How to find B&Bs in Germany
 

Does anyone know of websites for locating B&Bs in Germany, especially in the South?

For so many towns in Germany there is a very helpful website at www.townname.de - - see www.schonach.de and www.oberkirch.de just to name two examples.

Best wishes,

Rex

I wonder if there's a B & B site for Germany such as the new bnb site for Switzerland? In the meantime, you might try the Karen Brown books or website. I think she may have a B&B for Germany. Of course, those will be top of the line, so to speak. J.

In our travels within Germany we just kept our eyes open for "zimmer frei" signs as we drove along. If a place particularly caught our eye, we would simply drive up, knock on the door, and inquire. The signs often show a symbol of a bed; red means they are full, green means they have a vacancy. The smaller the town, the less-traveled the road, the more frequently you can find extremely good deals -- spotless clean, warm hosts, and a big breakfast. Otherwise, check at the town's tourist center and ask about "fremdenzimmer" -- travelers' rooms.

Keep your eyes open for a post by Bavaria Ben. His comprehensive site is down and, according to his post, he's having trouble retrieving the information that was on it. The site was devoted to just the question you're asking, and it will be a shame if he isn't able to capture the information there. He said he'd post when his new site is up. You can do a search from time to time on the name "Bavaria Ben" (no quotes) in the text search box.

We just searched on the towns/areas we planned to visit and found plenty of info on B&Bs/pensions.

We have good luck using the Karen Brown books. Many of the places we go back to now were found in her book on Germany.

ZIMMER FREI is the other way. But, just begin early in the day. We have been burned in a few towns by waiting till evening to look for a zimmer. They tend to either book early or close early. If you go this route, lock in your spot before noon to be safe. This from one with experience.

Just a word about pre-booking and finding one on spec. I've found that many b&b owners, esp for peak season, are unwilling to accept advance booking for fewer than three nights, sometimes a week. If you find a place on the day, it's usually no problem just staying one night, though if it's say early on Friday, many owners hold out for someone wanting it for the whole weekend, and you might be told to come back later in the day, by which time all the beds might have been taken. More commercial accommodation, like Pension or Gasthaus, accept overnighters more readily.