Room-Finding Tricks: 2005
The town is packed, you don't have a reservation, and night is quickly approaching. What are your emergency room-finding tricks?
Websites and Arrivals
Two websites we always found helpful (and we almost NEVER booked ahead), were Venere and VRBO. Apartments are nearly always a better deal than hotels and leave you with that much more for other things.
Paul N Sara <email>
Newburyport , MA USA Thu 12/22/2005
Finding top accomodations cheaply
When I traveled through Portugal and Spain summer of 04 I came upon a spainish hotel sight called hotelopia.com. You can book on line as well as over the phone. I stayed in a major hotel in Torremolinos for only $62.00 dollars including tax and breakfast. In Lagos,Portugal I stayed at the luxurious 4-Star Tivioli Hotel for $101.00 per night including. taxes and breakfast (which was HUGE.)
Burt Gitlin
North Bergen, NJ USA Mon 12/12/2005
Accommodation sites
I found a very informative site when looking to book accommodation in Europe. inn26.com
I used this site to research and book the majority of our accommodation.
I emailed the places direct where we chose to stay. This information was available from the inn.26 website.
Absolutely no complaints!
It lists every type of accommodation imaginable. 1 - 5 star hotels, motels, pensions, hostels, villas, apartments, guest houses etc.
Judy <email>
Adelaide, SA Australia Wed 11/30/2005
Hotel Medicis ???
Has anyone been able to contact Hotel Medicis, Latin Quarter, Paris recently? I tried the email address in Rick's Paris book but it doesn't get a response. And if anyone knows if the great little Lebanese sandwich shop is still across the street that would be wonderful information. Thanks a million.
Fawn <email>
MO USA Mon 11/28/2005
Pensione near Milan Malpensa airport?
I arrive in the evening into Milan Malpensa (MXP) after a long trip - would like to find a nearby simple but clean, moderately priced and well run authentic/typical pensione (the more the better) or similar accomodation near the airport - preferably away from the city and close to the airport. Any suggestions, please email privately if preferred. Thanks in advance!
David <email>
San Diego, CA USA Sun 11/20/2005
Barclona Bound
My wife and I just returned from 10 days in Spain. We stayed 4 nights at the Hilton Barcelona which was typical business hotel, then 3 great nights in seaside Cadaques (2 1/2 hr bus ride from Barcelona. The hotel there is Llane Petit and is terriffic. Then back to Barcelona where we stayed at the Hotel Barcelona Continental, right on Las Ramplas--Incredible! Would stay there again in a heartbeat. The staff and rooms and unbeatable location are awesome. Db room 80Euros with breakfast. Perfect location to tour the city and enjoy las ramblas.
Ted <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA Sat 11/12/2005
Paris Hotel
Wonderful Place to stay in Paris - Left Bank. Try ASTOTEL.COM and look for Bradford Elysees. The hotel is very nice and inexpensive. The rooms are large and offers you with perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. The amenities are wonderful, full shower and cable TV with a nice deck. Try getting a room from the last two floors.
Guinness
Rancho Santa Margarita , CA USA Mon 11/07/2005
Eurocheapo
I agree with Abby. We stayed at the Tiquetonne, a 1 Star hotel for 48 Euros per night in Paris that Eurocheapo highly recommended as a great budget choice. We found it utterly charming and a great deal. Since it was not a Rick hotel, all the other people we saw were European, without an American in sight anywhere. I will always use this resource for finding reviews on European hotels.
TM
oregonII USA Sat 11/05/2005
Eurocheapo.com
www.eurocheapo.com is the BEST site for finding cheap hotels in large cities. I have stayed at several of the listing for Paris and been pleased everytime. This site is not something hotels pay to beon, so you can trust the info is truthful.
Abby <email>
FL USA Tue 11/01/2005
Barcelona
WE WILL BE IN BARCELONA IN JULY FOR 4 NIGHTS. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR WHERE TO STAY? THANKS
CATHY <email>
JACKSONVILLE, OR USA Mon 10/31/2005
Finding B&B's in the UK
When going to England the only rooms we book a head is the first and last nights. Each day when we decide when we want to stop for the night, we just start looking for a B&B sign. We have never had trouble finding a room for the night within a half hour. We have stayed at fantastic B&B's. One year we were at a B&B in Cornwall the night of July 3rd. In the morning they had put a small American flag on the table and told us happy 4th of July. If you are driving around England you should never worry about finding a B&B, you will.
