You loved my 'Top 15 Tips to Book a Perfect Airbnb Accommodation'. Here's the next post of this series. In this post, I’m including links to all the accommodations we used during both our Europe trips and if or not I recommend them. Even after reading all the reviews and doing my best in booking an affordable yet self-sufficient Airbnb home, our experiences can and do vary from the lot sometimes. So take this post as a guide and not a mandate.
I'm hoping you have already read my tips to book your dream Airbnb accommodation. I've learnt a lot since my first foray into Airbnb. If it’s your first, did you know you can save up to $50 on your first booking? Wherever in the world you are! Here’s my affiliate link. You save $50, I get about $30 in my account once you’ve completed your first stay.
That little travel money opportunity aside, lemme show you the accommodations we used. All the nitty-gritty. The ones we loved and the ones that left a lot to be desired. I’ll keep it simple and short.
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| Attic room in Bruges |
1. Bruges (Belgium)
Location: Oostkamp. 2 nights, shared accommodation and toilet with a family. Single mum, 2 kids. Beautiful babies. Quite but busy looking house. Breakfast provided. Fresh Bread from a local bakery in the morning was such a nice touch. The room was upstairs in the attic, 2 single beds joined. A small cute room which is not enough for any more than 2 people. The host lady was very kind and helpful. She picked us up from the train station and dropped us off as well, as the accommodation was way out of the city centre. One local bus service is available every hour, with the bus stop only a few feet away from the house (3 euros per trip).
Bruges is one of our most favourite city in the world. If we go next time, we will prefer staying in the old town. Having to catch a bus that runs every hour was a bit of hassle, though fun as it made us see more of the Bruges town.
Bruges Accommodation link here.
Location: Oostkamp. 2 nights, shared accommodation and toilet with a family. Single mum, 2 kids. Beautiful babies. Quite but busy looking house. Breakfast provided. Fresh Bread from a local bakery in the morning was such a nice touch. The room was upstairs in the attic, 2 single beds joined. A small cute room which is not enough for any more than 2 people. The host lady was very kind and helpful. She picked us up from the train station and dropped us off as well, as the accommodation was way out of the city centre. One local bus service is available every hour, with the bus stop only a few feet away from the house (3 euros per trip).
Bruges is one of our most favourite city in the world. If we go next time, we will prefer staying in the old town. Having to catch a bus that runs every hour was a bit of hassle, though fun as it made us see more of the Bruges town.
Bruges Accommodation link here.
2. Ghent (Belgium)
The best Airbnb we’ve ever stayed at. Highly recommended.
Location: Sportstraat. It's a beautiful, spacious apartment with all the frills. Even though shared, we saw no one. Beautiful bathroom. The kitchen had all the facilities. Laundry had both washer and dryer. We witnessed the most glorious sunset from the living room.
Ghent room link here.
The best Airbnb we’ve ever stayed at. Highly recommended.
Location: Sportstraat. It's a beautiful, spacious apartment with all the frills. Even though shared, we saw no one. Beautiful bathroom. The kitchen had all the facilities. Laundry had both washer and dryer. We witnessed the most glorious sunset from the living room.
Ghent room link here.
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| The one that left a lot to be desired- Berlin |
3. Berlin (Germany)
I was ok with this vintage accommodation but my husband absolutely hated it. It was a shared accommodation (private room + shared bathroom). The house was old-style so a bit crammed up, not to my husband's minimalist taste. There was even a piano in the room! Breakfast included. About 7-8 minute walk to the metro station.
Location: Charlottenburg.
A bit far from the city centre, but handy connections from metro station. Tegel Airport Bus Stop was 10 minutes walk. Cheap accommodation but not recommended as it’s crammed up and not central. Also 4 floors of stairs and no lift.
Berlin room link here.
I was ok with this vintage accommodation but my husband absolutely hated it. It was a shared accommodation (private room + shared bathroom). The house was old-style so a bit crammed up, not to my husband's minimalist taste. There was even a piano in the room! Breakfast included. About 7-8 minute walk to the metro station.
Location: Charlottenburg.
