, and multiply all time estimates by 2. So if they say it’s a ten minute walk to town, assume it’s 20 to be on the safe side. (At least)

Clarify Internet capability if you need it. If a place advertises WIFI, you can expect it will generally be fast enough to send and receive email, but if you need to do more than that, it’s best to let the owner know that you need to work while you’re in the apartment. Ask them how fast and reliable their Internet connection is. If they’re noncommittal, and you need reliable Internet, look elsewhere.

WIFI can be very hit or miss in Italy, and you might find yourself sitting in your windowsill searching for neighbors’ unsecured connections. If you check out the place in person, I highly recommend bringing your laptop or mobile device and doing an Internet speed test on premises. If they have a modem, bring your own Ethernet cord and plug in- you’ll get better speed.

Watch out for Italian beds. Most mid range and high-end hotels in the U.S. have very high quality beds. Do not expect that level of comfort while renting apartments in Italy. In Italy, box springs aren’t commonplace and many apartment owners skimp on quality when it comes to buying mattresses. I’ve slept in beds that are about as soft and comfortable as the Rock of Gibraltar.

You can ask owners how comfortable the bed is and they will invariably tell you it’s comfortable but some are more convincing than others, and if they hesitate and waffle, you can bet that the bed isn’t very comfortable at all. Of course, the only way to find out for sure is to go check the place out in person, or comb the online reviews of the place.

Don’t be afraid to haggle. Depending on the situation, you might be able to get a substantial discount if you ask for one. The closer you inquire to your date of arrival, the better your chances. If an owner’s apartment is vacant a couple days before your arrival, an offer of 75-80% of their asking price might sound better to them than getting nothing for the week.

Clarify what’s included in the price. Some apartments charge extra for utilities, and items like heat can be very, very expensive in Italy. If you have to pay extra, get a firm range on how much the utilities might cost up front. Many owners also charge “cleaning fees,” so it’s also best to clarify that up front as well.

How equipped is it? Most apartment rentals will include enough supplies to do some basic cooking, but what’s included varies wildly. Some places will expect that you buy your own soap, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, etc. and some will not. If you’re only going to be there for a week, and need to go out and buy lots of essentials, the cost can add up quickly, but if the place is very well equipped, it can save you a lot of time and money.

Try to avoid payment in full, if you can. Even places that look great can sometimes have lots of problems that aren’t immediately apparent. If you’re staying in a place for a while, ask if you can pay for the first night or two up front and then pay the rest later. That way, if there are serious problems with the apartment, you have some leverage to extract yourself from the commitment. I’ve found that owners who have the best places tend to be fine with this arrangement, while the ones who have dodgy places are the most likely to object and want full payment immediately.

Ask how things work. Some landlords will assume you’ll figure out how all the various appliances work, but I think it’s always a good idea to walk around, test everything and ask questions before they leave.

Assisi’s Quiet Police

by Dave Seminara on

The 13th century Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy is one of the world’s most spectacular places of worship. From the moment you walk into this magical place, your eyes are drawn to the glorious frescoes, the stunning stained glass windows and the Franciscan Friars in their brown robes. But on a recent visit with my two little boys, ages 2 and 4, I was also captivated by a much less heralded institution: the Silencio Police.

Both the upper and lower basilicas have uniformed men, dressed like snazzy police officers complete with flat, wide brimmed hats who patrol the churches, scolding unruly visitors through wireless microphones. The first Silencio Cop we encountered had a voice that was so deep and gravely that it sounded like a Hollywood voice over for God, delivering an angry message to a non-believer.

When I first saw the Silencio Cop in his uniform, holding the microphone, I immediately conjured an image of the cop from the Village People. Only this guy didn’t sing YMCA, he had just three commands he imparted: “SILENCIO!” “SHHHHH!” Or “No Photo!” And they didn’t smile or dance, they just looked stern and grimaced at people.But most of the time, he just barked, “Silencio!” If the offender didn’t quiet down after that, he’d shush them to drive home his point. We visited the basilica on a busy Saturday afternoon and the place was packed, so there were plenty of people who got silencio’d, including my kids.

One could argue that the Silencio Cops were the loudest people in the place, but I was taken with them and the concept of policing quiet. I spent much of the rest of the day bellowing “SILENCIO!” at my children, who enjoyed returning the command. On the way out, I asked about the Silencio Cops and was told that they were paid security guards.