Ohio USA Wed 10/26/2005
Oktoberfest - Inexpensive lodging
Oktoberfest is a wonderful event and those staying near the Oktoberfest grounds pay dearly to be close. A really good alternative is to stay in an outlying town and take the train! We chose Erding which is said to be older than Munich and has a wonderful historic city center. It is on the train line and took us 45 minutes to get to Oktoberfest! We stayed at a pension that was 40E per night with a full bath in each room and a great breakfast.
Gael
Charlotte, NC USA Mon 10/03/2005
Tourist Infomation Centers
My husband and I, and another couple, just spent a week driving through England. We didn't have rooms booked for a few nights since we didn't know exactly where we would be. For those nights, we booked our rooms that day by looking for the "i" (tourist information) sign in the towns we visited (we noticed them in most reasonably large towns). For a nominal fee (5 pounds, I think), they will research available B&B or hotel rooms in the area where you think you will be that night. You just tell them what you are looking for and your price range, give them about half an hour, and they will find you a place to stay. Sometimes they are able to find special rates. One night, we got a fantastic double room at a hotel / spa with a full kitchen and a sitting room for 60 pounds!
One other thing; one night we didn't use a tourist information center, figuring we would just find a room at one of the Travel Inns at the service stations off the motorway. Wrong! Evidently these Inns are pretty booked during the week, so don't count on them as a last resort! You could end up driving around until 1:00am trying to find a place to stay, like we did! We finally found a room at an Ibis hotel which worked just fine for one night.
Janell <email>
Portland, OR USA Fri 09/30/2005
Great European Hotel Website
Just wanted to let people know about a website that I stumbled upon and have used many times since. It is called www.inthotels.com...there is a british flag to click on for English..then it has a listing of countries and cities within that country and then you plug in the dates and you can choose what currency you would like the room rate in..the good thing about this site is that you only have to leave a % of a deposit which is refundable I believe up to 24 hours before your dates..nothing else is charged to you until you get to the hotel..there are various prices and show pictures of the hotels..all of the hotels on this site are discounted anywhere from 12-60% or more sometimes..check it out..I have used it three times and have been very happy..stayed in a 4 star hotel in Munich for $75 a night..the hotel was great..Enjoy your searching..Kim
Kim
Brooklyn, NY USA Tue 09/13/2005
Re: October Trip
The best way that I've found to find an affordable room in an expensive town or city is to book the best possible option on-line for the length of my stay. While walking the city after the first night I just drop into all of the little one-star hotels I see and take a look inside and get a rate card. Checked out of our first hotel and moved into a very nice little place in Venice near Frari in a very quite neighborhood yet still about a mile or less St. Marks. 75 euros per night instead of 145 euros which was our best rate on-line. So, in four nights we paid 370 euros which, come to think of it, is a lot, but Venice was expensive.
Man, that trip planned below sounds like a real killer. Six cities in ten days? All those flights! Sounds like a lot of time in airports and train stations. An "hour flight" from London Stanstead to anywhere is going to take at least 4 1/2 hours with long train to airport, security, flight, trip into next town. Several of those airports are an hour outside of the major city they serve, too, so as soon as you get to one town you'll have to pack up and travel back to the airport and do it all over again. Five times in nine days! Yikes. I wouldn't take more than one extra flight on the continent. Anything more and you're stretching yourself too thin. Presume you'll be back and concentrate on two or three of those places, preferably close together. I only say that because every trip I've taken to Europe I always felt like I did too much in-country travel for the time alloted. Had a great Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy trip recently but really wished I'd left it to Italy and Slovenia and done the others later.
Respectfully :)
Will <email>
CA USA Mon 09/12/2005
London Hotels
London Hotels - as someone living in London, I feel ashamed about the quality and valur of many Hotels I see.YOu may find many Small hotels around stations - Victoria/Kings X etc & many many of these are truly appalling, both in terms of facilities & value. Most Brits would not stay in these places given the choice. It is difficult advising on HOtels, as some visitors want a "homely" chintzy hotel, whilst others want modern & slick.If you are after a good deal, then the Ibis chain of hotels are beginning to reaer their heads now - decent value & can be booked online.They arent homely, buty for most people ideal, as they are secure , clean & efficient. if you want a dining room, cocktail lounge & board games, then maybe you should look elsewhere.......check out the group website :
www.accor.com
You can select any city in Europe ( or West Africa ! ) & book online. I use them whenever I have to go to Europe at short notice. Excellent value!
