Unique Accommodation in Europe
For great deals on renting rooms in apartments, and whole apartments or houses for WAY less than hotels. You are renting from real people, not agencies so prices are the best out there, and locations are the most unique and ‘local’. Want a 10 bedroom chateau in France? An apartment overlooking a beautiful piazza in Italy? A small stone cottage out in rural Portugal or Spain? Airbnb has got a ton of options for a every budget.
A lovely site, that is much less commonly used than sites like Airbnb, but is fast becoming one of my favorites when I want to stay with a local, while traveling solo. The prices, in my experience so far, are lower than Airbnb, and the hosts are less jaded (and more eager to be the perfect hosts) as they haven’t been doing it very long, and they get less traffic than properties on Airbnb.
For a better selection of unique lodging in areas that you can’t find great options for, in other places. For instance, when I was looking for unique lodging (not hotels) in Fussen, Germany and Galicia region of Spain, I found way better options on Flipkey than I did on Airbnb. There were slim to no options on Airbnb in the exact areas I wanted to stay, while on Flipkey I found listings for a good number of homes, cottages, and B&B type lodgings. The prices were great as well. These are individuals listing their homes on here, and in less touristy areas this means you can still get an awesome place for a steal. I didn’t find the same concentration of good lodging options in off-beaten path areas anywhere else (without going to many many different sites and spending many hours translating other language sites).
Unique Accommodation in Spain
I use this site in Spain (and Portugal) to find casa rurales (ruraly located B&B’s run by the owners). This is such a cool way to find places you’d never see on sites like hotels.com or Airbnb. You will get far more bang for your buck by staying in casas rurales. Not only are they more charming and characterful than staying in hotels, but you can find a casa rural in many locations that don’t have hotels because they are such small villages or are in the countryside or mountains. You will also enjoy extremely affordable prices, fewer foreign tourists, and the experience of putting money directly into the pockets of locals and helping sustain this way of doing business.
Another great site for finding casas rurales in Spain. Very similar to Top Rural. I love using this site when I’m looking for casas rurales in less commercially over-run regions like Galicia and Asturias. I have stayed in really charming places for as little as 40 Euros/night and met some lovely locals (though they often don’t speak much English, but all the better for practicing my Spanish!)
Unique Accommodation in Italy
Yep that’s right. There is actually a website that will help you find a monastery or convent to stay in in Italy. And this site is not just for fancy hotels that used to be monasteries. It’s for actual working monasteries and convents who take guests. Pick a region of Italy, and then choose by price or amenities. There are rooms for anywhere between 25 euros a night (simple room with small bed and private bathroom) to much more luxurious options. As many of the monks and nuns don’t speak English and aren’t super technically savvy, this website acts as the go-between between the guest and the monastery, communicating with them in Italian about incoming guests (what time you are showing up, how many people, any questions you might have, your contact info, etc).
If you fancy waking up to tolling church bells and the sound of voices singing hymns floating through the air, and staying in incredibly beautiful and historic buildings, this is a great experience.
Staying in an agriturismo in Italy is a rewarding experience. Get away from big cities and crowds (except in Tuscany-where you’ll still find crowds on every road that’s near a tourist destination from April to October) and relax in a rural countryside B&B/guest house (many places don’t serve breakfast). Most agriturismos produce their own olive oil, wine, or other agricultural products and you will get to either see them being made (depending on the season) or taste them/buy them while there. There is an intimacy and authenticity that comes with staying somewhere like an agriturismo versus a traditional hotel. You’ll feel closer to the region, the land and its’ people.
Cars are usually needed to get to this type of accommodation, so make it a road trip and get out into the Italian countryside and explore the tiny villages and hidden secrets along the way.
Unique Accommodation in France
Looking for an agriturismo type experience in France? This English website links you up with gorgeous countryside accommodation and hosts who have either a working farm (or vineyard) or make their own artisan products. Whether you fancy a vineyard hotel or a stay on a working farm that produces their own cheeses or other local delicacies, this is a great site to peruse for ideas.
Have you always wanted to stay in a regal French chateau? Or a charming (yet luxurious) countryside home in the South of France? Bienvenue au Chateau offers a wide range of properties on the higher end-that will have you living like nobility in some of the most beautiful regions of France. Forget the hotels. Why not opt for a beautiful home with an amazing kitchen and outdoor fireplace where you can feast on local fare and enjoy local wines in the comfort of your own temporary home.
