Our trip to Rome, Venice, Paris ,in 11 days i thought was all organized through the help of this forum BUT suddenly with 5 months to go the husband has said "NO" we don't need to book we will just jump on a train get off where we want and stay how ever long we want, Nightmare. I like things organized. I mentioned to him June 2ooo is Holy year and accomadation will be hard to fine-"Rubbish" he says and this folks is comming from a person who has never looked at any of the travel books i have been pouring over.Our trip is for six weeks which is all organized by me i might add it just these 11- 12 days we are disagreeing about. Whats your advise to him. Maxine

What would I tell him? Anyone going to Rome in a Holy Year without reservations is absolutely insane. The number of visitors will be DOUBLE normal, and normal isn't so great. I can see we have two types of travel personalities here; and usually that can be worked out. This may be one time to put your foot down and insist you have (at least) lodging reservations. Nothing worse than spending hours in a wonderful place like Rome, looking for a place to stay, and being forced to accept a place that simply doesn't meet your needs or desires.

My husband also feels planning is unnecessary. I book everything ahead anyway, making careful note of cancellation policies. One time, I listened to him and we drove around for hours, finally checking into a dump for three times the price of an advance reservation elsewhere sometime after midnight. He used to laugh at me when, just before departing, I'd be on the phone confirming each and every reservation. But, then, he arrived in Salt Lake City late one night, and the hotel did not have his reservation (made ostensibly by his company) or a room, and it took him hours (after a cross country flight) to find a (terrible) room. Now, he leaves the planning to me. At any rate, I, personally, wouldn't THINK of going to Rome, Venice or Paris without room reservations. You may find a place to sleep, eventually, but who wants to spend valuable time and effort looking? While dragging your luggage around? If you review the posts on this forum, the overwhelming concensus is that you get the best rooms at the best prices in the most convenient locations by booking ahead. I don't know about Italy, but with the French Franc the highest it's been (by far) in many years, and the airline fare bargains offered at other than mid-winter, I'd guess travel to France is increasing in direct proportion. We're going back this year for sure. (On our first trip, our "reliable travel agent" neglected to confirm our seats, which we discovered the day before when calling ourselves - imagine - paid for tickets in January, no seats in September! - cost them a fortune to get us on the same flights.) I'd recommend advising him you are going to make reservations "just in case". In ANY big and highly touristed city, the "best" rooms will have been booked ahead. Tell him that Europeans are fanatical about "booking ahead", which they really and truly are. The cancellation policies in Paris are liberal. But, if you'll be arriving later than you initially advise, you MUST call and tell them.

True story: Paris, late September "we don't need no stinkin' reservations" so I spent THREE HOURS walking up and down the Left Bank, going into EVERY hotel. Finally found a room at a 3* hotel and paid through le nez. Nevair aygain, my leetle caabeedge. Reservations up the wahzoo - I can always cancel if I change my mind. <BR>Unless your husband thinks sightseeing is touring hotel lobbies, get reservations (or, reserve rooms just for you, then he can enjoy the freedom of sleeping on the floor of the train station) <BR>

Thanks, I am going to love showing him the replies tonight-however i have at least convinced him to book at least two days in Rome to start with. If we have had enough we can leave or if we want to stay longer he can go out and book somewhere else. Not having much luck with Venice and Paris though as he said we may not make it that far as we could get off the train some where along the line love it and stay on. Still not happy about it. Maxine <BR>

You can get by without a reservation in Paris during the dead of winter, but other than that, I think it is foolish to show up unannounced. If you strike out at your first hotel of choice, you waste so much time and energy looking for another place. (And money, too, if you are searching by taxi.) The same is true of Rome. <BR>Perhaps in January, February and March you could find a place by walking in. But you can also get overcharged!! <BR> <BR>To reverse the issue, why would someone NOT make advanced reservations?? <BR>If it is a control issue, it is a strange one, because the trip can be controlled much better with advanced planning. Enough things go wrong even with good plans. <BR>

