Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with europe and hotel

Cheap, but fun Europe!

lattiboy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:19:10 -0800

Help me plan an October European vacation (starting/ending in Madrid) on the cheap! Since AskMe was SO helpful last time, I thought I'd try a bigger project:

I picked up a pair of airline tickets to Madrid for an incredible price about a month ago and now I'm freaking out about 10 days in Europe and the costs associated with that. I'll be traveling with my fiance and we're open to just about anything (we would like to avoid non-private hostel rooms). The travel dates are from October 1st until the 10th.

We'd like to see as much as possible (Paris and London especially) for as little as possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

PS The conversion rate being what it is, if EASTERN EUROPE is realistic, I'm all over that!

What was a "Modern European Hotel" in the US in 1920?

tnygard — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:55:31 -0800

What was a "Modern European Hotel" in the US in 1920? Hi all, I am researching a cartoonist who lived in an American Midwestern boarding house that advertised itself as a "Modern European Hotel" in 1920. Do you have any idea what that meant? What amenities might there have been? Bathrooms, kitchens, laundry? Did this indicate a "nice" place or a not-so-nice one?

My sense is that this was a cheaper boarding house, and people were mostly living there long-term. Using the census records I determined that fellow boarders included a bookbinder, a waitress, five salesmen (one travelling), a grocer, two musicians, an auto tire worker, a live-in staff of four, the proprietor, and eleven unemployed wives and children. Perhaps some of you have seen "Modern European Hotel" used in novels or some other source from that era? Any thoughts would be most appreciated. Thanks for your thoughts!

more bang for my meager buck

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:35:50 -0800

I'm going to Rome for one week in February. How can I cheap out on lodging while there? I'm traveling with my boyfriend. The trip itself is only affordable to begin with because of the awesomeness of EasyJet. We're planning on trying to couchsurf but, if that doesn't work out, do you know of any hostels/hotels/monasteries where we can stay for less than 30euros/night total cost? (if you have any other advice on enjoying oneself in Rome while not spending much money, that's welcome too!)

Help me find a place to sleep.

defben — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:02:10 -0800

I'm currently backpacking through Europe and was given an invitation to Oktoberfest for this Friday. I'm really excited about this, but can't seem to find any places to stay that aren't booked or very expensive. I'd like to spend Friday and Saturday night there, giving me the opportunity to see the rest of Munich. What are my options in the area to find a place to sleep? Are there non-hostel options or perhaps one that isn't well known?

Accomodations in London, Belgium & The Netherlands

dhammond — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:49:14 -0800

I'm going to London, Belgium and the Netherlands from May 10th-24th, and I'm looking for great places to stay. My tentative itinerary:

London (5 nights - 5/10-5/15)
Brussels (1 night - 5/15-5/16)
Bruges (2 nights - 5/16-5/18)
The Netherlands (6 nights - mostly Amsterdam, but other cities as well - 5/18-24)

I'm traveling alone, and I'm interested in hearing from those who are quite enthusiastic about a certain place and want to tell me how great it is.

My basic requirements:

-- Located in or very to close to the city center, preferably away from tourist areas as much as possible.

-- Decent value. Less than $200 a night in most places, though I will go up on that in London or if it's a really spectacular place and gives a nice bang for my (floudering) buck.

-- No hostels.

--Big bonus points for buildings with nice, old-timey architecture.

For the Netherlands, I'll be spending a good deal of time in Amsterdam, but I would also be interested in hearing about other towns and cities that might be worth an overnight stay or long day trip.

As a point of reference, I stayed at the Strand Palace in London last year and, though I found it a bit shabby, it was a steal at under $200 in an incredibly central but not too touristy area. I don't mind staying there again, but would love to try something different if you can recommend something.

Thanks, y'all!

Oh where oh where have the hotels gone?

JonahBlack — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:46:56 -0800

Hotels in Europe, how to book and when to book? We are going to Europe for 2 weeks in August. I've heard that this is really the busy season for travel around there and that hotels might fill up fast. And so, we were wondering whether we needed to book hotels ahead of time before we get there, and how far in advance would we need to book, is July too late? Also, I'm not sure how to book hotels in Europe, last time I went it wasn't during August and was during my broke college days were we stayed in whatever cheap hostel would take us. However, we have a bit more money now (though not a lot) and want to stay in decent hotels where we could have a room to ourselves and preferably our own bathroom that won't make us too broke (less than $100/night would be best but we can be a bit flexible). I've got a Europe travel guide, but being in the US and really only speaking English, I can't really call over there to book. Are there any good websites that list good European hotels? Can you use expedia/travelocity and such? In case it helps, we are thinking of going to London, Munich, Venice, Barcelona, Granada, maybe Zurich, maybe Geneva, maybe somewhere in Austria.

Suggestions of where to stay more than welcome (especially if you give me a website I can book through). More general knowledge about when to book and the best ways to find hotels also very appreciated!

Where are the two-stars?

lampoil — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:38:22 -0800

Are there travel booking sites that have really cheap hotels that aren't hostels? I'm looking for a place to stay for a week in Barcelona next month. I'll be with one friend and we're on a tight budget.

It seems that the big name travel websites have only three-star and up, and don't designate between Barcelona proper and resort towns 35 miles away. Hostel websites have mostly true hostels--difficult to find a private room with a bathroom for the dates I need.

The STA site lists a few places that look right for me, but I can't for the life of me get the website to work. (I put in all the info, click "continue" and nothing happens. Ever).

Are there websites other than STA that actually have one- and two-star hotels? Should I suck it up and choose between a hostel and a three-star? Should I go to an in-person travel agent? Any thoughts welcome.