Or..... First, give me tips for using the reservation system. Click Here.
You are going to our Reservation System for booking NOTE: When you're ready to book TRAINS, CARS, & FLIGHTS,
go to the TIP ~ Refer often to the ItalySource Directory ~ it supports the reservation system by directing you to travel tips, definitions, answers, and sources you will need to complete your travel plans. TIP ~ To get to the Directory -- from within the reservation system -- click on the link Back to Directory at top left of the page. TIP ~ IMPORTANT ~ this system has an excellent tool for finding well-located hotels in the big cities. There is a utility for selecting districts within the cities. In particular, the option called "Historical Center" will guide you to hotels that are close to the main attractions. To find this utility, on any page for entering dates and destinations, you need to click on "Advanced Search Options." TIP ~ IMPORTANT ~ if you select hotels or anything else in the reservation system, then close the page without making payment, you will lose your selections. If you keep the page to the reservation system on your screen, as a tab or separate window, while visiting other websites, your selections will remain there for ///////, before timing out (being deleted). TIP ~ You may need to make two separate purchases, one for hotels and one for transfers. It's a matter of sequencing. At the time you choose hotels, you may not have purchased air tickets or trains. But if you want to book transfers involving airports or train stations, you cannot do so until you know your air or train schedules. In such a case, just book your hotels, then go back to the reservations system later to make a new booking for transfers, when you have all your schedules in hand. TIP ~ Be sure to note the revision and cancellation terms when you book hotels or anything else, in case you need to change your dates or cancel your trip altogether. Don't just click the box that says you read them, but actually read them, or risk getting a rude surprise if you need to make changes. TIP ~ There's a widespread idea that you can simply change your travel dates by sliding them to new dates. It does not work that way. Changing dates usually means cancelling one set of travel arrangements and then booking a whole new set. This is especially important in Italy, where most of the hotels are small, with 50 to 100 rooms or even fewer. If you change dates, it is quite likely that some of your original hotel choices will no longer be available. Also, prices may have changed. So if you need to change dates, try to do so as soon as possible after making the original booking. TIP ~ Use the reservation system mainly for making reservations. Go directly to the data entry window to search for hotels, or click on tabs for sightseeing or transfers. Don't get distracted by all the links there for information, which is highly generalized. Instead, read the travel info available under Planning Tools, which is specific to travel in Italy.
Why you can't book trains, cars & flights We think that a good website for independent travel should not attempt to be everything to everyone. Trying to cram too many options into one website requires simplication and a corresponding reduction of choices. Some travelers are willing to accept that simplification. But you are probably visiting this website now because you want a full range of choices -- for hotels as well as for flights, trains and car rentals -- and want complete control over the arrangements you make. For trains, for example, you will want to look at the detailed schedules and learn all your options, then book your trains at Rail Europe or at Trenitalia. Those are serious train websites that don't attempt to sell hotels! The same is true of booking your flights. The idea that it is good to bundle your flights with your hotels, for one price, is primarily a marketing gimmick. Yes, it certainly can result in lower total pricing, but the tradeoff is lack of control of your travel arrangements (the hotels are usually in poor locations, and the flights may have connections or times you do not like). So in this reservation system, you will choose your hotels, transfers and sightseeing tours. Then you will go to sources we recommend for booking trains, cars, and flights, with the benefit of our many tips for how to put it all together. The reservation system we offer does not try to be everything to everybody. It offers an excellent selection of hotels, transfers, and sightseeing tours, and it does a great job of presenting them, to give you lots of information. But to do the same with trains, cars and flights, would be just too much in one system. So we refer you to what we think are the best places to get your trains, cars and air tickets, and we give you lots of tips about doing that.
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