Where to stay in Stockholm?

Sweden's capital city Stockholm is located on 14 islands on Lake Mälaren which are connected to each other through 14 bridges. Although the city is located very north, its climate is relatively warm. And thanks to its northern location, the days are 18 hours in summer and are just 6 hours in winters. With its 2 million population, Stockholm is also the largest city in Sweden and is a must see with its historic city center, cultural activities and the beauty of its nature.

Where to stay in Stockholm? Stockholm hotels get naturally cheaper as you go further from the city center. The best value for money Stockholm hotels can be find just outside city center and next to public transportation stations which will still provide an easy access to city center where most Stockholm tourist attractions are.

The name of the Stockholm historic center is Gamla Stan. There are accommodation opportunities in Gamla Stan but if you want to stay in this popular and expensive Stockholm area, you need to book in advance. Other than Gamla Stan, Lower Norrmalm (just to the north of Gamla Stan) is known as The City and is the most central area in Stockholm. Hotels in Lower Norrmalm are expensive but towards the north of the area you can still find some nice and relatively cheap Stockholm hotels.

In the 4 star Stockholm hotel category, there is high competition and this is reflected to customers as campaigns and discounts. The room rates in this class are usually between 900 - 1200 SEK. Since there is a huge competition, we suggest you to use an online hotel comparison web site to check for the best prices.

Gamla Stan (Old Town)

Gamla Stan is the historic center of Stockholm and is also known as Staden mellan broarna (the city between two bridges).  Gamla Stan is in fact an island. North Gamla Stan houses the Royal Palace and Swedish Parliment House and the rest of the area houses cobblestone streets, historic buildings and most of the tourist attractions in Stockholm. Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet), Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan), Riddarholmen Church (Riddarholmskyrkan), German Church (Tyska Kyrkan) and Nobel Museum (Nobelmuseet) are all in this area.

Small Riddarholmen Island forms a part of Gamla Stan and is a must see place with its 17th century houses and palaces.

Hotels in Gamla Stan are very popular so book in advance if you want to stay here. Especially in summer time it is very difficult to find a hotel here. The area is close to car traffic so if you have a car and you want to use it, this area may not be for you.

For Stockholm hotels in this most popular and central Stockholm area visit Stokholm Gamla Stan Hotels pages.

Stockholm Cathedral(Storkyrkan)

Lower Norrmalm , The City

Lower Norrmalm is known as The City and is the most central area in Stockholm. This is also the financial and business center of Stockholm. There are usually 4 and 5 star Stockholm hotels here but as you go further north to residential areas, you can find cheaper and mid level Stockholm hotels. One of the advantages of staying in Lower Norrmalm is that you can access Gamla Stan on foot.

In 1950s and 1960s, Lower Norrmalm has been redeveloped to create a modern city and unfortunately most of its 19th century building were demolished in this process. Especially the Klara District has lost its character completely in this era.

Grand Hôtel (Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8 (T Kungsträdgården)) next to Royal Palace in Norrmalm is the most luxurious hotel in Scandinavia. This hotel was the place where royal families stayed and now it offers classic, old fashioned luxury and a unique experience on its own. The rooms with lake view are very popular and usually full. Even if you do not stay here, the piano bar of the hotel is a must see.

For a comprehensive list of Stockholm hotels in this area, you can visit Stockholm Norrmalm hotels page.

Östermalm 

Stureplan Square in Östermalm, a high class neighborhood in Stockholm, is an important Stockholm night life and shopping center. Kungliga nationalstadsparken (Royal National City Park), Skansen Open Air Museum, Gröna Lund Amusemement Park and Vasa Museum are also in this area.

Some of the most famous and expensive restaurants in Stockholm such as Sturehof, Spy Bar, Riche, Laroy, Hell's Kitchen, East and Sturecompagniet and expensive bars are here between Stureplan Östermalm and Norrmalm. You can also find shops like Versace, Hugo Boss, Gucci, and LV here. If you want to stay in this colorful, central and luxury area, you can check Stockholm Stureplan hotels pages.

For hotels in Östermalm, you can visit Stokholm Östermalm otelleri pages.

Arnoldhuset's Spy Bar is one of the most famous and luxury night clubs in Sweden.

Södermalm

Södermalm Island is just to the south of Gamla Stan and is simply known as Söder (South). Götgatan Street crossing the island from south to the north is ver famous and houses one of the most colorful Stockholm night life spots, Medborgarplatsen. Fjällgatan on the north shores of Södermalm offers a fantastic Stockholm view.

Götgatan and the adjacent streets are full of restaurants, bars and shops. Götgatsbacken is closed to vehicle traffic and is a very popular area.

Business hotel Hilton Slussen in Södermalm offers a fantastic Gamla Stan view. Hotel Rival, is owned by Benny Andersson from ABBA. One of the most interesting and extraordinary hotels in Stockholm is Rygerfjord Hotel and Hostel which is basically housed in an old passanger ship.

For a comprehensive list of Stockholm hotels in this areas, you can visit Stockholm Södermalm hotels page.

Gamla Stan view from Södermalm

Where to stay in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, may have just about 1 million inhabitants but it is still large enough to offer more than satisfying shopping, colorful night life and cultural activities. It is an intimate, safe and very easy to explore city which has started its life as a small Viking fishing village in 10th century and became Denmark's capital in 15th century. Copenhagen became the most important city in its region in 17th century and today, it is the 3rd richest city in the world. It is not only a major Scandinavian finance and commerce hub; with Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid statue, Amalienborg Palace, Christianbsorg Palace, Rosenborg Castle, Frederik's Church and many museums, it is an important tourist destination.

In this post, we will answer where to stay in Copenhagen question. Most Copenhagen hotels can be found in the Copenhagen city center, which is called Indre By, and the southwest of the center, an area called Vesterbro. Hotels in Copenhagen, like other Denmark hotels, are expensive. So book your Copenhagen hotel online to avoid more expensive prices and chase the hotel discounts. If you leave the hotel reservation to the last minute, you can spend almost all your Copenhagen travel budget to a hotel room!

If you are looking for relatively budget Copenhagen hotel, one of the 3 hotels of Cab Inn hotel chain are good options. Hotel Cabinn City is a central and relatively cheap Copenhagen hotel. CABINN Metro Hotel is 10 minutes to Copenhagen city center by metro and is 5 minutes away from Copenhagen Airport by train. The rooms are quite small but basics like TV, shower and toilet are decent.

Copenhagen map and regions. Indre By, the center of Copenhagen. Most Copenhagen hotels
Indre By and Vesterbro.

Indre By

Indre By (means Inner City) is the Copenhagen City Center and this area within the city walls was all Copenhagen until 1850s when King Christian IV has allowed people to settle outside city walls. Indre By is naturally the historic center of the city and most of the sightseeing and tourist attractions of Copenhagen are in Indre By.

In the heart of Indre By, city's medieval part, named Strøget, can be found. Cornered by Rådhuspladsen, Slotsholmen, Kongens Nytorv and Nørreport, this square shaped area is full of historic buildings, churches and narrow streets. This is also the shopping hearth of Copenhagen. To the south of Strøget, you can find parliment house in Slotsholmen, and giant Christiansborg Palace (plus some museums).

The answer to the title of this blog post is Indre By. But already expensive Copenhagen hotels are extra expensive in this area. If you want to stay in this historic center of Copenhagen, you can take a look at our Copenhagen Indre By hotels page.

Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

Tivoli

Tivoli is between Copenhagen City Centre and Vesterbro and is the most tourist oriented part of the city. Staying in a  Tivoli hotel puts you just in the geographical center of attractions in Copenhagen. You can find infamous Tivoli Gardens, central train station and  lively Rådhuspladsen town hall square here. Tivoli is also home to museums like Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and Nationalmuseet and modern art and architecture centers like Danish Design Centre.

For a comprehensive hotels in this popular part of Copenhagen and details like nightly room rates and guest reviews as well as price comperisons, you can check our Copenhagen Tivoli hotels page.

Vesterbro (Sydhavnen. Enghave, Valby and Vanløse)

Although central, Vesterbro was not considered a safe place until recently but thanks to a huge renovation effort, it is now one of the alternatives to accommodate in Copenhagen.  If you are looking for a Copenhagen budget hotel, you can find the cheapest ones near central train station and the neighbourhoods behind Trivoli. Although the area still has some junkies and prostitutes in the night, you can also find some of the best Copenhagen hotels here.Safety here can also be increased by taking Vesterbrogade direction to walk to your hotel instead of Istedgade.

There is almost nothing interesting for tourists in Vesterbro. The most important attraction here is probably Carlsberg Brewery. The only reason you would stay here is the proximity of the location to Copenhagen City center and the price of the hotel room. For hotels here, check Copenhagen Vesterbro hotels page.

Carlsberg Brewery and its famous Elephant Gate

Christianshavn

If you have not decided yet on where to stay in Copenhagen, we can also recommend Christianshavn, a neighbourhood just outside the city center. With its nice cobblestoned streets, canals and old Dutch style houses, the area is nicknamed as "Little Holland" and is a very beautiful place to see. This area is on an artificial island between Indre By and Amager and once, it was considered a separate city. The main attraction in Christianshavn is Christianshavn itself and its Amsterdam like aura.  Freetown Christiania is also a place to see here. The area was famous among tourists to "smoke" but thanks to the official effort it is difficult to find something to smoke now. Hardcore drugs are illegal in Copenhagen so even if you may see its trade, stay away from them.

For a comprehensive, price compared list of Christianshavn hotels, you can visit Copenhagen Christianshavn hotels page.


Amalienborg and Nyhavn

Amalienborg Palace is towards the north-east of Copenhagen city center and is home to Denmark's royal family since 1974. The neighbourhood next to this area, Nyhavn is famous with its pastel colored buildings, colorful cafes, restaurants and bars right next to beautiful canals. This area is lively all around the year and is the starting point for most Copenhagen canal tours.

For a comprehensive list of Amalienborg and Nyhavn hotels, Copenhagen Amalienborg and Nyhavn hotels pages.

Copenhagen Nyhavn and its colorful buildings

Where to stay in Belgrade?

Belgrade (meaning White City) is the capital of Serbia and with its 1.7 million population, it is also the largest city in the country. The tourism potential of Belgrade is recently discovered and the city is becoming a popular tourist destination fast.

Belgrade is famous with its colorful night life. Belgrade night life is not only lively and colorful, it is also very friendly. Bars, night clubs, shows, casinos and restaurants fill the city nights but the most popular clubs are on the river boats. Belgrade casinos and night clubs draws tonnes of tourists from all around the world but especially from Europe.

In this post we will briefly guide you on where to stay in Belgrade. We will give some Belgrade hotel recommendations at the end but first introduce the popular neighborhoods in Belgrade to accommodate.

As you can see in the below Belgrade map, the city is located on the plateau where Sava and Danube rivers intersects. The historic center of Belgrade is on the river shores and is called Stari Grad (old town). This is the center of tourism and as a tourist most interesting places for you would be here.

The Belgrade city center is composed of Stari Grad, Vracar and Savski Venac Neighborhoods. We will recommend you to stay in the city center or at least just right next to it. You can take an airport shuttle from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and you do not need to take a lot of taxis (taxi scams are fairly common in Belgrade).

Belgrade map and Belgrade's neighborhoods. Old town is the tourism center and with Vracar and Savski Venac, it forms the city center. Try to find a Belgrade hotel in these neighbourhoods

If you want to stay in a Belgrade hotel near Belgrade night life then look for a hotel near Terazije Square in the old town. But since the night life shifts to riverside in the summer, you can look for a hotel near river in this season. For this, Zemun is a very good location to stay in the summer months and you can simply take a boat on the river to the center and night life.  Many people think Zemun is a part of New Belgrade (Novi Belgrad) but this riverside neighborhood is a seperate area. If you would like to stay here, you can take a look at Belgrade Zemun hotels pages.

If you do not know Belgrade well (especially if this is your first time in Belgrade), try to find a hotel in Stari Grad or Zemun. In Srari Grad, you will find popular but relatively expensive hotels near Terazije Square. If you are looking for central but cheap Belgrade hotels, take a look at the train station area.

For a detailed list of hotels in Belgrade as well as room prices, you can take a look at Belgrade Hotels page.

Belos is also 10 Belgrade hotels with high guest ratings(*):

1 - Selection Apartments (3 Star) - Dobracina 9, Belgrade, Serbia
2 - Zira Hotel (4 Star) -  35 Ruzveltova Street, Belgrade, Serbia
3 - Hyatt Regency Belgrade (5 Star) - PO Box 067, Milentija Popovica 5, Belgrade, Serbia
4 - Hotel Srbija Garni - (3 Star) - Brankova 13-15, Belgrade, Serbia
5 - Belgrade Art Hotel (3 Star) - Knez Mihailova 27, Belgrade, Serbia
6 - Holiday Inn Belgrade (4 Star) - Spanskih Boraca 74, Belgrade, Serbia
7 - Queen's Astoria Design Hotel  (4 Star) - Milovana Milovanovica 1, Belgrade, Serbia
8 - In Hotel Belgrade (4 Star) - 56 Arsenija Carnojevica Boulevard, Belgrade, Serbia
9 - Belgrade City Hotel (4 Star) - Savski Trg 7, Belgrade, Serbia
10 - Design Hotel Mr. President (4 Star) - Karadjordjeva 75, Belgrade, Serbia

Hyatt Regency Belgrade

(*) -  These are from hotelscombined hotel search engine with highest and minimum 100 guest ratings.

Ten Budget Hotels in Barcelona below 100 Euros per night

Both business and leisure travelers are looking for more ways to save their money on upcoming travel to Barcelona and one of the best way to do that is to stay in a budget hotel in Barcelona to cut cost on expensive hotel room prices. As a budget conscious travel blog, we are happy to released a list of 10 Barcelona budget hotels with below EUR 100 per night room rates. These Barcelona budget hotels have also collected the best customer reviews and many are located near the city center and/or within walking proximity to metro stations and with their affordable room rates are a boon to both business and leisure travelers.

Although Barcelona hotels are known to be expensive, travelers can take relief that there are still cheap hotels to be found in Barcelona.

#1 – Casa Gracia Barcelona Hostel
Passeig de Gracia, 116, Gràcia, 08008 Barcelona

Just metres from Avinguda Diagonal and within 300 metres of Diagonal Metro Station, Casa Gràcia is a modern hostel at the top of Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia, 300 metres from Gaudí’s La Pedrera. The location and friendly atmosphere is complemented by the beautiful building and spacious rooms. Nightly rates in Casa Gracia Barcelona Hostel start from 44 Euros per night.

#2 - U232 Hotel
Comte d’Urgell, 232, L’Eixample, 08036 Barcelona

Located in L’Eixample, U232 Hotel offers stylish, air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi and a location just 150 meters away from Hospital Clinic Metro Station. Spacious rooms, comfortable beds and luxurious atmosphere adds up quite well. Room rates in U232 Hotel start from 68 Euros per night.

#3 - Hotel Denit Barcelona
Estruc, 24-26, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona

Located in central Gothic Quarter close to Plaza Catalunya Square and the Ramblas, Hotel Denit Barcelona has a great location which is walking distancefrom major tourist attractions. The quiet, clean and comfortable rooms, free WIFI and service offers a very acceptable price-to-value ratio. Room rates in Hotel Denit Barcelona start from 101 Euros per night.

#4 - Condado Hotel Barcelona
Aribau, 201, Sarrià-St. Gervasi, 08021 Barcelona

200 metres from Barcelona’s Diagonal Avenue, and a 10-minute walk from Diagonal Metro Station, Condado Hotel Barcelona offers a very good location in addition to lovely rooms, nice facilities and modern-helpful staff. Room rates in Condado Hotel Barcelona start from 82 Euros per night.

#5 - Aparthotel Acacia
Comte d’Urgell, 194, L’Eixample, 08036 Barcelona

Acacia Suite is located in Barcelona’s Eixample district. It is just 50 metres from Hospital Clinic Metro Station and offers a comfortable and value for money stay in Barcelona. Room rates in Aparthotel Acacia start from 87 Euros per night.

Sagrada Familia by night

#6- H10 Itaca Hotel
Avenida Roma, 22-30, L’Eixample, 08015 Barcelona

10 minutes’ walk of Sants Train Station, the AVE High-Speed Railway, Plaza España and the FIRA Exhibition Centre, H10 Itaca Hotel is slightly out of town but Metro makes everywhere accessible. H10 Itaca Hotel offers good sized room and bathroom for 99++ Euros per night.

#7 - Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona Diagonal
Diagonal, 161, Sant Martí, 08018 Barcelona

Located 350 metres from Glòries Shopping Centre, in the modern 22th district of Barcelona, Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona Diagonal has easy access to city center thanks to public transportation (ten minutes walking to Glories Metro station) and 20 minutes walking distance away from Sagrada Familia. Room rates in Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona Diagonal start from 77 Euros per night.

#8 - Aparthotel Bonanova
Bisbe Sivilla, 7, Sarrià-St. Gervasi, 08022 Barcelona

If you want to experience the local life in Barcelona instead of the tourist character of city center, these apartments located in the residential neighbourhood of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (10 minutes from Plaça Catalunya) will work for you. The metro is near so accessing tourist attractions is not a problem. Room rates in Aparthotel Bonanova start from 70 Euros per night.

#9 - Hesperia Presidente
Avenida Diagonal, 570, Sarrià-St. Gervasi, 08021 Barcelona

10 minutes walk away from Diagonal Metro Station, Hesperia Presidente is yet another Barcelona hotel offering budget stay with a very accessible location. You can reach Gaudi’s La Pedrera and fashionable Passeig de Gracia by a short, 15 minutes walk. All in all, the hotel is just great value for money. Room rates in Hesperia Presidente start from 70 Euros per night.

#10 - Hotel Barcelona Princess
Avenida Diagonal, 1, Sant Martí, 08019 Barcelona

4-Star Hotel Barcelona Princess is 10-minute walk from the beach in the Barcelona’s Forum area. The pools, Desigual Bar on 23rd floor, an excellent Sky Gym on 3rd floor and free mini bar complements nice and clean rooms. Room rates in Hotel Barcelona Princess start from 83 Euros per night.

Ok, we know this is a list of “below 100 Euros per night” hotels but we cannot exclude this one below even if the room rates are around 120 Euros per night. So this is our bonus hotel:

#10+1 - Hostal L’ Antic Espai Barcelona

This 2 star hostel in Barcelona has a great decor and atmosphere with its old, elegant and artisan furniture. The lovely outdoor terrace with plants and birds is great for breakfast or a drink and the hotel is in the centre of Barcelona where almost everything is within walking distance. Amazing breakfast and fantastic staff are also big pluses here. Room rates in Hostal L’ Antic Espai Barcelona are 120 Euros per night.

If you want an introduction to Barcelona’s neighborhoods, take a look at our post titled Where to stay in Barcelona?

Where to stay in Paris?

The capital and the largest city of France, Paris, is a cosmopolitan metropol with 12 million souls living in it. Located on both sides of Seine River is not only one of the largest cities in France, but it is also one of the most beautiful and romantic one. Known also as The City of Lights (La Ville Lumière) and The Capital of Fashion, Paris is the motherland for many luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L’Oréal, Clarins, etc.

Historic center of Paris is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and houses almost all the iconic tourist attractions in Paris such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Catedral, Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, Lido etc. All these makes Paris the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists visiting it every year.

Where to stay in Paris? The answer to this question depends on your budget and the reason you are visiting the city. If you are in Paris as a typical tourist the best place to stay is the historic center of the city. If you are in Paris for Disneyland Paris, then you should stay in and near this amusement park. And for the budget: although Paris is an expensive place to stay, you can find a wide range of accomodation ranging from B&Bs and hostels to luxury boutique hotels or hotel chains.



Historic center of Paris is divided into 20 districts (arrondissement) which can be seen in the below Paris map. If you look at the map carefully, you will see that the twenty arrondissements are arranged in the form of a clockwise spiral, starting from the middle of the city, with the first on the Right Bank (north bank) of the Seine which divides the city into two. The city started on Île de la Cité, the island that houses Notre Dame De Paris in Arrondissement 4 (Hôtel-de-Ville). But the geographical center of the historic city center is Arrondissement 1 (Louvre) where you can find The Musée du Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries, Place Vendôme, Les Halles, Palais Royal, Comédie-Française, and Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Arrondissement one is a great starting point for travellers.

Historic center of Paris is divided into 20 districts (arrondissements) Source : www.parishotels-discount.com

Each arrondissement of Paris have their own distinctive culture and lifestyle. Usually, the Left Bank (South) of Seine and Latin Quarter is known to be the area of/for artists, intellectuals and students and Left Bank (North) of Seine is known as the place of business and wealthy people.

Here, we will give some information on the popular areas to stay in Paris so you can choose the best area to stay in Paris suiting your own requirements.

Paris Latin quarter – Saint Germain des Prés (Arrondissements 5,6,7,13 )

The banks of Seine river from Eiffel Tower (Arrondissement 7 - Palais-Bourbon) to the end of Arrondissement 13 (Gobelins), especially the area surrounding the Latin Quarter (Arrondissement 5 and 6) is known for for its student life, lively atmosphere and bistros. The Latin Quarter area is named after Latin Language because  Sorbonne University is here and in middle ages Latin was spoken in the university world.

With its narrow streets, cafes, restaurants and shopping options catering to young people, this area is closed to many Paris attractions and you can walk (or take public transport like Metro) from here to every central district in Paris.

If you would like to stay in this lively area of Paris, you can check the list of hotels, room prices and special deals and discounts at Paris Latin Quarter Hotels page.

La Sorbonne

Paris Montmartre – Sacre Coeur (Arrondissements 18,19,20)

If you are looking for a romantic place to stay in Paris, do not look somewhere other than Montmartre. Named after the 130 meter high Montmartre Hill, the area’s most famous building is Basilica of the Sacré Cœur (see the photo below). Although we have said it is romantic here,  Montmartre is also known as the night club area of Paris and those looking for naughty night life will find it here.

Montmartre has a fantastic view of Paris. France’s National Day Fireworks (14th July) is best watched from here. Although in the historic center, you will encounter wine yards and wine houses here.

Montmartre and its surrounding area was popular among painters such as Renoir Toulouse, Lautrec and Picass. Today you can see many painters in Tertre Square (and most of them are just there to earn your tourist money).

Montmartre is not near the main tourist attractions in Paris. So, why do we suggest here? This is because first of all with the fantastic public transportation in Paris, the distance is not a big deal, especially if the area saves you a lot of money. Montmartre houses many relatively cheap Paris hotels and is the most hotel concentrated place in Paris. This makes it an ideal place to find something for all budgets and tastes.

Montmartre is the best place to stay cheap in Paris. If you would like to stay in Montmartre , you can check the list of hotels, room prices and special deals and discounts at Paris Montmartre Hotels page.

 Paris Montmartre 

Le Marais – Le louvre (Arrondissements 1,2,3,4)

If you are in Paris for shopping or smell the new trends in the Fashion Capital, Le Marais and surrounding area is for you to stay. Here you will find 16th century historic buildings face to face with steel and glass facade of Pompidou Museum. The area is known as  the aristocratic district of Paris and hosts many outstanding buildings of historic and architectural importance. The Marais is known as one of the main centers in Paris for art galleries and it is home to many trendy restaurants, fashion houses, and hype galleries.

Do not get scared with this “aristocratic ” word because you can still find something for your budget here. Even if you do not stay here, spend time to visit this area. Le Marais is a very central location and you can walk to many tourist attractions from here.

If you want to take a look at your hotel options in Paris Le Marais, take a look at our hotel list here : Paris Le Marais Hotels.

The Louvre or Louvre Museum, one of the largest museums in the world, requires no introduction. The areas around Louvre, Arrondissement 1 is geographically the center of Paris and is the best area to stay in Paris if you are planning to discover Paris on foot (the best option) or spend a lot of time in Louvre Museum (it may take several days if you want to see everything displayed here).

For hotels and room prices in this area, take a look at to our Paris 01: Le Louvre Hotels and 02: Bourse Hotels pages.

Louvre Museum

Champs Elysees- Trocadero (Arrondissements 8,9,16,17)

Many tourist attractions like Arc de Triumph, historic buildings, super expensive Champs Elysees Avenue is here in Champs Elysees.  Avenue houses many big luxury brand names and their main stores: Cartier, Lancel, Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton (1800 metersquare giant shop). A definite heaven for shopping wifes and a hell for paying husbands. Still a must see for all visitors to Paris.

Champs Elysees and Trocadero are the most expensive but exclusive places to stay in Paris. To check how high the prices can go and how luxurious and comfortable the hotels are check Paris 08: Champs Elysees Hotels page.

Avenue des Champs Elysees from Arc de Triumph

Disneyland Paris

Many tourists visit Paris just for Paris Disneyland. This magical land is 32 kilometers south, in Marne-la-Vallée’de and if your main reason to visit Paris is to go to Paris Disneyland (previously known as Euro Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris), you should stay in and around the amusement park.

The Disneyland Hotel at the main entrance of Disneyland Paris is the most expensive but the most convenient hotel to stay here. It is walking distance to the park. The Newport Bay Hotel with its big balconies and large swimming pool is one of the best hotels to stay in Disneyland Paris especially during hot summer days.

Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne with its wild west theme is a little off the amusement park and requires shuttle bus to arrive to the park. But it is a budget hotel with a very basic setting but very good food. Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe is probably the cheapest hotel you can find around Disneyland Paris.

For hotels in and around Paris Disneyland, take a look at our Disneyland Paris Hotels page.

Where to stay in Madrid?

With its history, culture, delicious Spanish food as well as colorful night life, Spain’s capital and largest city Madrid is one of the most interesting places to see in Spain. It offers a very comprehensive metro network (second largest after London’s) so the public transportation and accommodation is not a big problem.

In this article we will try to answer where to stay in Madrid question. Instead of giving individual Madrid hotel recommendations, we will introduce popular places for accommodation.

