A holiday in Rome is a fantastic time, but before you head off, you’ll need to know where you’re going to stay. Most people stick to a standard motel or hotel because they don’t know they have alternatives. After all, it’s pretty simple to find a hotel room, even though there are some real downsides to staying in one.

Hotels accommodations in Rome are often crowded and small, but they’re far from cheap. Hotels are too well loved to be inexpensive, since everyone chooses that option, but you do have alternatives for where to stay. You could save a small bit of money, get more space and better levels of privacy, and delight in the comforts of home – just pick a holiday apartment instead of a hotel room.

Instead of spending a lot on a suite, or dealing with the cramped conditions that come with cramming everyone into just one room, you could delight in attractive surroundings and your own space. A hotel stay means that you’re going to be experiencing Rome as a tourist, while an apartment lets you do it as a local. Most of us would prefer the more authentic option.

Pick an apartment with an attached terrace and dine over traditional Roman rooftops or the gorgeous skyline. Delight in the space and comfort you’re unlikely to get in a hotel, and the control over your living space you’ll only get at home. After all, not everyone enjoys having strangers in to clean their room every day, or people interrupting their quality time in Rome.

Of course, you can’t go into renting a furnished holiday apartment blindly – you have to be willing to do your research. After all, there’s a pretty excellent chance that most Rome apartments won’t be exactly like what you’d expect at home. Just learn about what you’ll be getting and what you should expect when you get there, and you’ll have no problems enjoying your stay.

Picking a holiday apartment lets you skip eating out unless you want to. Instead, take the time to check out local ingredients and cook some ancient favorites or new dishes in your very own kitchen. Don’t expect a stocked refrigerator, but – you’ll need to do your own shopping in the majority of cases.

Doing your own laundry is a real benefit, too. It might not seem like it, until you reckon about how much you’ll need to pack for a long stay, the hassle of hauling all that extra luggage around, and the fees involved in packing extra to make sure you have clean clothes. Alternatively, you could bring just a few and wash them in your apartment’s laundry facilities, quickly and easily.

If you’re a truly independent traveler, you’ll probably delight in a holiday apartment instead of a hotel room. You get control over the area you stay in, the services you receive, and the day to day activities on your trip. Just book a day in advance if you’d like to try out some of the optional extra services.

Want to see Rome authentically and skip out on tourist traps, inconvenience, crowding and expensive hotel rooms? A rental apartment is probably the perfect solution for you. Take a small time and do your research, and you’ll be surprised at the difference an apartment can make in your experience.