A collage of photos from Hotel Empress Zoe, where I stayed for three nights in Istanbul.
This is the second post in a series about how I managed to travel around Europe for two months. Here, I will focus on my process for booking lodging accommodations, while trying to balance costs, location, and a desire for some personal space.
I wrote in Part I of the series about figuring out an itinerary of cities and which transportation options to take. Now comes the next step in the process: booking hotels to stay the night in various places.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Luckily, it seems like Europe is rife with good, cheap accommodations. My philosophy on #lukeurope was to try and stay around 50 euros a night (about $66) and to put a premium on places that I could easily get to via public transit or walking from wherever I was arriving from. I also wanted to try and have a room to myself. I enjoy hostels, for sure (and you could probably find great hostels for half the price of most of these places), but I knew that on this trip, it would be really helpful to have a place that I could put my backpack down and not have to lock it up, a shower and bed to use whenever I wanted, and a little personal space to relax after a long day out. Finally, I wanted to be sure that I would have free wireless internet access, because that is practically essential for me.
Some general tips for searching and booking accommodations in Europe:
- I found that TripAdvisor was massively helpful. Search for a city and then filter hotels by price. The reviews are all worth taking into consideration, unless it appears to be someone who just does not enjoy the experience of traveling (and finding the humor in small inconveniences, for instance).
- Utilize all your options. Airbnb.com (where local people rent out spare rooms or even entire apartments/houses) was a lifesaver in Paris, where hotels can be quite expensive. I also found that booking through Expedia.com saved me about $70 off the listed price I was about to pay for a hotel for two nights in Vienna. Why not spend five extra minutes and try booking via a few different possible websites to see what the best price is?
- Google Maps is your friend. I never booked a hotel unless I had already looked up the location and determined how close it was to the places I wanted to see (and how practical it was to get to from wherever I was entering a city from). Remember: have at least a few ideas in mind for where you want to go and how you will get there, before you start booking. The crowd-sourced Google Document idea definitely helped me.
- I really spent quite a lot of time booking these. Each city required me to have many tabs open on my browser to cross-reference. Take the time to be thorough. Look at transportation options and places you want to visit to see how far away they are. I would estimate about two hours of work on the front end per city, which I felt really paid off once I was there, because I could use my time exploring the city, instead of wondering where I was going to sleep and how I was going to get there.
- It really helps to have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. I waited to book until I had my new Chase Sapphire Preferred card that I applied for specifically because of that purpose (the bonus amounts of frequent flyer miles definitely helped, as well). If this is not an option for you, try to find websites that will let you book rooms in the equivalent USD. Otherwise, the fees start really adding up.
- Unless your budget is really tight, try not to worry about going over it a little here and there. I know this is super privileged of me to say, but once I know I have the funds to cover a trip, I rarely look at how much it all is costing along the way. The whole point of a trip away from home for me is to get away and enjoy the exploration - not worry about every single dime. Just make sensible decisions along the way and you will be fine, provided you have enough saved.
Paris: This one I knew I had to figure out WAY in advance, due to the time I would be needing to stay in the city for the French Open (6 nights). I wanted to be somewhat close to Roland Garros tennis grounds, which made hotels impractical, as that is quite a nice area of town. Fortunately, I really lucked out by searching on Airbnb. Here's the apartment I stayed at for all six nights: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/751545
Panorama of the living room/dining room I stayed at for six nights in Paris. Really, the space was entirely mine whenever I was in - except when we all agreed to have dinner together! :-)
This is the perfect example of why Airbnb rocks. A fantastic location, wonderful local hosts, and a great space in a very expensive city... for $34 a night. I mean, come on. This was the best value of the entire trip. Granted, the rest of the flat was pretty small and my hosts did not speak much (or any) English, but that was all part of the fun! Using my limited Spanish to communicate with my Italian hosts in a French city for a week is something I will always remember and treasure. Plus, the patisserie on the corner selling fresh baguettes and pastries...
Madrid: In Spain, cheaper versions of hotels are called "hostals" - what we think of as hostels are usually different. After searching around on TripAdvisor for a bit and determining that Madrid was a relatively compact city, I chose Hostal Barrera.
Hostal Barrera was perfect for my needs. A nice compact hotel room with free WiFi and a shower at 50 euros a night. Done and done.
This is currently the #10 ranked hotel in the entire city of Madrid on TripAdvisor. I stayed two nights and paid exactly 100 euros total. I loved the location, as it was within easy walking distance of the train station I was departing from (Atocha) and the main streets.
Barcelona: This was a more difficult challenge. Barcelona is fairly expensive. I ended up going with a more modest accommodation: Hostal Campi.
My room in Barcelona kind of reminded me of a college dorm. Nice and small!
