we are a family of 4 planning on a September trip to Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria. 10 years ago when my mom and I went we could just look for a cute town and check out the zimmerfri signs. Is this still possible or is it less risky to just book all accommodations ahead? We are looking to stay in smaller out of the way towns for several days at at time and spoke out from there.
Thanks
Posted by
Lake Forest, CA, USA
1633 posts
SaraJane, of course it's less risky to book your lodging ahead of time. However, it doesn't sound like you prefer to travel that way. You can still travel the way you did 10 yrs. ago looking for zimmer frei or pension signs. Are you driving? As you probably know, it helps to drive and find the smaller towns with zimmer frei accommodations. Depending on where I fly into/out of, I will sometimes reserve a room for my night of arrival and departure. Last fall, we travelled for 5 weeks without reservations. As you know, it sometimes takes a while to find a room. However, you get to see the room first hand. Unless I'm staying in a large city such as London, I prefer to travel without reservations. It allows me to go where and when I want. For me, for now, it's the way I like to travel. Have fun on your trip!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
SaraJane, The answer will probably depend on which places you'll be visiting in the three countries you mentioned. Some smaller towns (with limited accommodations) may be fully booked. I've found that travel in September (fall shoulder season) can often be crowded as lots of people like to travel then. For that reason, I prefer to pre-book as I don't like wasting time looking for a place to sleep when I arrive in a new and unfamiliar town. I feel that's a waste of my valuable holiday time, not to mention a darn nuisance! Happy travels!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If your travel dates include late September, you should probably book ahead for Bavaria, if your plans include Munich and its hinterlands. There's this little party they have in Munich that I've heard attracts big crowds...