Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Convents & Monasteries
Some convents and monasteries let out cells or rooms as a modest revenue-making exercise and happily take in tourists,
while others only take in pilgrims or people on a spiritual retreat. Many impose a fairly early curfew, but prices tend to
be quite reasonable.
A useful, if slightly ageing, publication is Eileen Barish's
The Guide to Lodging in Italy's Monasteries
. A more recent
book on the same subject is Charles M Shelton's
Beds and Blessings in Italy: A Guide to Religious Hospitality
.
MonasteryStays.com
(
www.monasterystays.com
) A well-organised online booking centre for monastery and convent
stays.
In Italy Online
(
www.initaly.com/agri/convents.htm
)
Well worth a look for monastery and convent accommodations in
Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardy, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, Umbria and the Veneto. You
pay US$6 to access the online newsletter with addresses.
Chiesa di Santa Susana
(
www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html
)
This American Catholic church in
Rome has a list of convent and monastery accommodation options around the country on its website. Note that some
places are just residential accommodation run by religious orders and not necessarily big on monastic atmosphere. The
church doesn't handle bookings; to request a spot, you'll need to contact each individual institution directly.
Hostels
Ostelli per la gioventù
(youth hostels) are run by the
Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù
(AIG;
www.aighostels.com
)
, affiliated with
Hostelling International
(HI;
www.hihostels.com
)
. A valid HI card is required in
all associated youth hostels in Italy. You can buy one in your home country or direct at many hostels.
A full list of Italian hostels, with details of prices, locations and so on, is available online or from hostels throughout
the country. Nightly rates in basic dorms vary from around €16 to €30, which usually includes a buffet breakfast. You
can often get lunch or dinner for an extra €10 or so. Many hostels also offer singles/doubles (for around €30/50) and
family rooms.
A growing contingent of independent hostels offer some great alternatives to HI hostels. Many are barely distinguish-
able from budget hotels, with some offering sleek design and in-house perks like trendy bars and live music. One of
many hostel websites is
www.hostelworld.com
.
Hotels & Pensioni
There is often very little difference between a
pensione
(guesthouse) and an
albergo
(hotel). However, a
pensione
will
generally be of one- to three-star quality and is traditionally a family-run operation, while an
albergo
can sometimes be
awarded up to five stars.
Locande
(inns) previously fell into much the same category as
pensioni,
but the term has be-
come trendy in some parts and reveals little about the quality of a place.
Affittacamere
are rooms for rent in private
houses. They are generally simple affairs.
Quality can vary enormously and the official star system gives only limited clues. One-star hotels and
pensioni
tend to
be basic and usually do not offer private bathrooms. Two-star places are similar but rooms will generally have a private
bathroom. At three-star establishments you can usually assume reasonable standards. Four- and five-star hotels offer fa-
cilities such as room service, laundry and dry-cleaning.
Prices are highest in major tourist destinations. A
camera singola
(single room) costs from around €30. A
camera
doppia
(twin beds) or
camera matrimoniale
(double room with a double bed) will cost from around €50.
Tourist offices usually have booklets with local accommodation listings. Many hotels are also signing up with (stead-
ily proliferating) online accommodation-booking services. You could start your search at any of the following:
