Accommodation Planning 101 - How to travel through Europe on your own

Internet
The Internet offers hundreds of sites about finding and booking accommodations. A recent Google search for "Munich accommodations" yielded 57,200 sites. Clearly, there are plenty of accommodations available to me. I like to research accommodations online, either through individual hotel web sites or larger reservation sites. Maybe I like to be my own travel agent, but I like that the web allows me to compare reservation costs, to gauge local prices, to search for last-minute deals, and to read traveler feedback. Plus, more and more small hotels and beds and breakfasts are going online. Rather than be shoehorned into a tourist sleep factory by an agency, I like exploring the small, family run establishments. Of course, all of these places are anxious for your business, so if a small hotel web site catches your fancy, check and see if there are traveler reviews available online. I always look to see if a hotel or guesthouse elicits similar comments. If an establishment seems to misplace every other person's reservation, then I might reconsider contacting that particular place. Like any customer reviews, I look at all ratings with a grain of salt, and sort through those reviews that are overtly stingy, and those that are honestly felt.

Enquiries I am not modest when it comes to sending off enquiries. I ask about room and rate availability, special offers or season deals, proximity to transportation networks or parking facilities, and anything else that might be a crucial factor in my decision-making process. Simply by asking about special rates, you can often save a few Euros here or there.

Katherine's Favorite Travel Sites
Below are a few of the sites I use regularly. Most all of them should be familiar, and I am sure there are dozens more I am missing. These should get you started, and like any search, who knows where you'll end up at the end of the day.

Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory offers guides to official tourist information sources. A good place to begin accommodation searches.

Rick Steves' Graffiti Walls usually offers comments about the accommodation listings he offers in his guidebooks, but I find it to be a useful tool in seeing how real travelers (like yourself) like suggested accommodations. Often, you get a place that the traveler found accidentally and suggests. Scroll through to get some room ideas. Take note if a place gets great raves from multiple people. If

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