So you're sure you're going to go to Europe? Well, you'll need a place to stay, or places to stay more likely. If you're not lucky enough to have a friend (aunt, debtor, sugar daddy, etc.) with a villa in the French Riviera, then you'll need to investigate several hotels in the areas you plan on visiting. Here are some helpful tips, plus the addresses and contact information of the places we stayed. Good luck.

MAKE RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE
This might seem obvious, but you want to have hotel reservations before you arrive in a city. Better yet, before you leave home. There's nothing quite as unpleasant as arriving, overheated and exhausted, in a city with two or three heavy pieces of luggage and not having a place to drop them (and yourself). Besides, by the time you get there, the cheapest accommodations will likely be taken, especially during the busy summer months. Don't let yourself be shut out.

CONFIRM THEM WITH THE HOTEL
You may think, "I've made reservations online (or over the phone, whatever) so I'm guaranteed to have a place to stay when I get there". Well, maybe. But not all places are as reliable about keeping track of their reservations as, say, Holiday Inn. This warning goes double for Italy. Don't ask us why. They just seem to have a harder time of this than most. Call the hotel before you leave home to make sure everything is as it should be, and then call again maybe a day or two before you're due to arrive at that particular city. We didn't.

Isaiah: Well, at least this isn't too far from where we were supposed to stay.

Ronald: But it's double the price and it looks like a set straight out of some neo-realist film. Where are the prostitutes? Where are the hoodlums?

Isaiah: I expect to see Passolini peaking out from behind his camera any second. Is that a drain in the middle of the bedroom?

MORE EXPENSIVE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
As a matter of fact, one of the cheapest places we stayed at also turned out to be one of the nicest places too. Many things help determine the price: the clientele, the neighborhood, distance from popular destinations, etc. We often saved ourselves a great deal of money by staying in less frequently visited areas of town, or just outside the city itself. Not only did it cost less, but the accommodations were usually very good.

Another way to save money is to say at a youth hostel, or (in Italy) a pensione, or (in Paris) the BVJ. These places tend to offer the bare minimum in terms of accommodations, but can be close to the action while remaining very affordable.

OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO STAY
Well, maybe they aren't all our favorite places to stay, but they are reasonably priced and they get the job done.



  • LONDON: COSMO BEDFORD HOUSE HOTEL
    27 Bloomsbury Square
    tel. 020-7636 4661
    Singles: about $60
    Doubles: about $35 per person

  • PARIS: BVJ Quartier Latin 44
    Rue des Bernardins 75005 Paris
    $20 a night per person (group rate)

    For reservations:
    BVJ Paris
    Service des Groupes
    A l'attention de Madame Francois
    20 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  • PADOVA (Venice): HOTEL VENEZIA
    About $35 a night per person for doubles.

    Restaraunt serves some of the best food in Italy.

  • FLORENCE: SORELLE BANDINI
    Piazza Santos Spirito 9
    Firenze, Italia 50125

    About $65 per person. More pricey than most here, but one of the most beautiful places you will stay in Europe.

  • TUSCANY: VILLA PAGLIARESE
    53019 Castelnuova Bernardenga
    tel: 0577/359070
    fax: 0577/359200
    email: info@pagliarese.it
    website: http://www.pagliarese.it

    A rustic farmhouse nestled into the Tuscan landscape, a swimming pool, a separte house for groups. Less than 20 minutes from Siena. Gracious hosts, great food available. You have to stay a week. It's worth every penny.

  • CANNOBIO (LAGO MAGGIORE): HOTEL PIRONI
    Via Marconi 35

    $40 a night per person. Beautiful hotel just off the water. Comes with a spectacular breakfast (by european standards). Every amenity you could ask for. You can book through various hotel reservation websites. Search for "hotel pironi cannobio".

  • ROME: PENSIONE PANDA
    via Croce 35
    tel: 390 6 678 0179

    Um, we're going to reccomend you AVOID this one. If you do go for it, be sure to check that they've kept your reservations.

  • BARCELONA: HOSTAL PALERMO
    Boqueria 21
    tel: 93-302 40 02
    $35 per person

    Right off of Las Ramblas. Great part of town to stay in, but be prepared to fight for your reservations. Be very specific when requestiong rooms and take notes.

  • MADRID: HOSTAL LAFONTANA
    C/ Valverde #6 Planta 1 28004
    tel: 34 91 523 1561
    fax: 34 91 521 8449
    website: http://www.hostallafontana.com/

    About $17-22 per person. Very resonable considering how comfortable and clean it is. Close to downtown.