The upside to Hostal Campi was super obvious: it was right next to La Rambla, the most famous street in Barcelona to walk down to the ocean (allegedly populated by pickpockets, but I never saw anything like that). It was also only 35 euros a night for two nights. The downside was that the bathrooms/showers were shared and the rooms were a fair hike a few flights of stairs (which I didn't mind at all, but you might if you are carrying around big bags). For me, it was fantastic. This is a case where ignoring the middling TripAdvisor reviews worked out fine.
Berlin: This was another difficult city to find cheap lodging. After a fair amount of research and thinking, I selected a single room in The Circus Hostel (not to be confused with the hotel of the same name across the street, I found).
Again, just about everything I was looking for, aside from the shared bathroom/showers WAY down the hall. I even made a Vine montage about how long it took.
Here is the link to the (great, by and large) TripAdvisor reviews. Berlin is easy to get around by walking and VERY well connected via Metro trains. As such, I did not spend too much time in my room. It served its purpose and then I moved on. I did enjoy (and pay for) the breakfast in the lobby, though. Generally, most hotel breakfasts in Europe were all you can eat for around 10 euros, which I thought was worth it if I was short of time.
Prague: This is such a compact city that you really cannot go wrong if you are anywhere near the center. As such, I chose Miss Sophie's - which was quite an upgrade over the previous few nights.
Panorama of my room in Miss Sophie's - big bathroom and shower not pictured.
I think I found an extra discount by searching for one on Google and getting it via a guidebook code. In any case, the room was 1,490.00 CZK a night, or about $75 USD for the one night I was there. Definitely worth it for the huge room and upgrade over what I had been doing for a few nights before. Again, great TripAdvisor reviews did not lead me astray.
Vienna: After back to back nights spent on beds in night train cabins (on the way to Auschwitz/Krakow and back), I was ready to regain some humanity by checking into a room and taking an immediate shower. The brand new (I think a year or two old) Star Inn Hotel Wien Schonbrunn was fantastic.
An enormous room in Vienna to call my own for two nights, plus I was able to check in super early the first day and take a nap. Huge win.
This hotel is a little bit from the city center, but not to fear, the Metro stop is pretty much right at the front door and could not be easier to navigate. I was SO impressed with Vienna. All of it, but the transportation systems in particular were great. Super easy to get back and forth. I think I bought a 48 hour pass for something like 10 euros and that was that. This hotel is ranked #42 out of 360 hotels in Vienna on TripAdvisor. I paid $135 total for two nights, using Expedia to book it and save. Such a great decision and pretty much right on the money for how much I wanted to be spending per night along the trip.
Budapest: My decision on where to stay in the Hungarian capital was somewhat dictated by my friend Aniko, who gave me a ton of options of what to do and where to stay in her home town, but began by suggesting that I stay with her former boss Judit at the apartment style hotel she ran. With such an obvious fun connection, I booked a place at Budapest GuestRooms for my one night in the city.
The cost for one night in this lavish guest room (complete with a welcoming bottle of sparkling water) was 46 euros (50 euros with breakfast the next day included). That possibly was a discount due to knowing Aniko, but in any case, it was totally worth it. And hey, what do you know, it was a TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2013 Winner! As you can see, I think I did a fairly good job with picking good places. :-)
Bucharest: After another overnight train (17 hours, I think). I did not know too much about the Romanian capital, aside from the gigantic parliament building. So, I tried to find a hotel located in the old city center I could walk to from the train station. This ended up being Rembrant Hotel.
I remember feeling a little bitter about paying a little more than I wanted to for the room (it was 61.20 euros), but I more than made up for that with all the excellent cheap food in the city. I mean, there was not a whole ton to do or see in Bucharest aside from some revolutionary stuff I was interested in because of projects my students had done in the past, but wow, the exchange rate was quite favorable to the USD. My meals in Bucharest were some of the best value for the money on the trip. Also, Rembrant Hotel was right in the middle of the old city area and is the #3 ranked hotel in all of Bucharest on TripAdvisor. All in all, it was a pleasant night spent resting up for another overnight journey to...
Istanbul: This was the city (along with the two Spanish metropolitan areas) that I was most looking forward to on the trip, so I allocated three nights to it on my initial planning. I also knew that it was the end of the Eurail journey, meaning I could afford to probably spend a little bit more to be comfortable at a great place. Istanbul is also a *very* spread out city, separated into three different land areas and two continents. I wanted to be sure to stay close to the main attractions in the old city. Some playing around with TripAdvisor led me to: Empress Zoe. I mean, just look at the pictures on the review page. The hotel was practically its own scenic area.
Unfortunately for the budget I wanted to try and adhere to, the first night came in at a very steep 90 euros. I was able to check in early off the 19 hour (not joking) train/bus ride from Bucharest, which made it all seem very worth it. The ability to shower and nap after a long journey is almost priceless. Also, I had done such a good job earlier in the trip of finding deals under 50 euros a night in Paris and Barcelona that I had some wiggle room here (if I really cared about staying exactly on budget, which I did not).
