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Using my hotel discount vs hostel
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 09:46
thibaulm
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The plan is to get a 2 month leave of absence from work (The Holiday Inn) and go to Europe for approx 47 days in Mid July to the end of August. I am planning on using the employee rate stays across the continent as it is smiliar in price to many Hostels in a per person dollar amount as my girlfiend and I are changed a per room rate rather than Hostels who charge a per person rate. Are there any places you would perfer having a hostel sleep over a hotel sleep. I know there are not properties in Innsbruck and Grindelwald so hostels are a must there and currently the only Holiday Inn in Barcelona does not offer the rate. The rest have hotels within 5km of the city centre, Amsterdam the exception with the only properties 20 and 30km away.

These are my details of everything so far, feedback would be great.

Flights

Way There
Toronto to Reykjavik, Reykjavik to London or Manchester– July 2,6(London only),8,9,11(London Only),13(London Only) $472 Way Home Madrid to Zurich, Zurich to Toronto– Available Aug 10-20, 24, 26-31 $693

Hotels

Liverpool
Holiday Inn Express Liverpool Albert Dock 24 pounds/38cdn(46tax[VAT]/23each) or Staybridge Liverpool 30 pounds/48cdn(58tx/29each) or Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre @30 pounds/48cdn(58tx/29each) (All within 5km)

1 night@23-29

London
Crowne Plaza London-The City 37 pounds/59cdn(71tx/36each) or Holiday Inn Kensington Forum 30 pounds/48cdn(58tx/29each) (Both within 5km)

5 nights@145-180

Paris
Holiday Inn Paris-Gare De L’est 43 euro/58cdn(70tx/35each) or Holiday Inn Paris Montmartre 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) (Both within 5km)

5 nights@175

Amsterdam
Crowne Plaza Amsterdam Schiphol 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) (20km) or Ijmuiden Seaport Beach 36 euros/49cdn(59tx/30each) (30km)

4 nights@120-140

Berlin
Holiday Inn Express Berlin City Centre 36 euros/49cdn(59tx/30each) or Intercontinental Berlin 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) or Crowne Plaza City Centre- Nurnberger 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) or Holiday Inn Garden Court Berlin-Kurfurstendamm 29 euros/39cdn(47tx/24each) (All within 5km)

4 nights@96-140

Prague
Intercontinental Prague 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) or Crowne Plaza Prague Castle 36 euros/49cdn(59tx/30each) (Both within 5km)

3 days@90-105

Innsbruck
No properties
Alp Art Hotel @77cnd(taxinc/39each)

3 days@116

Venice
Holiday Inn Venice Mestre-Marghera @29 euros/39cdn(47tx/24each) (15km)

3 days@72

Rome
Holiday Inn Express Rome- San Giovanni @36 euros/49cdn(59tx/30each) (5km)

5 days@150

Florance
Holiday Inn Florance @36 euros/49cdn(59tx/30each) (5km)

3 days@90

Grindelwald
No properties
Hotel Tschuggen @72cdn(taxinc/36each)

3 days@109

Barcelona
No rates available (1 hotel within 5km)
Sant Jordi Sagrada Familia@51cdn(taxinc/26each)

2 days@52

Madrid
Intercontinental Madrid 43 euros/58cdn(70tx/35each) (5km) 5 nights175

8hostelnights@277
39hotelnights@1166-1291

approx. 1500.00 hotels
approx. 1200.00 plane
approx. 581-754 eurail, 64 london to paris, 25 liverpool to London

total – 3545+2500spending=6045

2011 #2
I am leaving from Toronto with $4000 for 40 days
Manchester, Liverpool, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Venice, Rome, La Maddalena, Barcelona, Madrid
Requesting help with Transport, Budget
Thu, 02/10/2011 - 13:55
#1
oldlady
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Several of the hotels aren’t in locations that I would choose. Given the prices, I’d probably stay there anyway, but I’d certainly be dealing with a price vs. location question since location is a major concern for me. Based only on what I know from the names/basic location information in your post, I would be looking for a “better” location in order to weigh that decision:

Venice: I think it’s better to stay across the lagoon in Venice rather than Maestre — although if it’s close to the Vaporetto dock it might be OK. Your proximity reference must be to the airport as opposed to the city itself.
Paris: Near any train station (Gare d’Est) is OK as it makes it easy to take the Metro around town, but I think there are better neighborhoods for food, ambiance, proximity to the major sights and getting a feel for Paris.
Amsterdam: Schipol is the airport. I do not believe the Holiday Inn is walkable to the airport train station, thus shuttle to airport and then train to town every time. I’ve done it, and it actually worked out better than I expected, but staying “in” a city is, IMO preferable — you can’t tell if you’re in Atlanta or Athens staying in an airport hotel. It’s likely that all the “nearby” eating places will be incredibly overpriced and, IMO, bad hotel restaurants or airport options. Airport hotels don’t usually include breakfast in the room rate. A 30 to 35 euro breakfast buffet at this hotel would not surprise me.
London: I like to stay in Kensington — because I find that easiest in terms of getting oriented, so I’d probably opt for that hotel, although some places with Kensington in the name aren’t that close to Kensington Park or to a tube station that makes it easy to get to tourist sights without a transfer.

I would seriously think about a hostel or two, some small, family-run hotels or pensionnes, a B & B, etc. as a break from big corporate hotels.