Elizabeth

Hello everyone, I was just reading another discussion board with the topic of 'reservations'. The questions was "to reserve or not reserve". I am currently in the beginning stages of planning a trip to England, Belgium, Germany and Netherlands in October. I am thinking of making reservations now, but do you think it is too soon? What about Germany in Mid-October, will I be safe if I don't make reservations, since Oktoberfest will be finished? Any thoughts or experiences on this topic would be greatly welcomed!

bushmama

Elizabeth - My husband and I have traveled through the countries you will be visiting several times without reservations and have not had major problems. We generally stayed in B&B's and found them to be interesting and quite satisfactory. If there was ever a question, we would ask to see the room before deciding. For many reasons, we found it good to stop by late afternoon to find lodging for the night. Usually the local tourist bureaus can assist you in finding suitable lodging. Have a great trip! October is a beautiful time to be in that area. If you are going to stay in Munich during Oktoberfest, I think it would be advisable to have advance reservations.

Marilou

<BR>October is a great time to travel - we have been to England and Germany several times in the fall - but we always make reservations in advance. First of all, I don't want to spend time looking for a place once I get there - but mainly because I think where you stay is an important part of making the trip enjoyable and/or memorable. It usually doesn't cost more to have a 'charming' or interesting room as a nondescript one - it takes time and research to find them - but it's worth it. Karen Brown's guide books never fail to please us. But if you aren't particular about where you stay, I'm sure you can find places available in October if you are a 'spur of the moment' traveler. Have fun.

alan

We usually make reservations for the 1st and perhaps 2nd night. The fact is you're jet lagged, need a place to sleep usually within couple of hours and usually the 2nd day you're feeling better. Many people don't consider jet lag, but after a flight of 8-10 hrs through several time zones, it doies affect people. We usually make reservatons also for the night before we are to fly home, so that we drop the car off, usually at the airport and go to a hotel rither not far from the airport or a transit route to take us back to the airport the next day. Enroute we usually don't make reservations unless it is a big city. Remember in October, many cities in Europe are having Trade Shows, Frankfort has a large Auto Show and one of the cities has a book fair. Either late Sept. or Oct. Check. Oktober fest, is many american college students drinking and collapsing, most of the locals avoid it, it is a young crowd. They raise the hotel rates but by end of first week in Oct. it's over. We went once to check it out, not worth it. We have'nt been to the Netherlands in years, the same with Belgium. Germany we visit more often, in fact this Sept again. Where in Germany are you going? Visit the Romantic Road if you can, Rothenberg ob der Tauber, Wurzburg, especially in Sept. we were there 3 yrs ago and they were having a hugh weeeknd festival. Even hear German bands sing country and western or rock? Check there for the dates of festival because you would need reservations then. We found what was probable one of the last rooms in town. Great time. That's what to look for, Nurnberg has a big festival also. Enjoy, if I can be of any help, e-mail.

Donna

Agree with everyone who favors reservations. Time is just too valuable to spend seeking lodging. And, at the end of a full day of touring and sightseeing, having already arranged where you will rest your weary bones is a huge advantage. This is especially true if you are not fluent in the local language. Just keep good notes regarding cancellation policies in case you change your plans. It's best to have a tentative itinerary and make reservations. A list of alternatives would be useful if you want to be flexible. No matter where you go, you're likely to spend less and enjoy more if you plan ahead.

Sheila

It's certainly not too early o make reservationsa nd I would subscribe to the view that it's good idea to have some where to rest your weary head the night you get here. <BR> <BR>But in October in England- no need after that. Places just won't be full and you'll get a better deal on prices in hotels at least by just turning up and asking.

Karen

we've driven Britain many times and never make reservations, except if we are going to be in London. Our very first trip we had reservations before we left home and found it very, very difficult to find the B&Bs or small hotels we had booked. We were driving by many that looked terrific but were committed to our reservation. After that, we just winged it and almost never had a problem...even when it got very late in the day...7-8pm, we ran into fabulous places.

Maggie

We have done it both ways and now try to strike a happy medium. I do a lot of research in advance (which i enjoy--if you don't it's probably a pain) when i find places which i know we would love I try to figure out when we would be there and book that place. We always book the first night and usually the last night (someplace that sounds "special") we do not like big chain hotels and avoid them at all costs. the planning takes some work but is worth it in the end. We have also had wonderful spur of the moment experiences. All in all I would advise a mix and match approach--half reservations/half whatever. I also thing driving is the only way to go. Trains and buses simply don't offer the options of a car. And the final thing, i think in October you'll be fine no matter which way you go ---if someone has to go in July/august i would think reservations become much more important.

