Accommodation
Whether you’re looking for the comforts and pampering of a 5-star luxury hotel or if you prefer to rough it a bit at a campground, Europe offers a wide range of accommodation choices, limited only by your budget. If you already have an itinerary in mind, you can book much of your accommodation before you leave home. If you prefer to live a bit on the unplanned side, tourist information centers in larger towns and cities can help you find a last-minute place to rest your head for the night.
Hotels in Europe
Europe offers both upscale luxurious hotels and small family establishments (B&Bs) with less service, but more soul. Where you stay is your decision, but avoiding large hotels can both save you money and let you enjoy the atmosphere of the country you are visiting by letting you meet the locals.
As always, when searching for a hotel, it is best to book as far in advance as possible. The best site to book accommodation in Europe is booking.com, with unparalleled offers in every tiny town and very helpful hotel ratings and customer reviews, so you can see what suits you best. The prices highly differ by city and country, that’s why we don’t provide any estimates here.
When traveling in high season, always book your hotel well in advance. Good hotels located in the city center usually cannot keep with the demand and sell out fast.
Budget accommodation options
The most popular budget option is hostels. They are cheap (a dorm bed usually costs around 15-20 €) and usually well located. A good place to start looking for one is HostelBookers.com. However, a hostel is not a hotel - there is no room service, the dorms are obviously shared by more people and they can get noisy at night. But if you want to meet some interesting people, a hostel is probably the best place to start! We guarantee that you will make at least one new friend if staying in a hostel. And remember, hostels are not just for the young.
If traveling in a large group, consider renting an apartment or a rental house. If you’re visiting Europe with a group of several people, renting your own apartment is the best choice, at least budget-wise.
If you are visiting Europe in summer and with a car, consider camping. European campgrounds are cheap, safe and also a place to meet other friendly travelers and have some fun with your family. Check out Eurocampings for reviews of campgrounds in different countries.
Tripomatic is an online trip planning tool. Create a trip plan from suggested activities and print out a detailed itinerary or sync your trip to your mobile phone. To start planning your trip to Europe, check out our template itineraries or start a new trip plan from scratch.
