Alternative Accommodations: 2002
House swapping, convents and monasteries, college dorms... when it comes to beds, the less you spend, the more of Europe you experience. Others swear by renting a "flat" (apartment) or "villa" and becoming a temporary local. Any tips about fun, unique, or unusual accommodations?
Rome and Venice apartments
I would like to recommend renting an apartment from Romanhomes.com and Dr.
Abate, the owner. He does a fine and professional job. They also offer pick
ups which was a big help finding our place. The apartment was quite large,
clean and in a superb location. I have rented before with other companies
but his selection was superior to the others. We also took his advice while
in Venice for 4 nights, and rented from Venicerentals.com They had a very
nice apartment waiting for us and since I mentioned it was our anniversary,
they also had a nice bottle of prosecco with a card from the owners. We
were very happy with both companies and comparing with the hotel prices,
did very well for our money. Richard and Sue Peterson
Richard and Sue Peterson <email>
New York, NY USA Fri 12/27/2002
Rome: Piazza Farnese Studio apartment
We stayed in a studio apartment between the Piazza Farnese and Campo di
Fiori in Rome. Very central location, within walking distance to many sights.
Clean, sleeps two easily, bathroom with modern appliances (i.e. shower,
toilet, sink), small kitchenette with fridge, two burners, table & 2 chairs,
sink. Double bed, single bed that doubles as couch, wardrobe, tv with cable,
small balcony. Highly recommended for Rick Steves' type travelers (i.e.
easy going, want to be in great location, etc.). Campo di Fiori has a market
in daytime, lots of restaurants, nightlife (i.e. bars, wine bars), gelateria,
shops, bakery, grocery store, butcher shop, etc. It feels like you are "living
in Rome" since you are in a building filled with locals and living in their
neighborhood. Much better than staying in a hotel. And the area is central
and perfect. : ) Go to GreatRentals.com to inquire about renting this great
place. Its property # 4080.
Ashley Kirkland <email>
Oldsmar, FL USA Tue 12/10/2002
Only use home-stays!
I spent the month of September 2001 in Europe and I stayed in hotels only
2 nights. I spent the rest of the time in peoples' homes. The best was 10
days in Slovenia, at a farmhouse high on a mountain near Skofja Loka. You
needn't speak the language -- just learn "please, thank you, and excuse
me" in the local language. I got home-cooked meals, travel & sightseeing
advice, etc., all for only $18 per night in Slovenia. I will never stay
in a hotel again if I can avoid it. Local people really are wonderful, no
matter where you go. I'm going back in July 2003 for 3 weeks to Austria,
Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia; I already have homestays arranged. I can't
wait!
Ted
Sunnyvale, ca USA Fri 12/06/2002
Free accommodation is a good alternative!
I found a good site for alternative accommodation: http://www.place2stay.net
People that register on the site have access to other people's offers of
accommodation (anything from tent space to whole houses) worldwide. It's
all free so I think it's great.
John Ruxloh <email>
Toronto, Canada Sat 11/23/2002
Praise for Chez Vous Paris flat rental
I would like to repeat the praise on this board for Chez Vous apartment
rental (www.chezvous.com). Based in California, the company owns apartments
in Paris and London. They have an informative web site, and arrangements
can be made via email (except for the final booking contract.) We just returned
from a stay in a lovely apartment in Paris, a five minute stroll from the
Eiffel Tower. Since its "low season" we were able to take the apartment
for less than a week. We were met upon our arrival at the apartment by a
very helpful agent (Roland -- he's wonderful!). We were given a great orientation
to the apartment and the neighborhood. Everything was exactly as advertised.
The place was spotless, the decor was exquisite, and we had the charm of
a Paris apartment but with all the "mod cons." I typically spend at the
low end of the scale for lodging (I like hostels!) but since I was travelling
with two teens I opted for a flat where the kids could have their own room,
and where we had a kitchen to do our own cooking. It was well worth the
cost. Our only regret was that we had to leave!
M. Wilson <email>
Cambridge, MA USA Mon 11/11/2002
Castle Accommodations
I'm surprised this accommodation is not listed in one of Rick Steves' books.
