Help! Need suggestions for places to stay in: London, Paris, Munich, Venice, and Rome!

First off, I'd be curious to know why you think your agent hasn't placed you "in the best areas possible"? What accommodations has she recommended so far, and what do you find objectionable about them?

'Best' has different meanings to different travelers, and there are often many areas in a city that are just fine for sightseeing from. For instance, ask on the Rome forum for a 'best' area and you'll get answers that are all over the place. For travelers to the historic center, there really isn't much for areas to avoid.

What time of year will you be traveling?
And what do you consider a moderate price?

These large cities have good public transport (Rome's not as comprehensive), so being near a transport stop is a big convenience. Since they're big cities, they don't all have one particular center of attractions (especially not London, Paris, and Rome). In his guidebooks, Rick selects a few neighborhoods for each city that tend to match your criteria. They aren't the only places, but he's chosen to focus on a manageable selection. Google Maps and local apps for each city can help you estimate transport options between any two destinations (by foot, car, or public transport).

I haven't used a travel agent for hotels. I believe they mostly work with chains or larger hotels that offer them a commission. That's not to say that they never offer discounts off the rack rate. Some other accommodations may be cheaper if you contact them directly, or compare prices through booking.com and similar search engines, and try their mapping features.

While this sounds like a plug - have you looked through the Steves' book for Europe? I think that it is Europe Through the Back Door. The large book might cover all of those cities and will help with navigating your first trip (some here might be able to confirm this though). I would start there. I usually look at the country specific guides for detailed recommendations. I am very happy with the recommendations that are made. (Which is why I am here on this forum opposed to another travel forum.)

Honestly, I was just looking for suggestions of hotels that people have enjoyed while visiting these spots. I wanted to review a few different options before just forking over money without researching what else could be out there. When I started my research, I noticed that the area of our hotels were not commonly recommended. For example, in Paris we are staying in the 16th arrondissement, which sounds like it is in the outskirts versus closer into the city. I could not find very many high recommendations for this area.

We are novices, and I was just looking to get a few ideas on other hotels to check out...Kathy, I am sorry if my comments about best locations offended you. I am honestly just putting my feelers out there for different locations. Thank you all!

For planning our September 2016 European trip and now planning our Germany/Austria 2017 trip, I have used this forum, RS books and TripAdvisor. Between all 3 I was able to compile a list of what I felt were the best hotel options for us. Perhaps start with researching the hotels the travel agent has set up as well as consider what is important to you in selecting a hotel. As others mentioned these cities have good public transportation systems. One thing were wanted was to usually be in the inner "Ring" of each city. That was one way to cut the multitude of options, your budget & availability will also help cut down your options.

We stayed in Paris & London this past September. In London we selected Luna Simone Hotel, within walking distance to 2 Tube stations & a bus stop right outside of the hotel. We also walked to Parliament from the hotel. Overall we were very happy with this hotel. In Paris we stayed at Hotel Atmospheres in the Latin Quarter. Again in walking distance to Metro stations, restaurants & Notre Dame. We purchased a non-refundable early rate direct with hotel which saved us a bundle! Again we liked our stay there as well.
Using my method mentioned above, we have already booked Hotel Uhland in Munich. We also had a friend recommend this hotel. Since we haven't stayed there yet I can't comment if it is a good choice, but since our last trip all accommodations worked out I'm confident this will too.
Best of luck in your planning!

Paris' 16th Arrondisement is not an area we cover in the books, but some of our tours do stay there, for instance on Avenue de la Grande Armée, near the Arc de Triomphe. Or if you're near Trocadero metro station, it's served by two lines and the Eiffel Tower and river boats are just across the river, along with another transit line.

I have been to all those great cities, but would not recommend a specific hotel. some except for Venice, it has been some years since we visited those cities on our own, not on a tour.

1) Use Rick Steves or Frommer's guide books to get some tips for hotels.
2) Before you book, decide what part of the city that you wish to stay. For all the cities you should be able to find modest and good hotels close to public transportation relatively close to the key sites of the cities.
3) Use TripAdvisor to view the locations of various hotels. You can run a hotel search bracketing your price range. There is a map that you can click on for TripAdvisor that shows the location of the hotels and the price. Use Kayak to check for price deals then go back to TripAdvisor, double checking with the guidebooks.

For Paris, the area around the Champs Elise tends to be expensive, but hotels more upriver are likely cheaper. London, it has been 30 years since I was there, so I can't help you, but loved the west end. For Venice, suggest staying close to the main rail station instead of near St. Mark's square. Rome, suggest staying in the area around the Pantheon.

I, too would recommend getting the RS books. If you don't want to buy, see if your local library has a recent edition available. Then compare what you find there with reviews on Trip Advisor. Just do one city at a time to cut down on your stress.

