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Contents:
1. Our Accommodation Booking Process
When I initially thought of doing the trip I intended to book accommodation only a few days in advance. I wanted to have flexibility over the length of stay in each location.
I changed my mind once I had researched in more depth. I then knew more or less how much time we would need in each location. Delaying booking would probably have resulted in missing out on the best accommodation, particularly towards the end of our trip when we were getting into the peak holiday season.
So in January I booked all the accommodation for our trip from 17th April to 17th July. We had the option for cancelling accommodation depending on the property. We only cancelled once for an overnight stop in Corinth, Greece. For this apartment we were able to cancel the day before our arrival.
Having all the accommodation booked up could have been an issue if there had been serious problems with our 10 year old car. We did have problems with our car on the Greek islands when we needed new brake pads, springs and shock absorbers. All these parts had to be shipped in from Athens. Luckily it didn't delay us in getting to our next accommodation.
In the past I have mainly used Tripadvisor and VRBO to research the various accommodation options. This time I mainly used Booking.com and then Airbnb if I couldn't find anything suitable on Booking.com.
I prefer Booking.com over Airbnb as:
Accommodation is usually cheaper on Booking.com.
It is much easier to search, filter and sort properties on Booking.com.
The property descriptions on Booking.com usually state the square footage whereas Airbnb don't. I found the square footage to be one of the most useful metrics.
Hosts on Airbnb do sometimes cancel bookings, but that doesn't seem to happen on Booking.com.
When searching for properties on Booking.com I mainly used the following filters:
"Your Budget" - I entered Eur 40 to Eur 100, except for expensive locations like in the Dolomites. In most cases we paid around Eur 60 to Eur 80 for an apartment.
"Review Score" - I entered "Superb: 9+" for apartments and "Very Good: 8+" for hotels. Reviewers are often less critical of private accommodation as they have met the host.
"Parking".
"Free Wifi" - Virtually all accommodation has this.
There are many other useful filters and if my initial search resulted in too many results I used a few more filters. I then sorted the results by price and reviewed the properties for:
Type and positioning of building. I don't want to be disturbed by noise and therefore prefer top floor apartments or standalone small buildings.
Customer rating.
Square footage.
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
Number and size of beds.
Negatives and positives in reviewers' comments.
Position of the property on the Booking.com map.
Once I found suitable apartments I would Google the property name and look at any reviews and prices on Google or other booking websites. Usually Booking.com was the cheapest, but occasionally Airbnb was more competitive. Our apartment in the Dolomites was 10% cheaper when booked through the German booking website Bookiply.com.
I used Airbnb's website when I couldn't find anything suitable on Booking.com. There are various filters that can be applied, but frustratingly none for reviewers' scores. This meant that the results showed far too many properties.
To make matters worse I couldn't find any way to sort the results, for example, by price or reviewer scores. Also the square footage isn't indicated which makes it very difficult to ascertain the spaciousness of properties. It was therefore a real chore finding suitable properties which is why I only used Airbnb as a last resort.
I booked 32 properties for our trip and the average cost per night was Eur 77. They were very good value as most of the properties were apartments, or small houses. Most of them were very spacious and of a high standard.
The best value accommodation was a deluxe 3 bedroom penthouse apartment in Berat, Albania for only Eur 45 per night. The most expensive was a hotel room in Bern, Switzerland for Eur 126 per night.
It was a very time consuming process but worth it. We saved a lot of money and the good accommodation made our long trip much more enjoyable. I wouldn't have enjoyed staying in cramped hotel rooms for 3 months.
2. Dover, UK - Premier Inn at the Eastern Ferry Terminal
This hotel is only a 5 minute drive from the ferry terminal. Unlike most Premier Inns they do have rooms with twin beds rather than one bed and a pull out sofa. All twin rooms are on the upper floor which is a positive for me. As there is no air conditioning the windows can be opened, which is something else that I like.
We had a room overlooking the main road, but it wasn't a problem as there was a constant traffic flow rather than vehicles stopping and starting. The rooms facing the sea would be better and quieter. You can phone them about a week before check in to try and request the location of your room. They usually won't change your room on the day of arrival.
I always find the duvets at Premier Inns to be a bit too thick and warm. I am a bit precious so I always take my own blanket.
I booked about 3 months in advance and got a good rate of GBP 39.00 for 2 people in a twin room.