A bit far from the city centre, but handy connections from metro station. Tegel Airport Bus Stop was 10 minutes walk. Cheap accommodation but not recommended as it’s crammed up and not central. Also 4 floors of stairs and no lift.
Berlin room link here.
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| Last-minute treasure in Rome |
We booked this apartment at 9 pm at night and checked in next afternoon. No research involved and it ended up being one of our best. Shared accommodation but we saw no one. The apartment has lift access. Spacious, self-contained, well-equipped kitchen. Apartment only 5 minutes walk from Vatican City square. We walked there every evening. Also walking distance to metro station and great food places. Pinsa Mpo does the best pizza I’ve ever had, on rye sourdough. Highly recommended.
Rome accommodation link here.
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| Parisian style apartment |
5. Paris
3 nights. Beautiful Parisian apartment. Spacious bedroom. Shared bathroom, however, we did not see the host. We had the entire place to ourselves. Apartment in Montmartre neighbourhood. It is very close to the Moulin Rouge and the red district. About 15-20 minutes walk to Sacre Couer Cathedral (lots of stairs to the top of the hill). Location was very handy as it’s only a few steps from the metro station. Supermarket right opposite. It’s in a busy eat street. Only con is 4 floors of stairs and no lift. My 6.5 months pregnant self would be huffed and puffed in one trip (I was reasonably fit) but those stairs were brutal. Apartment recommended if stairs aren’t no trouble to you. We managed ok.
Paris Accommodation link here.
All 5 accommodations you’ve read so far were from our Europe May /June 2018 trip. We learned a lot during this trip and hence from this point on you’ll read about private accommodations (no shared toilets) and better facilities that were booked during our May/June 2019 trip. We also had an 8-month-old baby with us so comfort and privacy were our focus. Told you we learned a thing or two about booking a good one on Airbnb!
3 nights. Beautiful Parisian apartment. Spacious bedroom. Shared bathroom, however, we did not see the host. We had the entire place to ourselves. Apartment in Montmartre neighbourhood. It is very close to the Moulin Rouge and the red district. About 15-20 minutes walk to Sacre Couer Cathedral (lots of stairs to the top of the hill). Location was very handy as it’s only a few steps from the metro station. Supermarket right opposite. It’s in a busy eat street. Only con is 4 floors of stairs and no lift. My 6.5 months pregnant self would be huffed and puffed in one trip (I was reasonably fit) but those stairs were brutal. Apartment recommended if stairs aren’t no trouble to you. We managed ok.
Paris Accommodation link here.
All 5 accommodations you’ve read so far were from our Europe May /June 2018 trip. We learned a lot during this trip and hence from this point on you’ll read about private accommodations (no shared toilets) and better facilities that were booked during our May/June 2019 trip. We also had an 8-month-old baby with us so comfort and privacy were our focus. Told you we learned a thing or two about booking a good one on Airbnb!
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| Waiting for a bus to the old town, Dubrovnik |
6. Dubrovnik (Croatia)
The most spacious accommodation we’ve ever stayed at. The host was very responsive and let us check in late-night. The accommodation had everything we needed (washer, kitchenette) and even the things we didn’t (baby cot!). What made me book this apartment was the fact that it was right next to 2 x 24/7 bakeries and a great pizzeria (La Luna). The supermarket was close by and a local bus every hour took us to Dubrovnik old town. The old town was 30 minutes walk away, which we attempted twice. We loved the accommodation but ended up regretting staying so far from Old Town. Having a baby meant panic and rush before bus timing. To top it off, the bus wouldn’t arrive at the exact listed times. It was either early or late, which meant we missed it a couple of times and had arguments. Fun times! It made for good memories but honestly was a bit of hassle at the time. The best thing about this apartment was it’s close proximity to the bus station (20-minute walk) and ferry terminal (7-8 minute walk). We used both these services so the accommodation paid for itself in that respect.
Actually, I am not even sure of the benefits of booking accommodation in the old town. They are small and very expensive. Thanks to Game of Thrones fever, Dubrovnik old town is one big tourist trap. To conclude, we liked the apartment even though we wished the bus would arrive on time. If you are staying for long in Dubrovnik it’s actually a good pick due to its proximity to transport hubs.