A place like the Basilica of St. Francis commands quiet but I think the concept should be expanded beyond places of worship. In an era of cellphones and a million other mobile devices, silence is becoming an increasingly rare commodity.

I would love to spend a day riding the Metro in Washington, D.C., the “L” in Chicago, or the subway in New York in an official looking uniform with a battery operated wireless microphone on silencio patrol. I would look for people talking too loudly on their cellphones, and then I’d silencio them, and if they ignored me, I’d follow up with a good old-fashioned shushing. It might not work, but it’d be a hell of a lot of fun.

Perugia: The Italian Town Haunted by Amanda Knox

by Dave Seminara on

The medieval city of Perugia is known for its chocolate, its well-respected universities, and for hosting one of the world’s premier Jazz festivals. But in the United States and Great Britain, this city of ancient, winding streets filled with fortress-like stone dwellings is inextricably linked to Amanda Knox, the American college student who was convicted and then acquitted of murdering Meredith Kercher.

The trials attracted a tsunami of reporters from around the world to this ancient Umbrian hill town and exposed a decadent sex, drugs and party subculture that has existed amongst the student population here for a long time. Various news reports indicated that the Knox-Kercher case has scared away British and American tourists and students but according to some in Perugia, the overall effect on tourism here may not be as grim as one might think.

Tourism officials here didn’t want to make an official comment on the effect of the Knox case on tourism in Perugia, but hotel managers and a local who rents apartments to tourists here told me that the publicity surrounding the case has brought more Italian tourists to Perugia, not less.

“Italians have a curiosity to come here and see where the murder took place,” said the apartment manager, who asked that I refrain from publishing his name. “They’re also visiting the island of Giglio to see where the Costa Concordia crashed. People have a fascination with these things.”The apartment manager and others here have told me that locals are nearly unanimous in their belief that Knox and her Italian boyfriend, Raffeale Sollicito, who no longer lives here, are guilty. The fact that Knox has received a book deal that could be worth close to $4 million has only hardened attitudes towards her here. (Kercher’s father is also set to release his own book) Sollicito reportedly finished a computer science degree in prison and, according to ABC News, recently had job interviews in the U.S.

Criticism of the Italian judicial proceedings, which were widely viewed in the U.S. as a travesty of justice, damaged national pride in Italy and created ill will towards Knox’s defenders in the U.S. I followed the trials and was relieved when Knox was acquitted on appeal because I don’t think there was anywhere near enough evidence to convict her of murder. I came to Perguia to see the city’s historical treasures but couldn’t resist taking a walk out to the house where Meredith Kercher was murdered. (see top photo)

As I arrived with my family in tow, a young Bangladeshi couple that now lives in the home were on their way out. They were accompanied by some relatives who were visiting from Great Britain who translated for us. The young man, whose name was Mohammed, just moved into the home four months ago, after emigrating from Bangladesh. The landlord never mentioned that a gruesome murder took place in the home but he wondered why tourists come by to photograph the place.

Initially, Mohammed asked me to take his photo and include it in this story, but I bumped into him later that evening- he sells novelty balloons on Corso Vanucci in the center of town- and he asked me to delete the photos of him from my camera.

The house is located behind an imposing fence on a busy street, very close to the University where Knox was a student. It’s considered a run-down area in Perugia but there is a very nice view of the surrounding countryside behind the home. I found no evidence of any memorial for Kercher, which is a shame.

After looking around the place for a few minutes, I felt like an intruder, even though Mohammed and his relatives were very friendly and seemed to want to ask us about the Knox case, which they had only a vague awareness of. The infamous house has new tenants and life goes on, but Perugia will never be the same.

For her part, Knox has stated that she still loves Perugia and would like to return to Italy, though it’s not likely she’ll do that anytime soon, given the fact that Italian prosecutors have appealed her acquittal. Her parents face defamation charges for comments they made about alleged mistreatment of their daughter by Perugia police officers and Knox is reportedly planning to testify via videoconference. For Perugia, there is no end in sight to the Knox case notoriety.

