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Where to sleep
Seas
and mountains,
ancient feuds and modern cities, art
and culture continue to attract in Italy young visitors
from all over the world. The tourist accomodation in the Beautiful
Country, famous for its generous hospitality, is wide and
varied.
Besides the most traditional and popular accomodation solutions,
such as the tourist hotels or villages, alternative proposals
have stood out and more adapted to the young travellers' pockets.
From the camping sites to the hostels, whose net is quite
thick both in the holiday resorts and in the art cities, to
the farm holiday, a buttonhole of the green tourism. From
the alpine shelters, for people keen on mountains and pure
air, to the hospitality in Italians's houses, with the formula
Bed & Breakfast. And much more: the apartment and hospitality
exchange.
In our web site you can find useful information so as to organize
an accomodation ad hoc in Italy: link to guides, maps, associations,
directories, besides an accurate selection of Internet sites.
.
Italy is scattered with public
tourist offices, organized on territorial base, to provide
data and information of general interest. In order to forward
your requests, those who live abroad can contact the Enit office
(the Italian National Agency for the tourism) of their country.
Lodging,
hotel and pensions
In the Italian language the terms
"alberghi" and "hotel" are used without
any difference. Along the peninsula beyond thirty thousand
hotels are scattered. The official classification is expressed
in "stars" rather than in the traditional categories.
The stars go from one, for a modest hotel, to five, for a
luxury hotel. Hotels from one to three stars are called also
"pensions". The prices vary according to the category,
the place and the period of stay.
5 stars: luxury hotels.
4 stars: 1st category hotels.
3 stars: 2nd category hotels and 1st category pensions.
2 stars: 3rd category hotels and 2nd category pensions.
1 star: 3rd category hotels and 3rd category pensions.
Hotel Card: price reductions
and discounts
With this card it is possible to obtain price reductions and
convenient rates in many agreed hotels and restaurants in
all Italy, which can be recognized through an adhesive with
acronym "HC".
For information:
- Dossier Srl
piazza Italia 285 - 55100 Lucca - tel. +390583/584818
Useful References:
- Hotel Reservation Centre in all Italy: 800/015772
Free telephone Service that permits to have information
on the hotels, the costs and the availability of the places.
It offers also a free service of research and reservation
in all the localities of Italy.
- ITWG.COM Group: http://www.itwg.com/
Tour operator that gathers various hotel chains in Italy.
For telephone reservations from Italy: 800/998900, from
a foreign country +39058/3907835
E-mail: reservation@itwg.com
Tourist Guides
The addresses and the services offered by hotels can be easily
consulted on all the tourist guides or at ENIT (Italian National
Tourist Office) offices in the main foreign cities.
Here the most recognized Italian guides:
- Tourist guide of Italy, Touring Italian Club.
It offers a selection of 4500 hotels and restaurants taking
advantage of the collaboration of experts. In Italian.
- Michelin Italia, Michelin.
. Annual guide of hotels and Italian restaurants selected
by Michelin. In Italian and French.
- Italy, Lonely Planet.
One of the most loved guides by young people from all over
the world.
Looking for a hotel in Italy:
Tourist
villages
Tourist villages are structures managed above
all by tour operators and available in the holiday resorts,
at the seaside and in mountain. They offer several organized
activities: guided excursions, sports courses, recreational
services and animation. They are marked by four, three and
two stars, according to the services, the location, the recreational
ad sports equipments that they offer.
Holidays in tourist villages go generally from week in week
and can be bought in travel agencies. The prices vary according
to the period of the year but they are never particularly
cheap, except in the last minute offers. In Italy it is high
season in July and August, in Christmas and Easter time.
Useful References:
- Alpitour: http://www.alpitour.it
One of the main Italian tour operators. Its offers are all
included tourist packages, tourist villages, single flight,
just hotel. The destinations covered are numerous.
- Valtur: http://www.valtur.it/villaggi.htm
- E-mail: scrivi@valtur.it
Site of the tour operator that proposes various activities:
diving, golf, well-being, sea, residence, cruises, offering
"three people leave and just two of them pay "
and moreover one free week for every week you book.
