Travel Tips by Steve Jobs -- Part 3

Travel Tips by Rick Steves Jobs
Chapter 3:  Reservations

Let's start this section with a question.  What is it called when you have second thoughts about your plans to spend some time on lands owned by Native Americans?  A reservation reservation reservation.  (credit to Brian Regan for that one)

OK.  Moving along.  Our accommodations for the last several trips we've taken have been exactly what we hoped they would be -- often even better.  So, here are some suggestions based on things I've learned over the years.

This was our nicest hotel.  Just kidding.  It is one of the bedroom's at Napoleon's palace, Fontainebleau.

1. Expedia almost always has the best deal.  And I feel like they are really up front about their extra fees or un-included taxes payable to the hotel upon arrival.  But just to be sure, I always go to the hotel website after Expedia has located it for me, to see if there are any deals I can unlock with what I know from Expedia.  On our most recent trip, I was able to get a room with breakfast on the hotel website for the same price as a room without breakfast on Expedia.  I did this by joining the hotel rewards program and booking at their club/member rate.  Other times, I have found the hotel I wanted on Expedia then compared it with Priceline.  Sometimes the base rate on one sight is cheaper, but their fees are higher, so it ends up being more expensive.  Double check this to make sure you aren't getting hooked by the posted rate and then nailed by the "taxes and fees" added at the end.  A few times, I have been able to find a super deal on Priceline's list of options where they won't tell you the name of the hotel.  By comparing the ratings and stars, plus the amenities offered, I have always been able to locate which hotel it is before committing.  Sometimes you can get an amazing price this way.

   

   Our hotel in Paris had 7 floors with only 4 or 5 rooms on each.  The employees were very friendly and they gave out free croissants in the reception area.  The elevator was barely big enough for the two of us and our bags.

2. Some locations are cheaper on weekends and others are cheaper on weekdays.  We were able to plan our trip so that we used this information in our favor.  As a result, we never paid more than 90 euros (about $100) per night for our rooms.  We stayed in a super nice (and unusually big) room in Brussels and a sweet boutique hotel in Bruges (with a fantastic breakfast) by going during the off days of the week.

   

   Our hotel in Bruges was built in the 1700s.  The current owners have tried to restore it to it's original condition.  They live there and were an absolute delight, feeding us delicious breakfasts in their downstairs "cave" (a former storage area for silk that came off the canal boats), and even giving us a mini organ recital.  It was called the Hotel Lucca.  I highly recommend it.
3. Consider what amenities you need.  If a "free" breakfast is important to you, you might have to be willing to pay more.  If you want a pool, your pickings will be slim in some places.  If you need a shuttle to pick you up or take you to the airport, then search with that in mind.  Another good thing is to double check with the hotel to verify if there is a catch.  (For example, there might be a fee for the airport shuttle, you might need reservations to be guaranteed a spot, or it might only run during certain hours.)

   

   Our TINY room in Paris came with a "balcony."  That meant that we could open our window and sit on the enclosed roof area.  We ate dinner out there one night...mostly because there wasn't any room in our room to eat.

   

   You can't really see the delicious spread we had to choose from for our breakfast at the Hotel Lucca, but it was a lovely setting to go with the tasty food.

4. Free parking isn't always easy to find.  If you are staying in a big city or crowded area, be prepared to pay extra to park your car at a hotel.  Usually they will charge you a daily rate.  Even if it says there is parking (free or paid) before booking under the expectation that you will be able to park, call (or email) to make sure there aren't any other regulations.  At our hotel in Luxembourg, one of the guests was told he couldn't park his van in the lot provided because it was bigger than the vehicle size they allowed.

   

   The only hotel we stayed at that had free parking was in Ghent.  The room was also unusually large for a European hotel.  The reason for both of these was probably because it was about a 10 minute walk from the train station and another 20-30 minutes to the main touristy area.  This bed was a "double" bed, which seemed to translate more to an American King sized bed (two twins = double?).  And yes, I often look like this after walking around with a giant backpack all day.

5. Don't travel shampoo-less.  Many hotels are going "green" so you might want to pack a few basic toiletries if you are used to them being provided for you (or if you are picky about what you use).  Especially in Europe, you might be lucky if you get a giant squeeze bottle mounted to the wall labeled "body wash, soap, and shampoo."  (ahem...Ibis Styles)
6. Twin ≠ Single and Double = Queen/King.  Sometimes the only bed sizes I could choose from were "single" or "double".  I ended up opting for two singles because I figured that would be equivalent to a king and would be better to sleep separately than to squeeze into a full sized (double) bed.  To my surprise, some of the reservations we had that were "double" beds were in fact bigger than queen sized.  And our "single" beds were more the size of a cot.  I slept well on any size, but it is always good to be aware that things are labeled differently.

   

   This is our hotel room in Paris.  The entire thing -- barely enough room to walk around the beds.  Our "single" beds were narrower than American twin sized ones.  The window was well insulated, though, so street noise was minimal.  It also doubled as our balcony.

   
   

   

   I believe this bed was actually advertised as a queen sized bed.  I haven't even started my day yet and I'm already giving up.

7. Location matters.  If you have a car, you might need to settle for something outside the city so you don't get gouged with parking fees.  If you are planning to walk or take public transportation, you might want to locate yourself close to your transportation hubs (airport/train station/subway station) or the attractions you want to visit so you don't spend extra time getting somewhere or dragging your luggage unnecessary distances.  This is an especially good idea if you have an early departure time.  Then you won't have to stress about getting to the airport or train station in time because you'll already be there. 

   

   Because we knew we'd be getting around by train and metro, we tried to book hotels that were a short walk away from a train station.  This is Lee at Gare du Nord in Paris.

8. Pack some earplugs just in case.  You never know when city noises or nearby construction sites will put a wrench in things.  I always turn on the fan in the room for white noise if possible, but ear plugs have saved my bacon many times.  Not the most comfortable to sleep with, but better than not sleeping.  One of the Ibis Styles hotels that we stayed at in France had a dual bathroom door.  We figured out that the door for the bathroom rotated outward to become a door for the entry way between the hallway and the bedroom.  It created a nice little insulated space to dampen the noise from the exterior hallway and made our stay much quieter.
9. Read all the fine print, especially with house/cabin rentals.  Be aware of extra fees for all vacation rentals.  They usually have multiple fees added that make your bargain $500 a week move upwards toward $1000 a week.  Watch out for "booking fees," "cleaning fees," "extra guests," etc.  Sometimes the rate is based on 2 people even though the house can hold 6 but you'll get charged for the "extra" people.  And the cleaning fees are the same whether you stay there one day or one week.  Make sure you know what you are signing up for.  Some accommodations are a really good deal, and some are more expensive than a hotel would have been.
10. Keep track of which things you prepaid for.  I like to print off a confirmation page with each reservation so that I have something to refer to when checking in at the hotel.  Take note of whether your payment was collected at booking or whether you will need to pay when you arrive (or check out).  That way, when they ask you for your card at check in, you can verify exactly what they plan to use it for and there will be no last minute surprises or accidental double payment.)