How to Choose the Best Accommodation in Europe for You

How do you choose the best accommodation in Europe for YOU?

Accommodation in Europe can be confusing and very overwhelming.

If you are an American or a Canadian accommodation can be different at home compared to Europe. 

And there are soooooo many choices.

In fact, I had a past client tell me that searching through ALL the many hotels is overwhelming. 

There are so many places so how do you know? 

How do you know which is the right place for you to stay?

So in this post I thought I’d offer up some tips on finding the best accommodation for you for your trip to Europe.

Okay.

Ready for some helpful tips?

Good.

‘Cause I got ’em!

And if you need extra help, then you can always utilize my travel planning services.

Because finding the perfect accommodation for my travel clients is one thing I pride myself on.

Knowing your budget

Probably the most important element in choosing the best accommodation in Europe for you is to find accommodation within your budget.

I think pinpointing a per night maximum or average is a good guideline.

Most of my clients tell me, “I’d like to keep it around x amount of dollars per night.” 

This is a good parameter to use.

It’s easy to spend a lot on accommodation, but I believe, unlike here in the USA, it’s a bit easier to find moderately priced accommodation that is clean, safe and will meet your needs. 

You don’t have to stay in hostels and share bathrooms to get a good deal in Europe!

Understanding types of accommodation

One of the key ingredients to good accommodation is figuring out what kind of accommodation is best suited to your personality.

Accommodation is a bit different in Europe.

And each country will have slightly different names or even types of accommodation.

I have an older post that I think helps at least a bit with types of accommodation that you might want to check out. 

But here are some basics to think about.

Do you want all the amenities with 24 hour service?

Then you’ll want a full service hotel.

Are you good with a basic room in a small house with just a few rooms?

Then maybe a B&B is good for you.

Are you looking for something with just a bit more than a B&B but still want a small, intimate feel?

Then a guesthouse could be a good choice.

Want something unique?

Then you’ll have lots of choices — from boutique hotels to castles to an agriturismo to a villa.

One of the things I try to do is to get a feel for who my client is and what they really want and need in their accommodation. 

I ask a lot of questions so I have a good understanding of what’s going to work for them. 

So my advice is to really understand yourself and what is important for your choice of accommodation. 

For me, I know I like a lot of light.

It needs to be clean and safe.

I also know that I like unique accommodation or something that has the feel of the place I am visiting. 

And I know I like to have some outdoor space such as a balcony or terrace if I’m staying in a more rural or outdoorsy location.

Sometimes you think you want one kind of accommodation but as you dig deeper, you realize that maybe it just doesn’t fit — it doesn’t check enough of your boxes.

The other aspect to consider is you may prefer a certain kind of accommodation in the city, but something different in a small town or in a rural setting.

You really want to know yourself as you choose the best accommodation in Europe for you.

Location matters

In real estate, they always say it’s location, location, location.

And I agree that this is typically an extremely important in finding the best accommodation in Europe. 

Often this is easy as there might be that ideal central location for the places you are planning to visit and the activities you’ll want to partake in.

But sometimes it’s a bit trickier. 

So finding that sweet spot is more difficult.

Sometimes it’s a compromise.

I find that if there’s a choice of different locations, often the accommodation itself ultimately wins out.

It’s important to note that some folks want to be in the middle of the action. 

Then there are others who want something quieter. 

You definitely want to consider this if you are choosing accommodation yourself. 

Are you looking for hustle and bustle? 

Or maybe something more serene? 

Or perhaps somewhere in the middle? 

Again know yourself and what you truly like — and what you don’t like.

Using resources

For me I definitely turn to different resources as research accommodation. 

I utilize tourism board websites, guidebooks and something as simple as Google maps. 

I’m very detail-oriented and am always searching for unique accommodation for my clients and myself.

I have a colleague who said he’s into “hotel porn.” 

I laughed at this as I think I am too. I love to check out websites of hotels, guesthouses, b&b’s, farm stays, castles — seeing what they look like and the tone of the text. 

