When you don’t know the country or area it can be really hard to figure out where to stay and what type of accommodation to go for.
For me, it is always a tug of war between cost and location and I have to admit that I tend to balance out budget hostels with something a little more luxurious now and again so tend to look at quite a wide variety of places.
Here are my tips for choosing accommodation: –
Budget
First and foremost, ask yourself what your budget is and then search within that.
Secondly, I love the map function on Airbnb and Booking.com that allows you to see the prices of everything around the area you are looking at. Definitely check this out to get a bit of price comparison as some areas are just more expensive than others and some months are more expensive than others, so relating it to the ‘competition’ is a really helpful gauge.
Check the neighborhood
Any place I am considering I hop straight on Google maps to check the following:-
- Street view – what does it actually look like now compare to the marketing photos on the website I’m looking at
- Distance – how far is it to the key sites I want to go to
- What’s around – general browse of what is around in terms of shops, supermarkets, landmarks and sights
What experience are you looking for
I always check in with myself and just see what vibe I am after. Sometimes it’s city center dirt cheap and practical, other times its beach side with a spa bath.
I would definitely say don’t be afraid to go for variety and see how you’re feeling. If you can splash out now and again it’s worth it and can really improve your experience and memories of a place.
It’s also really important to think about how you are going to use the space. If you are planning on being out all the time then just a bed or room is probably fine. If you want chill time or to self-cater then you are probably looking for apartments or chalets.
Check the reviews
Always always check the reviews or seek recommendations. reviews are great to get up to date feedback on the place you are looking at and especially useful if you are concerned about light or noise as these are often what people comment on in the reviews.
Do be slightly cautious when reading reviews though as some can just be too old to be relevant any more and some could just be from very picky people!