Dubrovnik Accommodation link here.
7. Kotor (Montenegro)
Ahhh..! The Airbnb home with the most thrilling memories. We went from Dubrovnik (Croatia) to Kotor (Montenegro) by bus, for a day trip. The journey and delay at border check-point took more than half our day. We reached Kotor old town and it's stunning. We gaze at the mountains and the serpentine hike going over it. Both me and Sunny are indecisive. Our return bus ticket was booked. We gaze and gaze. Suddenly, we both decided to just go for it (YOLO!). We bought some food from a bakery and started the hike with our 8-month-old, knowing full well that we are very likely to not make it back for bus time (6 pm), and we didn't.
We finished the hike at 8 pm and started searching for an Airbnb to crash nearby. Our phone battery was 8% and dying. We had no charger. Not even enough nappies for Aiza!
We booked an Airbnb home last minute and had to legit fish it out in old town. Phone battery 3%. The hosts' daughter found us and took us to the room. Beautiful beautiful apartment. It is 9:30 pm. We shower, wash our undies (because no clothes for next day) and just crash. Next morning we leave super early for Perast. And that was that.
I'm so glad Sunny captured these photos from the room window next morning. I was too knackered. We were smack right in the old town and it was just glorious. Beautiful apartment with all the amenities. Best we had stayed at. I just wish we had more time in this room. It was whirlwind but it was oh so exhilarating. Highly recommend this stay.
Kotor accommodation link here.
The most spacious accommodation we’ve ever stayed at. The host was very responsive and let us check in late-night. The accommodation had everything we needed (washer, kitchenette) and even the things we didn’t (baby cot!). What made me book this apartment was the fact that it was right next to 2 x 24/7 bakeries and a great pizzeria (La Luna). The supermarket was close by and a local bus every hour took us to Dubrovnik old town. The old town was 30 minutes walk away, which we attempted twice. We loved the accommodation but ended up regretting staying so far from Old Town. Having a baby meant panic and rush before bus timing. To top it off, the bus wouldn’t arrive at the exact listed times. It was either early or late, which meant we missed it a couple of times and had arguments. Fun times! It made for good memories but honestly was a bit of hassle at the time. The best thing about this apartment was it’s close proximity to the bus station (20-minute walk) and ferry terminal (7-8 minute walk). We used both these services so the accommodation paid for itself in that respect.
Actually, I am not even sure of the benefits of booking accommodation in the old town. They are small and very expensive. Thanks to Game of Thrones fever, Dubrovnik old town is one big tourist trap. To conclude, we liked the apartment even though we wished the bus would arrive on time. If you are staying for long in Dubrovnik it’s actually a good pick due to its proximity to transport hubs.
Dubrovnik Accommodation link here.
7. Kotor (Montenegro)
Ahhh..! The Airbnb home with the most thrilling memories. We went from Dubrovnik (Croatia) to Kotor (Montenegro) by bus, for a day trip. The journey and delay at border check-point took more than half our day. We reached Kotor old town and it's stunning. We gaze at the mountains and the serpentine hike going over it. Both me and Sunny are indecisive. Our return bus ticket was booked. We gaze and gaze. Suddenly, we both decided to just go for it (YOLO!). We bought some food from a bakery and started the hike with our 8-month-old, knowing full well that we are very likely to not make it back for bus time (6 pm), and we didn't.
We finished the hike at 8 pm and started searching for an Airbnb to crash nearby. Our phone battery was 8% and dying. We had no charger. Not even enough nappies for Aiza!
We booked an Airbnb home last minute and had to legit fish it out in old town. Phone battery 3%. The hosts' daughter found us and took us to the room. Beautiful beautiful apartment. It is 9:30 pm. We shower, wash our undies (because no clothes for next day) and just crash. Next morning we leave super early for Perast. And that was that.
I'm so glad Sunny captured these photos from the room window next morning. I was too knackered. We were smack right in the old town and it was just glorious. Beautiful apartment with all the amenities. Best we had stayed at. I just wish we had more time in this room. It was whirlwind but it was oh so exhilarating. Highly recommend this stay.
