Commuters and tourists heading into central Paris on the Metro.
You’re booking your dream trip to Paris, and like most people, you are on a budget. So you search hotels based on price. You find what looks like a great deal, book it, fly to Paris, and arrive at your hotel only to find out that it’s not even close to Notre Dame or the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower – in fact, it’s not even within the Boulevard Périphérique (the ring road that surrounds Paris proper). No matter, you think, you can just use the metro to get into town. But now you’re squeezed onto the train every morning at rush hour with all the commuters, and three transfers and an hour later you’re in the area that you came to visit in the first place. Heading back to the hotel for a mid-afternoon post wine-for-lunch nap isn’t feasible. And you’ve still got that same ride back to your hotel in the evening. Those slightly more expensive hotels in the city centre aren’t looking like such a bad deal anymore.
A great view from your hotel can be another benefit of staying in the city centre
Your number one consideration when choosing accommodations in Europe should be location.
Regardless of what city or town you are visiting, you will find that there are always cheaper accommodations outside of the historic centre. But add in the cost of getting into the centre and your deal isn’t quite as good (for example, you could choose to stay in a cheap hotel in Mestre and take the vaporetto (water bus) into Venice everyday – but that’s €7.50 each way!). Plus you miss out on the night time ambience European cities are so famous for.
Your number one consideration when choosing accommodations in Europe should be location. With some work, you should be able to find something suitable to your price range in a great neighbourhood in the city centre. Search for hotels by location first, then by price. Check walking distances on Google maps from the hotel to museums, churches, restaurants, etc. Being able to walk out of your hotel into the Europe you came to visit is worth a few more euros a day.
An evening stroll near your centrally located hotel is an uncrowded joy in most European towns and cities, like Siena (pictured).
OneLife Tours is dedicated to the absolute best in European travel experiences. Unlike the big box tour companies, all of our tours feature centrally located hotels giving our guests the best value for their money. We also do travel consulting, and can help you find the ideal accommodations for your independent trip to Europe. Contact our chief tour director Craig Bresett for more information.
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