Selecting a Place to Stay in Europe

"I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad."
George Bernard Shaw

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable.  It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” 
Clifton Fadiman 

Best Western Hotel
Montemarte, Paris, France

When you go to a foreign country, keep an open mind.  Things will be different than at home.  For one thing, a hotel in Europe that lists itself as a 5 star hotel, will most likely be closer to what we would consider a 3 star hotel.  Their rating system is completely different.  You will find many of the same hotel chains that you are familiar with in the USA, however their standards may be slightly lower.  We have found, that when booking a hotel in another country that we should read the descriptions carefully.  Most rooms will be smaller than rooms in the US, and not all rooms come with bathrooms, so make sure you check to see if the bathroom is included, or is down the hall and shared by all.

Hotel Aressana, Santorini, Greece

I quite often will book hotels myself for trips to Europe, as we like to travel to Europe independently and not on a tour.  The website I have found to be most helpful is Trip Advisor.  http://www.tripadvisor.com.  What I like about this website is the reviews by people who have stayed at the hotel.  You will seldom find any hotel that has all positive reviews, unless it’s the Ritz, but if you read through the reviews you will get a feel for whether the place is acceptable or not. 

One of my favorite hotels that we stayed at in 2007, was the Hotel Aressana in Santorini, Greece.  I booked it myself, looking at reviews on Trip Advisor.  It was in the perfect area for seeing the sights and the room was very nice, it had a beautiful pool which I enjoyed one afternoon, and a great breakfast.  It was a delightful place.  I did my homework online to find it.

An important consideration when looking for a hotel is location.  The closer you are to the tourist locations, the more expensive.  But you also have to take into consideration what the transportation is like.  If you are in a city, such as Paris, you can stay in any of the districts and it is easy enough to get around.  The subway system in Paris will take you wherever you want to go.  Not all cities are as easy to navigate, and it might be better to stay closer to the areas you want to see, even if it is a little more expensive.

Abbey Lodge B&B in Galway, Ireland

When booking in Europe, remember a nice option is the Bed & Breakfast inns.  Sometimes these are actual homes with spare rooms, other times they are homes that have been converted to a lodge for guests, but they are quite often in more residential areas.  Sometimes the rooms have bathrooms, but quite often you share a bathroom.  The nice thing about these is that you actually meet locals, and you stay in their homes, so you see how they live.  They serve you breakfast in the morning, which is usually typical of the types of breakfast they would eat.

Lochbay Inn on the Isle of Skye

My husband and I recently traveled around Scotland and Ireland with another couple.  We stayed at Bed & Breakfast places throughout our trip.  Most of them were quite nice, and the breakfasts were enough that we usually did not stop for lunch, as we were still full.  Some of them had shared bathrooms, but the majority had bathrooms in the room.  We had more of a home feeling staying in these places then staying in a large hotel.

Sunset on the Isle of Skye

The Bed & Breakfast inn that we stayed at on the Isle of Skye even came with a resident dog named Dude, who was still a puppy and while we were there managed to destroy the owners credit card processing machine, among other things.  Dude was wonderful, and we enjoyed having a dog greeter as we came and went.  The place was very small, he only had 4 rooms available and we shared a bathroom.  There were cows and sheep across the road, and we were in a rural area.  But we had the most beautiful sunsets at night, and we could see the water from our bedroom window.  And there was Dude, what more could we have asked for?

The town of Penzance, England

My daughter and I took a trip through England, Scotland and Ireland back in 1989.  My favorite place that we stayed was a B&B in Penzance, England.  We arrived there by train in mid April, which is before the tourist season.  I had a book listing some B&B’s and called one to see if they were available.  The owner was surprised because they seldom got calls that time of the year.  She asked about us and when I told her it was my daughter and myself she told me she did have a room if we didn’t mind that her 2 daughters would be on the same floor with us.  During the summer months the kids moved downstairs and they all shared a smaller area down there, but during the winter when they didn’t have guests, the girls slept upstairs.  I doubt if she would have rented to us if we had been men, or if she had, she would have moved the girls.  We had no problem sharing the upstairs and we moved in.  We had a sink and toilet in our room, but had to share a shower down the hall.  She also told me that during the summer they put the dog outside to sleep, but it was too cold for her to sleep outside in the winter, so hopefully we wouldn’t mind her being in the house.  We stayed there for 3 nights.  We had breakfast with the family in the mornings, and they gave us a key to the front door so we could come and go as we pleased at night.  Their dog, a Doberman, was there to greet us when we came in – with a wag of her tail, and we loved petting her.  The kids were quiet and we enjoyed meeting the whole family.  I liked staying there better than some of the hotels we stayed in.

A villa that can be rented in Provence, France

Another option would be to rent an apartment, house or villa.  There are many companies that specialize in renting, and if you are staying in one area for any length of time, this is a very good option.  Usually you have more room, and you have cooking facilities, which can save you money.  It’s fun to go to the local markets and check out their produce and food options.  You can still go to local restaurants, but you can also try your hand at cooking the local foods.  And you are usually in a neighborhood with the local people, so you get more of a feel for the country then you would if you were in a hotel in a tourist area.  A good travel agent can help you find a place to rent.  Some villas are very luxurious and in very upscale areas.

Wherever you decide to stay while traveling, remember you are in another country, with different customs.  Things will be different than home, but isn't that why we travel?

Room in our B&B in Belfast

Room in B&B in Belfast