American...live/visit in Italy?rent room?

I would like to spend a month visiting in Italy visiting various places like Venice, Florence, Rome, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Bologna, etc. I've done some research and am on a budget, so I thought of an idea of renting a room, say in Florence or Bologna to use as my 'home base' for the month while I use a eurorail pass to visit the neighboring cities throughout the month. I saw ads for rooms for rent on craiglist from like 280 to 500 Euros. Is this a reasonable idea to save on accommodation?What is it like to live there?Is it safe? How is it different from than USA?Any tips?American...live/visit in Italy?rent room?
Actually, Bologna is a pretty reasonable place to use as a base for exploring Italy. I live about halfway between Bologna and Verona and have been getting out as much as possible (most weekends and holidays) for the past several years. You need to find out exactly where the apartments are that you are looking at, and what's included, but is is pretty safe here. "Unfurnished" has a whole different meaning here than in the US - basically bare walls. Make sure you're getting something furnished and also find out whether utilities are included. If you can find something near the center of the city within walking distance of the train station, that would be a plus. Bologna is a university city, so there are a lot of students. You might also look at other places along the train, lines, like Modena.



The eurorail pass may not be as economical as point-to-point tickets unless you're really travelling almost every day. You'll still have to pay a supplement on many of the trains.