European B&BS: Home away from home
Rooms come with meal, warmth and local colour
Staying at a European bed and breakfast is a bit like having your own temporary mother while you travel. In the morning, your hostess might help plan your day, tipping you off to the best places for lunch and about the live folk music in the village pub that evening. She then sends you out the door with a smile, handing you an umbrella — just in case it rains. The best B&Bs ooze warmth and local colour, making these some of my favourite accommodations in Europe.
B&Bs are generally small, familyrun places with fewer amenities, but more character than a hotel. Most B&Bs offer up to six rooms in the hosts’ own home, although they can range from large guest houses with 20 rooms to small homes renting out a single spare bedroom.
Although B& Bs lack the conveniences of a hotel — such as fancy lobbies, restaurants and in-room phones — I happily make the trade-off for the personal touches they do offer, whether it’s joining my hosts for tea in the afternoon or relaxing by a common fireplace at the end of the day.
And unlike U.S. bed and breakfasts, which are usually frilly, fancy places that cost just as much as hotels, B&Bs in Europe are generally cheaper than comparable hotels.
But even though B&Bs are familyrun, it doesn’t mean you have to feel pressure to become “part of the family.” Chatty friendliness is not forced on guests.
Depending on my mood and workload, I am often very businesslike and private during my stay. On other occasions, I join the children in the barn for sheep-shearing.
You can find good family-run accommodations in any European country, but the best ones are in Britain and Ireland. B&Bs in the British Isles typically have several rooms and are run by a charming couple or family (I avoid B&Bs run by owners who live off-site). Amenities such as free WiFi and a tea-making machine in the room are standard.
The best part is the huge, homecooked breakfast.
Most B&B owners take pride in their breakfasts. Each morning, you sit down at an elegant and very British table setting in a small, intimate dining room.
You help yourself to cereal, juice, yogurt, and fruit while ordering up whatever parts of the fry-up you desire, including bacon, sausage, eggs, broiled tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and coffee or tea.
B&Bs are the next best thing to staying with a family.
Even if hotels weren’t more expensive, this budget alternative can be your best bet for a wonderful, culturally intimate experience.