In May, we plan to stay three days in Dresden. Could you recommend a low-cost hotel or B&B near the city center?

You may use www.hrs.de.

The IBIS hotel might be a good choice. In walking distance to the old town. EUR 73. www.ibis-dresden.de

I stayed at the Ibis Bastel (one of three Ibis hotels on Prager Strasse) a 5 minute walk from the train station. It's only about a 15 minute walk to the historical center of the city and near shopping & restaurants.

I found the hotel to be modern and convenient. The breakfast buffet was not included and I ate at one of the many cafes next to the hotel.

I would stay there again.

What exactly is low-cost?

The Ibis hotels are a good choice IMO. Lack any charm, but central location and clean. Caution, one of them (I think it is "Lilienstein&quot is right next to a huge construction site (new shopping centre).

Nice B&Bs are e.g.
Pension Käubler www.pension-kaeubler.de or
Pension am Grossen Garten
www.pension-am-grossen-garten.de or
Pension am Blauen Wunder or
Pension Andreas (don't know their websites right now, google them please)

For three days it might be an option to rent an apartment. For example, friends of mine stayed in the Dresden-Neustadt area and liked it. Let me know if you're interested and I can give you websites.

Ingo

Thanks, Ingo. My wife says she prefers not to cook (after all, it's a vacation), so we will check out the B&Bs you listed. Thanks so much.

We plan to rent a car after our stay in central Dresden, explore surrounding places (Meissen, Saxon Switzerland, for example), and head west through the Harz Mountains and Muensterland. All suggestions gratefully accepted. Thank you.

You don't need a car around Dresden to explore Meißen, Königstein, Bad Schandau, Wehlen and the Bastei, Freiberg, Pillnitz, Weesenstein, Moritzburg, Pirna, Radebeul, Görlitz, Bautzen, quite a number of places in the Erzgebirge... etc. etc. All these day trips can easily, and much cheaper than by rental car, be done on public transport. There is absolutely no need for a car before you actually leave the area for the Harz (and even that could be done by train, but that's a different topic).

Check the availability and rates at the Inter-City hotel. These hotels are not dripping with atmosphere but they are clean and well-managed (usually) and they include free passes for the local mass transit during the length of your stay.
I believe the one in Dresden is near the train station.

http://www.intercityhotel.com/aw/Int...Dresden/~fixh/

I highly recommend Pension Käubler. Clean, large, comfortable rooms, huge breakfast, reasonable price and easy public transportation access.

And, I agree with quokka, you don't need a car to get around the area. DH and I did our entire visit with public transportation.

Have fun!