Madrid’s central district is known as Centro. La Latina neighbourhood here is the oldest area in Madrid, the Islamic citadel inside the city walls, with narrow streets and large squares. But the most popular central area is called Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun). The origin of the name is interesting. Puerta del Sol was one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century. The gate was in the east and sun rised from here so the place got its name. Today, this place is the heart of Madrid and is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Santa Ana (Plaza means city square) are very near.

Puerta del Sol is also the heart of Madrid’s night life. To the north of Puerta del Sol you will find GrandVia, luxury shopping street of Madrid. Grand Via is known as “Broadway of Spain” and houses one of the most colorful night life scene in Europe. Grand Via is home to many hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs and night clubs.

Area near Puerta del Sol and Grand Via houses some of the most popular hotels in Madrid. For hotels in this area, room prices, guest reviews and latest deals you can check Madrid Centro Hotels, Madrid Grand Via Hotels and Madrid Puerta del Sol Hotels pages.

Madrid Grand Via houses one of the most colorful nightlife scenes in Europe.

Plaza de Espana and Opera

To the west of Sol is a historic area named Opera. Elegant Plaza Isabel II and Madrid’s large opera house Teatro Real is here. Royal Plaza and Plaza de Oriente are littered with sculptures and are a short walking distance away. Madrid’s center is not very large and hotels in this area are quite near to historic attractions like Plaza Mayor.

At the west and of Grand Via, you can find Plaza de Espana. Here is an important tourist destination and two highest buildings in Madrid, Torre de Madrid and Edificio de España are here.

For hotels around Plaza de Espana check Madrid Plaza de Espana hotels.

Madrid’s Plaza de España. Behind Cervantes monument with bronze sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Retiro and Prado

To the east of Madrid’s center from Calle de Alcala, Madrid’s Art Triangle and the large boulevards around it starts. Famous Madrid museums Museo del Prado and Centro de Arte Reina Sofia are here. To the north, you will find Paseo de Racoletos and its countless cafes. The Buen Retiro Park behind Prado museum belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century but is now a large public park with  beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events. Retiro Park is one of Madrid’s premier attractions.

For hotels around the park take a look at to Madrid Retiro Park Hotels.

Buen Retiro de Madrid (Monument to Alfonso XII behind)

Ten Budget Hotels in Amsterdam below 100 Euros per night

Both business and leisure travelers are looking for more ways to save their money on upcoming travel to Amsterdam and one of the best way to do that is to stay in a budget hotel in Amsterdam to cut cost on expensive hotel room prices. Here is a list of 10 Amsterdam budget hotels with below EUR 100 per night room rates. These Amsterdam budget hotels have also collected the best customer reviews and many are located near the city center and/or within walking proximity to public transportation and with their affordable room rates are a boon to both business and leisure travelers.

Although Amsterdam hotels are known to be expensive, travelers can take relief that there are still cheap hotels to be found in Amsterdam.

#1 - Hotel Casa 400 Amsterdam
Eerste Ringdijkstraat 4, Amsterdam Oost, 1097 BC Amsterdam

Located 300 metres from Amsterdam Amstel Railway Station and Amstel Metro, Hotel Casa 400 Amsterdam offers easy access to the city centre by metro in 10 to 15 minutes. One of the best value for money hotels in Amsterdam. Room prices in 3-star Hotel Casa 400 Amsterdam start from 95 Euros per night.

#2 - BackStage Hotel Amsterdam
Leidsegracht 114, Amsterdam Centrum, 1016 CT Amsterdam

Located in central Amsterdam, 250 meters from Leidse Square, BackStage Hotel Amsterdam is easily accessible from airport by bus 197. A lot of Amsterdam tourist attractions are within walking distance. The hotel also offers comfortable rooms, a unique atmosphere and decent service. Room prices in 2-star BackStage Hotel Amsterdam start from 95 Euros per night.

#3 - Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam 4 Stars
Spaarndammerdijk 304, Westerpark, 1013 ZX Amsterdam

Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam 4 Stars is located opposite of Hempoint bus stop, from where you can get Bus 48 or Bus 22 directly to Amsterdam city centre and Amsterdam Centraal Railway Station in 10 minutes. Style and decor of the hotel is impressive with clean and spacious rooms. Room prices in Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam 4 Stars start from 99 Euros per night.

#4 - Stayokay Amsterdam Zeeburg
Timorplein 21, Zeeburg, 1094 CC Amsterdam

Located 1-minute walk from the Zeeburgerdijk tram stop (from where you can directly go to Amsterdam Central Station), offers just enough for accomodation. A decent and clean room and breakfast. With this central location, the price is great. Room prices in 2-star Stayokay Amsterdam Zeeburg start from 58 Euros per night.

#5 - Hotel Hestia
Roemer Visscherstraat 7, Oud-West, 1054 EV Amsterdam

Located walking distance from Museum Square, Vondel park and Leidse Square, Hotel Hestia offers a great location not far from Amsterdam city center. Good rooms, decent breakfast and friendly staff are also adding up. Room prices in 3-star Hotel Hestia start from 93 Euros per night.

Although Amsterdam hotels are known to be expensive, travelers can take relief that there are still cheap hotels to be found in Amsterdam.

#6 - Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City
Mercure Amsterdam City

Located 8-minute walk away from the Overamstel metro stop near Amstel Business Park and the Amstel river, Mercure Amsterdam City offers spacious rooms with flat-screen TVs and a bathroom with bath or shower. The view from higher floor towards city is great. Room prices in 4-star Mercure Hotel Amsterdam City start from 82 Euros per night.

