Apartment in Italy (2-3 months)?

[Aurora]

Hi there,

I fell in love with Italian language (and am in love with it's culture for a long time) - so I decided to really take some time for getting to know Italy and also improve my Italian language skills.
My trip will start in May, I'll be solo travelling and I'm 33 years old.
Two decisions are to be made and I would hiiighly appreciate your opinion or advice on this:

1) Which city?
Cities I considered so far:
(a) Rome: expensive, too international for learning Italian?, very big and loud, a lot to do and see
(b) Florence: beautiful, also expensive, very touristy, is it still authentic?
(c) Bologna: student city (too many young people not my age?)

2) Where to stay?
...and if I decide for a city, how can I find an apartment? I already checked websites, but cannot find any hints if these apartments would be available for a short time as well. In Germany we have special words for renting apartments short-time, but I couldn't find sth like that in the offered ads.
Anyone has experiences with that?

Thanks for reading

Any idea or advice is very welcome!
Aurora

 

[Ian Sutton]

Bologna is a big city, which allows it to absorb students, some tourists, business and large conventions, yet still be itself. There's a wide mix of ages

I'd steer clear of major tourist locations if wanting to embed.

Some thoughts:
- May a lovely time of year for exploring, but as it moves into June and July, it can get very hot. Having somewhere with access to a pool might be sensible, or indeed being prepared to move to escape the heat (or to a location used to it)
- Solo can become a bit lonely, so think about what hobbies and interests might allow you a natural way to mix with locals - even to the point of looking online for clubs / social gatherings etc. in potential locations e.g. we once joined a lovely walking group around Castino, Piemonte for a day. We also had a lovely offer to join up with the funghi enthusiasts around Asti. Italians can be wonderfully welcoming to outsiders. Just find ways to make the connection.
- Humdrum better than famous? On the whole I would say yes, for embedding into the culture. Small towns often seem to bring out the best in Italian friendliness and hospitality, whereas the tourist hotspots can make the locals somewhat jaded about visitors. So think about tossing the guidebooks to one side and grab a map, and find a setting that appeals, exploring the local small towns and villages.
- That said, it's still ok to be a tourist on some days, so make sure there are places you'd love to travel to for day trips.
- We've never done longer term rentals, but IIRC 'affittacamere' is a useful search term for longer rentals, but don't be afraid to seek the advice of the local tourist office. Some are very helpful.

Suggestions:
- If wanting a big, but only moderately touristed city, as well as Bologna, I'd recommend Torino. It's vibrant and lively, with lots to interest nearby, with similarly excellent food.
- If wanting somewhere of real charm, where walking and cycling win out over the motor car, then Ferrara is a bit of a gem.
- If leaning into the heat, then some of the Puglian towns might appeal e.g. Martina Franca, Ostuni etc.

 

[Tina]

Ian gives good advice.
If your trip starts in May, which is an ideal time, it'll go into June, still nice, and July, hot, busy and expensive, and holiday time for Italians.
If your objective is to try to get to know local people I'd avoid the big cities. A small town would be your best bet. The sort of place where if you go into a shop or bar two days running they remember you.
But getting to know the language isn't as automatic as people might think even if you do spend a few months in a place. It might be worth doing some sort of Italian language course at the same time.
For longer term accommodation you could try subito.it
Or contact places you find on airbnb to see if they would be interested in a longer let. But you would need to do that reasonably soon because people will already be taking bookings for July.....

 

[JMichael]

I agree with others on a preference for smaller communities. Have you considered staying at an agritourismo for part or all of your time? I did a quick Google search for "agritourismo learn Italian" and found this place near Montipulciano: https://www.agriturismolabruciata.it/en/activities/tuscany-tours/italian-language-school.html
I know nothing about them but can certainly recommend the area.

 

[Alpinista]

I always start with Lucca for recommendations. Smaller and easier to navigate, but close to Florence, Pisa, the coast, the hill towns of the Serchio Valley. Nice restaurants and great local atmosphere.