3. Troyes, France - Kyriad Troyes Centre
Before trying to find accommodation in Troyes I had never heard of Kyriad Hotels. I was therefore surprised to learn that they had an extensive chain of hotels in and outside Europe.
I booked due to the good guest reviews, reasonable price and central location. We booked through Kyriad Hotel's website as their free to join loyalty program provided the best price.
We paid Euro 81.90 for a twin room and Euro 10 for underground parking. There is free parking opposite the entrance to the underground parking but we were concerned about the security of our belongings. Breakfast is extra. We brought some muffins to eat from home and used the free coffee and tea in the room.
Both the front desk staff spoke excellent English and were very helpful. As usual I asked for a room away from the elevators and with no connecting door and they got that right.
The hotel is a 10 minute walk from the centre of medieval Troyes and it is certainly very worthwhile having a 1 night stopover there.
4. Bern, Switzerland - Los Lorentes Apartments
In 2023 the newly opened Los Lorentes Apartments in Bern were offering a reasonable rate by Swiss standards of CHF 120.60 for a room with a kitchenette. Parking is available in the car park below the hotel for an extra CHF 10 per night, but it must be reserved before arrival. The parking is convenient as there is an elevator going directly up to the guest floors.
There is an Aldi store about a minute's walk away. Just outside the Aldi store there is a bus stop for the buses going into Bern. The hotel provides a Bern pass that allows free use of these buses.
Check in is done on a self service machine. We had a problem but there were 2 very helpful staff in a nearby room that sorted it out.
The only potential drawback is that there is a large skateboard park at the back of the hotel. We overlooked it and no one used it while we were there. Perhaps it is no longer in use. It would be best to check guest reviews before booking or request a room away from this area.
5. Vicenza, Italy - Mansarda Al Ferrazzi
We booked this apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Euro 78 per night. It can also be booked directly with the owner and the rate should be cheaper. The owner may require a deposit by bank transfer.
The accommodation consists of a very large open plan apartment on the second floor. This is the top floor, there are no other apartments adjoining it and the owners live below. We didn't have any issues with noise. The furnishing of the apartment is perfectly adequate but not of a luxurious 5 star standard.
There is a balcony running along 2 sides of the apartment building and some part of the balcony always gets the sun. There is a bathroom with a small shower stall, bidet, toilet and sink.
In the basement there is a washing machine and dryer that guests can use. Parking is about 100 metres away in an area just off the quiet road. We were always able to find a space.
There is a supermarket, a good pizza restaurant and a bus stop a few minutes walk away. During weekdays the bus leaves about every 15 minutes and costs about Euro 2 for the 15 minute ride. There is also a Lidl supermarket about 2 kilometres away.
The owner (Christina) is very helpful and speaks fluent English and we really enjoyed our stay.
6. Near Koper, Slovenia - Apartmaji Sobe Zvezda
We booked this apartment through Booking.com for Eur 75 per night. It can be booked directly for about 25% less, but you would have to transfer a deposit.
We were allocated Apartment Lavandar 1, which has an extra large double bed. This consists of 2 single beds right next to each other with 2 separate thin duvets (with extra blankets available). This was ideal for us and we got an excellent night's sleep. Only 2 of the 6 apartments at Apartmaji Sobe Zvezda have extra large beds.
The apartment was compact, but of a very high standard, exceptionally well equipped and clean. Lani loved it but our room had a connecting door with apartment Lavendar 2. Usually I try to avoid this as noise easily transmits through connecting doors. Luckily our neighbours in apartment Lavandar 2 were quiet.
The apartment is about 4 km inland from Koper and we easily visited Piran, Izola and Koper from it.
7. Ljubljana, Slovenia - Luxury Studio Apartments
This apartment cost us Euro 89 per night through Booking.com. I had several messages with Mateja (the hostess) before arrival. On the day of arrival she notified us that she was away and her mother would meet us.
We arrived at 15.15 as agreed but found that both parking spaces were occupied. Mateja's father soon vacated 1 parking space and then her mother let us into the apartment. Everything in the apartment was fresh and clean.
The mother then indicated that the shared garden was a mess. They were both working on it. There was a huge mound of soil 3 metres from our patio door and only 1 metre from the patio itself. The mother indicated that they would be clearing it the next day.
We weren't too bothered at the time. Soon both parents were working in the garden and talking very loudly. Then another couple came to help and the volume of noise increased. By 18.15 I had had enough and messaged Majeta that it was like being on a building site.
They did stop work at 18.30 and it was agreed that they would only continue the next day while we were out. It was a very bad start to our stay.