#7 - Ibis Amsterdam City West
Transformatorweg 36, Westpoort, 1014 AK Amsterdam

Located only 10-minute bus ride away from Amsterdam Central Station and Amsterdam’s city centre, Ibis Amsterdam City West offers one of the best hotels in Amsterdam for the below 100 Euros price range. Room prices in 3-star Ibis Amsterdam City West start from 84 Euros per night.

#8 - Hotel Rembrandt Amsterdam
Plantage Middenlaan 17, Amsterdam Centrum, 1018 DA Amsterdam

Located 10 minutes walking distance away from Rembrandt Square, the Waterloo Square flea market, the University of Amsterdam and the Hermitage Museum, Hotel Rembrandt offers a great location and easy access to almost everywhere through Tram 9 and 14. Room prices in 2-star Hotel Rembrandt Amsterdam start from 95 Euros per night.

#9 - Flying Pig Downtown
Nieuwendijk 100, Amsterdam Centrum, 1012 MR Amsterdam

This Amsterdam hostel is located in shopping street Nieuwendijk in the centre of Amsterdam and offers bunk beds in dormitories. The hostel also has private rooms with a TV, refrigerator and private bathroom with a shower. The location is amazing and this is one of the best hostels in Amsterdam. Accomodation rates in 1.5-star Flying Pig Downtown start from 62 Euros per night.

#10- The Greenhouse Effect Hotel Amsterdam
Warmoesstraat 55, Amsterdam Centrum, 1012 HW Amsterdam

The location of this hostel is very central but not for everyone. It is located in Red Light District of Amsterdam (5 minutes walk from central station). Room prices in 2-star The Greenhouse Effect Hotel Amsterdam start from 95 Euros per night.

Where to stay in Amsterdam?

With its beautiful canals, spectacular architecture and various attractions for the tourists of every age and taste Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe to visit. Amsterdam city center which dates back to Middle Ages is a must see. In fact, Amsterdam presents its visitors one of the biggest historical city center of Europe. There are 7,000 registered historical buildings in the city and since the city is barely bombed in the World War II, many of the buildings are in their original state. But what makes Amsterdam what it is now is its countless, beautifully lit bridges, especially in the nights. Amsterdam city center is actually 90 islands connected through with 400 bridges.

For most of the tourists, Amsterdam is the half circle-shaped city center where Central Train Station is located in the center.  Until 1850, the city was actually all about these areas. The historical city center Amsterdam Centrium, is inside of 6 circles of canals; Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht, Lijnbaansgracht and Singelgracht. All together, these canals are called the Canal Ring. Other neighborhoods in the center are Jordaan and Plantage. Nassaukade, Stadhouderskade and Murtiskdae avenues circling the city were once the places where cities then-standing walls and moots found. Rests of the avenues in Amsterdam are from post 1870 era.

Even though Amsterdam is famous with its window-popping sex tourism and free light drugs trade, it’s a place you can visit with your family as long as you don’t go around Red Light District.

An important question of course is where to stay in Amsterdam. Amsterdam hotels are spread on a wide scale that go from budget to most expensive in Europe. Amsterdam Old Center provides many hotels and hostels especially around the south of the central station and Museum Quarter. Best of the authentic hotels can be found around the Canal Ring. Even though it’s an elite neighborhood, the famous Jordaan is an area where you can find mid-range and upper class hotels. Amsterdam’s cheapest and shabbiest hostels are in the Red Light District.

In this post, we’ll introduce notable neighborhoods of Amsterdam you can stay. Later, we’ll list the best hotels in different ranges and give out Amsterdam hotel recommendations.

Amsterdam neighborhoods map

Amsterdam City Center (Amsterdam-Centrum, Canal Ring, Jordaan and Plantage)

Historical, middle ages era Amsterdam Centrum is also the most popular and visited tourist area of the city. It’s popular for its traditional architecture, canals, shopping facilities and of course the coffee shops.  Dam Square is actually the center of this area but the real interesting places are Nieuwmarkt and Spui. Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District is also in this area.

Dug in 17th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Area today, Canal Ring is the area where wealthy people built their homes to this day. Today, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein, home to many of the famous and rich Dutch people, are two of the most important places of Amsterdam night life.

Once a workers neighborhood, today Jordaan is one of the well-off neighborhoods of Amsterdam with its art galleries, hip boutiques and nice restaurants. The Haarlemmerbuurt and the Western Islands are also in this area. Plantage is a place where Amsterdam’s most of the museums are located. Jewish Historical Museum in Waterlooplein, the Hermitage Amsterdam and its botanical gardens, Artis Zoo, the Tropical Museum and the amazing Scheepvart Museum are some of the places that you have to see here.


Amsterdam-Zuid (South Amsterdam)

Amsterdam-Zuid is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods here and a must-see in an Amsterdam vacation. Museum Quarter is also in this area. Sipping a wine in Vondelpark or shopping in Albert Cuyp Market has to be on your to do list in Amsterdam.

