Accommodations
There are a
growing
number of
options for
travel
accommodation.
Most are now
searchable
online for
short or
long-term
stays; for
proximity to
attractions;
for price
range; or,
for
preferred
style. In
our travels,
we
have stayed
in hotels,
hostels,
family-run
inns, B&Bs, private
beach
cottages,
suites in
historical
heritage
homes,
stylish
apartments
in the
center of
major
cities,
converted
barns,
convents,
YMCAs, miners’
cabins and
artists’
studios. We
have also
take
advantage of
discounted time-share
exchanges
and cruises
when they
suit the
occasion.
Two of our
recent
apartment
rentals in
Edinburgh and
Vienna
Using Online
Lodging and
Travel
Aggregator
Sites
There are
many
accommodation
booking
sites which
offer
detailed
information
about
properties,
locations,
reviews,
features and
contact
information.
A comparison
of their
features is
provided
below:
The Top 10
Most Popular
Hotel
Booking
Sites
Airbnb, Vrbo
and More:
Comparing
Popular
Vacation
Home-Booking
Sites
Our
preferred
booking site
is
Booking.com,
a travel
fare
aggregator
website and
travel metasearch
engine for
lodging
reservations.
We find the
descriptions
and
reviews to
be detailed
and accurate
and the
communication
interface to
be helpful.
We receive a
"genius"
discount for
frequently
booking on
this site.
Other
popular
sites list
hundreds of
thousands of
properties
in multiple
locations
and offer
services in
many
languages.
Some are
affiliates
of each
other. Many
accommodation
booking
sites now
also provide
guides to
local
attractions,
and
connections
for car
rentals or
excursion
bookings.
Many also
have mobile
apps for
keeping
track of
bookings,
finding
locations or
connecting
with hosts,
while on the
go.
There used
to be many
separate
lodging-based
booking
sites in
individual
countries
but most
have now
been
absorbed by
the
mega-sites.
There are
some
locations
where small
firms and
local
realtors
still book
and manage
properties.
There are
some sites
that offer
unique
properties
like canal
boats,
caravans, or
campsites.
These
are some of
the best.
It is
important to
pay
attention to
methods of
communication
with
property
owners,
payment
guarantees
and
cancellation
policies.
Also give
some
attention to
the quality
and
reliability
of reviews.
Be aware of
local laws
and
regulations
regarding
vacation
rentals.
Finding
Budget
Accommodations
By using
good search
engines,
planning
carefully,
and taking
advantage of
bonuses
offered by
chains,
booking
sites and
credit
cards, it is
possible to
find
reasonably
priced and
very
pleasant
accommodation.
The
following
sites
provide tips
for finding
budget
accommodations
as well as
offering
general budget-friendly trip
planning
information:
Staying
Local
Our favorite
stays have
been the
private
rentals of
small
regional
lodgings
that allow
us to
maintain
independence,
interact
with
authentic
communities,
use public
transit, and
eat local
cuisine. Holiday
Rentals may
also be
known by
various
names such
as Ferienwohnung,
Gîtes,
Baches, or
Self-Catered/Self-Contained
Apartments.
We prefer
the
convenience
of a
kitchen,
laundry
facilities,
wi-fi and
nearby
shops.
Sometimes we
were met by
the owners;
other times
we got
lock-box
information
to let
ourselves
in. Email,
cell phone
and WhatsApp
messenger
contacts
were
maintained.
Staying
local in Alfama
Shopping
local in São
Miguel
Although
less private
and
independent,
another good
option is a
Pension,
Chambre
d’Hôte, a
bed and
breakfast
(B&B), or a
guesthouse.
The
advantage of
these is
that the
hosts are
nearby,
often
sharing
their homes,
so
cleanliness
and security
are assured.
The host
knows the
area well
and can
provide
information
on what to
see and
where to go.
During
breakfast,
chatting
with other
guests
provides
tips and
insights. Travel
guidebooks
often make
recommendations
about these
small and
family-run
guesthouses.
We have been
delighted by
the
proprietors
who have
provided
exceptional
services,
such as
picking us
up and
dropping us
off at the
train
station,
driving us
on a tour of
the city,
providing
transit
passes,
exchanging
currency,
providing
wine from
their own
vineyards,
bringing us
fresh
baking, and
getting us
hard-to-get
tickets.
Living among
everyday
people,
watching
local
children
play in
plazas,
asking the
grandmas how
to cook an
unknown
food, and
experiencing
the
hospitality
of our hosts
have
enriched our
travel
experiences
and provided
our fondest
memories. An
added bonus
was that the
money we
saved by
avoiding
“big box”
tourist
accommodations
allowed us
to take our
next trip
even sooner!