Zoltan
UK Tue 09/06/2005
Sunlight--Re: Cheap Rooms
Way too much in such a short time, considering those airports are an hour outside of cities. Pick a few cities (3 max for 11 nights, flying from Seattle), relax and let it soak in, use the local transportation. No cars allowed in Venice anyway.
Bruce
Cincinnati, OH USA Thu 09/01/2005
Rome - Hotel Orlanda
We couldn't find any availability in Spring for Rick's suggestions in Rome. We went to another online place for suggestions and found Hotel Orlanda 2 blocks from Tremini in Roma. Very nice & helpful staff and clean rooms. A/C was like most places and it can get a little warm. Noise wasn't bad with the double pane windows. Located a couple blocks from termini, on Via Principe Amedeo, 76 ROMA, 00185
Phone number: 06-4880637
Geoff
Springfield, MO USA Tue 08/30/2005
London Budget Lodging
I just checked www.londontown.com for discount hotels in London. It looks good. I used them a couple of years ago and got good service and a good budget deal in the Earl's Court area.
USA Mon 08/29/2005
Sunlight--Re: Cheap Rooms
I suggest buying a copy of "Let's Go Europe" for your needs. "Rough Guide" books also have budget hotel listings.
Swan
USA Mon 08/29/2005
London in October
My wife, our two children and I are going to be in London 11-24 October '05, and are looking for the best deal on a cheap place to lodge. Looking to spend under $100.00(U.S.)/night. ANyone know of such a place with easy tube access?
chet <email>
tulsa, ok USA Sun 08/28/2005
LOOKING FOR LODGING UNDER $75
You will have trouble finding rooms at the rates you specify. But not impossible. Just takes a lot of searching. If you don’t get help on this page, search google.com for “London discount hotels”. Do the same for the other towns.
You may be cramming too much into a small time. Very few travelers attempt a schedule like yours where you spend only one night in a town. It just takes more time to see the important sights in each town.
You will be dog tired after the first week and that takes the fun out of travel. Most experienced travelers plan a half day of rest as often as the schedule allows.
CHARDLI CUTT
RENO, USA Sun 08/28/2005
Looking for Lodging UNDER $75.00/60.Euro
looking for hotel under $75/60Euro
Newlyweds Looking for Lodging UNDER $75.00/60.Euro/40.GBP Per night Total! (Not per person, per night). Does NOT want to share room & bathroom, w/other people (per: Honeymoon). Is this possible? Or even close to it…possible? If so please let us know, Any suggestions or better “Specific Places” in any of the locations below. Open to alternative accommodations. Here are the places we’re looking for lodging:
IN OCTOBER 2005 Arriving (via: Heathrow Airport) (2 nights) London AM Departure (via: Stansted Airport)// Arriving (via: DUB) (4 nights ) Dublin // Arriving (via: Beauvais Airport) (1 night) Paris AM Departure (via: Beauvais Airport)// Arriving (via: Bergamo Airport BGY) (2 nights) Milan (Here we will have a car) AM Departure (via: Malpensa Airport MLN)// (1 night ) Venice (Here we will have a car)// (1 night ) Geneva (Here we will have a car) Thanks for any help or places you can suggest. Cheers! Sunlight
Sunlight <email>
Seattle, WA USA Sat 08/27/2005
B &B to Hotel coupons
CIE tours provided a coupon book for B&B's but we could upgrade to hotels. I'm hoping only to purchase a booklet like that with both options.
Does anyone out there so this?
Margie <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA Wed 08/24/2005
Florence Hotel Suggestion
We stayed at the Hotel Bretagna in Florence, it is located right on the Arno River and a block and a half away from the Ponte Vecchio. Great price, great location and it is family runned, so great people too!
Candace Vocelka
Longwood, FL USA Wed 08/24/2005
B&Bs in Rome & Venice
I used http://www.cross-pollinate.com/ to book us nice B&Bs in Venice & Rome. Both places we had great rooms for a good price (90 euros in venice & 70 euros in Rome). My only suggestion is to ask if the B&B is on a busy a street before booking.
Alex B.
Seattle, WA USA Thu 08/18/2005
Florence Hotel
We stayed at the Bellevue House in Florence (recommended by Rick) it was a great place for the price, and the guy who owns it, Antonio, is super nice, speaks great English, and has good recommendations for restaurants.
