My wife and I have just arrived back from a 12 day vacation in the Algarve. Why is it that everybody seems to want to stay in 5 star hotels? What about the pensions (bed and breakfast) or even just rooms. This way you get to meet the people who actually live there, not experience the supreme indifference of the big hotels. We stayed in a large hotel , which was very nice but wanted to meet the people so we found a little place that was very well appointed with a living room, bathroom, kitchen with full facilities and a really nice bedroom and all this for only $37.00 CDN for the two of us. Of course we had to provide our own food. We had a blast and enjoyed driving through the countryside visiting the various towns. We drove from Tavira in the east right out to Cape St Vincent in the west and up into the mountains to the town of Monchique. We rented our car from Europcar, they were very helpful and we got a free day when renting for three days. Any questions? I would be glad to try to help. <BR>

You are right, too many pay a lot of money to insulate themselves from the <BR>very place they came to see.On the other <BR>hand it keeps these bozos away from the good places - I stayed in rooms in Tavira twice & was glad to see that the absence of expensive hotels improved the place!Tip - next time don't bother <BR>with the car - use public transport, <BR>you will meet even more nice people, <BR>especially on trains where everyone wants to tell you their life story.

Hi Frank <BR>Tell me about it. I am glad to see that there is somebody who agrees with me. <BR>My wife and I spent three weeks travelling around Europe using buses and trains, What a wonderful vacation that was and we stayed in B&Bs. One was a 600 year inn just outside Koblenz we met a lot of terrific people.

Looking for information for travel to Portugal in May, 2000. I would appreciate information on bed and breakfasts or little inns, etc. Please advise. Travelling with an infant if you think that would be applicable. <BR> <BR> <BR>Thank you in advance

As Ihave said before, the best resource we have found for Spain and Portugal is Karen Brown's "Inns and Pousadas of Portugal". On our first trip, we used it exclusively, and were never dissapointed. She describes a variety of hostels, hotels, and inns, in a vairety of price ranges.