- Francorosso International: http://www.francorosso.it
Another excellent tour operator that proposes travels for
all the tastes, all the periods of the year and all the
wallets. There are links to other tourist resources.
- I Grandi Viaggi: http://www.igrandiviaggi.it/
GV is as of today one of the most important tour operator
on the market.
From years 90 Grandi Viaggi decide to dedicate itself to
the direct management of the villages and then of the resort.
The proposals are interesting!
- Kuoni Gastaldi: http://www.kuonigastaldi.it/destinazioni.cfm
E-mail: infotours@kuonigastaldi.it
Tour operator with a programming that goes from the North
and South America to Australia, from the Pacific to the
Caribbeanses.
- Ventaglio: http://www.ventaglio.com/
- E-mail: ventaglio@ventaglio.it
The web pages, characterized by a lively design, contain
information on all the villages of "I Viaggi del Ventaglio".
- Scubatour: http://www.scubatour.net/soggiorni.asp
First tour operator specialized in underwater tourism in
the five continents: travels, cruises and archaeology sub.
- Fuorirotta: http://www.fuorirotta.it/viaggi/viaggi.asp
- E-mail: info@fuorirotta.it
Young tour operator for far journeys from the most beaten
tracks.
Camping Sites
The free camping site, compulsorily forbidden
just in Valle d'Aosta, follows rules that vary from zone to
zone. The same is for the stop with camper and caravan. In
most of the Italian communes free camping site is forbidden
on the beach. In some places it is even forbidden to sleep
on the beach under the stars!
In Italy there are more than 2000 camping sites subdivided
in four categories, estimated in stars, as well as for the
hotels. A 4 star camping site offers many services: swimming
pool, market, bars, enormous lay-bys, shadow and much more.
Price reductions and discounts
The International Camping Card (international cards) is accepted
also in Italy. The card is not necessary in order to have
access to camping sites but it permits to obtain some price
reductions and an insurance cover. In Italy you can become
a member at Federcampeggio centres:
- Federcampeggio
corso Vittorio Emanuele 11 - Calenzano (FI) - tel. +39055/882391
- +39055/8825918
http://www.federcampeggio.it/
- E-mail: federcampeggio@tin.it
The site of the Italian Federation of the Campers has a
lot of useful information and a guide to the camping sites
and to the halt areas . Index-book dedicated to price reductions
and discounts.
Useful References:
- Tourist camping sites and villages in Italy, Italian
Touring Club.
Selection of the best 700 Italian camping sites and description
of all their characteristics.
- http://www.camping.it
Guide to Italian camping sites and tourist villages. In
Italian, French, German and English.
- http://www.italiacampeggi.com
Selection of the best Italian camping sites and many useful
information. In Italian and English.
- http://www.italiavacanze.it
A complete guide on the tourism in the open air. In Italian
and English.
- http://www.guideuro.it
A guide to tourist camping sites and villages
in Italy with guides of all Europe.
Farm holidays
Agritourism is the buttonhole of the Italian
receptivity. It means holidays in the countyside, in agricultural
companies or rural houses: in short, authentic green tourism.
A way to make use of all the resources offered by nature,
from the landscape to the produces of the land. An unique
opportunity to spend an holiday in the harmony of a mansion
steeped in the green, in order to meet the traditions of our
countries, first of all the oenogastronomic one. Ideal for
those who love the rural life, and even dream about a walk
on horseback as far as the sea.
Agritourism offers solutions for all the tastes, from the
refined to the simplest ones. In many small farms it is possible
to pitch a tent or to stay in camper.
You sleep in rooms or in independent apartments, generally
with the formula of the half boarding, that is with overnight
stay and a meal: excellent occasion so as to taste the typical
and genuine products of the small farms.
It is necessary to keep in mind that the accomodation in agritourism
is quite different from the one in hotel: you have to establish
a familiar relationship and respect with the farmer who gives
hospitality and with the environment.
In order to find precise indications on the farm stay possibilities
there are many guides, both at national and at regional level.