Alex B.
Seattle, WA USA Thu 08/18/2005
discount hotels
I used the website www.hrs.de and got a 5 star hotel in Athens for 75 euros. The hotel was awesome. Deffinetly check out this website, they have hotels all over Europe and other places too!
Alex B.
Seattle, WA USA Thu 08/18/2005
Great site for finding hotels
www.Hotel.de is the best site I've found for finding rooms across Europe (not just Germany). The website is in English (click on the UK/US flag in the upper right of the homepage) and is reliable, secure and easy to use (you can view the hotels on a map). Many 3- or 4-star hotel chains, otherwise empty on weekends, let Hotel.de book their rooms for far less than their normal rates. There are also good deals to be found during the week, and more and more pensions are using the site.
I've enjoyed Rick's "back door" hotels and rooms, but with this site I can often stay in a real hotel for less money, without the trouble of multiple e-mails and confusing phone calls.
I have booked doubles in London twice for 65 pounds ($120), Munich (44 euro), near Frankfurt airport (35 euro!) and an upcoming trip to Florence (65 euro).
Keep in mind, you pay the hotel, not Hotel.de. Usually you can cancel up until the day of your reservation.
Mark Davison <email>
APO, AE USA Tue 08/16/2005
Expedia alert
I needed family rooms (room for 2 parents, 2 kids). Expedia quizzes you on size of group, then sometimes gives you room for 4, but we also got into Italy and found they only booked us into room for 2, so we had to rent a 2nd room, thus doubling our price. Shame on Expedia
G Daug
Seattle, WA USA Thu 08/11/2005
Breakfast Included ???
A big english breakfast can be 11L or more each!! so if you like to start off with one, figure that in when comparing hotel costs --not included in most larger hotels.
John Brangwin <email>
Bellevue, Wa USA Mon 08/08/2005
Italy trip
My wife and I are planning a three week trip to Italy late October/early November. We fly into and out of Milan and plan to travel by car. We plan to start in Vernazza and end in Venice. Any suggestions? What do we do with the car in Rome and other big cities?
Bill <email>
Rice, MN USA Thu 08/04/2005
Hotel Aberdeen in Rome
We very much enjoyed Rick's recommended Hotel Aberdeen in Rome. Very clean and well appointed. Convenient location near Termini station, 2 blocks from the Republicca metro stop. Desk staff all spoke good English and were very helpful, including an immediate response to my initial email inquiry. Very reasonable prices. We had a family of 8 staying in two triples and one double.
Lynette
Kannapolis, NC USA Sun 07/31/2005
Hotel price reduction
I was on line, hotels.com and the rates for alot of hotels have been reduced quite a bit in Paris.
BOB <email>
USA Mon 07/25/2005
Venice - Ca' San Giorgio hotel a rare treat
Do to a lucky error on my part,we recently discovered a delightful small hotel in Venice that we highly recommend. Our original hotel reservations were messed up (my fault), but they referred us to a small, new hotel called Ca' San Georgio. It has only been opened for about a year, and has 5 beautifully decorated rooms. What a lucky break we had. We spent 3 nights there, and it was definitely the best place we stayed in during our 5 week trip in Europe. Breakfast was incredible, with warm fresh pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs cooked to order, great coffee, etc. The bathrooms were beautiful and new, and rooms have plasma tv's. The owner has a laptop computer equipped with wi-fi that you can take to your room to check your emails. The owner, Sylvia, is lovely and extremely helpful. Can't say enough nice things about Sylvia and Ca' San Giorgio. We only wish our other hotel experiences were half as positive!
sunriser <email>
Delray Beach, FL USA Sun 07/24/2005
La Pallotta in Assisi
After checking reviews by other guests we stayed in the Hotel Trattoria Pallotta in Assisi. We were there for 3 days in late June. We knew that Umbria in which Assisi is located would be hot and were prepared for some discomfort.
On the plus side the hotel was always spotless and provided plenty of linens. It is centrally located in Assisi and relatively easy to get to.
The negatives were that the hotel management (namely the father of the owner) did not and would not provide any fans for the rooms, even the room whose inside temperature was in the high 80's. Nor would the hotel management do anything regarding the swarms of mosquitoes in the room. He first indicated he spoke no English and understood no English. Even when we enlisted the assistance of a native to translate our needs the response we got was a shrug of the shoulders.
