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Post by Eagle on Mar 1, 2006 19:39:08 GMT -5
morgan, Regarding the Cinque Terre, Vernazza seems to get slightly more coverage in terms of photo exposure, but all of the villages are somewhat similar in terms of construction and building design. I believe there's a "department of design" or something in the area that dictates which colours can be used on the buildings; it's not something that each building owner has a choice in. Have a look at some of the photos in the following link to see which village you were thinking of: www.toddadams.net/galleries/itthumbs.htmThe villages aren't that far apart - I believe the distance from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare is about seven miles (by trail). Happy travels!!!
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Post by me on Mar 1, 2006 21:17:24 GMT -5
the places you list in Rome, Florence & Venice are also the places i stayed. they all worked well, but i don't remember a kitchen at Ostello Santa Fosca - but was only there one night, less than 36 hours. Cinque Terra, i only went to the 4 villages (these places really can't be called cities) at the sea. Riomaggiore is the village where i stayed. a nice village, going to the top of the elvator at sunset in cool - took a pizza up there to eat dinner - great view. but, *don't* stay at cinque terra holidays there. the place i was in was nasty. oh, in Barcelona, i stayed at Kabul one of the nights. it was ok. not great though. Okay thanks guys! Revised Hostel Plan: Rome: The Beehive Far away from the Campo de' Fiori where I was planning on walking to every morning to gather my picnic lunch, but the place looks really nice, American owners, cheap and really good reviews. Any suggestions on another market that is nearby? Florence: Archi Rossi? Haven't yet figured out how centrally located it is. That would be a big deciding factor. Venice: Ostello Santa Fosca I'm pretty definite on this one. Really centrally located, good price, the rooms look nice...anybody with more comments on this I'm open to more tips. Munich: Wombats Still looks like a great place! Paris: Le Village Like it still. But it seems like its far away from everything I want to see, might be an issue. Any markets nearby? Barcelona: Ithaca I like this one. I've also heard about some cheap pensions also around the Ramblas. Looking into that. Some were like the same price as a hostel bed. Cinque Terre:? Still don't know. I want to know how far away the little cities are from one another. And, which city is the one that is in all the pictures? You know, with all the colorful houses stacked close together and a little port underneath. It seems like they have that place pictured when talking about Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Manarola....they can't all be that place can they? |
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Post by Eagle on Mar 2, 2006 4:47:40 GMT -5
morgan, I checked one of my Guidebooks, and Gianni Franzi is indeed in Vernazza. However, it's listed as a "Pension" rather than a Hostel, a term which probably indicates that it will have separate rooms (more like a Hotel) rather than dorm rooms. It is associated with the Trattoria Gianni restaurant.
The Guidebook indicated that visitors should pick up their Keys at the restaurant reception area, except on Wednesdays when Keys should be picked up at the "gelateria by the grotto".
Happy travels!!!
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Post by Jules80 on Mar 2, 2006 9:38:44 GMT -5
Okay thanks guys! Revised Hostel Plan: Rome: The Beehive Far away from the Campo de' Fiori where I was planning on walking to every morning to gather my picnic lunch, but the place looks really nice, American owners, cheap and really good reviews. Any suggestions on another market that is nearby? Florence: Archi Rossi? Haven't yet figured out how centrally located it is. That would be a big deciding factor. Venice: Ostello Santa Fosca I'm pretty definite on this one. Really centrally located, good price, the rooms look nice...anybody with more comments on this I'm open to more tips. Munich: Wombats Still looks like a great place! Paris: Le Village Like it still. But it seems like its far away from everything I want to see, might be an issue. Any markets nearby? Barcelona: Ithaca I like this one. I've also heard about some cheap pensions also around the Ramblas. Looking into that. Some were like the same price as a hostel bed. Cinque Terre:? Still don't know. I want to know how far away the little cities are from one another. And, which city is the one that is in all the pictures? You know, with all the colorful houses stacked close together and a little port underneath. It seems like they have that place pictured when talking about Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Manarola....they can't all be that place can they? Rome - if by market you mean grocery store, there's one about 10 min away tho i never went in. i highly recommendt he beehive packed lunches archi rossi... florence is tiny (at least the part your interested in) from archi rossi, train station is 5 min on foot and ponte vecchio is 15 max. the place is really small... so your close to everything. santa fosca. its clean and that's aobut it. the rooms are very basic. there is no kitchen. check in/out times are very odd. basically, make sure you don't arrive in venice before 4 pm (or you'll be toting your pack around... we arrived at 2 and did laundry  ) and try and leave venice by about 1 pm. reception is completely closed from 12 -4 or 5... however once you have a room you can come and go as you please... its just getting the room in the first place. keep those recpetion hours in mind when you have to call for your reservation. le village. no its not especially central. however. you're at the foot of sacre coeur and all those other fun things. also there are 2 metro stations around the corner. essentially whereever you end up staying in paris, you have to take the metro at some point cause the place is enormous! there is also a grocery store across the street with loads of yummy cheese and bread! and wine of course! its a very social place but not a party place per se. oh and it just occured to me... if your bank is bank of america then you probably have no fees to take money out in some european banks. it is in partnership with my canadian bank and several european, asian, and australian banks. they have agreements between all the banks. |
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Post by me on Mar 2, 2006 11:49:20 GMT -5
that is a good grocery store, better than the one at Termini Station. Beehive is a place where i linked up with a traveler to grocery shop, cook, eat & clean up. there was some extra food which was shared with others. it was a nice social event there.
