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Dollar-Saving European Travel Tips
for Americans
Continued from:
Page 3

ABOVE: Booking through
Venere
can save you 35% at the Timhotel Montmartre in Paris.
TIP 3: Don't overspend on hotels.
Americans are often nervous about staying at moderately-priced
city hotels, mostly because such hotels have disappeared from so many U.S.
downtowns. But in most European cities, a three-star hotel isn't likely to be a
fleabag, and hotels that are even cheaper can be comfortable or even pleasant.
As for four- and five-star hotels, their extra stars may be based on amenities
such as elevators and room service, not necessarily on better furnishings and
location. (To a great extent, you'll get what you pay for, but if you're on a
budget, why pay for services or luxury that you don't need?)
In many cases, you can lower your hotel costs by searching for
bargains from hotel consolidators such as
Venere (our main booking partner),
which negotiate discount rates with thousands of hotels around Europe.
Even
in big cities, prices can be surprisingly reasonable: For example, the
Timhotel Montmartre in Paris (see photo above) had an average double-room
rate of €95 or about US $149 per night through Venere when I last checked. That's an amazing value,
even by U.S. standards, for a hotel on a pretty cobblestoned square in prime
tourist territory.
Another possibility, if you're staying in one city for more than
a few days, is an apartment rental. On our most recent Paris trip, we
rented a studio
apartment on the Place Émile Goudeau (across from the Timhotel) for about
the same price as a hotel room. From the apartment's back windows, we could see
all the way to Notre-Dame and the Seine.
Local tourist offices often list
available rental properties, and larger cities have
agencies that specialize in holiday apartments. (See our articles about one- and
two-bedroom flats
we've rented on the Île de la Cité
and in Montmartre in
Paris, and near the Campo
Santa Margherita and
Campo Santa Maria
Formosa in Venice.) Prices and neighborhoods vary, so do your
homework before booking.
Hostels are another possibility, if you're flexible about
location. Most of today's "youth hostels" have no upper age limits, and many
provide rooms for singles, couples, and families in addition to the
traditional dormitories. Check with local tourist offices and
Hostelling International for listings of
official youth hostels, private hostels, and special accommodations such as
monasteries or religious institutes. (In 2005, I had a pleasant stay at the
low-cost Augustinerkloster
in Erfurt, Germany, where Martin Luther took his vows more than 500 years ago.)
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