Kotor accommodation link here.
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| 220-year-old Airbnb stay in Split |
7. Split (Croatia)
This one was a real charmer and I recommend it 100%. It’s a 220-year-old house that matches Diocletian palace stone from outside but it’s a completely refurbished modern apartment inside. Shame we only had a day and a half in here. It’s about 18 minutes walk from both the train station and Ferry terminal. I know for sure because we walked that way multiple times. The apartment is close to the hustle and bustle of Split’s main strip, but still far enough to be quiet and relaxing. Has all amenities. No complaints whatsoever.
Split Accommodation Link here.
This one was a real charmer and I recommend it 100%. It’s a 220-year-old house that matches Diocletian palace stone from outside but it’s a completely refurbished modern apartment inside. Shame we only had a day and a half in here. It’s about 18 minutes walk from both the train station and Ferry terminal. I know for sure because we walked that way multiple times. The apartment is close to the hustle and bustle of Split’s main strip, but still far enough to be quiet and relaxing. Has all amenities. No complaints whatsoever.
Split Accommodation Link here.
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| The most spacious apartment we've ever stayed at (Zagreb, Croatia) |
8. Zagreb (Croatia)
Another one that was worth every penny. Huge, spacious, secure apartment with lift access. Beautiful vintage furniture and fireplace. I wish we had more time in this city to enjoy this apartment. About 10-minute walk from city centre and 12-13 minutes to main train station. This is also one of my favourite apartment to date.
Zagreb accommodation link here.
Another one that was worth every penny. Huge, spacious, secure apartment with lift access. Beautiful vintage furniture and fireplace. I wish we had more time in this city to enjoy this apartment. About 10-minute walk from city centre and 12-13 minutes to main train station. This is also one of my favourite apartment to date.
Zagreb accommodation link here.
9. Ljubljana (Slovenia)
If there’s one thing I learned from this apartment, it was the art of utilising every nook and corner of space. We had just one very wet and busy day in the city of dragons so it was a great stay, However, for any more than 2 people, it could feel a bit claustrophobic if there’s too much luggage. We loved it for a quick stop. The host and his wife were the kindest people. Aiza was smitten with them. The apartment had a collapsible bed, dining chairs on the wall, foldable dining table. You get the drift right? Very space-smart and stylish. However, a lot smaller than pictures on Airbnb. It was in Ljubljana old town and hence about 25 minutes walk (in rain!) from main train station. Ljubljana old town has this cool service of electric Kavalir (rickshaw of sorts) for free so we utilised this service on our way back to the train station next day. It saved us 10 minutes of walk time.
Ljubljana accommodation link here.
If there’s one thing I learned from this apartment, it was the art of utilising every nook and corner of space. We had just one very wet and busy day in the city of dragons so it was a great stay, However, for any more than 2 people, it could feel a bit claustrophobic if there’s too much luggage. We loved it for a quick stop. The host and his wife were the kindest people. Aiza was smitten with them. The apartment had a collapsible bed, dining chairs on the wall, foldable dining table. You get the drift right? Very space-smart and stylish. However, a lot smaller than pictures on Airbnb. It was in Ljubljana old town and hence about 25 minutes walk (in rain!) from main train station. Ljubljana old town has this cool service of electric Kavalir (rickshaw of sorts) for free so we utilised this service on our way back to the train station next day. It saved us 10 minutes of walk time.
Ljubljana accommodation link here.
10. Vienna (Austria)
Vienna is a big and expensive city. As we booked at quite a short notice, the central city was out of our budget. We ended up staying at this huge apartment that was on the train line and about 15-20 minutes out from the central square. Huge apartment, all amenities, a 3-minute walk from Langenfeldgasse station. This even had a baby room, cot and high chair. We utilised the baby room as our luggage storage. Apartment close to station and supermarket. I recommend this one for longer stays.
Vienna accommodation link here.
Vienna is a big and expensive city. As we booked at quite a short notice, the central city was out of our budget. We ended up staying at this huge apartment that was on the train line and about 15-20 minutes out from the central square. Huge apartment, all amenities, a 3-minute walk from Langenfeldgasse station. This even had a baby room, cot and high chair. We utilised the baby room as our luggage storage. Apartment close to station and supermarket. I recommend this one for longer stays.