However when we said we were ready to checkout and settle our bill, the management (same person who previously understood no English)presented it to us in very quick order.
Next time we visit Assisi we will stay in one of the other hotels where the same price will afford us some type of "air conditioning" and no mosquitoes.
Karen E. Nikula <email>
Forsyth, GA USA Fri 07/15/2005
Tips for Italy (good & bad)
Watch out! Here is a scam I just ran into in Italy - and at a hotel recommended by Rick. The evening before I checked out the desk clerk asked me to clear up my bill as I was leaving at 6:45AM for the airport. The bill was 381.21 euros (2 nights at 190 each plus a local call). When I got back to the US and looked at my VISA bill the charge was for more than I expected. The amount in US dollars converted at about 1.245, but the rates that date were about 1.195. Around a 4% difference. I looked at my charge slip (still had it) and notice in small print that the hotel had converted the charge to dollars and charged me a commission! This was the Hotel Due Torri in Rome. Also, the in small print it said that this transacation could not be changed or challenged. What a rip!
I should have been more careful. I had been in Rome the week before and stayed at another hotel. They did tell me that they were converting my bill to dollars. I didn't realize the difference, but their bill showed a commission of 3.11%. At least they told me, and show the charge. The Hotel Due Torri didn't tell me, and didn't show it on the charge slip. It was buried in the conversion.
In Sienna I stayed at a great hotel - Palazzo Ravizza(spelling might be off). In an old palazzo, free newspaper, free internet, wonderful garden for breakfast and friendly staff.
Donald De Santis <email>
Mill Creek, WA USA Thu 07/14/2005
Use caution when booking rooms on line
I recently booked a room in London through allukhotels.com. When I checked into the hotel, late at night, I found that the website had booked 4 rooms for me. Since the hotel was full for the night and they had turned away business they charged me for all 4 rooms, suggesting I take up the matter with the website. So far they have been unresponsive.
Scott
San Francisco, CA USA Wed 07/13/2005
B & B FARMS
goofed on the web site, it should be
farmstays.co.uk
BOB <email>
USA Wed 07/06/2005
Finding a place in Madrid for the summer
We were desperate looking for a place to spend 2 weeks in Madrid, but for that period a hostal was too expensive, and noone wanted to rent us a room for less than one month. We stayed in a very nice place near Madrid, went everyday by bus to the centre, had our own big room with bathroom and shared the kitchen and living room with another guy. You can contact the owner at: madridrm@yahoo.com
Martine
Paris, France Tue 07/05/2005
B & B FARMS
I found two great site , 1 for England and 1 for France. farmstays.com
and gites-de-france.fr/fr/index.htm
Both of these have some great places, as well as prices.
BOB <email>
USA Sat 06/25/2005
Avoid Hotel Louvre Rivoli
If you cannot speak French, avoid the Hotel Louvre Rivoli in Paris on 7 rue Jean Lautier. The accommodations were nice, but the staff could not speak English and were of no help. International flags flew outside the hotel but that is as far as "international" went.
Carolyn <email>
High Point, NC USA Fri 06/24/2005
paris accommodations
i've stayed in a number of places in paris that i've been happy with. the marais is my favorite area...good people, good food, good sights to see. i've stayed at the castex and at the sansonnet. i've also stayed at the plazza home bastille which is a compound of buildings in a great area, walking distance to the bastille and environs. i've also stayed at the hotel daval...also right off the bastille and in a very young, hip neighborhood. it's a lot noisier and there's more of a street scene there. the marais is quieter, but with great ambience. another place i've stayed (which has been highly recommended to me by many people i know) is the hotel des grandes ecoles. it's pretty, with a central courtyard and i feel it caters to a somewhat snootier crowd. it was the most expensive accommodation i've ever had in paris, and i felt that the proprietors were the least friendly and helpful. all the others i mentioned had very welcoming, hospitable staffs.
Lisa <email>
Berkeley, Ca USA Tue 06/21/2005
great rental in Florence, Italy
My girlfriend and I were so lucky to find a very central, rental by owner accommodation in one of the most beautiful and popular quarters of Florence -- Oltrarno – where we rented an apartment for a whole week. We saved so much money this way. It was a great alternative to a conventional tourist experience. It's like "living Florence" instead of just visiting it. You can contact Andrea in Florence @:
aptoltrarno@yahoo.com
david <email>
new york, ny USA Tue 06/14/2005
Where to stay in Paris?