The apartment is about a 25 minute walk into Ljubljana. There is a small supermarket 5 minutes walk away. We drove to the Lidl's supermarket in central Ljubljana. It took less than 10 minutes to reach it. Driving in Ljubljana is very easy without any congestion.
In the end we enjoyed our 2 night stay there. I would be reluctant to recommend it as the parents talk very loudly and use the shared garden a lot. However, the apartment does receive very high review scores.
8. Lake Bohinj, Slovenia - Apartment Katja
We booked this apartment through Airbnb for Euro 98 per night. It is in the village of Stara Fuzini and is a 10 minute walk from Lake Bohinj. The apartment is on the top floor of a Swiss style wooden chalet and consists of:
A bedroom with a 5 foot wide bed and 2 individual duvets. There is also a sofa and balcony.
A kitchen with a double induction hob, microwave and dishwasher.
A dining room, with another bed, reclining chair and balcony.
A bathroom with a shower and a washing machine.
The wife (Katja) welcomed us and spoke good English. She was very pleasant and gave us some very potent honey liquor.
We liked the apartment as it was spacious, clean and comfortable. Unfortunately we could hear noise from Katja's family. It was irritating at times as they didn't seem to be concerned about disturbing us. There was too much slamming of doors.
However, it was very quiet when we were sleeping. None of the reviews on Airbnb mentioned a problem with noise so we might just have been unlucky. When we left Katja apologised for any disturbance the previous night as it was her husband's birthday. She then gave me a bottle of Slovenian liquor.
9. Novi Sad, Serbia - Green Oak Riverside Apartment
We booked this spacious 2 bedroom apartment through Booking.com for only Euro 45 per night. It has excellent guest reviews because it is very spacious, on the bank of the Danube and a 10 minute walk into the centre of Novi Sad.
There were no photos of the exterior of the apartment block nor of the apartment's common areas. We were quite shocked when we arrived to find the apartment was in a very ugly communist era apartment block.
The lobby, stairs and elevator all looked a bit grim. There was graffiti outside and as it was a holiday a lot of kids were playing in the area around the apartments.
The inside of the apartment was very spacious and generally nice. However, some of the interior walls needed to be repainted. The toilet seat in the 2nd bathroom was broken.
The cooking and eating utensils were inadequate. The apartment can sleep six people, but there was only 1 table knife! There was also 1 cooking pot and a limited number of plates and bowls.
After getting over the initial bad impression we had a comfortable stay and it was very good value. The apartment was quiet at night and we slept well.
10. Tetovo, North Macedonia - Tetovo Apartment
We booked this apartment through Airbnb at a cost of Euro 112 for 3 nights plus Euro 20 for underground parking. It is very central as it is just one street back from the main street in Tetovo. The apartment is on the 3rd floor.
We liked the apartment as it was modern, spacious and centrally located. Both the main bed and the sofa bed were comfortable. Emil met us and was very pleasant and helpful.
We didn't hear any noise from the apartments surrounding us. On the Friday and Saturday nights we had people passing by late at night and talking loudly. Despite this we slept well.
There is street parking near the apartment but parking spaces would be very difficult to find. We therefore paid Emil to park below the apartment. The parking bays were very tight but luckily no one parked in the spot next to us.
There is a small balcony but there is no table and chairs. There is a washing machine, but the spin cycle is weak. There is a portable electric stove but it only has one hot plate.
11. Ohrid, North Macedonia - Tedi & Kiki Apartment
We booked this apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 108 for 3 nights. There are 2 apartments listed and we booked the 2 Bedroom Apartment with a Lake View as it is on the top floor.
The top floor is in the attic space so it does have some slanting ceilings with reduced heights. There are:
2 bedrooms with double beds.
A bathroom with a shower and a washing machine.
A combined dining and living area with a dining table, chairs and sofa.
A small kitchen with a 2 burner stove, but no microwave.
A balcony with a table and 3 chairs.
The apartment is in a quiet residential area and there is a parking space in the grounds that is easy to access. It is a 10 minute stroll along the promenade to the centre of Ohrid and supermarkets are nearby. The host's father checked us in and was very pleasant and helpful.
The apartment was very quiet until the very last afternoon. They keep an Alsatian in a small enclosure outside and it barked quite a lot. Apart from that we really liked the apartment.