It's also hard to give recommendations without knowing your budget or your travel style. Many folks on here like Rick's recommendations of a smaller, family run hotel near the center of things. Often they don't have elevators (or the elevators are postage stamp size!!) or AC, so you'll have to do some detective work to decide if these will work for your travel style.

As indicated, Travel Agents often use the bigger chains where they will get a commission. I doubt any of the ones Rick recommends will give commissions!

It also helps to know what was unappealing about the ones the Travel Agent suggested. Your answer that the one in Paris was in the 16th and you hadn't seen others in the area is excellent information for people to have.

Here are a few suggestions:

London - I like The Lime Tree on Ebury Street. This is in Rick's Book. I like it because it is smaller and they know my face after a day or two. It does not have an elevator or AC. It is near the Victoria Station area in Belgravia. I discovered on a London Walks' walk this Sept that Mozart stayed down the street when he was in London in the 1764-65. How cool is that? I have also stayed at the Fielding Hotel near Covent Garden on a Rick Steves tour and that was fine as well. It is in more of a busy neighborhood. I don't think it had an elevator. I was on the ground floor so didn't really notice. A number of years ago I stayed in the Radisson Blu Edwardian on Cromwell Rd near the V&A museum on a Road Scholar tour. It was fine but much bigger and more impersonal.

Paris - I have been to Paris on a few Rick Steves' tours. The hotels I like best from the tour hotels are Hotel Beaugency near Rue Cler and Hotel l'Empereur, also in the 7th but across from Napoleon's tomb. Many people sniff at staying in the 7th because they feel too many RicNic's stay there. For me, as a solo traveler, it feels comfortable. Both of these hotels have AC and an elevator.

Munich - This Fall I was on the Germany, Austria, Switzerland tour and we stayed in Hotel am Viktualienmarkt. I have no idea of the price but it seemed conveniently located.

Venice - I'm not thrilled by the places I've stayed there, so I'll hold off recommending anything

Rome - I stayed at Hotel Sonya on a Rick Steves tour and Hotel Selene before the tour. I liked both which are located on Via Viminale.

When do you plan to travel?

Europe trip planning can be VERY overwhelming, but it can be done without the travel agent. You can purchase a guidebook on each place and start looking at the reviews online (booking.com and Tripadvisor) for real people reviews. OR you can just go on these sites and wade through the hundreds of reviews. Did you get booked in the 16th because of your budget? Close to places you expressed a desire to visit?

This is what we did and had thought we were in the middle of everything and enjoyed our stay:
London- Notting Hill Neighborhood
Paris- The 6th St Germain des pres
Rome- Monti neighborhood
Venice-never been
Munich-never been

We use public transport, eat whatever and are on a budget with both our time and money. Like a pp stated you will get all kinds of recommendations based on personal preference. OHH we also stay in an Apartment if more than 3 nights, hotels otherwise.

Kathy, I am sorry if my comments about best locations offended you. I
am honestly just putting my feelers out there for different locations.

I'm not offended at all and am sorry if you got that impression! It's just that without knowing what had been recommended, it's difficult to weigh in on those locations or what's not working for you. As you said you hadn't yet been to Europe, those of us who have can tell you more about them if you share those with us.

Really, there are so many good places in so many good areas that it's easiest to start with what you've been given so far. We also don't know what 'moderate' means to you or time of year you'll be traveling: high season can make a difference in price as can prime locations.

Hi,

The last time I used a travel agent was in 2007 to book an open jaw flight. You don't need the services of a travel agent, all the more so when it comes to reserving a hotel. I go by Rough Guide guide books...generally. I'll recommend a B&B in London where I've stayed a few times. It's the Alhambra Hotel at Kings Cross/St Pancras. From the Alhambra to St Pancras to catch the EuroStar going to Paris is ca 2-3 mins. Kings Cross is an area swamped with small hotels. The Alhambra is a bit more pricey relative to the others.

In Munich and Paris I stay near the train stations, ie 2 mins walk to the hotel. You may not want to stay in the train station area.

I'd recommend looking for hotels in the Latin Quarter, too. Check RS' books or any others and look for Postal Codes 75005 and 75006.

This is the area most people think of when they imagine what Paris is like, is convenient for transportation, is very safe, and is located within walking distance to many places you'll want to see.

Don't reject the 16th in Paris. It's a traditional upper class residential district with some very attractive streets and parks, and a couple of interesting museums. Depending on where you are there are also good transport links to other parts of Paris.

I kindly suggest you look at each of your destinations and find out what you want to do in each. Then open a thread for each of them in the relevant forum (i.e. England for London, etc.).

If we know

• when you are going
• what you want to see
• what your budget is

we can help you much better.

I have only recommendations for two cities:

• London: Stay within the circle line or within walking distance from a station on the circle line.
• Venice: Stay east of San Marco and avoid the paths between San Marco and the train station.

