We have on numerous occasions traveled through France using the hotel chains like Premier Classe, Campanile and Formula One, which are cheap and clean. Are there any similar chains in Italy, as we are driving to Rome in April? Alister MacDonald, by email
Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Italy has far fewer budget chain hotels than France, with no Premiere Classe or Formula 1’s, and just the three Campaniles one in Padua and two in Turin. It’s slim pickings with most of the other budget chains too, with eleven Ibis Hotels, two of which are in Rome (from £75), and 15 Holiday Inn Express’, five in Rome, from £95.
There’s also a lone Days Inn in Rimini.
If the above chains don’t coincide with the cities that you are visiting, or aren’t in your preferred area of Rome, you should look at specialist travel websites, like Travelsupermarket. It has a huge selection of hotels throughout Italy, with Rome starting from £38 for a double. Or try Octopus Travel, Hotels, or Booking, which has 543 hotels in Rome.
For locally based hotel websites, visit Travel to Italy, or Hotels Italy Online. The technology of these sites means that you can usually look at several pictures of the property, see where it is on a map, and sometimes read reviews from previous guests.
Advertisement
Perhaps a bit too homely in style for you, but it might be worth considering B&B’s too, which are getting more popular in Italy these days. Prices range from about £40-£100. BB Italia has a good range of B&B’s throughout the country - six of them are in Rome and a couple down at the coast at Ostia.