Love those 40 euro a night accomodations in Germany

Yes - one more reason to include smaller towns in your trip plan!

You can find 40 euro rooms at the Tripadvisor #3 rated hotel in Frankfurt (Premier Inn) if you stay during low demand dates. There is a Hampton Inn next door & a Motel One a block away that might offer competitive rates.

80€/night for two persons in a twin-bed room is a pretty standard 3 stars hotel price in northern Germany. The south and the coasts are a bit more costly. In Privatzimmer, you can go as low as 40€/night for two persons in a twin-bed room. Breakfast included in both cases.

Those are great places to stay. I'm staying a week next month in a great apartment in a historic building overlooking the markt for 38E per night. Another place a privatzimmer with breakfast at 42 for the two of us. In one apartment I have to pay 56E. Darn it !

On my last trip to Germany (2013), I paid 44€/night for a Ferienwohnung (apartment) for two people for a week. We spent a night in a small gasthof in Pfronten for 59€ for two and the next night in Oberammergau for 72€ (36€/night/person). Then we went to Berchtesgaden where we stayed for 60€/night, double occupancy (30€/person).

Forty euro per person per night is kind of the ceiling for me.

A little over a year before, traveling single, I spent 35€ for three nights in the Freilassing/Berchtesgaden area, 29€ per night in a pension in the Bayerischer Wald, and 25€/night in a Privatzimmer in the Sächische Schweiz (near Dresden).

I have to emphasize that all of these places were very nice, and none of these accommodations were found on any booking website. I have found that there are fewer places on booking websites than on town websites, and the places on the booking websites are more expensive (maybe because they have to pay a 15% commision to the website).

I am glad you mentioned this rob. Using this kind of lodging was the backbone of the RS ETBD travel style but seems to get lost in the need to take no chances.

@ rob...If you're staying in the Privatzimmer set up, then 40 Euro is fine. In Munich I stay at a Pension for 45 Euro for single (EZ)..more than satisfactory otherwise I would not be a repeat guest. In Berlin I stay at a Pension for 40 Euro for the EZ. I stayed at Privatzimmer once in Germany in Westfalen in 1984, it was all right, no complaints. They still exist between 40-45. Euro otherwise my other cheaper option is a hostel depending on various factors too.

I would insert a couple caveats here.

When we lived in Germany and had our own car, we often looked to "Zimmer Free" (Room Available) signs and stayed in rural areas or small villages. We were mainly visiting rural Germany and loved it.

Now we are paying $3000+ for two to fly to Germany, traveling by train and staying in our favorite, moderate-sized towns. We want to be close to sights, cafes, stores, restaurants, etc. We like to return to our room a couple times a day and do not want to use public transportation for each small trip. For us saving on rooms at the expense of time is not preferred. We like moderate hotels in the 80-100 Euro per night range that are close to everything. It is about trade-offs. The most economical choice is to stay home.

Last summer we stayed in a small town in Westphalia. Way off the beaten path, very rural, needed a car. So yeah, not necessarily very convenient in this case.

But it was very pretty, with huge yard and bbq we were allowed to use. For the vacation apartment wich bath, kitchen, 3 bedrooms - and bike rental included - we paid € 50 for 4 people (it would have been € 40 for 2). We had our car but also used the bikes to head out in the morning to the bakery to get fresh "Brötchen" for breakfast.
http://www.fewo-coesfeld.de

Just one more example how you can have a very authentic German vacation at an affordable price.

Very often, Ferienwohnungen have "Brötchen Service", where fresh rolls are delivered to your door in the morning for a very reasonable price.

In small towns, I've always been able to find a Privatzimmer within walking distance of the train station or bus stop.

Even in the mid size towns that I've been randomly studying there seem to be a fair amount of lower priced places to stay in convenient locations.

There is no right/wrong on where to stay. I just hate when people complain about everywhere being so expensive. Years ago a business aquaintance complained that everywhere he had stayed on his recent trip to Germany had been so expensive. I also had just retuned and said that I hadn't paid more than $10 a night. He said that he stayed at fancy hotels. Well, what did he expect !

We always rent an apartment near Fulda on a bio organic farm 10 min driving distance away from main town for 38 euros a night. 2 bedrooms kitchen living room bio cows and a bio coffee cake café you just cant beat it.

Complaining that places to stay at in Germany are so expensive is a fallacious argument, esp given the current exchange rate favorable to the dollar. In medium size towns numerous places are available to stay at charging very reasonable prices. When I go to towns and cities at medium or small hotels, what can I expect for a single (EZ)? Mostly likely, between 40 to 57 Euro. If you don't know where to look, you won't find the lower prices.