Often I can glean the “vibe” of a place from the website. 

But often I like to email them or fill out their contact form to see the response I get. 

Then I get a real feel for the level of customer service.

While it’s good to read reviews, do be aware that some review sites such as Trip Advisor are not always the best. 

Booking.com or hotels.com are better as the only people who can review the hotel or guesthouse are people who have actually stayed there.

I do read reviews for sure, but it’s not the be all and end all for my choice.

 

Check out these posts on my favorite accommodations!

Some of the Best Accommodation in Ireland

Some of the Best Accommodation in Italy

Some of the Best Accommodation in the UK

Final steps so you can choose the best accommodation in Europe

I think it’s a good idea to narrow down your choices to a few in any given area.

Email your top 3 or 4 choices and see what kind of response you get. 

From that, trust your travel intuition.

Good interaction — even with a language barrier — is usually a good sign.

If all of your choices are available, roughly the same price and have a good “vibe” then you’re lucky.

Or not so lucky because you have to make a choice.

Making that final choice can be difficult. 

It’s not always easy to choose the best accommodation in Europe for yourself as you often feel like there can be more than one really great option.

There’s always the feeling of “What if I choose poorly and the place sucks”!

Yes.

That can still happen.

But do trust your intuition.

Typically one place pulls at you a bit more than another.

Accommodation can make or break a trip

It sucks to stay somewhere that you feel is unsafe or dirty or where the customer service is lacking.

We all make poor choices and think that a hotel or B&B is going to be great and then it turns out not to be what we imagined. 

Then we’ve stayed in places that have been better than we expected.

I have some clients who have told me that accommodation doesn’t matter so much since they don’t plan to be in their room that much.

But I don’t believe them.

It does matter.

If you are staying in a place that is dirty or has unfriendly employees, you will not be happy about it. 

So while I understand what they are saying, it does make a difference — at least to some extent.

It’s not always easy to choose the best accommodation in Europe for your trip.

But I think if you use these tips, it will help you out.

And if you feel overwhelmed then do think about using a travel advisor like yours truly.

And lastly a story ….

In 2014 I was making my first trip to San Vigilio di Marebbe, a small mountain town in the dolomites near Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park.

I remember having a difficult time deciding where to stay, but I had decided on a place called Aqua Bad Cortina.

The location looked fabulous and it looked like my kind of place.

But a couple of weeks before I was to arrive I received an email from the owner saying he needed to close the hotel early for the season (summer) as his wife was about to have a baby. 

He proceeded to tell me he had found a comparable hotel and, with my permission, he would transfer my deposit and I could stay there instead. 

I was skeptical.

So I checked out the website for the new hotel, Hotel Olympia.

I agreed to the change although I was still unsure.

However, that all changed when I arrived…

There was Marco in his Empire Strikes Back t-shirt (he’s a huge Star Wars fan and wore a Star Wars t-shirt every day I was there), speaking some English (spotty, but enough to carry on a conversation) and helping me get settled. 

He showed me to a fabulous, large room with lots of wood. 

The room had a walk in closet (seriously?!) and a balcony with views over the village of San Vigilio di Marebbe and the mountains of the Dolomiti. 

I couldn’t have been happier! 

And it cost a little less.

Bonus!

While I’m sure I would have enjoyed the stay at Aqua Bad Cortina, I absolutely fell in love with Hotel Olympia.

And I stayed there again in 2019 and am about to make my 3rd visit to see Marco, his lovely wife, Fabiana, and their daughter Camilla in a month or so.

So accommodation does matter — to some degree at least.

I got so lucky in this case as this story turned out even better than I could have hoped. 

Please note that Wander Your Way does not recommend international travel at this time due to the current global health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some countries are beginning to open, it is complicated.

If you do decide to travel internationally, please do your research or use a travel planning service such as Wander Your Way. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC.

I am continuing to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about places. And hopefully make that bucket list! This way when we can all fully travel again, you’ll be ready to go. For now, stay close to home and stay safe!

 

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