Da Michele Pizzeria In Naples: Is This Really The World’s Best Pizza?

by Dave Seminara on

There are tens, if not hundreds of thousands of pizzerias in the world. Trying to crown one place the best in the world is an absurd task and a fool’s errand. There are an infinite number of varieties and once you start evaluating toppings and specialty pizzas it’s impossible to make a direct comparison between one pizza and the next. But if you just consider classic Neapolitan style pizza without toppings, you can probably narrow the world’s best pizzerias down to the low hundreds.

One place that almost always makes it onto world’s best short lists is Da Michele, a family run pizzeria that’s been serving up Neapolitan pies since 1870, right after Italy became a unified country. Last week I was on a cruise that stopped in Naples for just half a day. My wife wanted to take an excursion to Pompeii but I wanted pizza.

I read that Julia Roberts ate at Da Michele in “Eat, Pray, Love” and concluded that Da Michele was probably a tourist trap. I normally avoid such places but I wanted to see if the hype was justified.

My wife took our 2-year-old to Pompeii and my 4-year-old and I turned up at Da Michele just as they opened at 10.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. At midday, the place can be a zoo, but in the morning it’s very quiet. It’s an ordinary looking place and the moment I saw an old man who later introduced himself as Luigi Condurro, (see photo above) dressed in a shirt, tie and white jacket, stoking the wood fired oven, I knew the place wasn’t a tourist trap.
Luigi is one of Michele’s four sons who preside over the place. They serve two types of pizza – margherita or Bianca, with no toppings. Normal size pizzas are 4 euros, and a large is just 5. A big bottle of water goes for 2 euros. This is a place that could be charging much more but isn’t.

We start with a large margherita and it looks amazing coming out of the oven, but it doesn’t appear to look different than other wood fired margheritas I’ve had in the U.S. and other parts of Italy. After taking a few photos of this round little work of art on our table, we sliced it up and dove in.

After my first bite, I had to stifle a laugh. Why was I so quick to assume that this place was overrated? The look on my face as I ate this remarkable pie must have been one of shear bliss. I couldn’t stop smiling. I’ve never taken ecstasy but both Leo and I were sort of overcome with happiness as we savored the perfect blend of crust, sauce and Buffalo mozzarella.

“This pizza is outrageous!” my son said, and he was right. It was ridiculously good. The sauce was sweet and a bit tangy, just right. My son normally tosses crusts, but in this case, he devoured every delicious bite. And the cheese was so good that when a clump of it oozed off of my son’s first slice and onto the floor, he wanted to scoop it up and eat it – and I almost let him. We downed our large margherita and decided to order a regular size Bianca. It was almost as good and we finished every last morsel until we were in a very happy little food coma.

How do I evaluate this pie against some of my favorite places in the U.S. like Joe & Pat’s in Staten Island and Frank Pepe’s in New Haven? It’s difficult to say without tasting them side-by-side, and even harder because I usually get clams or sausage on my pie at those places. But there’s something about having a pizza prepared by Luigi in the birthplace of pizza that makes this place special.

But what made the experience even better was the bill. The large margherita was 5 euros, the normal Bianca was 4 and our large bottle of water was 2, for a grand total of 11 euros. An individual size pizza in trendy places on the east cost can go for more than that alone. In the U.S. these days, Neapolitan style pizza is trendy and you pay accordingly, but in Naples, it’s an everyday food, no different than bread or water.

Da Michele could have very easily turn itself into a tourist trap, catering to foreigners, but instead, it’s still a neighborhood place, where people stop in to pick up pizzas for a song. I don’t know if it or anyplace else can be called the best in the world, but if you consider both price and quality, this place may take the prize.

Photos Of Cool Cliff Castles

by Elizabeth Seward on

Nobody minds seeing photos of dreamy castles, especially if the photos are of cool cliff castles. Towering over steep slated valleys and crashing waves, Woman’s Day has a great roundup of these kinds of castles on their website here. Featuring castles in Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Tibet, Yemen, USA and India, these photos are the thread with which fantasies are sewn. Knights in shining armor, damsels in distress, drawbridges and dragons, anyone? I’m pretty sure these castles were the backdrops behind the stories surrounding all of those things. For that, these are places worth visiting. And you know what they (by ‘they’, I mean ‘me’) say: if you can’t visit, look at photos online.