For study of Italian, I'd kind of lean away from areas with strong regional dialects that might not reinforce your core Italian.

 

[BEERMAN]

Hello! I'm also interested in where to search for monthly rentals. Ian thanks I searched airbnb with affittacamere and found monthly's. Many asking crazy steep prices there. Ill try subito.it later.

I think we'll need a year or so to plan this type of travel. We have responsibilties/property that will need managing while away for 3 months. Family and friends are great for 2 weeks dog sitting, but 3 months is a bit much to ask?.....or is it HA!!!

 

[Tina]

Beerman, a lot of hosts on Airbnb (including me for example) don't give a low monthly rate online because it can lead to odd requests, but it's definitely worth contacting a place you like explaining who you are (links to blogs included) and why you'd like to stay with them. As long as you avoid July and August many hosts would be happy to do a longer stay low season when otherwise they'd be looking at two/three night stays over the weekend with empty nights in between - a lot of hassle.

 

[BEERMAN]

Beerman, a lot of hosts on Airbnb (including me for example) don't give a low monthly rate online because it can lead to odd requests, but it's definitely worth contacting a place you like explaining who you are (links to blogs included) and why you'd like to stay with them. As long as you avoid July and August many hosts would be happy to do a longer stay low season when otherwise they'd be looking at two/three night stays over the weekend with empty nights in between - a lot of hassle.

Thank you Tina. Planning an extended stay will require a lot more research! FYI we are at least 2 years from this trip so asking questions now helps to wrap our head around the details. I certainly understand owners needing to vet clients and vice versa is true. We once had an airbnb owner cancel our booking just days before our daughters college graduation, We booked the house months in advance, No reason given for cancellation, strange. A last minute cancellation, even with a few months notice, could really put a wrench into a trip like this.

A lot can happen during a year for both owner and renter, we always get trip insurance but these were shorter trips. Can I assume we'd probably pay 1/2 up front? do standard cancellation policies apply to extended stays? I'll check with Generali to see if their policies change with longer stays?

I don't want to hijack Auroras thread, but we'll have lots of questions, thanks!

 

[Alpinista]

I think we'll need a year or so to plan this type of travel. We have responsibilties/property that will need managing while away for 3 months. Family and friends are great for 2 weeks dog sitting, but 3 months is a bit much to ask?.....or is it HA!!!

We never had issues with the plants or pets during our three month travels -- just bought new when we came home if they didn't make it. Leaving the kids behind was a little more problematic, so we took them with us.

 

[Aurora]

Thanks a lot guys!! Your ideas help and I'll consider a smaller town for getting in touch with locals better, since I really wanna dive deep into Italian culture

I'm not planning on taking a language course, but learning it on my own. Might sounds odd, but I managed only with apps, grammar workbooks and podcasts to jump from A1 to A2 in 3 months (1 studying per day). So I'll continue with that.

AirBnB, subito, Agritourismo & search affittacamere: Thanks for these suggestions!

@BEERMAN: Don't worry, your questions also help me gathering information

 

[Tina]

To reply to Beerman, Airbnb has made cancellation by a host really difficult nowadays. An Airbnb host would cancel only for catastrophic reasons as things stand.....
If it were me looking for a longer let I would think two years ahead is too far ahead. About one year or just over (if you're traveling high season) should be plenty. Private hosts are unlikely to want to commit so much in advance. But you could sound them out.
About payment, as an Italian seeking accommodation in Italy I wouldn't expect to pay half so far in advance.
As a host I ask for a photo of a document to confirm a booking (just to check it's not somebody messing me around). Then if it's high season maybe a deposit nearer the date. You wouldn't send half a large amount to a private host two years in advance.... things happen

 

[Aurora]

Update:

AirBnB's are partly booked now for May/June and it's not off-season in May/June, so hosts are not happily giving away their apartments for longer periods.
The maximum time for renting via AirBnB is 28 days, so 2-3 months is not possible - unless you have a very flexible host. They will charge you a very high amount per month, even though some give discount (which will still result in 1500€+ / month).