12th Century Harburg Castle in Harburg, Germany, is located along the Romantic
Road, just south of Rothenburg. At the time of our visit last June, they
only had seven rooms and we occupied three of them. The price for the rooms
was about $40 per person per night including breakfast. When we arrived,
a wedding reception in the courtyard was just being finished and then, that
night, we practically had the whole castle grounds to ourselves. As a special
treat, we booked a private English speaking tour of the castle in advance
for our group of 8 and we were given an incredible one-hour long private
tour of the castle and grounds for about $4.00 per person (I highly recommend
this). We scheduled this tour for 8:00 p.m. since we didn't arrive at the
castle until late afternoon. We stayed here on our last night in Germany
prior to flying back to the U.S. from Munich (the Munich airport is about
90 minutes away).
Peter <email>
Austin, TX USA Wed 10/23/2002
Furnace Farm - North Yorkshire, UK
We recently stayed at a wonderful family farm on the North York moors in
Britain: Furnace Farm Bed and Breakfast in Fryup, Lealholm, Whitby, North
Yorkshire. Their phone number is 01947 897271. A good ordanance survey map
will show the village. It is not far from the Danby Moors Center. Also,
it is convenient to the North York Moors Scenic Railway in Grosmont, which
figures prominently in the Harry Potter films. The house is Victorian but
the farm goes back to medieval times when they made charcoal. It is a working
farm with a small herd of beef cattle. The Fox and Hounds Inn in Ainthorpe
- established 1555 - is a great place for dinner.
Betsey Hamlet <email>
Jacksonville, fl USA Sun 10/20/2002
Stay with the Quakers in London
The Quaker International Centre is at 1-3 Byng Place London WC1EJH England.
The email is qic1@qic.org.uk. Single rooms per night run 36 pounds or 242
pounds per week. Wow! And the best part is that the money is used to support
charities worldwide.
Rita Lindsay <email>
Beaufort, SC USA Thu 10/10/2002
Canal boat rental
For something a little different and very relaxing, try renting a canal
boat. They're very popular in England, Wales, and France. We rented one
in Scotland from Thistle Hire in Linlithgow (outside Edinburgh) for about
$100/night. The boat had a galley, bathroom w/shower, and beds for 4 people.
Thistle Hire is very flexible with rental periods. Phone # is 44 131 666
2991 or 44 131 621 0950.
Marcia <email>
Spokane, WA USA Mon 09/09/2002
guest house in Florence
We stayed in a guest house run by Franciscan nuns in Florence and it was
the best accomodation of our whole trip to Italy. Casa Santo Nome di Gesu
is located in the Piazza del Carmine, a 10 minute walk from the train station,
in the more interesting Oltrarno neighbourhood(across the river). The rooms
are clean, have huge shuttered windows, fans, and are nicely furnished with
antiques. Our room looked out over the private garden. We had our own bathroom,
although not all rooms do. A satisfying breakfast was included in the price(served
in a the dining room overlooking the garden), and dinner is available for
about 12 Euro if you want it. The nuns did not speak much English, but were
very friendly and efficient. Unfortunately, they lock the doors at 11:30
p.m. All this for 67 Euro a night at the height of tourist season. We booked
a few months in advance.
Kathy Bol <email>
Ottawa, Ont CAN Tue 07/30/2002
Cozy Cottage for Two in North Yorkshire
In March/April my husband and I spent 6 weeks in Britain staying in furnished "self-catering" accommodations. One in particular was outstanding: "The
Granary" in North Yorkshire. It is located in the village of Scotton just
outside Catterick Garrison which, in turn, is near the old market town of
Richmond. It is a great location for exploring the Yorkshire Dales ( if
you are travelling by car-- Bus service is adequate to Richmond but not
so frequent out into the countryside.) Our little (suitable for 2) Granary
cottage was comfortably and beautifully furnished and nice and warm (important
in March!). We paid 148 pounds per week in low season. (218 pounds is the
rate in high season, I believe.) Everything was included in that price--sheets,
towels, heating. The cottage is non-smoking and pets are not permitted.
(Probably because the owners, whose house is attached via a sunroom, have
two of their own-- two large and enthusiastically friendly dogs who you
are likely to meet from time to time. So, if you are allergic or nervous
around dogs this accommodation may not be suitable.) The contact for bookings
is anntavanyar@dialstart.net Hope you like it as much as we did!