You really asking a nearly impossible question with no adequate response. This is not a game of what is behind door A or door B. You need to provide more information.

Why do you think she has not put you in the best areas possibles? If we don't know where those areas are, how can anyone judge?

Second, those are all large cities with thousands of hotels, and hundreds are in great locations. So what does "best" mean to you. For example - we always in the Termini area in Rome for convenience to local transit and frequently recommended hotels in that area. Others think that area is too commercial, maybe seedy, etc., and recommend elsewhere. Paris is absolutely huge with a hundred different areas to stay in. We prefer something around the Champs-Elysees between Arc de Triomphe and east. There is no "best", just lots of great places. In London we prefer the Victoria Station area - again because of transit options. For every place I recommend, someone will rejected it. So tells us what is important to you. And what does moderate mean in terms of dollars.

Finally, "Moderately priced hotels located in the best areas..." do not go together well. Those cities, especially London and Paris, are very expensive cities. So if you want something nice in the heart of the cities, you pay the price and moderate is seldom it. More moderately priced hotels tend to be on the edges (Termini area in Rome for example) so they may not be in the best area for sighting seeing convenience. For us, that is not a problem, because we just use the public transit to get to where we want to go. For us, the single, most important criteria is convenience to local transit.

Finally, finally - Plot the address of your hotels in Goggle maps and look at both the map location and the street view. That you provide you with nearly real time information about the hotel and location.

Give us some feed back and maybe we can help you.

kckrus.. I haven't used a travel agent in over 20 years now I imagine..

Travel agents are paid via the commissions paid to them by hotels .. so obviously they will book you in hotels that will pay such commissions.. ( not all do ).. this does not mean the hotels are bad in any way.. but you are correct.. they also may not be the best choices for you.

I am not sure how long you are in each city.. but for me, if I only have a few days in a city I want to be "there".. as central as possible.. if you only have 3 days in Paris wouldn't it be nicer to be super central.. walk to many sites , and sort of already be in a nice area. I would choose the 4th, 5th or 6th.. actually the 5th and 6th to me are most central. Some say touristy.. but duh, they are touristy for a reason.. central location with many sites .

You also have not mentioned your budget per night in euros.. I have stayed in budget picks at 90 euros a night.. to nicer places at 180 euros per night.. so it does make it a lot easier if you give us an idea of what you can pay,, I do not stay in luxury hotels( couldn't with my budget, as I try to keep it to 100-150 euros a room normally) we go for 4-5 weeks to Europe.. so paying big bucks per night not feasible.
I want clean, central, and comfy.. I can forego a bellboy, luxury bedding, etc.. but for some folks they would be very unhappy.
Generally in Europe count on rooms being much smaller than what we north Americans are used to.. even in nicer hotels.

If going in summer DO get air conditioning for Paris, Rome and Venice..

If you suggest a budget range I can suggest a few hotels I have stayed at.. then you should google them for reviews.. read reviews on several sites ( not just one) to get a fair idea.. I read tripadvisor.com reviews, booking.com and expedia reviews. Also .. just ask on forums.. "have you stayed here " and folks will answer.

I love planning my holidays .. I book all my planes , trains and hotels.. but it does take some time.. so hopefully you aren't going to come back and say you are going next month. lol

Look, they are committed to using a travel agent. Remember it is their first trip, and the agent will make it more comfortable for them. So there is no reason to continue to criticize that decision. Once kckrus have been there they probably will develop the confidence to do it on their own for the next trip. And the travel agent's recommendation will in response to the criteria that they have suggested. It is OK to use travel agent, especially for the first trip. We did in '72.

Frank I don't think anyone meant to criticize OP.. I know I didn't.. but I tried to explain why using a travel agent in this day and age is not usually going to get you the trip you really want.. They don't usually have first hand experience ( they just look stuff up on the computer too.. and we can all do that if willing to invest the time) and they have other motivations than just getting you exactly what would be best for you.

Back in 1972 we did not have access to the mind blowing amount of information and photos we can all find on the internet now. We relied on a few guide books , and some glossy brochures.

OP themselves has decided that they want to get a bit more information and perhaps change one or two of their hotels.. so she asked.. and some of us are offering to help.. kind of the point of the forum.

You can do a lot of research on your own and as others have said, you do not need a travel agent. It is possible/likely that the agent does not have first hand knowledge of the places she/he has recommended.

I love to use Trip Advisor to help do my research (booking.com, also). Yes, you do need to weed through them knowing that some will be biased for whatever reason, but overall it will give you a feel for a place. When you look, make sure to also check out the map of where the hotel/apartment/B &B is located. Second, search the area with google maps and get the on the ground view so you can walk the neighborhood. If you find a hotel that looks interesting, then find their website to get price information and if you decide to book, do it directly with them, not with Trip Advisor.