They point out the features of every house or agricultural
company, the typical products available, the entertainment
possibilities and the tourist routes.
In order to reserve and to decide the type of stay the farm
companies can be directly contacted.
- National association Green Tourism: http://www.turismoverde.it/
via Caio Mario 27 - 00192 Rome - tel. +3906/32687430
E-mail: turismoverde@cia.it
Useful Information, interesting index-books, a selection
of small farms at child measure, online farm guide and special
assurances.
- Agriturist - National Association for the Farm
holidays, the environment, the territory: http://www.agriturist.it/
corso Vittorio Emanuele 101 - 00186 Rome - tel. +3906/6852342
E-mail: agritur@confagricoltura.it
The National association for the Farm holidays puts on the
net a lot of information on beyond 1700 farm companies.
The site contains a database with beyond 1600 farm companies
in Italy. Through a search engine it is possible to select
or the farm company or the place you are interested in.
The research is possible also through an interactive map.
Useful references:
- Agriclub http://www.agriclub.it/
The first portal with beyond 5000 companies and availability
online.
- AgriItalia http://www.agriitalia.it/
AgriItalia contains numerous farm companies scattered in
all Italy. It is possible to point out the most typical
agritourism adapted to your particular needs, selecting
a region on the interactive map, from the directory placed
on a side, or using a key word directly with the internal
search engine.
- Agriline http://www.agriline.it/agritour/agri_ita/default.htm
It is possible to make a research by Region of all the agritourism
present in Italy.
- Agripił http://www.agripiu.it/
Site of the Italian agritouristic chain. It shows the companies
that join the circuit "Tradition and nature".
- Agrisport http://www.agrisport.com/
Webzine that contains addresses for Farm holidays and oenotourism
in the world.
- Farm holidays http://www.agriturismi.it/
Portal of the farm holidays in Italy: directory of beyond
5000 farm holidays present on our peninsula, last minute
offers, reviews, guides and books, photo of agritourisms
and possibility to insert some new ones.
- Farm holidays in Italy http://www.primitaly.it/agriturismi/index.html
The site contains descriptive files for each agritourism,
so as to know the services offered by each one, with a comfortable
consultation for region and province of origin.
- Farm holidays http://farm.italytourist.it/
Portal dedicated to the holiday in the nature. Possibility
of reservations on line, gastronomic advices and information
on the Natural Parks of the Beautiful Country.
- Farm companies http://agri-turismo.com/index.html
It contains the first archives on places availability in
real time in the Italian agritouristic companies.
- Farm holidays ABC Italy http://www.abcitaly.com/descsi/agriturismo.html
Complete directory of the Italian sites dedicated to the
farm holidays, with pages describing each agritourism.
- Agriturismo.com http://www.agriturismo.com/
Agriturismo.com is a specialized online guide for farm holidays,
managed by an agritouristic operator with a fifteen year
experience, therefore sensitive to the topics connected
to the field. Images and descriptions of Italian agritouristic
companies are supplied.
- Agriturismo.net http://www.agriturismo.net/welcome_i.html
Agriturismo.net is a complete guide of agritourism available
in Italy. It is possible to find the accomodation more adapted
to your needs using an internal search engine and visualizing
it with photos, description and prices.
- Italy farm holidays http://www.agriturismitaliani.it
The site permits to explore offers of the tourist companies
region by region.
- Agriturismo punto partenza http://agriturismo.puntopartenza.it/
(Farm holidays point departure)
The site contains an excellent database with various farm
companies subdivided into region.
- Farm holidays http://www.agriturismovacanze.com/
The site proposes a list of Italian farm holidays organized
into regions. It is possible to click on an interactive
map or to use the directory of the site in order to select
the agritouristic company more adapted to your needs.
- Aiab http://www.aiab.it/agriturismi/
Guide to the Bio-ecological farm holidays.
- Inagriturismo http://www.inagriturismo.com/
Beyond 1500 Italian companies subdivided into Regions.