I am surprised at the overwhelming responses against a non-structured approach to travelling in Europe. Granted, Maxine is going to major tourist cities at the peak of the tourist season, I too would want reservations! But, the responses seem to be across the board in favor of planning out the trip and booking ahead. If I would have read this board before my last trip I never would have had the guts to wing it like I did! I went to Munich, Salzberg, Vienna, Berlin, Bonn, Amsterdam & London in July of '98, and only booked ahead for London (and those reservations got screwed up somehow). Using the TIs and Rick Steves guidebooks I had no problem with accomodations at reasonable prices. I was not concerned with being overcharged as I had done my research and knew what I should be paying. As for spending the trip taking cabs from hotel to hotel, dragging your luggage, searching for rooms - all it takes is a phone card and a pay phone, it really was very easy. If you ever end up without a room, please don't go door to door, what an incredible waste of time! Phones work in Europe too! <BR> <BR>As for control or planning the trip, I think that my trip was more under my control than if I had been dictated to by reservations I had made in advance, before ever having set foot in these cities. How could I possibly know how long each each place would enrapture me? I had an overall schedule, so I knew if I wanted to stay longer at a particular place, it would probably mean giving up something further down on the itinerary. Vice versa, I had one city (which shall remain nameless) that, while fascinating, was simply too stressful to spend my originally planned number of days, so we left early and opened up the opportunity to see another place. <BR> <BR>My daily life is structured enough, and I am actually very much a control person. I read constantly in the months leading up to a trip, by the time I go I have planned the trip every which way possible. Not making reservations was a great way for me to let go and not freak out when something didn't happen according to schedule! It also allowed my husband to participate more, otherwise my tendancy is to plan everything out and he is stuck following along, whether he likes it or not. I have found it impossible to get 2 people equally involved in the advanced planning, maybe because I am too involved! This way, each morning at breakfast, I (as the walking guidebook) would list out what sights were available today, with descriptions and pros and cons that I had, but we would make the decisions together. We would discuss whether we were ready to move on or if we wanted to stay longer, looking ahead in our schedule to see what was next, and what things we felt like revising. My husband liked this because because everything was given to him in small chunks, not the overwhelming "what do you want to do for 18 days in Europe". My job is the overwhelming stuff! <BR> <BR>So, please people, have respect for when and where you will be travelling, but please don't be completely put off from allowing a little spontaneity in your trips! Travelling without reservations can be done and it really took very little effort!

Reserve vs no reserve views vary depending on how each perceives the value of opportunities to be able to travel there, burden of being "controlled", amount of time available to travel,etc. To those with very limited time, for whatever the reason, motivation to be sure to get something done is very much different from those with more abundant time and opportunities to travel there often. <BR> <BR>My folks and we travel in the different side of this view. Neither is a problem since both spouses buy into their style of travel. It is only when they differ, like your case, that this is an issue. <BR> <BR>My folks do not believe in reservation or planning ahead. They would end up in Paris in the middle of the heat wave, only to have a sleepless miserable time at nights because all they could find was a 2* hotel with no A/C. They would end up Versailles and were disappointed because the fountains were not on nor staying in Paris during the correct time of the week in the first place to be even have that chance. Needless to say that they do not like Paris. However, it is none of my business to tell them how they spend their time or money. They are content in their own way. I am just glad my wife is not in that camp. <BR> <BR>Also, if you are museum fan, it would be disappointing to arrive in Paris on Sunday and leave on Wednesday when museums are closed either on Monday or Tuesday and whatever are not closed are crowded. Another reason for me for better scheduling. <BR> <BR>I also have a friend, who USED to be a diehard no reservation man. After having to call (no luggage dragging by taxi) 14 different hotels to find a vacancy in Edinburgh in May, he no longer just show up in town and find a place to stay; he now makes reservations few days ahead.

Please do not equate travelling without reservations to travelling unprepared. I always know when museums and other sights are closed, when certain events are going on that I want to see. Reserving a room in advance has nothing to do with doing your research and finding out when museums are closed or when the fountains of Versaille are on!