Cheap break to Italy/France

[alko27]

Doesn't have to be over the weekend, no particular city/area but we are keen on Italy. Would consider France depending on the deal. Looking to travel from april 30th onwards.

 

Anyone have any experiences or websites they've booked from?

[Rupert_Baehr]

If I'm going to France or Italy (and particularly Italy, which is only a couple of hours away) I drive.

 

Venice is quite nice at this time of year . but take your wellies; they've got a bit of a flooding problem .

 

The last time I went there I booked a hotel through hotwire.com; a company I used frequently for hotels and hire cars in the US. The hotel was OK and it was fair value for money, but if you use hotwire, I suggest you try to compare the prices and confirm the existence (or hopefully otherwise) of 'extra' charges before you commit yourself. (When I used them for hire cars in the UK, the final price was pretty much the same as everybody else charged.)

 

If you want a hotel on one of the Islands expect to pay more. - The last time I was there I stayed in Mestre. Most 'off Island' hotels seem to have a shuttle bus service to Venice, but if you want night life and you're in an hotel on the mainland, you should check the area before you book. - A lot of the hotels are in what appears to be a semi-industrial area and there may not be a lot going on outside the hotel.

 

Some airlines (notably Ryanair) offer hotel accommodation and no doubt they make money out of it, but their prices are also perhaps worth a look.