Europe Travel Podcast: Hotels vs. Airbnbs
This week we’re stepping away from a specific destination to talk about something that comes up on almost every trip: hotel or Airbnb? For us, where we stay can change the whole trip. After years of traveling around Europe with Dylan and Rex, we’ve gotten pretty predictable about what we book, when we book it and what we’re willing to pay more for.
Episode Summary
The first thing we consider is almost always location. A hotel that’s fifty euros cheaper but sits out by the airport instead of the city center usually isn’t worth the savings, especially once you factor in whether you’ll have a car or need to rely on public transportation. We also think about how long we’re staying: for a quick one or two night stop, especially somewhere unfamiliar, we lean toward a hotel almost every time. Having a concierge, a front desk and someone who can point you toward a hospital or call you a cab gives a real sense of security in a new place.
For longer stays, we book more Airbnbs than hotels. When we stay in hotels, we always book separate rooms, so the cost can add up quickly on a longer trip. An Airbnb usually gives us separate bedrooms plus a shared living area, a kitchen for breakfast and more room to settle in for a few days. That setup tends to work better for us when we’re staying somewhere longer, especially when Rex is with us. We also like agriturismos in Italy, which are farm stays that sit somewhere between a hotel and an Airbnb. You often get more space and a quieter setting, but still have a host on site and sometimes extras like breakfast or a pool.
Hotel Pros and Cons
Hotels are usually easier. For a short stay, especially somewhere unfamiliar, we like having a front desk, a restaurant nearby and someone who can help if something goes wrong. Location matters more to us than saving a little money, so we’d rather pay more to stay in the center than save €50 and end up near the airport. Hotels also make sense when we’re only staying one or two nights because we don’t really need a kitchen, laundry or extra living space for that kind of trip.
Airbnb Pros and Cons
For longer trips, we usually want more space, a kitchen and somewhere that works better with the dog. That’s when we tend to book Airbnbs. If we’re staying four or five nights, being able to make breakfast, do laundry and spread out starts to matter. Airbnbs can also work better when we’re traveling as a group because booking multiple hotel rooms gets expensive fast. The downside is that the fees have gotten ridiculous in some places, check-in can be a pain and we’ve definitely stayed in places where the checkout instructions made us wonder why we paid a cleaning fee in the first place.
We always compare the full price before booking, not just the number that shows up first in the search results. Cleaning fees, service fees, parking and breakfast can completely change which option is actually cheaper. We also look hard at the location. A cheaper hotel or Airbnb is not a deal if you’re spending half your trip getting back and forth to it. And unless there’s a specific reason to stay there, we usually avoid booking right next to a major train station. They’re convenient, but they’re often louder and busier than we want our home base to be.
More Europe Travel Planning
Explore more of our guides to help you plan your trip.
Where to Stay in Florence → our hotel picks for one of Italy’s most popular cities
Where to Stay in Graz → our hotel guide for Graz
Where to Stay in Matera → cave hotels and how to choose one
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