Catton,
My husband & I love good coffee. Last summer, in Vienna, it was no problem getting coffee delivered to the room. I don't even remember being charged for it. When you can get coffee as good as that, why bother with instant?
For laundry, take nylon, quick-dry & do it yourself at night. For the other stuff, find a laundry mid-way in your trip. I had asked our hotel in Salzburg before our trip & there was a laundry around the corner from the hotel. Their price to do it was almost as cheap as for me to do it there. Our hotel in London actually had a washing machine. Took forever but we had clean clothes. Take dark clothes. For kids, the nylon, wind pants work well.

I enjoy the hotel coffee as well, but most mornings I'm up and out photographing before the sun comes up. And, usually, the hotel staff isn't ready to serve yet either.

I just make a cup of my own (the tea-bag like coffee...not instant), then return to the hotel an hour later to breakfast with my wife.

Hi SuzieC, yes dear one I agree, for sure I need at least a couple of cups of coffee to get me awake so to speak. And because I do not take my laptop with me when I travel I do watch CNN, as like you want to have some idea what is going on in the world.

Your comment reminded me of my SIL and BIL. They did not drink coffee, did not even own a coffee pot. The only drank tea (which I hate). Oh gads, the horror of staying with them, as you can imagine. I finally got smart and brought my own pot and coffee.

What is that saying "different strokes for different folks". Take care.

Jim_Tardio, you sound like another one of us that needs a cup of coffee to get going in the morning.

I imagine you have taken some beautiful photographs. My late DH use to to that too, a favorite time in the morning for him. And he got some extra special photos.

LoveItaly,

If you have a look at some of Jim_Tardio's other posts you will find links to his photo galleries. They really are well worth looking at.

Jim

In Amsterdam, we stayed at the Hotel Atlanta on the Rembrantplein and they had a small coffeemaker in the room, as well as a small refrigerater/mini bar. But this is the ONLY hotel room in Europe that we can remember that provided a coffeemaker. Peace. :)>-
Robyn