- Inyourlife http://www.inyourlife.it/
A list of farm holidays, villas, castles, apartments and
rooms scattered all over Italy is available clicking on
an interactive map or on voices of a lateral menu.
- Italytourist http://www.italytourist.it/
Another Italian portal that deals with farm holidays, receptive
structures present in our country. It is possible to make
a research by region and locality.
In Italian and English.
- Structures in net http://www.agritour.net/
Information and possibility of reservations on line of approximately
80 farm companies, with a section dedicated to all the islands.
- Terra nostra http://www.terranostra.it/
Association for the farm holidays, the environment and the
territory that promotes the green tourism and the exploitation
of the rural world. The site is rich of information.
- Tourweb http://www.tour-web.com/txttghp.htm
Site regarding gastronomy and farm holidays with indication
of the addresses you have to ask for more information.
- Viagginrete-it http://www.viagginrete-it.it/categoryricerca.asp?Category=agriturismo
Detailed files of some farm holidays present in Italy.
- Vinit - Farm holidays http://www.vinit.net/Agriturismo
The site proposes a section of a wine-gastronomical guide
dedicated to farm holidays.
- Ware http://www.ware.it/Agritour
Site that offers a complete guide on farm holidays with
possibility to make reservations on line.
Shelters
and bivouacs
Our territory hosts more than 3000 alpine shelters,
namely receptive structures located in places not easy to
reach and different from hotels. Generally shelters are located
between 1500 and 4000 meters of altitude, in the Alps and
the Apennines, and you can arrive there on foot, after more
or less long and exacting trekking: an experience that people
keen on mountain and on sport shouldn't miss!
There are guarded, not guarded shelters and simple bivouacs.
The cost is cheap and the quality of the service is simple
and always gentle.
The shelters are of CAI 's property, the Italian Alpine Club.
You can find useful information at CAI centres. Here the address
of the headquarter:
- CAI - Club Alpino Italiano: http://www.cai.it/ - http://www.racine.ravenna.it/cailugo/
via Petrella Errico 19 - 20124 Milan - tel. +3902/26141378-26141395
E-mail: infocailugo@racine.ra.it
Official Site for the management of the CAI shelters. Here
you find the directory of the shelters subdivided into geographic
areas, the regulations, the rates and the online reservations
service. In Italian, English and German.
Useful references:
- Alta Quota: http://www.altaquota.it/
Trekking, information on the roads, the shelters and the
stages. Many news of current time.
Hostels
Youth hostels continue to be one of the cheapest
accomodation, and not only for young travellers. A decorous
stay, also without all the comfort of a hotel, that offers
the opportunity to know people from all over the world and
even to make new friendships.
How to have access:
For being able to avail of the Italian hostels it is necessary
to have the international associative card IYHF or that Italian
AIG. The card costs 16 euro for those who are more than 21
years and 12 for those who are younger and is valid one year.
In Italy the card can be bought at AIG centres, in some Youth
Centres, CTS centres
(Student Tourist Centre), Offices
of Tourism and hostels.
The AIG, the Italian Youth Hostels Association, is associated
to the IYHF, International Youth Hostel
Federation, that accounts for 5000 hostels all over the world.
- AIG: http://www.ostellionline.org/
via Cavour 44 - 00184 Rome - tel. +3906/4871152-4747541
E-mail: aig@uni.net
Besides information on the association in the web site you
find a map of the hostels in Italy and in the world, a list
of discounts in Italy, Booking Centres, advices for holidays
and stays. In Italian and English.
Prices
The cost of the overnight stay in hostel varies between 8
and 13 euro. The rate comprises the sheet hire and in general
the heating, the warm water and breakfast.
Discounts
There are discounts for group of students composed of a minimum
of four people, for associations and families with sons up
to eighteen years.
The annual card gives right to price reductions on:
- railway-tickets and ferries,
- on the purchase of the Student International Card (ISIC),
- on the Hertz rent cars.
Timetables
AArrival and accomodation: between 15.30 and 22.
Breakfast, payment and departure: between 7 and 10. Night
closing at 23.30.
The timetable can be extended at the hostel's discretion.
