Go beyond Sorrento hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free

Go beyond Amalfi hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free

Go beyond Positano hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free

Go beyond Ravello hotels to B&Bs, rental apartments, farm stays—even ways to sleep for free

The classic lodging option—How Italian hotels work and how to book the best hotels at the lowest rates

Bed and breakfasts aren't just great big Victorian cottages run by kindly but nosy little old widows anymore

There are dozens of hotel alternatives, from Roman apartments to country villas, farmhouse B&Bs to residences, and campgrounds to castles. Here's how to find the lot of them.

How to find and rent a vacation appartamento (apartment) from $40 in Italy

Stay on a working farm agritourismo and experience the best of Italian hospitality and countryside tradition

From B&Bs and farm stays to cottages, castles, and campgrounds, here are Italian lodging alternatives to the traditional hotel

Serviced flats, residence hotels, Aparthotels, and other townhouse suite lodging in Italy

An Italian villa to call your own for the night or the week—renting a villa, house, or cottage in Italy

Stay in a real castello and live happily ever after (temporarily) as King and Queen of the castle

Cheap bunks in shared dorms and a backpackers-of-the-world-unite atmosphere

How tourists can stay in cheap university housing in Italy

Rental rooms in Italy are called affittacamere (singular: affittacamera), and they can be had for as little as $30 a night

Free lodgings in Italy: Hospitality networks (couchsurfing), home swaps, and house sitting services

Couchsurfing and other hospitality networks allow you to sleep for free in other member's homes

Hospitality networks gather folks who are willing to put up fellow members in their homes for free or for a small fee

Trading spaces isn't just a show on basic cable anymore. It's a way to live life like a local on your travels absolutely for free—so long as you let the local borrow your life (and home) in return.

Sleep for free on vacation in Italy by watching someone's house (and, often, watering their plants and feeding their cat)

The "diffuse hotel" phenomenon in Italy

Camping and campgrounds (campeggi) are a cheap way to spend the night while traveling

Sleeping in couchettes on overnight trains

Sleep in a religious guesthouse or retreat at monasteries abbeys across Italy from just €17

You don't have to take vows of chastity and poverty or wear those itchy woolen robes to shack up in an Italian convent for as little as $30. You don't even have to be particularly religious.

Programs like WWOOF and Helpx let you barter your services for a free place to stay

If you love sailing, or just have an unquenchable taste for adventure and new experiences, you can sign on to help crew a boat just about anywhere in the world, including Italy

Camping is a great way to see Italy, but you needn't be tied down to tent pegs; RV rentals are as easy in Europe as they are here at home