Ruth Buckinger <email>
Cornwallis, NS Canada Tue 07/30/2002
caves and treehouses
In Turkey I stayed at two unusual places back to back. In Goreme, in Cappadocia,
I stayed in a cave (most accomodations in this area are in caves), and in
Olimpos, I stayed in a treehouse. In fact, all of Olimpos' pensions were
in treehouses, it was declared an archeoligical site by the government (no
concrete foundations). Both were surprisingly nice and well maintained,
cheap to boot. I almost blew off Olimpos for a quick stop in Antayla, very
glad I didn't. Both places had travelers from their teens to in their sixties,
really cool mix.
Tom Emmons <email>
Chicago, IL USA Wed 07/03/2002
Accommodations
Recently went to Italy and Germany. We used Drawbridge to Europe and rented
a house in Tuscany (we were 8 people) The house was beautiful and split
8 ways economical too. Only drawback was a barking dog at night and it would
definitely be a place you would need a car. Great big kitchen and the Tuscan
air spurred me to cook great huge meals of pasta. We loved it. It also had
a pool by the way, cold but swimable!
Melinda Salter <email>
Burnsville, MN USA Sat 06/22/2002
Terrific apartment in Nerja, Spain
We just got back from three weeks in Spain and are still in a glow from
all the wonderful memories (well, a few not-so-wonderful). But the highlight
of our trip was a week at Casa Charlotte in Nerja on the south coast of
Spain. The three apartments are roomy, modern, clean, have great kitchen
area, all the amenities and located in a charming house on a cobblestone
residential street in the heart of downtown Nerja. This is a real Spanish
neighborhood, with the bakery, grocery, cafes, and everything you need just
a few minutes away - not to mention the beautiful Nerja beaches. Right next
door is El Chispa, a great little seafood place mentioned in Rick's Spain
and Portugal! Our hosts, Frans and Nuttee, looked after us like their own
family, even giving us a personal walking tour of the town. Nerja is a popular
European tourist town but has not been spoiled by the high rise mania of
most of the Costa del Sol. Casa Charlotte is a real beauty and a super home
away from home. Easy day trips take you to Granada, Gibralter, or the Pueblos
Blancos. Check out their website (www.casacharlotte.com).
Susan Green <email>
Tucson, AZ USA Sat 06/15/2002
London - school residences
My kids and I stayed in London at the London School of Economics Residence
building. They have quite a few different ones around the city. Ours cost
15 pounds each per night in 1997. The rooms were clean and the breakfast
was wonderful (included in the price). They have a website now, and you
can book online. The bathrooms were down the hall, but that didn't bother
us too much. Just a short walk from the subway too.
Tresa <email>
Vancouver, Canada Tue 06/11/2002
Santorini, Cyclades
Santorini Island is an astonishing destination in the Greek Cyclades islands.
You can stay there at a group of villas managed directly by the owner and
his wife, Michael and Anna Bellonias. The Santorini Villas are not listed
in any international guide. The e-mail is info@santorinivillas.gr and the
home page is www.santorinivillas.gr What we like is the villa itself, built
inside the volcanic rock, the pool, and the amazing view of the ocean. The
location, in a small rural village, makes you feel like a Greek islander.
Cost is around 800 USD per week. Mike and Anna speak English and will guide
you where to go around the isalnd, even to the smallest "taverna" (local
restaurant).
Thierry Consigny <email>
Tokyo, Japan Mon 05/27/2002
Central London apartment for $69/nt
My friends and I make a yearly trip to London and have rented apartments
4 times. We've done this through a company we found on the net call regentsuites.com.
After staying in hotels a couple of years when making our trips to London,
we realized that we were spending enormous amounts of money unnecessarily.
We looked into short-term apartment rentals and decided that Regent Suites
was the most reasonable. We were recently in London for 10 days (5 of us).
We each paid $69 a night. We had a 2 bedroom apartment and a large studio
apartment (we were two couples and a single) at Soho Square, right in the
heart of the West End. They were large spaces, with full kitchens and a
washing machine (one of the apartments also had a dryer; not all do - being
able to do laundry during the trip is great, decreases the amount you have
to pack). The two bedrooms were large and that apartment had a large living
room. Both had televisions and phones (I've just received the phone bill
and it was very reasonable - not hotel prices). Mind you, these are not
fancy spaces. They are clean and very well located - walking distance to
the theatre, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, etc. My friends and I are
pretty picky, though, and we think that there's no other way to go. The
folks at Regent are very friendly and professional. We've never had any
trouble at all with billing, they've always been very fair and up front.
