Bed, Breakfast, and Your Own Temporary Local Mother
By Rick Steves
She threw her apron aside, became about 30 years younger, bolted out of the house, and hollered after me, "Where's your umbrella? Here, take mine. And be back by 8:00 because Danny and his friends are playing folk music down at the corner pub tonight." When you stay in a bed and breakfast, you get lots more than a bed. You get your own temporary local mother.
Compared to hotels, bed-and-breakfast places give you double the cultural intimacy for half the price. In 2008, you'll pay £25 to £50 (about $50-100) per person for a B&B. Prices include a big cooked breakfast. The amounts of coziness, tea, and biscuits that are tossed in varies tremendously.
If you have a reasonable but limited budget, skip hotels. Go the B&B way. If you can use a telephone and speak English, you'll enjoy homey, friendly, clean rooms at a great price by sticking to my listings. Always call first.
If you're traveling beyond my recommended destinations, you'll find B&Bs where you need them. Any town with tourists has a TI that books rooms or can give you a list and point you in the right direction. In the absence of a TI, ask people on the street for help.
"Twin" means two single beds, and "double" means one double bed. If you'll take either one, let them know or you might be needlessly turned away. "Standard" rooms come with just a sink (many better places have standard rooms that they don't even advertise). If you want a room that contains a private bathroom, specify "en suite"; B&B owners sometimes use the term "private bathroom" for a bathroom down the hall that only your room has the key for.
B&Bs range from large guest houses with 15 to 20 rooms to small homes renting out a spare bedroom. The philosophy of the management determines the character of a place more than its size and facilities offered. Avoid places run as a business by absentee owners. My top listings are run by people who enjoy welcoming the world to their breakfast table.
The B&Bs I've recommended are nearly all stocking-feet comfortable and "homely," as they say in England. I look for a place that has friendly hosts (i.e., they enjoy Americans); a location in a central, safe, quiet neighborhood; clean rooms, with firm beds; a good value; and no mention in other guidebooks (and therefore it's filled mostly by English travelers). In certain cases, my recommendations don't meet all of these prerequisites. I'm more impressed by a handy location and a fun-loving philosophy than hair driers and shoe-shine machines.
A few tips:
B&B proprietors are selective as to whom they invite in for the night. At some B&Bs, children are not welcome. Risky-looking people (two or more single men are often assumed to be troublemakers) find many places suddenly full. If you'll be staying for more than one night you are a "desirable." Sometimes staying several nights earns you a better price — ask about it. If you book through a TI, it takes a 10 percent commission and may charge you an extra pound or two. If you book direct, the B&B gets it all (and you'll have a better chance of getting a discount).
I have negotiated special prices for my Rick Steves' Great Britain guidebook (often for cash). You should find prices quoted to be good through 2008 (except for major holidays and festivals). In popular weekend-getaway spots, you're unlikely to find a place to take you for Saturday night only. If my listings are full, ask for guidance. (Mentioning my book can help.) Owners usually work together and can call up an ally to land you a bed.
B&Bs are not hotels: If you want to ruin your relationship with your hostess, treat her like a hotel clerk. Americans often assume they'll get new towels each day. The British don't, and neither will you. Hang them up to dry and reuse.
B&Bs have plenty of stairs. Expect good exercise and be happy you packed light. Some B&Bs stock rooms with a hot-water pot, cups, tea bags, and coffee packets (if you prefer decaf, buy a jar at a grocery, and dump into a baggie for easy packing). Electrical outlets sometimes come with switches on the outlet to turn the current on or off; if your electrical appliance isn't working, flip the switch.
In B&Bs, no two showers are alike. Sometimes you'll encounter "telephone" showers — a handheld nozzle in a bathtub. Many B&Bs have been retrofitted with plumbing, and water is heated individually for each shower rather than by one central heating system. While the switch is generally left on, in some rooms you'll have a hot-water switch to consider. Any cord hanging from the ceiling is for lights or fans (not emergencies). Once in the shower, you'll find a multitude of overly clever mechanisms designed to somehow get the right amount and temperature of water. Good luck.
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Great Britain guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited Britain tours!