Self catering from your hotel room?

rachbc

I'd go with the picnic option rather than attempt 'cooking' - lovely fresh breads, cheeses, salami, fruit and salads....

We always book self catering because even if we are eating out for most meals I like to have the option or making up a picnic or feeding the kids snacks or breakfast at some anti-social hour

meanmarie

We used to always self cater when our (7) children were young, would have had to stay at home otherwise! We still do it as much as possible and find that it works out more cheaply and gives you lots of freedom. Have only once stayed in a hostel in Italy and found it ok...twin ensuite room and breakfast thrown in, can't remember cost but I think that I may not find things as expensive as UK people....Ireland is ferociously expensive so Italy always seems cheap, especially as the quality is usually very good.

Marie

Pee

I would have some picnics, with lovely cheeses, olives etc, which is what we usually do, I wouldn't bother with Pot Noodles style cooking, but each to their own, and would look into takeaway pizza, or even a sit down pizza as the prices in my opinion are worth it. I do have to say I usually have pizza with a bottle of proseco, which is a relatively cheap way of eating great food and feeling really special... Even with the Euro, I think the prices are comparatively the same for eating out between the UK and Italy.

Also the ice cream is filling!

hollydays

I was charged 17 euros last time (£17) for two tuna rolls and 2 coffees (though Italian coffee is the best).A basic cafe.

spaghetti_monster

I spent a summer in Florence - although this was many many years ago, I can't remember the prices. We never ate right near the centre but found some nice trattorias (?) on the back streets and usually ate a bigger meal in these places at lunchtime. I think it was from a set menu, wine included.
We were students living off busking money so it can't have been so expensive!

RAS

Hi

If you eat out, do so at lunch-time when the menu is about half the price of th evening one.

Find a local supermarket and buy some tinned beans, an onion, lemon and tinned fish. Take a small bottle of decent vinagar with you and see if you can acquire those canteen servings of salt and pepper.

You can make the following in a sandwich box.

White beans, with tuna, dressed with some of the oil, and vinagar, or a chopped tomato (the juice is acid). Add chopped onion if you like, ditto lemon and garlic.

Lentils with oil and garlic and anchovies. Add chopped onion just before servicing, and sliced tomato or and egg. You can coddle an egg if you poor boiling water over it in a mug and keep it hot for 10 minutes.

Chickpeas served very simply with onion, garlic, tomato and oil. i love olives with this.

All these main course salads can bulk out a picnic.

Dont sniff at cuppa soups. Take a couple each, so you have something warm to start a meal on a cold day.

if you have a kettle that boils, then 3 minute noodles will cook, particularly if you cover them after pouring the water over.

LandyAndy

rachbc wrote: »

I'd go with the picnic option rather than attempt 'cooking' - lovely fresh breads, cheeses, salami, fruit and salads....

We always book self catering because even if we are eating out for most meals I like to have the option or making up a picnic or feeding the kids snacks or breakfast at some anti-social hour

I agree. I stay away in hotels on business for 3 - 6 nights a month in the UK and always go into the local supermarket in the early evening and pick up a loaf, some butter, some salad veggies and cold meats or cheese or smoked fish. Searching the reduced shelves means I can eat well but cheaply and usually run to a nice bottle to go with it, all for a fraction of the price of a second rate meal in the hotel restaurant. Any leftovers I put on the window ledge by the open window overnight to keep fresh for lunch the next day.

Caterina

Florence is very expensive as a general rule, but if you go out of the immediate centre you can find little shops with decent food at normal prices. Also don't bother with restaurants, but look for "Rosticceria", or "Tavola Calda", slef service style places where usually you can buy cooked food also to take away reasonably cheaply, roast chickens, stuffed vegetables etc...One very nice and filling food is "suppli`" which is fried rice balls, normally these have a beef filling. If you want them vegetarian they are called "arancini", but check before you buy.

There are also shops that sell "pizza a taglio", meaning pizza sold by the square. Usually very very reasonably priced, much cheaper than any pizzeria!

If you go to local grocery shops, sometimes they are able to make you sandwiches there and then, you buy the bread and the fillings and they prepare them for you. Better if you find somewhere a bit out of the centre though, otherwise you will pay a premium for the service!

If you cross the river Arno from Ponte Vecchio, you enter a marginally less touristy district, where there are some very cheaply priced trattorias.

There is a hostel in that area (Ostello Santa Monaca) that has an agreement with a local restaurant and you can have meals for 11 Euros (3 courses). I don't know if they have the same sort of menu for non-hostel clients but you can try. Here is the link:http://www.ostello.it/inglese/ginogbr.html

Have fun!

Austin_Allegro

hollydays wrote: »

oh-that is a great site-must look into that a bit more.What is the difference between the colours of the rating stars?

Not sure what the rating system is...I generally only stay in places that have overall positive written reviews.

Don't worry about being too communal, I only stay at the places with private rooms (I'm a bit too old for dorms full of aussie backpackers...), most are a mixture of private rooms and dorms.

You can be as communal or not as you like in the kitchens really, it's no different to being in the dining room of a hotel, except that you cook the food yourself!

I would add these places are generally best off season, outside the main school/university holidays - cheaper and less crowded.

frankie55

I'm also type 1 Diabolic and have in the past requested a fridge in my Hotel room to keep my Insulin in, sometimes there is a small charge or free. I find I can get along with cold food quite easily. I often use Travelodges and prepare food in them, though we now have a travel fridge box which plugs into the electric, not much use when flying. I'd definitly take a plastic bowl to use to prepare cous cous in and salads and a couple of plates, you can always ditch them before coming home, Have a fantastic holiday!