Vienna accommodation link here.
11. Salzburg (Austria)
Look at This beautiful old villa! We had the entire top floor to us. Gorgeous views of the fort walls and mountains. The kitchen had absolutely everything. We cooked pasta and baked a pizza. A baby high chair was a nice touch! The hosts occupied the other two floors and hence were within reach the entire time. The only con was 3 floors of stairs. It is serviced by a bus to the station and is a walkable distance to Mozarthaus. Top location and top value for money. You’ve been warned of the stairs.
Salzburg accommodation link here.
Look at This beautiful old villa! We had the entire top floor to us. Gorgeous views of the fort walls and mountains. The kitchen had absolutely everything. We cooked pasta and baked a pizza. A baby high chair was a nice touch! The hosts occupied the other two floors and hence were within reach the entire time. The only con was 3 floors of stairs. It is serviced by a bus to the station and is a walkable distance to Mozarthaus. Top location and top value for money. You’ve been warned of the stairs.
Salzburg accommodation link here.
12. Strasbourg (France)
When we left Auckland, we ended up with 4 days in our itinerary with no plan whatsoever. We could go to Strasbourg or Italy or Switzerland or even Iceland for all I care. I just left the decision to last minute. Strasbourg is where we ended up. It’s proximity to other countries and all the transport options from there were too enticing to pass. Our goal in Strasbourg was to explore other nearby countries. Hence, for this last leg of travel, we wanted to stay as close to the train station as possible.
This apartment could not be located any better. Right opposite Gare du Strasbourg which is the main transport hub. From here we were able to explore Colmar (France), Basel (Switzerland), Lucerne (Switzerland) by legit walking 2 minutes to the station. The apartment was huge. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 lounges and a kitchen. We couldn’t even use the entire space because Strasbourg was just a transport base for us. We had no time to chill in the apartment. There’s McDonald’s right next to it and also heaps of middle eastern food joints. The host was very responsive and made sure we felt safe and comfortable. One of our best Airbnb choice location-wise. Highly recommend this.
Strasbourg accommodation link here.
When we left Auckland, we ended up with 4 days in our itinerary with no plan whatsoever. We could go to Strasbourg or Italy or Switzerland or even Iceland for all I care. I just left the decision to last minute. Strasbourg is where we ended up. It’s proximity to other countries and all the transport options from there were too enticing to pass. Our goal in Strasbourg was to explore other nearby countries. Hence, for this last leg of travel, we wanted to stay as close to the train station as possible.
This apartment could not be located any better. Right opposite Gare du Strasbourg which is the main transport hub. From here we were able to explore Colmar (France), Basel (Switzerland), Lucerne (Switzerland) by legit walking 2 minutes to the station. The apartment was huge. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 lounges and a kitchen. We couldn’t even use the entire space because Strasbourg was just a transport base for us. We had no time to chill in the apartment. There’s McDonald’s right next to it and also heaps of middle eastern food joints. The host was very responsive and made sure we felt safe and comfortable. One of our best Airbnb choice location-wise. Highly recommend this.
Strasbourg accommodation link here.
There you have it! List of all the Airbnb’s we’ve used for our Europe trips. You’ll notice that we stayed in not so good ones during our first Europe trip (2018). We shared most of our accommodations with hosts and compromised on locations too. We regretted these later and hence for our second Europe trip this year, I applied all my learning’s from the first one. Central locations, private accommodations and ease of transport were my main criteria’s. I have learned so much about Airbnb in these last couple of years. I’m now sharing these learnings with you all. If you have any questions at all, I’d love to answer them.
If you'd like to stay at an Airbnb accommodation, here's my referral link to download the App. You can get $50 off your first stay and I make some travel credit too.
If you'd like to stay at an Airbnb accommodation, here's my referral link to download the App. You can get $50 off your first stay and I make some travel credit too.
I’d love to hear about your best Airbnb experience so far? The most memorable one? Talk to me in the comments below.
Happy Travelling
Nishu
Nishu
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