Reservations
The reservation is necessary for groups of beyond 4 people.
In any case it is advisable to reserve in tourist cities and
in high season time. The sleeping places reserved are kept
until 17 p.m. of the day expected for the arrival.
The groups up to 9 people can reserve through IBN (International
Booking Network) service from all the centres of the Association
of the Youth Hostels of the world. The service costs 2 dollars
and you must pay in advance the entire cost of the stay.
Useful references:
- http://www.iyhf.org/
Youth Hostels in the world gives information on how to find
a hostel in all the globe. Once selected the country, you
can look for the hostel of reference.
- http://www.hostels.com/europe.html
A guide with the list and the information on the hostels
in Europe. Organized in geographic areas, it is enough therefore
to select the country you are interested in.
- http://www.eurotrip.com/hostels
List of the main hostels in Europe with the readers'comments,
reviews, etc.
Living
at Italians' houses
What is necessary for those who choose this
type of accomodation is the availability and the spirit of
adaptation to the hosts 'lifestyle. Bed & Breakfast, hospitality
and houses exchange are all excellent way to get to know closer
the culture of a country.
Bed and Breakfast
Bed and Breakfast is a Formula Famous in all Europe: night
and breakfast at a convenient price in the room of a private
house. In Italy there are more and more organizations which
take care of this type of accomodation, that is more and more
diffused.
Useful references:
- Sweet House. Italian quality Bed and Breakfast,
Graphical Art.
In English, French, German, Italian.
- Bed & Breakfast in Italy, Italian Touring Club
- http://www.bbitalia.com/
An organization that takes care of tourist hospitality in
private houses, with rooms and apartments in the historical
centres of the most important Italian cities. In Italian
and English.
- http://www.primitaly.it/bb/
Complete guide to Italian Bed and Breakfast and many interesting
topics. Moreover it is a guide to farm holidays, villas
and country houses. In Italian.
- http://www.bbholiday.com
Italian simple, fast, and very detailed search engine .
More than 1200 addresses and several tourist information.
In Italian.
- http://www.bedandbreakfastineurope.com/
Bed & Breakfast of many European regions. Every address
has its descriptive card with street photos, indications,
activity and prices. In five languages.
Hospitality Exchange
The main organization of exchanges in Italy is Servas, an
international noprofit orgaization of voluntary service, open
to everybody. It has a social aim: to make people coming from
various countries meet and know each other, to host those
travellers who wish to have human and social contacts. Therefore
it is not indispensable to exchange again the hospitality,
you can simply host or be hosted. Here the address of Servas:
House Exchange
There always more and more houses exchangers for holidays.
With the arrival of Internet, the old rumours nearly carbonaro
is within a clic. Today a lot of travellers leave their apartment
in exchange for another to fellows with similar requirements
and tastes. And they make it with nearly zero cost.
From where you start
In order to participate, you have to address to the local
agencies of the international organizations that manage the
exchanges and to pay a registration fee that is between 70
and 100 euro. The photos and the documentation on your house
are inserted in the catalogue of the houses at your disposal.
Just think that in the exchange of apartments are comprised
cars and boats.
Otherwise you can register yourself via Internet or fax in
the several web sites of associations, agencies, self made
tour operator that are increasing on the net. The quota to
consult and to make offers and requests is between 20 and
80 dollars. It is difficult to be swindled because the agreement
stipulated between single individuals does not have any other
interests except, indeed, for the same stay.
Italian companies who adhere to
house exchange international circuit:
Useful References:
- http://www.home-swap.com/
Among the addresses specialized on this matter, the site
of the Australian Latitudes Home Exchange has an Internet
branch in Rome that manages an Italian pole of exchanges.
- http://www.homelink.org/
Very useful in order to look for and to offer accomodation.
Many offers equipped with photos in the beautiful Italian
localities. In five languages.
- http://www.familylinks.it/
It promotes the meeting between single individuals and families
from various countries and cultures. It organizes houses
exchanges for holidays, aupair-job and hospitality of students.
In Italian and English.
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