Tips for AirBnb Italy: Where to stay in Florence and Rome

March 16, 2016 By

Originally thought of as only a step up from couch surfing, Airbnb has caught on with family travelers in the US. But what about using Airbnb while traveling abroad? We used Airbnb exclusively throughout Italy, and found the process to be just as secure and convenient as in the states. If anything, Airbnb Italy owners were even easier to work with, and the lodging savings were even better!

airbnb-italy

Airbnb Italy: Where to stay in Florence and Rome

When renting with Airbnb, it can be hard to know much about the apartment owner or manager. Will he or she be the type to welcome you with a bottle of wine and a binder of suggested itineraries, or be more hands off? You can’t be certain, but while reading reviews, look for information about the owner in addition to the apartment itself. The ‘best’ owners will receive glowing reviews of their own.

We had the pleasure of staying in this lovely Florence apartment, which was only steps from the central Ponte Vecchio bridge. Tucked away behind a pottery shop, this apartment was absolutely ideal. (The photo above is the actual entrance to this apartment.) Better yet, no one was using the owner’s second apartment rental, and she graciously offered our family both. For the first time in a week, our family of five was able to spread out. Our owner was the ‘bottle of wine upon arrival’ type, and even scoured the neighborhood for Christmas Day restaurant reservations for us. Truly, this was above and beyond.

airbnb-apartment

The apartment we rented had a living room, bedroom with extra day bed, and pull-out bed to sleep five. There was a full kitchen (without oven…just stove top) and a dining table. All the little things were there: a hair dryer, shampoo and soap, detergent, and kitchen staples such as olive oil and coffee filters. A grocery store was located just around the corner.

airbnb-florence

We had a small patio and air conditioning and heat, plus the second apartment with all the same amenities. In fact, the apartment layouts are almost identical. The only exception: the bedroom is bigger in the lower apartment and the living space is bigger in the upper apartment.

In Rome, we rented from Airbnb again, and again, we had a great experience with the owner in terms of the accommodations, communication, and ease. We rented this unit, which was located in an upper middle class neighborhood directly on the Tiber. We were in easy walking distance of the Vatican area, a ten minute walk to Piazza Populo and Villa Borghese, and only meters from the Metro station where we could grab a train to other points in the city. Our longest ‘commute’ was to the Centro Storico (old city) where we spent a lot of time. It was a thirty minute walk without much in terms of metro access, but the entire way was scenic.

rome-apartment

This apartment was by far the roomiest we had in Europe, with two bathrooms (a luxury!) and three bedrooms (one of which could be a living room space instead). The kitchen is very small, but we used it for snacks and breakfasts, opting to eat out for dinners. The grocery store is just around the corner, though it does close early and open late by American standards. We felt very secure here, as the apartment building had a doorman and a very elegant lobby. We loved all the space we enjoyed here; our only complaint: the street noise could get loud. I used ear plugs.

What to expect with any Airbnb rental in Italy:

  • Communication from the owner. You should hear from them within a week of your check-in date, with detailed instructions for finding the apartment and asking about your arrival time. Download the AirBnB app for the easiest communication.
  • Personal greeting. You will be met at the apartment by the owner or manager and given a tour.
  • A per-night, per-person lodging fee. This is paid in cash to the owner (usually at the end of the stay). It’s 2,50 euro per person, per night in most cases.
  • Feedback left for you after you depart. Remember to leave the owner feedback as well. This helps both of you for future trips.

What to expect only sometimes:

  • Some apartments require a deposit, usually in cash, which is returned before your departure. It will be disclosed whether this is required in the apartment description on AirBnB.
  • Some will have a bottle of Italian wine ready for you to uncork. Others won’t even have a bottle opener in the house. You just never know!

How to use Airbnb to rent a room (and when to consider it)

February 23, 2015 By

We often recommend booking a vacation rental when traveling with kids: doing so allows families to travel more authentically, comfortably, and cheaply. But would you rent a single room in a stranger’s home?

how-to-use-airbnb

The vacation rental site airbnb offers rental homes and apartments to traveling families, much like companies such as HomeAway or VacationRoost. However, they also list single rooms, which are rented out in local’s homes. Honestly, I’d always prefer renting an entire home or apartment, as I’m a private person, but sometimes, cost or availability in the city to which I’m traveling has me considering a room rental.

My airbnb room rental experience:

In anticipation of using airbnb for an upcoming family trip to Europe, I decided to rent a room in Salt Lake City during the annual Outdoor Retailer show. It was the perfect time to try airbnb, as the city’s hotel rooms were sold out or unreasonably priced for this major event. I was traveling to Salt Lake City solo, so I needed less space, and was on a budget. I wouldn’t be in my room much during the day, so a nice hotel experience wasn’t necessary.

Checking airbnb four months prior to the show, I had no trouble finding suitable rooms to rent. My criteria:

  1. The room needed to be on or near a public transit line, in a safe neighborhood.
  2. The room needed to include a private bathroom.
  3. The room needed to be under $50/night. Bonus: it would be great if the home owner on the listing didn’t look too shady.

I quickly found this room listing which met my criteria. It lists for $30/night (far lower than a hotel room rate, of course), and comes with a private bathroom. The host is a woman with kids, which made me comfortable (wrong or right, this was my feeling as a woman traveling alone).

Once I’d contacted the host via airbnb and was accepted, I paid for the room via invoice through the site and was given a receipt, plus additional information from the host (such as the exact address). I was then sent a reminder text the week before my trip. My total payment was $157 for four nights ($30/night, plus cleaning fee and service fee from airbnb).

How did it turn out? I had a very pleasant stay. The house was in a nice, quiet neighborhood only 15 minutes from everywhere I needed to be. While, true, I was a guest in a stranger’s home, I never felt ‘weird’ about it…at least not much. While I was welcomed, the host family did their thing, and I did mine. I was given a key to the house, and told which areas were ‘mine’ to inhabit. My space was in the finished basement, which worked out just fine. If I’d had the whole family along, I would have felt like too much of an intrusion, so for those times, I’ll look for airbnb rentals where families can rent the entire house. For a solo adult, or a couple, however, my arrangement was perfect. Here’s a shot of my room:

airbnb-rental

Tips for renting a single room on airbnb:

1. Know what you’re getting. Because airbnb rental rooms are listed by individuals and are located in private homes, every one will be different. Some come with a shared bathroom (shared with the host family), while others are shared with other guests in additional rooms. If you want a private bathroom, search with this in mind.

Some room rentals come with breakfast, but most come only with kitchen space, so you can bring your own food with you and cook as needed. In some cases, mingling and socializing with the hosts is encouraged, and in others, discouraged. Searching the site, I didn’t have much trouble deducing which rentals had a lively social atmosphere and which were quieter. It helps to read the user reviews to know if hosts or other housemates were loud, enjoyed music late at night, or were generally unfriendly.

2. Remember you’ll be in someone’s home. Obviously, this means you’ll be respectful of property and people, but it also means there might be environmental elements you are not used to. The hosts may have pets (this is disclosed) or may smoke in the home. Most seem to allow smoking (outside) and alcoholic beverages, but some do stipulate rules, as is their right.

3. Research a potential rental room’s neighborhood. You are not given an exact address until your rental request is accepted by the host, but each room listing does include a city map and a fairly accurate idea of where the house is. Make sure it’s in a safe neighborhood, will offer public transit if you need it, or parking space for your vehicle.

Have you rented a vacation room in a private home? What was your experience?