Andrew

We are going to visit England and Scotland in June. I have made reservations for our 2 nights in London but I was'nt sure if I should book ahead for the remainder of the trip. <BR> <BR>We are planning on going to Somerset from London, and then spend 5 or 6 nights in Scotland. <BR> <BR>Karen said she preferred not to make reservations, do you think I would be OK at this time of year? <BR> <BR>Many thanks. <BR>Andrew.

marilyn

I agree with almost everybody here--it is nice to be able to just stop if a place looks good, it is hard sometimes to find the reserved place, sometimes you can't get anything, etc. In an ideal world, we could all just stop when we were ready and find the perfect lodging... <BR> <BR>On our last trip to England (in late March, which wouldn't seem like a particularly busy time), we had London reservations and then reservations in a country house hotel. We wanted to end with a few nights in the Cotswolds or near Windsor castle, and could only find a hugely expensive suite in a chain hotel on the ring road--would NOT have been our first choice. <BR> <BR>Andrew, for your Somerset stay, highly recommend the Carnaervan Arms hotel, in Dulverton. This Victorian hotel built originally for rail patrons has about 25 rooms, lovely gardens and swimming pool, and can help with fishing, riding, shooting, etc. Food was GREAT, staff very nice--the kind of place you expect to see Miss Marple or something. Was pretty reasonable too as I recall.

Elizabeth

Thank you everybody for your great responses. I think the idea of half reservations/half no-reservations may be the way to go. I love planning for trips, and the research to me is definitely a great part of the whole experience. <BR> The only time we will have a vehicle is when we are in Germany, so I think at that time we will wing-it. I love the thought of the "Romantic road", and my husband wants to go to Rothenburg. We will be picking up a car in Maastricht, Netherlands - do you think Rothenburg would be too long a drive if we have to return the car 4 days later in Amsterdam(its cheaper to p-u and rtn. in the same country,and we are flying out of Amsterdam)? Also, is the Southeast of England(Kent county) difficult to visit via public transportation? I am not sure to make reservations here or not, I would like the freedom to select where we stay after we arrive, but since we don't have a car I think it might be difficult.

John

Elizabeth, Amsterdam to Rothenburg is around 400 miles which is a good day's trip. Don't make too many diversions.

Andrew

Just to continue the reserve or not toreserve thread. <BR> <BR>Do you think having a reservation is essential for Edinburgh in June ??

Tracy

Hi Elizabeth, <BR>I just returned from a 2 week driving tour of all of the countries you mentioned. We made absolutely no advance reservations (ok...we did reserve a room at the airport), and things for the most part went very well. However, we did encounter one problem. In Europe, the hotels, gas stations, and restaurants do not stay open all night waiting for you. My only advice is, if you don't have a reservation (or are in need of gas)...start looking around dusk. Twice (yes twice), we drove several hours looking for a hotel that was not locked up for the night, and eventually gave up and slept in the car. So, in my opinion, rservations are not needed...just don't wait too late to start looking. Also, if your flying out of Gatwick, the Gatwick Travelodge is great (but do make a reservation there.) If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. I can recommed a few hotel chains in England too. Have a wonderful time!!!

Mark

Reservations do make life easier - it's nice to know you don't have to spend time searching for somewhere. However they are not essential and not having them gives you more freedom. For London in summer I would prefer to have reservations and also for Edinburgh, as Edinburgh can be very difficult to find accommodation in on the day - and not just during the festival, when its impossible!! However in October and outside the big cities it is more fun and flexible not to have reservations and it should be easy to find places. I have suggested some sites that offer online booking on my homepage as well as some good hotels in London. The url is: <BR> <BR>http://cube.icestorm.com/homepage/london.html <BR> <BR>Re: public transport in the South East of England - this is the area of Britain best served by trains as it is a commuter area for London, so no problems there. Again, links to public transport info for the UK are on the page above. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps, <BR> <BR>Mark.

Joanna

I would definitely get reservations in large towns and cities. In 94 my friend and I did a big Eurail trek and found that it does pay to reserve. We wasted 2 hours trying to get a room in Strasbourg - it was a weekend and the European Parliament was sitting. Finally the tourist office managed to get us a room but only for 2 nights instead of 3. Similar problems at Koln. At smaller places like Dijon, Innsbruck, Interlaken and Reims we had no problems finding accommodation. For the larger, more touristy cities, such as Venice, Vienna and Paris, we had made reservations in advance.

dayle

Just to add my experience with larger cities in October. Yes, trade shows can really fill up the hotels. Paris in October was difficult to book even a couple months in advance due to the auto show and others following. I wouldn't hurt to at least contact the tourist offices and find out what the peak weeks are.

Doris

Dear Elizabeth, <BR> <BR>we can only suggest to make bookings in advance for autumn in Germany. Many cities become very busy for trade-shows, especially big cities! <BR> <BR>Enjoy your journey! <BR>