We plan to visit Switzerland and Germany for 10 days in May or June and would like to travel by rail, staying in Berne, Munich, Interlaken and some small cities, too. We've spoken with an agent who has put together a trip basing us in two cities with day trips, in 4-star hotels. It's not our style; we'd rather stay in smaller places. Is it safe for us to book using the internet for reservations in each town rather than having the backing of a travel professional?
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
I've done it that way for 8 trips, over 110 days, in the last decade. I've probably averaged €30 per night, single occupancy, and never had a bad room.
In Germany, most towns have a website, usually www.townname.de. If the website is not in English, look for "tourismus", then "Unterkunfte", "Übernachten", occasionally "Hotels". Look for "Pension" or "Privatzimmer". I particularly like the Privatzimmer, because you get to meet a lot of nice, ordinary Germans. As Rick says, 4-star hotels just insulate you from what you really came to see.
On the other hand, most ordinary Germans in small towns don't speak English. According to the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA), three star hotels (and up) must have a bilingual (German/English) staff, although the one time I stayed in one, just the manager spoke fluent English, and he wasn't there all of the time.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Another vote for setting up your own trip. It's not only safe, it's a lot more fun. We've been making trips to Europe for several years and have never used a travel agent. You'll find people on this website eager to give you all kinds of help. Another resource you might find helpful is tripadvisor.com
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
I second what Steve posted especially about using the internet for making reservations. When asked for a credit card number to hold the reservation, I either call the place directly or send the cc # to them in 3 different e-mails where I break down the number, expiration date, and code into 3 parts. Never had a problem and we go to Europe every summer..I tried a travel agent once that was recommended by RS in Seattle but, after an initial interview, decided to go it alone. Happy Travels. aloha charlie
Posted by
Greenville, USA
192 posts
I have used the Rick Steves book, trip advisor, booking.com, and other travel books to book rooms. Some places have been nicer than others but they have all suited my needs just fine. Skip the travel agent!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19275 posts
Rick's books are ok, but limited as to the places. I have, on a couple of occasions found my own accommodations using town websites, only to find them also recommended by Rick. But town websites have more options than Rick's books.
Booking websites, like Venere, booking.com, HTS, are the "RailEuropes" of accommodation, they don't show everything, only the most expensive options. Usually, although they claim huge discounts, they have a higher price than the hotel's own website. Often they "peel off" breakfast, adding it back at an outrageous extra, just to make their prices look less bad.
If you notice, TripAdvisor never shows you how to contact the properties directly, only wanting to route you through commercial websites, which probably pay them a commission. They're not advisors, they are promoters.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
To me, the value of TripAdvisor is that you can read reviews written by real people who've actually stayed at each place. As on Rick's helpline, you can also email these people privately. Although TripAdvisor doesn't always have the contact information, it's usually not too difficult to locate the property's website (if they have one) using search engines. Or you can email one of the reviewers & ask them how they contacted the property.
No, neither I nor any member of my family works for TripAdvisor!
Posted by
Oklahoma City, OK, USA
430 posts
Agreed with everyone.
Use a travel agent to help book the flights if you like, but you can likely even do better on those.
For hotels use a variety of sources like Rick's books, TripAdvisor, and others to put a list of properties together that look appealing to you. Then, contact the properties directly to make bookings. Do not book through Hotels or Expedia -- book directly with the property to get the best deal -- especially when booking smaller places and B&B's. Do not be shy about asking for a different price. Also, don't be shy about telling a property what another place in town quoted for a price.
I cannot tell you how many times I've said: "I would really prefer to stay in your B&B, but Joe's Sleephouse down the street quoted me 84 Euros for the same date. Can you match that price?" Normally this is by e-mail. Sometimes it is by phone. It works far more often than not.
When staying in small places DO call them to confirm your stay 24 hours prior to arrival -- -- most will hold your room even without this step, but it is the polite thing to do.
EDIT: Forgot... AND... there have been some pretty detailed posts recently about good places to stay near Interlaken -- in Gimmelwald, Murren, etc...