We will also be in Paris in early October. Any recommendations for where (i.e. arrondisement) we should stay? This will be our first time in Paris. Any suggestions?
Di <email>
Santa Rosa, CA USA Mon 06/13/2005
Munich Accommodations during Oktoberfest
My husband and I will be spending a couple of days in Munich for Oktoberfest this fall. Most hotels/zimmers are booked. Any suggestions for a town to stay in outside of Munich so we could take the train and/or bus in?
Di <email>
Santa Rosa, CA USA Mon 06/13/2005
Accomodation in Madrid for this summer
If you need a room in a shared flat in Madrid for this summer, I have a flat with 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms with 1 room free. It is 20 minutes by bus from the centre of Madrid. All comforts, well equipied. Sunny... The other room is occupied by a 24-year-old guy. Available until the end of August. One month for 350 euros, but also available for shorter stays. Contact: madridrm@yahoo.com or (+34)669.74.60.12
Ruth
Madrid, Spain Mon 06/13/2005
Paris ? The Marais or Left Bank?
Harvey, Thanks for your comments. I will research the hotels you mentioned. I took your advice and have posted on the Travel Help forum. Dean
Dean
Belmont, Ca USA Sat 06/11/2005
Paris hotels
On the Left Bank means the south bank of the Seine but usually is applied to St Germain, a bit expensive, and the 5 arrondisement below St Germain which is more fiscally appealing that St Germain. If that is what you have in mind, try the Contrescarpe area. The Hotel L'Esperance on rue Pascal is central to a neat area and has a good restaurant opposite it, the Forge, and several of my favorites on rue Moufftard. ~~~ The Jean d'Arc on the south edge of the Marais is always popular, but I have't been there in 4 years mainly because the customer-minded management that gained the hotel's popularity for it moved to L'Esperance. In neither the Marais,that is the 3/4e, nor the Left Bank 5e, but in the 7e, is the Hotel Muguet which is a rue Cler area hotel. Catherine Pellitier runs a good ship there. The breakfast is a pretty good deal--and my wife's reason for calling it her favorite is the larger than usual washroom. You have 2 daughters? Muguet has a web site if you wish to view the place. Also, if you put this same posting on the Travel Helpline on the Grafitti Wall, you probably get several recommendations. That page has much higher traffic than does this one. Amities
Harvey <email>
IL USA Sat 06/11/2005
Bob in Washington/Paris hotel
You said the magic words " Near Paris." What is the zip code? It probably starts with 9 something and if so could mean a commute into the city from some distance. On the other hand, it could also be La DeFense, but I doubt it. The price is also a red flag. If you have an address or a zip code, it's possible to locate the place on the internet map sources.
Harvey <email>
USA Sat 06/11/2005
Paris ? The Marais or Left Bank?
I?m a single dad going to Paris with my two daughters 14 and 16 years old. I have been thinking of staying in either the Marais or the Left Bank. Any recommendations of which I should chose?
Dean
Belmont, Ca USA Fri 06/10/2005
Accommodation In Madrid
Madrid Flatmate: The Official Accomodation Service for a short or long term, also Baggage Storage, Cell Phone Rental, Pick-Up service & Tourist Information "AllThat You Need" for enjoy Madrid
http://www.madridflatmate.com
Madrid Flatmate
Madrid, USA Fri 06/03/2005
Internet Search
I just landed an inexpensive B&B in Venice by using my "Venice Technique." I picked out 8 hotels in my Rick Steves Italy book and Let's Go Italy. I checked web-sites when available, then emailed each B&B and hotel, stating my dates and what I wanted. I got back 6 replies overnight. Three had rooms available; two were over my budget; one was just right. Using their reservation form, I made the formal request with credit card info, etc. Now I have an almost final reservation. I suppose they have to check out my credit card number. FYI, Rick, "your" hotels responded quickly; the "other" hotels have yet to respond. I'm happy. I'll be staying at Ca' del Dose B&B.