Think about what type of experience you want. Do you want a large upscale hotel, and family run small place, a B & B or an apartment. Do you know you can rent an apartment even for a few days?

For us, the kind of accommodation is really important and it adds to the experience. For others, it is just a place to rest their heads. We prefer the small family run hotel or B & B and also have done apartments.

Why don't you look around and then come back with specific accommodations that you are considering and people can give you feedback.

London- make sure are located near the underground stop and not way out of the city

Paris- we loved the 5th and had a great apartment. We were advised to try to get close to the river nearest the sites (look at a map and see where the hotel is located) and then it is nice if you can walk to the sites- but the metro is nice and easy too

Munich- we stayed outside of the city for easy airport transfers and were there just a day so I can't help

Venice- it is very walkable so anywhere would be fine, I think. I would say stay out of St. Marks area and Rialto Bridge to avoid the crowds. We stayed in the Jewish quarter where I'm told are more locals. I would say the biggest thing is to stay ON Venice not a nearby island.

Rome- so many options. We stayed in a B & B near the Vatican. If I went back I'd stay closer in city. We had to take the train to sites and it would have been nice to walk. But, we had a very nice B & B that was out of the crowded areas, so it was nice going home at the end of the day.

Rick Steves has hotel recommendations in his book. If you look at those I'd still check the reviews on line. Also, his recommendations are full of Americans, which is fine if that is ok with you. We always try to book (if possible) places where the reviews are posted in other languages, suggesting many other people from other countries, so we are not just around a bunch of Americans. But we like to talk and meet other people- that is a large part of our experience.

It can feel overwhelming, but also fun- just take it slow and do some research. Finding accommodations is my favorite part of planning :-) Good luck!

In 1971 I only used travel brochures, in 1973 I used Let's Go (somewhat for Paris) and travel brochures. No travel agent was consulted for either trip.

And...if you want to use a travel agent that is totally fine. You need to be comfortable with your trip. But, if you want to double check your reservations they made or suggested for you look them up and read the reviews, or post them here for specific feedback.

Just be aware that renting an apartment in Paris is really not worth the trouble of trying to find out if an apartment is legal - especially if you're just staying a few days.

Besides the City's crackdown on illegal rentals - which means most of them - you risk a last-minute cancellation if the person or agency you rent from can get more money from someone staying longer than you will.

Also, it is usually not possible to drop your luggage if the apartment is not ready, so you'll face having to haul everything you own around for several hours - no fun in bad weather.
Chances are good that you'll enjoy eating out much more than you will having to shop for food and supplies, cook and clean the apartment.

I'd look for a moderately-priced hotel, instead, where you'll have an English-speaking front desk staff available 24/7 to help you with whatever you need as far as directions, transportation, reservations, advice, etc.

Look, they are committed to using a travel agent. Remember it is their
first trip, and the agent will make it more comfortable for them. So
there is no reason to continue to criticize that decision.

I don't think there's a reason to criticize use of an agent at all. What I don't understand is why the the OP is questioning the agent's recommendations. We don't know what those recommendations are so with names and addresses, we might be able to offer more informed assistance? Otherwise we could throw out long, long lists of accommodations for 5 cities when what had already been put forth might be just fine.

And I'm in chexbres' corner concerning apartments for first timers. They are not always great choices if someone might be uncomfortable with lack of 24/7 support not to mention early arrival/late departure luggage storage, language barriers and other issues.

Since the OP hasn't been back, I am assume that the discussion about not using travel agent has discouraged her from responding. Sometimes the soap boxes are a little tall.

We rented an apartment in both London & Paris the 2 times we went. I did stay in a hotel the first time to Paris but it was a budget chain and while it was fine, it was a bit out of the way so I wouldn't recommend it. If I was doing a hotel in Paris, I'd want it to be centrally located, near the river if possible and of course, near a Metro stop. I like the 6th, near Luxembourg Gardens and the Marias district, near St Paul, the best.

We stayed at the Hotel Alla Fava in Venice and loved it. It was near Rialto but far enough away that it was quiet and very nice. We were able to walk everywhere in Venice. We used the vaperetto only to get to the Rialto stop and walk to our hotel. We also did an apartment in Rome, near the Colosseum.

I hope you enjoy your trip.

having been on forums.. this and others for years and years.. I can assure you there are many posters who post questions and never ever come back.. its not usually about the answers..

I think kckrus just decided to stick with her travel agent.

In Rome you could consider a convent. Some are listed in Rick's book. I don't remember the name, but we liked the one we stayed at near the Colosseum. Convents are usually well priced. One of our favorite hotels we've ever stayed in is the Alimandi, which is down the steps from the Vatican Museums(Sistine chapel). It's on the expensive side.
And if you're willing to spend, the Trafalgar is a very convenient location in London.