Soo.... finding an apartment is not very easy, it seems. On platforms (like immobiliare, idealista, etc.) I found offers only 2months in advance, hence: much time in advance it doesn't make any sense to search.

I am also searching in facebook groups... but it's incredibly busy and confusing because there's many, many posts.

 

[BEERMAN]

Aurora, when you said you were planning for this May/June I was thinking that's soon for extended stay options, especially using airbnb or similar site when they've already been filling spring/summer dates.

We will return this year for 2 weeks and I'd like to have an idea of which towns we'd consider for the future extended stay. While there I'd perhaps consult with a real estate management company that has the ability to reach out to other towns, if that's even possible. We have had to piece together lodgings before in popular destinations, my wife loves a good puzzle and has always figured out a way. But having to pay a week or 2 here and there would certainly result in higher prices for extended periods, that is not something we would be interested in doing.

I'll be very interested hearing how your search ultimately comes together if you want to share!

 

[Alpinista]

I dug out a flyer that a friend of my wife's gave her pre-Covid (so I'm not sure how accurate the price info would be). We know the owner as a very nice older man who joins my wife on her daily walks and who flags us down to chat whenever we drive by him going through town (Valdottavo, Lucca Province). We have never been inside his property. Valdottavo has a population of about 1,200, two bars (one of which has really good pizza), and is near a large selection of restaurants up and down the Serchio Valley.

If you are unable to read the flyer, his contact info is Pier Luigi Ungaretti (and daughter, Sylvia). Pier Luigi does not speak English, btw. His telephone is 0583/835127 and his advertised rate was 450E June to September; 300E other months; utilities extra.

 

[GailS]

Long Term Lettings is another site you could try.

 

[BEERMAN]

Long Term Lettings is another site you could try.

Interesting site to keep me busy! Quite a variety of rentals and prices.

 

[Tina]

Hi Aurora, just to set the record straight about longer lets:
Airbnb does not have a maximum time limit for rentals. It is the individual host that sets the limit. Most Italian hosts use 30 days because according to Italian law that's the limit to be defined as a short term holiday let. Longer lets are possible but hosts have a different way of registering the contract.
If you put (for example) 45 night rental dates into the Airbnb search you will get high figures, obviously. But for a longer let you need to contact the host (messaging through Airbnb). Hosts can then make you a special offer taking into account the longer stay, if they want.
I agree with Beerman that to expect to find a long let now on airbnb for May this year (low season outside città d'arte, high season in città d'arte) or June (already mid-season or sometimes high, most places) is unlikely.
It's not true that idealista, subito and immobiliare only offer property for two months ahead. From Beerman's point of view, a host looking to rent for this summer is likely to want to rent next summer too, so it can be worth making contact.

 

[Tina]

PS Beerman, which towns would you be looking at to stay? Sometimes the 'Pro Loco' or 'Azienda di Soggiorno' in smaller towns can be helpful.

 

[BEERMAN]

PS Beerman, which towns would you be looking at to stay? Sometimes the 'Pro Loco' or 'Azienda di Soggiorno' in smaller towns can be helpful.

Pro Loco and Azienda di Soggiorno are new terms to me! If I translated it properly a local "accommodations company" sounds like a great place to check with, thank you!

The million dollar question is which towns are we considering? We have been to several places in Northern Italy, including stays in Switzerland and France. Not for lack of interest...we haven't traveled south of southern Tuscany? We will probably head down towards Rome/Sicily this year. We have grown to love the north, mountains, lakes and beaches such a short distance apart.

Our only must have right now is a convenient train station, keeping car rentals to a minimum. Let's put this question out to members...IF you were planning 2-3 months, which 2-3 towns would you hop to and why?

 

[Alpinista]

I always enjoy things that are "different". That includes a lot of categories, but for Italy, I'd suggest finding a spot in Puglia to use as a base -- different dialect; different architecture; different foods. There are no bad choices when picking out spots in Italy, but I think you would enjoy seeing what Pugila has to offer.