Swan
USA Wed 05/25/2005
Ask Locals
We have found delightful homes that rent out one to three rooms by stopping at a local grocery or newspaper shop in small villages. Usually, if you ask the proprieter/cashier if they know of any private homes with accomodations, they have either a list, or have a friend/sister/aunt etc. that rent out bedrooms. In most cases, they will even call them to check for availability and/or escort or drive you there themselves. We have never not found accomodations, and they are usually very clean, with a great breakfast too!! I've met people who have become darling friends forever and tasted some fantastic food this way. Plus all the homes we stayed at provided plenty of privacy and quiet. I'm most impressed by the homes we stayed at in Germany. I never saw such spotless rooms as those we rented in Germany. And the special eider down quilts are too wonderful - you won't want to get out of bed, until you smell the breakfasts. Every morning in Germany was a tasty treat with plenty of food and special treatment by the frau of the house. So, try your luck sometime - we were never disappointed!
Patt <email>
Winter Haven, FL USA Sun 05/22/2005
Hotels in Paris
I found the name of the Hotel l'Alma in Paris on your website. I booked a room and was a little unsure because I read some negative comments about the hotel on a different site. However, my daughter and I loved the hotel, especially the location. It was on a quiet street, a 5 minute walk from the Eifel tower, with cafes, bakeries, and even a laundry close by. The staff were helpful and polite, the beds were comfortable. It could get a little stuffy in the heat of the summer, but for us it was a great place to stay. Thanks for putting it on your site.
Martie Carter <email>
Heildelberg, Germany Mon 05/09/2005
Frankfurt Airport Hotel
Thanks for the advice. A Graffiti contributor on Helpline pointed out the IBIS. It belongs to the same chain as the Sofitel (Accor Hotels) and fits SUNNY's description.
- <email>
- CAN Thu 05/05/2005
RE Hotel near Frankfurt Airport
Call the Sofitel 800 number and ask them. They might be hesitent to tell you (if they even know) since it probably was sold to another property owner.The other thing you can do is Google "Sofitel Frankfurt Airport" and it might pull up some old websites that refer to it. If it does, then grab address of the hotel and then google that and hopefully it will route you to its new home.. Good luck!
USA Mon 05/02/2005
When 'Back Door' places are all full
Staying in a chain hotel does NOT make you an ungly American! It DOES give you more options- especially during holiday weekends. If you're dedicated to travelling 'through the back door', this can be a bit like thinking outside the box, but give yourself permission to do it. The point is to find conveniently located accommodations that will afford you a decent night's sleep. You can find the back door in the market, or in a cafe or a restaurant... Ibis Hotels (part of the Accor Group) will be getting the benfit of our company ;) this weekend!
Ashley <email>
Mon 05/02/2005
Hotel near Frankfurt Airport
Last year SUNNY from Florida mentioned the Sofitel in Frankfurt as a convenient hotel with free shuttle service to the airport. He mentioned that it was situated in an industrial area. This had been a tip from the TI at the airport. The only Sofitel I could find was downtown. Anybody have any idea what happened to the one mentioned by SUNNY?
E. Valentin <email>
Fort Saskatchewan, AB CAN Thu 04/28/2005
Cinque Terre
Few places in Cinque Terre take reservations much further out than a couple of days. But locals virtually bend over backwards to find a place for you. We had res's for every place we intended to visit except the CT...Venice, Dolomites, Lk Como, Siena, Rome. Called two days out and after 9 calls got a very nice, clean room in Vernazza, Memo Rooms (in the book). Enrica Basso will steer you to another place if she's booked up. Also, go to Il Pirata della CT and the twins will find a place for you. Everyone's helpful. Very impressive how accomodating everyone is!
Gary <email>
Seattle, WA USA Mon 04/18/2005
RENT A ROOM IN MADRID, Spain.
Do you need help finding a room to rent in a shared flat??? On the spot housing here:www.OpeningDoors.tk
Donald Timson-Herranz <email>
Madrid, Spain Sat 04/09/2005
Assisi, Firenze, Lago di Como
Italy - Rick Steve's recommendations. Just returned from Italy & stayed at hotels Ideale in Assisi, Maxim in Firenze, & Alberghetto la Marrianna at Lago di Como.
All prices were reasonable; locations were excellent - esp. Maxim & Ideale. Views were incredible at Ideale & la Marrianna. Also, the restaurant as well as the breakfast at la Marrianna exceeded expectations. Paola has a wonderful breakfast & Ty's restaurant & wine offerings were wonderful.
John Gregoline <email>
Merrillville, IN USA Thu 04/07/2005
Hostel availability - summer in Europe
Depending on the city or town, just walking into a hostel and getting a room or even a bed may be tough in summer, amd more expensive.