The second two nights were in a smaller room on a lower level (which had two single beds, just in case any couples are looking) for 60 euros a night. Much more reasonable. Even though that room was near the street (thus, I could hear the hubbub in the evenings), it did not trouble me too much. Especially since the Islamic call to prayer booms out five times a day (and in the early morning) anyway. The location was absolutely unbeatable - about a 3 minute walk to Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque - the two powerhouses of any first Istanbul trip.
-----------------------------
There it is! As should be evident, I relied heavily on the magic of TripAdvisor and doing plenty of research before making a final decision. I wobbled on a few of these for hours - coming so close a few times that I actually had my credit card out, only to decide against it and keep searching. My main advice is to try and find as many possible good options (do not forget Airbnb.com) and then filter them down by need. If you were to be going the hostel route, I would heartily recommend any hostel in the Hostelling International network - be sure to sign up for the cheap yearlong membership before you go.
Any thoughts or queestions? Am I missing something obvious?
PREVIOUSLY: Part I - Planning/Transportation
NEXT UP: Technology and Packing
Budapest: My decision on where to stay in the Hungarian capital was somewhat dictated by my friend Aniko, who gave me a ton of options of what to do and where to stay in her home town, but began by suggesting that I stay with her former boss Judit at the apartment style hotel she ran. With such an obvious fun connection, I booked a place at Budapest GuestRooms for my one night in the city.
Acres of space - like an entire apartment to myself in Budapest!
The cost for one night in this lavish guest room (complete with a welcoming bottle of sparkling water) was 46 euros (50 euros with breakfast the next day included). That possibly was a discount due to knowing Aniko, but in any case, it was totally worth it. And hey, what do you know, it was a TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2013 Winner! As you can see, I think I did a fairly good job with picking good places. :-)
Bucharest: After another overnight train (17 hours, I think). I did not know too much about the Romanian capital, aside from the gigantic parliament building. So, I tried to find a hotel located in the old city center I could walk to from the train station. This ended up being Rembrant Hotel.
A panorama of the nice room at Rembrant Hotel. Initially, I had some issues with the WiFi here, but a guy came up and sorted it out for me.
I remember feeling a little bitter about paying a little more than I wanted to for the room (it was 61.20 euros), but I more than made up for that with all the excellent cheap food in the city. I mean, there was not a whole ton to do or see in Bucharest aside from some revolutionary stuff I was interested in because of projects my students had done in the past, but wow, the exchange rate was quite favorable to the USD. My meals in Bucharest were some of the best value for the money on the trip. Also, Rembrant Hotel was right in the middle of the old city area and is the #3 ranked hotel in all of Bucharest on TripAdvisor. All in all, it was a pleasant night spent resting up for another overnight journey to...
Istanbul: This was the city (along with the two Spanish metropolitan areas) that I was most looking forward to on the trip, so I allocated three nights to it on my initial planning. I also knew that it was the end of the Eurail journey, meaning I could afford to probably spend a little bit more to be comfortable at a great place. Istanbul is also a *very* spread out city, separated into three different land areas and two continents. I wanted to be sure to stay close to the main attractions in the old city. Some playing around with TripAdvisor led me to: Empress Zoe. I mean, just look at the pictures on the review page. The hotel was practically its own scenic area.
My room on the first night at Empress Zoe has a view out towards the Mediterranean Sea. Usually, I do not really care about that sort of stuff, but in this case, it was very cool to look out, see blue in the distance, and think about how far I had come on the journey.
Unfortunately for the budget I wanted to try and adhere to, the first night came in at a very steep 90 euros. I was able to check in early off the 19 hour (not joking) train/bus ride from Bucharest, which made it all seem very worth it. The ability to shower and nap after a long journey is almost priceless. Also, I had done such a good job earlier in the trip of finding deals under 50 euros a night in Paris and Barcelona that I had some wiggle room here (if I really cared about staying exactly on budget, which I did not).
The second two nights were in a smaller room on a lower level (which had two single beds, just in case any couples are looking) for 60 euros a night. Much more reasonable. Even though that room was near the street (thus, I could hear the hubbub in the evenings), it did not trouble me too much. Especially since the Islamic call to prayer booms out five times a day (and in the early morning) anyway. The location was absolutely unbeatable - about a 3 minute walk to Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque - the two powerhouses of any first Istanbul trip.
-----------------------------
There it is! As should be evident, I relied heavily on the magic of TripAdvisor and doing plenty of research before making a final decision. I wobbled on a few of these for hours - coming so close a few times that I actually had my credit card out, only to decide against it and keep searching. My main advice is to try and find as many possible good options (do not forget Airbnb.com) and then filter them down by need. If you were to be going the hostel route, I would heartily recommend any hostel in the Hostelling International network - be sure to sign up for the cheap yearlong membership before you go.
Any thoughts or queestions? Am I missing something obvious?
PREVIOUSLY: Part I - Planning/Transportation
NEXT UP: Technology and Packing
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