Rating: 
Summary: Delighted to find such a unique book.
Review: I found the book to be well written and entertaining - delighted to find such a unique book. My wife and I are planning a trip to Italy next year. This book quickly focused us in on the places to visit, style of accommodations which we can afford, and some background information upon which to do some more study/research. Highly recommend the book.
Rating: 
Summary: A very helpful book.
Review: I have just returned (March 2001) from Italy where my husband I stayed in several places listed in this book. We would definitely use this book again. Prices are somewhat higher than listed, naturally, but otherwise we found the descriptions fairly accurate. When you fax the institution a request for a reservation, give them your email address so that they can reply to you on email. Most of them seem to have email now, and it's probably cheaper for them to email you back than to fax you.Also, if you have a problem with stairs, be aware that many of these places do not have elevators and your room will likely be on one of the higher floors. The maps/directions in the book could be a little better. Also, some of the bus numbers were off. You might verify location/bus line with the institution before you leave home.
Rating:
Summary: A Must For All Budget Travelers to Italy
Review: I just returned from Italy where I stayed in three of the listed guest houses. The prices ranged from $18 to $30 per night per person. The prices were close to those listed in the book, but be sure to confirm. The three houses I visited were all professionally operated and I was pleasantly surprised with the experience. Many of the guest houses' rates are per person, and this is a big plus for those traveling alone. Men were welcome in many of the convents, but some convents only allow women. Most of the guest houses take reservations by fax only and the book includes a sample request for information and a reservation form in Italian.
Rating:
Summary: A Must For All Budget Travelers to Italy
Review: I just returned from Italy where I stayed in three of the listed guest houses. The prices ranged from $18 to $30 per night per person. The prices were close to those listed in the book, but be sure to confirm. The three houses I visited were all professionally operated and I was pleasantly surprised with the experience. Many of the guest houses' rates are per person, and this is a big plus for those traveling alone. Men were welcome in many of the convents, but some convents only allow women. Most of the guest houses take reservations by fax only and the book includes a sample request for information and a reservation form in Italian.
Rating: 
Summary: out of date!
Review: I recently returned from a trip to Italy. I stayed in one of the Rome convents referenced in this book and found the accommodations to be exactly as described in the book. The nuns were gracious and helpful and the room was very plain but clean and comfortable. I highly recommend the book for anyone traveling to Italy on a budget.
If you are using public transportation I recommend purchasing a detailed street map of Rome to help pinpoint the location of some of the properties referenced in the book.
Rating:
Summary: Very useful book
Review: I recently returned from a trip to Italy. I stayed in one of the Rome convents referenced in this book and found the accommodations to be exactly as described in the book. The nuns were gracious and helpful and the room was very plain but clean and comfortable. I highly recommend the book for anyone traveling to Italy on a budget.
If you are using public transportation I recommend purchasing a detailed street map of Rome to help pinpoint the location of some of the properties referenced in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Desparately Need Updating
Review: I traveled to Italy in October of 2002 and spent one month there, relying on Bed and Blessings for accurate information on where to stay inexpensively. I was truly dissapointed. I ended up finding fellow travellers to be a more reliable source of information than "Bed and Blessings." This book has not been updated since 1999 and over half the places I called did not have correct phone numbers in the book. Others were out of business or converted to hotels. Also, Italy now uses the Euro which is not listed in the book. One place listed in the book where I stayed, had fleas and they sufficiently dined on me. I fled the place the next morning to a local hotel. Julia needs to get busy updating the information in the book if she wants to continue to sell it as a useful reference. I would not buy it again unless it is updated.
Rating:
Summary: out of date!
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. The information is very old and rather inadequate. The publisher should revise this book or withdraw it from the marketplace.
Rating:
Summary: Bed and Blessings: Italy
Review: This seems somewhat helpful if one were traveling in Rome or northern Italy. The southern part, where we wish to travel, is totally ignored, with the exception of Sicily. Is this because there are no/few/unusable sites in this area? If so the book should include this information. Also, it appears one needs to speak Italian to visit most of these, which is a helpful rating. There is little information in the book how to proceed if one does not speak Italian. This book is of limited use, and would probably be more helpful to one who already has experience traveling in Italy.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful
Review: We have used this book as a starting point to plan seven trips to Italy over the past four years. For the most part, we have found the contact information reasonable accurate. We've found it still to be a very credible source, even though the information IS a couple of years old. A bit of advice based on our experiences. 1. It may be helpful to send faxes during Italian business hours. Some of the convents seem to turn their faxes off during their night-time hours.
2. When corresponding with the convents should include your e-mail address. Recently, we've noticed that many of the convents that we fax respond to us by e-mail. This simplifies things.
3. Not all convents and monasteries answer faxes promptly. First, an overseas fax may be a significant expense for a non-profit religious organization. Second, if they have no vacancies, they may not respond. We've learned that if we don't get a response to a confirmed fax receipt, we may try once again or follow up by mail. If we still don't get a response, then we move on. Third, keep in mind that if they have a technical problem, their fax may be out of service for several days (or longer).
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