Unless there is an overwhelming reason to visit Europe in summer - the height of the high season! - try going in late spring (April/May) or June before the crowds, or early fall (September/October). Even November can be a fantastic time weather-wise and there are much fewer crowds and tourist buses. It's a whole lot easier to travel and to find nice rooms just walking in. And the people are more relaxed. Try it - it'll be great.
FL USA Fri 04/01/2005
When in Rome...
If you are in Rome you go to the Termini and get help from the tourist assistance office (they speak english). They will find you a room but it may need a train ride. In our case on May 1, we had to go to Anzio but it was a great experience. We had some great seafood there in the bargain.
Jeff Martin <email>
Shell Beach, Ca USA Mon 03/28/2005
B & B FARMS
In planning our trip to France and England this summer I found 2 great sites
farmstay.co.uk
Bob <email>
USA Sun 03/27/2005
Vernazza's room reservations
My husband and I stayed in Vernazza two years ago and loved it- but from what I've been reading it's alot tougher now to get a room. We'll be back there this summer (with another couple this time) and want to make sure our reservations are kept. Any suggestions?
Connie <email>
Williamsburg, Va USA Mon 03/14/2005
laterooms.com
We just toured Great Britain and booked all our rooms through laterooms.com. This site offers discounts on last-minute rooms. We got some fairly astounding rooms for ?30-35. It worked out well because we knew the general area in which we wanted to stay, but we were very flexible. It led us to some real gems, such as Tewksbury in the Cotswolds. We just used McDonalds internet cafes each morning to make a reservation for the following leg of our journey.
Liz <email>
chicago, il USA Sun 03/13/2005
Bancotel Coupons (www.bancotel.com)
I hope this is the correct section to post this tip...Have you heard of Bancotel coupons? (www.bancotel.com and click on the US/English link). Each coupon or "check" costs 50 euro. Many 3-4 star hotels belong to this "network" throughout Europe and the US. The hotel will state whether they require one or two coupons. We stayed in hotels in Spain (Madrid, Sevilla, Granada) using one coupon (50 euro per night per room). Some hotels in certain areas (some in the US) require 2 coupons per night. When you book the hotel, you have to mention upfront that you will be using Bancotel coupons. My husband overheard the hotel clerk quote a room in our hotel for 100 euro/night and we were paying only 50 with the Bancotel coupon.Vickihttp://www.xanga.com/leebenvic
Vicki <email>
NAS Sigonella Sicily Italy, AE USA Sat 03/12/2005
CHEAP FAMILY HOTEL
PLANNING FOR A TRIP TO FRANCE IN AUGUST, JUST FOUND A QUAD HOTEL ONHOTELS.COM # 53 FOR $60/NIGHT. PICTURE SHOWS A MODERN/NEW HOTEL.SUPPOSE TO BE BY A RAIL STATION, SHORT HOP TO PARIS. FAMILY/NON-SMOKING.
Bob <email>
ENUMCLAW, WA USA Fri 02/25/2005
Finding a room in Monterosso
My husband and I have arrived in Monterosso Italy five times, each without reservations, but have allways found a fellow with a baseball cap on named Corrado Valente asking if we needed a room? The ones that he got for us were allways btter than those we would have found for ourself, and a better rate. He also refered us to the resturant L' Alta Marea. Our favorate. This year we are booking an Apt on line from him at Corrado5terre.com. Good luck.
BB <email>
Atlanta, Ga USA Tue 02/01/2005
hostels availibility
I am 35 and planning my first trip solo to Europe this summer for a couple of months. My only previous foreign travel was a group trip to Costa Rica. I have been reading EVERYTHING here on Rick's website getting a lot of great information. I don't have any set plans to be at a specific place at a specific time. I just kind of want to go with the flow when I get there. How hard is it to just walk into a hostel and get a dorm bed for the night? Do I need to at least make a reservation a day or two in advance, or what? Thanks for any information. Chris.
Chris <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA Mon 01/31/2005
Last minute finds...
Keep driving! We had reservations at Port au Bessin, and were just driving by the American Cemetery, it had just closed and we were to be there the next day. We noticed the hotel just at the traffic circle at the intersection out from the Colleville sur Mer cemetery. Domaine de L'Hostelier was a delightful stay and can be found at hotelhostreiere@wanadoo.fr.
Bob Stutts <email>
San Antonio, Tx USA Sun 01/09/2005