K Leung <email>
New York, NY USA Tue 05/21/2002
Connemara Coastal Cottage
We recently rented a 4 bedroom house near Claddadugh in the Connemara region
of Galway in Ireland. The house sat on a bluff near an inlet, and there
were several secluded sandy beach coves within 150 yards. The house was
quite new, in immaculate condition, and extremely quiet. The Connemara area
is rugged, less pastoral than other parts of Ireland, but it's a great location
for time by the seashore with occasional site-seeing and shopping on the
side. We rented through the Internet from Connemara Coastal Cottages (http://www.cc-cottages.com/english/intr_areas.html).
We rented property #92. It was an excellent value at under 600 Euros for
a week's stay.
Brad <email>
Brussels, Belgium Mon 04/15/2002
Home rentals in London
On our last trip to London we traveled with another couple. Instead of staying
in a hotel we decided to try renting a house. We surfed the web and came
across Coach House London rentals. There are many properties to see on the
web site. We rented a home on Belgrave Road near Victoria Station. The neighborhood
was quiet and at a good location. We had full use of the house including
washer/drier, kitchen and were able to feel at home. We would rent again
if we stay for a week or more. The web site is www.vacrent.cwc.net. The
people here are very nice and a pleasure to do business with.
Bill & Sharon <email>
Westampton, NJ USA Wed 04/10/2002
Alternate British Accomodations
My wife and I had the good fortune to chaperone a large youth orchestra
to the Aberdeen Scotland International Youth Festival.
Our accomodation was at the Aberdeen University and in London at Brunel University. We discovered that some British Universities offer accomodation to "holiday makers" as well as larger groups during the summer when their residences are empty. In Aberdeen we each had our own room with bath down the hall, and meals in the cafeteria. The Aberdeen accomodation was booked through the festival organizers.
We booked through Brunel University ourselves and
each person got their own room w/bath and breakfast for ?17.00 per night
(now I consider that a bargain). In both Aberdeen and London the rooms
(dormatories) were new and very clean and comfortable, with small kitchens
on each floor for coffee and snacks, and amenities such as ironing boards
and irons. Considering the high cost of accomodation in cities, we feel
this University option is well worth considering
Murray Popoff <email>
Regina, SK Canada Thu 03/07/2002
Paid $100 a night Venice in apartment
I just stayed for 8 nights in a nice, clean 2 room apartment (with a roof
terrace) just a couple of minutes away from the Rialto Bridge for $100 per
night! It didn't include breakfast but I made my own as there was a kitchen
with fridge, freezer, oven and stove top, also a washing machine. I read
about this company on your site. They did a super job and met us on time
at the boat stop as they promised and showed us around. The company's site
is: venicerentals.com. Nice people, nice service, nice price!
Christie Lykes <email>
marietta, ga USA Sun 02/10/2002
Superb selfcatering in Dingle.
We had a wonderful stay in Dingle in May 2001. We stayed at Milltown Cottages,
selfcatering cottages. Wonderful, beautifully decorated, spacious kitchen/living/dining
area with and open fire. Old fashioned timber beams, wooden flooring. Splendid
location, peaceful yet only 5 minutes walk into the town centre along the
harbour and marina. A wonderful holiday, such hospitality from John and
Mary McKenna.
Jamie & Jan
New York, NY USA Fri 01/25/2002
accomodations
we went to Germany last spring and rented a house in Bavaria for a week
and then we rented a house for a week in the Black Forest region. Both were
excellent. The rates were fabulous. I found a website that specializes in
rented homes in Europe. The web site is called "Vacation Villas International" If you like to have a homebase, it is a wonderful way to travel. The first
home was 45 east of Salzburg in a beautiful village. The second home was
up on a montain side overlooking a valley. Fabulous!!!We were traveling
in a party of 6 and there was plenty of room for everyone.
Mary M. <email>
Coon Rapids, mn USA Mon 01/21/2002