Rome - if by market you mean grocery store, there's one about 10 min away tho i never went in. i highly recommendt he beehive packed lunches. |
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Post by Jules80 on Mar 2, 2006 12:53:35 GMT -5
i am about 99% certain that you are no longer allowed to use the beehive kitchen. they cook breakfast, prepare lunches, and light dinners... mostly during high tourist season.
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Post by me on Mar 2, 2006 13:03:43 GMT -5
oh. that sux. perhaps, then, another hostel would be better. i am about 99% certain that you are no longer allowed to use the beehive kitchen. they cook breakfast, prepare lunches, and light dinners... mostly during high tourist season. |
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Post by WillTravel on Mar 2, 2006 13:26:48 GMT -5
I think it's become increasingly difficult for urban hostels to have kitchens - a general phenomena. Probably insurance-related. I considered the Beehive, but they only take reservations starting two months out (and then quickly fill up). I also wanted to be in a more central location, although the Beehive is very well-situated for public transit. And there are no hostels that are smack dab in the area I was thinking of. So I booked a hotel room for Rome, which was about double the cost of a dorm bed at the Beehive. There is a hostel, for women only, in Trastevere. La Foresteria Orsa Maggiore. Dorm beds with breakfast are about 26 Euros per night. www.casainternazionaledelledonne.org/foresteria.htmThere are also a couple convents with a curfew very near Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori - singles are 48 Euros per night. No kitchen, though. Fraternus Domus - www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.htmlAlso Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri, Via San Giuseppe Calasanzio, 1 s.giuliana@tin.it The Colors hotel/hostel near the Vatican has both a dorm and private rooms, and it says it has a fully-equipped kitchen - www.colorshotel.com/ |
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Post by me on Mar 2, 2006 13:35:37 GMT -5
Beehive also has/had privates as well as one big dorm. The Colors hotel/hostel near the Vatican has both a dorm and private rooms, and it says it has a fully-equipped kitchen - www.colorshotel.com/ |
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Post by Jules80 on Mar 2, 2006 13:44:30 GMT -5
Beehive also has/had privates as well as one big dorm. The Colors hotel/hostel near the Vatican has both a dorm and private rooms, and it says it has a fully-equipped kitchen - www.colorshotel.com/ it does at that... however when i was there in september, the owner, steve, was saying that they were planning on getting rid of the dorm and making it just a budget hotel. and perhaps opening another place which would be just a hostel and all dorm rooms. |
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Post by me on Mar 2, 2006 22:03:56 GMT -5
Florence: Archi Rossi? Haven't yet figured out how centrally located it is. That would be a big deciding factor. if you stay at Archi Rossi, the place is fairly central. as others have said, the big tourist sites of Florence just aren't that far away from each other, or this hostel. the better way to get there when you get off the train, is to not walk all the way to the front doors of the station. rather, as soon as you reach the point where the tracks end, turn left and go out the doors on what i think is the East side of the building. once outside, walk back the direction that the trains come into the station, taking the first right at Piazza Adua. continue on via Cennini to via Faenza, via Cennini goes no further here, it's a T intersection, turn right. Archi Rossi will be on your left, part way up the block. |
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Post by me on Mar 2, 2006 23:05:30 GMT -5
does this mean no more internet? the computer was in the kitchen when i was there. i am about 99% certain that you are no longer allowed to use the beehive kitchen. they cook breakfast, prepare lunches, and light dinners... mostly during high tourist season. |
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Post by Jules80 on Mar 3, 2006 0:32:56 GMT -5
computer is still there... its not in the kitchen th o... in the lounge area...
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Post by me on Mar 4, 2006 16:15:54 GMT -5
computer is still there... its not in the kitchen th o... in the lounge area... with no kitchen, i'd be tempted to change my recomendation. the kitchen was a center of interaction at Beehive. are there any other good hostels *with* a kitchen? |
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) and try and leave venice by about 1 pm. reception is completely closed from 12 -4 or 5... however once you have a room you can come and go as you please... its just getting the room in the first place. keep those recpetion hours in mind when you have to call for your reservation.