MsTriste

As a teacher, I get the summer off, so decided to spend this summer in Europe with some family in Holland, which was supposed to be free lodging. They now need their apartment, and I must find affordable lodging.

I need ideas for inexpensive (as in less than $50 per night) places to stay, anywhere in Western Europe. I'll be in Paris starting June 10, leaving from Amsterdam back to the US on July 4.

gertie3751

I think the people over at Lonely Planet Thorn Tree will be better able to advise you on this.

WWanderer

Couchsurfing? Hostels?

scatcat

I think the least expensive hotel that I have stayed is Hotel Alpenrose in Mittenwald, Germany. Actually, I haven't stayed there yet, but I check in on June 2. It is 26€ per night. Another really inexpensive place is Gasthof Simony in Hallstatt, Austria. I think the singles are 35-50€ per night. Both these include breakfast. So, if you are in those areas, you might check out those two.

bratsandbeer

http://www.lidabb.eu/en/1.html If you would be interested in Prague you could try the Lida Guest House. Looks to be about $38 a night for a single small room.

We stayed there last year and liked it very much. The owners are very helpful, good breakfast - it is not in the center of Prague but convenient to the tram and metro.

bratsandbeer

Forgot to mention you can check out the Lida Guest House on tripadvisor - it is #3 in Prague.

adrienne

Go to Portugal (outside Lisbon). The prices for food and lodging are very cheap. The best hotel deal I found last fall was in Tomar for about $26 single including breakfast.

You can also check the Let's Go guide books as they always have recommendation for budget lodging.

I think you can go just about anywhere outside popular tourist destination and cities and find affordable rooms in western Europe.

I know you said western Europe but the Czech Republic is stunning and very inexpensive - I just spent 2 weeks there. $25 to $50 for a single room; $10 to $12 for dinners (less if you drink tap water).

stokebailey

Look over this Paris on a Budget thread on another travel site: http://tinyurl.com/25kxx8l

Attempting to justify two trips to Paris within 6 month period, for the solo part I have my eye on the Hotel du Commerce in the Latin quarter, $30/might in Nov for a single, recommended on this site:
http://www.eurocheapo.com/paris/hood...l?sortby=price

Christina

There aren't hardly any places that cheap in Paris except a hostel. Also, hotel rates are at their peak in June (june isn't anything special, it's just the highest rates are from about Sept-midNov and then March to mid-July. If it were going to be end of July, or August, you might have been have to bargain something.

You might get something that cheap out in the burbs in some very cheap chain hotels, like Etap. I think the hostels in Paris run around 25-30 euro for a dorm room, a private room is more like 50 euro. You want something for 40 euro. The 1* Hotel Tiquetonne on the Right Bank does have rooms for around $50, but you can't book online (check www.eurocheapo.com for that and other possibilities).

You are trying to find a room for only 40 euro, that's just not very possible except in a hostel, in June (and in 10 days). You can try www.venere.com, they do have some 1* hotels on there, I think. Most 1* hotels charge more than that, though. Here's one in a good location, for examle, and it charges 60 euro http://www.marys-paris-hotel.com/ Here's one in an excellent location that does have some rooms as cheap as you want, they don't have a private bathroom, of course http://www.hotelportroyal.fr/

Russ

"I need ideas for inexpensive (as in less than $50 per night) places to stay, anywhere in Western Europe."

Western Europe is a pretty big place!

Are you visiting Germany? I've found B&B singles in Germany for around $25-$40, no problem.

Bacharach (Rhine River):

http://www.554-male.rheinhotel.biz/germany/index.html

Cochem (Mosel River):

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/froehli...chemmosel.html

Löffingen (only 19 Euros/night here) (Black Forest):

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/hauslie...oeffingen.html

Make use of Ben's finds and recommendations:

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/accommodations.html

tod

What a pity you only posted now... You could have booked a superb modern room at the Ibis Hotel chain in Paris for 44 euros (online on their Happy 20 deal). That means booking and paying for the room 20 days ahead. Normal price is over 120 euros.

Palenque

I'm an old fart and still look to Let's Go Europe, a guidebook written by college students for younger travelers, for their great rundown of inexpensive hotels (as well as hostels - but i use it for regular hotels they list and have always found it right on - invaluable resource for questions like OPs.

As for traveling around western Europe if you do more than a couple of longish train rides then investigate the railpasses - hundreds of different types from one, two, three- country, etc to the classic Global Eurail - it for a single traveler will be the cheapest way to get around (i mean the rail system not always a pass, depending on how many trains you take and where) - some great great sites IMO on learning about European rail travel (and railpasses) - www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - download the latter's free and superb IMO European Planning & Rail Guide with suggested itineraries in each country, rail maps, etc.

stokebailey

tod, any idea how to find those Happy 20 ibis rates in Paris? Looking over Paris North and South, both next month and in Nov, the least expensive I find is some in non-central Paris for $99.

nytraveler

Finding hotels for less than $50 a night in centers of major cities is going to be incredibly difficult.

There are a lot of places in that price range - but most are pensions or gasthauses in smaller towns (and you would have to travel from one place to another - negating the very low hotel rates).

Assuming you want to spend most of your time in larger cities, your best options are to look at:

hostels (bed in shared dorm rooms)
rooms at universities that are on holiday
staying in far suburbs and finding cheap pubic transit into city centers

Separately, have you looked at the cost of travel between cities - or was that already figured into your budget?

suze

Are you willing to stay in hostels?

Let's Go guidebooks and The Thorn Tree at www.lonelyplanet.com travel forum are both excellent resouces for budget travel.

One general tip I can share is you can save money by not moving around so much, staying longer times, in less places.

suze

Renting an apartment and staying put for a few weeks at a time is another suggestion, to help your budget stretch further.

CopperandJade

I'm not sure of your itinerary, but this may help you for Paris,
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ad=4108&page=1

Prague and Budapest are inexpensive and beautiful.

cferrb

I also am a teacher, and I have discovered youth hostels in the last couple of years. Definitely check out the Hosteling International website to see where their hostels are located and the costs. Breakfast was included in Vienna and Salzburg, which was a huge bonus. Do read the reviews before you make reservations.

ltr

I would look for a studio apartment on VRBO. i saw a couple in Paris that were $330 a week. Since they have a kitchen you could shop at the street markets and feel very Parisian.

rs899

As was mentioned above, Etap is a very cheap chain found throughout France and Germany, but mostly not located in the center of the city. If you look carefully, you can find a few located close to metro stops (for example, we stayed at one that was a few hundred metres away form one in Montreuil, and also Berlin) You might find some others ideas here:

http://eurapart.com/budget.html