12. Meteora, Greece - Enjoy Meteora One
We booked this 1 bedroom apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 61 per night for our 3 night stay. The listing states that it is a 2 bedroom apartment, but we knew from the guest reviews that in reality there was only 1 bedroom.
The other peculiar aspect of the listing is that the building number is stated to be 42, but is in fact 53! That caused us a few minutes of confusion when trying to find the apartment.
There are about 4 apartments in the building and they were on the top floor except for apartment number 5. Apartment number 3 is not in such a good location as it is right on the road.
Our apartment was number 1 and it faces the back garden which is used for parking. The apartment is compact, but it is newly furnished and in a good condition. Apartment number 1 has:
A bedroom with a 5 foot bed and a small table with 2 chairs for meals.
A kitchen with a 2 plate stove and a sofa bed. Guest reviews state that the sofa bed isn't comfortable.
A nice bathroom with a good sized shower.
A balcony with a table and 4 chairs.
Parking on the premises.
We didn't have any problem with noise, but we could occasionally hear the guests in apartment 2 during the day.
13. Arachova, Greece near Delphi - Patriko
We booked this apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 45.50 for 1 night. There are 3 apartments being rented out in the building. Two are on the top floor and one is on the ground floor. We had a top floor apartment.
The apartment was clean and very spacious compared to our previous apartment. There was a smoky smell from the fireplace, but it dissipated once we opened the window. The apartment consisted of :
A bedroom with a 5' bed
A living room with a sofa bed, fireplace and kitchenette. I used the sofa bed and it was comfortable.
A bathroom with a shower.
The hosts were very friendly and helpful. We collected the key from their apartment, which is in the same building.
A few other reviews had mentioned that the roads around the Patriko were narrow and that parking was difficult. I have to concur with this.
The host had kindly saved a parking space for us on the street outside the hotel. I thought the road was too narrow to park there and parked a bit further down the street. It is necessary to park very close to the buildings on the side of the road.
We walked around Arachova in the evening and it was very pleasant. It is a 10 to 15 minute drive away from Delphi.
14. Nafplio, Greece - Angelos Sweet Home
We booked this apartment through Booking.com at a cost of Eur 77 per night for 3 nights. It is our favourite accommodation on the trip so far!
It used to be the home of the hostess (Biggi) and it is very spacious, well furnished and comfortable. The apartment is on the top floor of the building and has 2 levels.
The lower level consists of:
A large open plan living room, dining room and kitchen. There is a comfortable sofa bed.
A bathroom with a shower and a washing machine.
A large covered balcony with a table and chairs.
The upper level consists of:
A large room with a 6' bed and a sofa bed.
A bathroom with a shower.
A balcony with a table and chairs.
There is a parking place very close to the entrance to the apartment building. There are several supermarkets very close by and it is a 20 minute walk into the centre of Nafplio.
The only negatives are that:
The lower floor is a bit gloomy because of the balcony on the upper level.
There is noise from the main road about 100 metres away and the vacant land in front of the apartment doesn't look nice. The noise didn't bother us.
I highly recommend this apartment.
15. Monemvasia, Greece - Chrysoula's Convenient Triple Room with Yard
We booked this apartment for 2 nights through Booking.com for Eur 53 per night. The apartment is on the ground floor of the building and there are 2 other apartments next to it. The owners live on the 2 floors above.
The room is compact and is similar in size to a hotel room. There is a 4' 6" double bed, a single bed and a kitchenette in the room. The bathroom has a shower. There is a table and 2 chairs on the small patio outside the apartment.
The hostess speaks very little English but was very welcoming. She left oranges, cake, eggs and some jam for us. The room was furnished well and was very clean.
It was a 5 to 10 minute walk along the sea front to the new town of Monemvasia and about a 20 minute walk to the old town.
We didn't have any problems with noise. There were small mosquitoes outside the room and at night we used the airconditioner as the bedroom window didn't have mosquito mesh.
We had a good stay and the price was reasonable for Monemvasia.
16. Koroni, Greece - Lemoni Split
We rented this 2 bedroom house through Simply Owners. In May 2023 the cost was GBP 675 per week and the minimum rental period is 5 nights.
It is in a very peaceful rural location with 2 good beaches about a 10 minute walk away. It is a 10 minute drive, or a 40 minute walk, to Koroni.
We enjoyed our stay but we felt that the house should have been cleaner. The twin room hadn't been cleaned. The other negative is that in the mornings there is no shade on the balcony. When it got too hot we had to sit in the front of the house away from the sea views.
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