Make It Simple To Find

Your Best Bed and Breakfasts in Europe

Are you ready to stay at Bed and Breakfasts in Europe?

One of the secrets for finding affordable accommodations in Europe is to check out bed and breakfast properties. They are mostly located in the outskirts of a major city or in the countryside.

They used to be just a room in a private house…some still are…but now you’ll also find them in city apartments and farmhouses. B&B’s are called Zimmer Frei in German and Chambre a Louer or Chambre’s d’hotes in French.

Europeans generally regard B&B’s as an inexpensive place to stay, unlike American B&B’s, which are often more luxurious and expensive. They can also be small, family run hotels where the family has its own living quarters on the premises.

A free breakfast comes with the room...of course

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Benefits and drawbacks of staying at Bed and Breakfasts

The Pros…

• It’s a great way to meet the local people and, get insider tips on what to see, where to eat and what to do…
• B&B’s usually cost less than hotels, however, some Castle B&B’s are a little more.
• Staying at B&B’s gives you great opportunities to experience living in a castle or private home in Europe.

But also think of…

• Meeting the people is part of the fun at a B&B. But, if you want privacy, stay at a hotel.
• Check in and check out times at B&B’s are more limited.
• The owners and some other guests may already be in bed when you come back from a night on the town. Hotels are a lot more sound proof.
• Be sure what you get…B&B’s on the web can mean lots of different things.

  In Portugal, for example, you find three types of B&B's in the countryside… from basic farms to upscale manor houses.

Prepaid B&B’s but not reserved in advance…

In Ireland the Farmhouse and Country Home associations offer pre-paid vouchers through tour operators. The same applies to Great Britain.

However, if you arrive in Ireland after a long flight, I suggest you ask the tour operator to book the first night in advance. Or even better stay the first night, and maybe the last night, at a hotel or luxurious castle.

You will appreciate the private bathroom and other amenities before or after a long flight very much.

Start your vacation off...or end it on the right foot!

So…what’s the best and simplest way for you to book bed and breakfasts in Europe?

Before you leave home…you’ve got four options…

Remember, booking B&B’s in advance can be a bit confusing because on the web everything that offers a bed and a breakfast is called a B&B…including small hotels, pensions, guesthouses and even houseboats on the canals in Amsterdam.

1. Larger B&B’s have their own website.
2. Many B&B’s belong to groups. In Ireland where B&B’s are extremely popular most belong to Bed and Breakfast and Farmhouse associations. In France it’s the Chateaux B&B group.
3. In the European Travel & Vacation Resource Center you find details and direct links for 19 European countries.
4. Special B&B booking offices such as Uptown Reservations for London are available. A good (but commercial) site that offers 'guesthouse accommodations' in all major European cities is TravCom.

Maybe you prefer traveling on the spur of the moment without making plans or reservations in advance.

That’s no problem. Each B&B has a B&B sign on the house so here are some tips.

• Just go in and ask to see the room, ask the price, and if you like both, stay. If you don’t, go to another one. This is especially popular in the countryside and smaller towns.
• Go to the local tourist offices and ask them to make a reservation for you. They know the B&B’s and they will tell you check in times and the price upfront. I’ve often used these offices myself in Europe.
• In Wales I stayed at one of the B&B that belongs to the Great Little Places group. The place was not open when I arrived at 4:00 PM; however, an hour later the owner welcomed us with open arms.

  And what a place it was! Much better and certainly more personal than many hotels.

The choice is yours!

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