Alternative Accommodations
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?
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AirBnB for 7 weeks - great option
Just finished a 7 week trip in Spain, all but 3 nights using AirBnB.com. The best times were when we rented either a private room or an attached apartment - great connections with people who live there. While it's possible to stay only one night in some places, we stayed a minimum of 2 nights and usually 4.
Karen
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO USA 06/09/2013
Alternative Accomodations
save and stay with locals/
airbnb.com
RWWeber
san francisco, Ca. USA 05/31/2013
Hotel in Florence
La Dimora degli Angeli in Florence, Italy is a wonderful modern and well-managed B&B in the heart of Florence. The room was modern and comfortable, the staff knowledgeable and very friendly and the location was perfect. My husband and I thoroughly recommend staying at La Dimora degli Angeli if visiting Florence and will stay there again on any future visits to the city.
Christie
Denver, CO USA 05/12/2013
Santorini
Santorini can be very expensive if you want a view of the volcano but a reasonably priced, very lovely place is Villa Maria Damigou, www.villamariadamigou.gr. Maria and daughter Anna are warm and welcoming and their 8 or so rooms have "it doesn't get any better than this" views of Thira and the caldera rim. Kitchenettes, patios and balconies and fabulous breakfasts make this worth the money. Try shoulder season for better rates.
Theresa
Petaluma, CA USA 04/22/2013
Cinque Terre Alternative Accomodations
I have been visiting the Cinque Terre for 14 years and have seen many changes primarily in the huge increase in number of tourists. It is so worth seeing. However, evenings can be crazy in the towns and almost anything but "Italian" in ambiance. I have found a wonderful hotel approximately 10 minutes away from Monterosso in a small, charming, beautiful and peaceful Italian village named Moneglia. The hotel, family owned and run is Hotel Maggiore in Piazza Gharibaldi. http://www.hotelmaggiore.it
The hotel rates which are very reasonable include breakfast and dinner...fabulous Ligurian meals. Hotel Maggiore is located directly in front of the Sea about 20 yards to the beach. The people at reception are welcoming, helpful and speak English, German and French. It is just so nice to leave the crowded Cinque Terre towns after a long day and relax over a delicious home cooked dinner and a glass of wine on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. (Ask for a balcony)
I cannot emphasize enough how thankful I am to have found this hotel. I return almost every year and sometimes several times in a year. It is one of my favorite spots of all. Had I not found Hotel Maggiore, I doubt if I would be going back to the Cinque Terre.
Margo Dallos
Duluth, MN USA 04/16/2013
"Feels Like Home in Paris". Your greeters have been either myself: YETUNDE, JAMES, CHARIN or MARICEL
We had a great experience with Feels Like Home in Paris. The Elegant Condorcet apartment was exactly as advertised, and was a great layout, size and location for us, located in the heart of Montmartre. Well located to the Metro, which we used often. We particularly enjoyed the listings of the local services, especially the boulangerie, cheese monger and wine shop. We also took advantage of the restaurant recommendations, which were spot on, and really enjoyed La Famille, which we particularly recommend. Our only regret is that we did not go to more of the neighborhood restaurants. The apartment itself is on a quiet street, has a large kitchen with a washer and dryer (which we used, and made our trip much easier), and nice bedrooms. We also took advantage of the recommended chauffer service, Gregory Olschanezky, which was great in getting to and from CDG. Check in and out was easy, and the folks at Feels Like Home accommodated our early arrival. We will definitely us e Feels Like Home in Paris again.
Richard
Miami, FL USA 02/14/2013
Self catering cottage UK
To feel as if you've stepped straight out of a photograph on the cover of a guide book have a look at staying in 300 year old self catering Updown Cottage on Gold Hill in Shaftesbury in Dorset in the south west of England. It's just half an hour from Stonehenge and the views are beautiful!
Charlie
St Albans, USA 01/30/2013
Borgo Villa del Sole
we loved the Villa Borgo del Sole, wonderful place, wonderful Owners, wonderful location (once you find it!)
Jill
Lucca, Italy 01/09/2013
Villa in Positano
On our latest trip to Positano, we rented a villa through www.RentVillas.com.
La Serenissima was lovely and met all our needs. Altogether a lovely stay in bellissima Positano, despite the steps to and from the Villa!
Keyholder Maria and her partner, Marco, were lovely and provided us with a good orientation and information on services and activities available to us, some of which we accessed.
Nanci Gentile
Chicago, IL USA 01/08/2013