Even though answer to the question of “Where to stay in Amsterdam?” is the places that we listed above, hotels in the Amsterdam city center are really expensive. Amsterdam-Zuid, is the most popular accommodation area because it’s cheaper than the city center. If you don’t have deep pockets, we advise you to check Amsterdam-Zuid hotels first. Like most of the cities in Europe, Amsterdam has a very good public transit network so it’s easy to go from here to the city center. Amsterdam’s business and finance hub is also located here.

Amsterdam-West, Amsterdam-Noord, Amsterdam-Oost 

Amsterdam’s west, north (or noord) and east (or oost) regions are usually the places where local population lives. These are not the areas where the tourists stay despite being interesting places.

Bijlmer

Biljmer neighborhood in Amsterdam is the answer to where not to stay in Amsterdam. Although the security problem has gotten better over the last years, it’s still advised not to stay and not even travel to this area.

Where to stay in Lyon?

Situated between Paris and Marseille, Lyon is the largest city in France after these two. Lyon’s magical Old Town (Vieux-Lyon), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its capital of gastronomy in France status as well as famous ‘Fête des Lumières‘ light festival makes it one of the most popular city in France to visit.

Lyon is 2,000 years old and was founded by Romans. Since then the city had no major earthquake, fire or air strike so its historic buildings from Roman times to medieval buildings to Renaissance Palaces are still standing still and are original. Add the modern skyscapers to the mix and you will have an architectural wealth you can only witness in Lyon on the planet.

The most popular time to visit Lyon is during Fête des Lumières (Lights Festival) which was a local religious ritual but have become an internationally known large scale event in the past decade. For 4 days around December 8th, artists from all around the world display fantastic light shows and exibitions throughout Lyon.  With them, 4 million tourists flow to the city. So if you are not into Lights Festival, this is probably the time to avoid to visit Lyon since the weather will be cold, city and hotels will be packed and everything will be very expensive. Other than Fête des Lumières, some important professional trade shows like SIRHA (food, hotels and restaurants) and POLLUTEC (environment technology) also draw high number of visitors to the city and makes finding a Lyon hotel room very challenging and expensive.

Lyon is 470 kilometers south-east of Paris and two rivers passes through the city: Rhône in the east and Saône in the west. Some important districts of Lyon are Fourvière hill, Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), Presqu’île, Croix-Rousse and Part-Dieu. You can see these districts and their orientation in the Lyon map below. Here we will answer where to stay in Lyon question by introducing the popular and convenient districts among tourists to stay in Lyon.

Lyon map and its main districts. Fourvière, Vieux Lyon,
Croix-Rousse and a significant part of  Presqu’île 
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Presqu’île

Presqu’île is the hearth of Lyon and is the best place to stay in Lyon for visitors. Located between two rivers (Presqu’île means peninsula in French), the cafes, restaurants, luxury shops, banks, government buildings, museums, cultural centers and lots of historic buildings dot Presqu’île starting from Croix Rousse Hill all the way down to the point where the Rhône and Saône meets. For visitors as well as Lyonnais (residents of Lyon), Presqu’île is the center of economic, cultural and the night life in Lyon.

The most important areas in Presqu’île are Terreaux and Bellecour. Bellecour and Hôtel de Ville at the north end of Presqu’île are the centre for high-end shopping, the National Opera and restaurants of all kinds and is home to Lyon’s top museums such as Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Textiles. The Place des Terreaux and Place Bellecour are here.

Perrache to the south of Presqu’île was an industrial area to avoid until recently but is slowly transforming itself into a cultural area.

Presqu’île is the heart of Lyon and is the “happening” place in the city. If you would like to stay here, you can check Lyon Presqu’île hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

La Place des Terreaux (Terreaux Square) in Presqu’île Lyon

Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) and Fourvière Hill

Vieux-Lyon is the oldest area in Lyon and with its 424 hectare area right under Fourvière hill,  it is the largest Renaissance era old town in Europe after Venice. With its narrow, cobblestone medieval streets and 15.th to 17th century buildings once housing German, Flemish and Italian merchants (in the past the buildings in Lyon were the highest in Europe) offers a magical historic town experience to its visitors. Since the place is very crowded with tourists and many stalls catering to them, try to visit  Vieux Lyon in the early morning and even better stay there if you are in Lyon for the history.

Fourvière Hill to the west of Old Lyon is the place where Roman’s founded Lugdunum settlement, which will later become Lyon.

If you would like to stay in Vieux Lyon, you can check Vieux Lyon hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

Vieux Lyon Saint-Jean Square and Saint-Jean Cathedral from montée des Chazeaux

La Part-Dieu and Les Brotteaux

La Part-Dieu is the largest business and finance center in France after La Defense in Paris (Lyon is a major centre for banking as well as for chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries) and is the second most important area in Lyon after Presqu’île. For people visiting Lyon for business, the focal point as well as the place to stay would be either Presqu’île or La Part-Dieu since most of the commercial centers are here. Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Mall here is one of the largest shopping malls in Europe. Lyon-Part-Dieu Train Station in La Part-Dieu is one of the most important railway hubs in Europe.

Even if you are not in Lyon for business, you can still stay here because the city has a fantastic public transportation network and it is easy to access other districts from here by public transport.

Les Brotteaux hosts a large number of renowned restaurants such as the Splendid of Georges Blanc, a restaurant which is in front of the Est of Paul Bocuse. La Brasserie des Brotteaux is also an ideal place for those who like the Lyon’s culinary traditions.

If you would like to stay in La Part-Dieu, you can check Lyon La Part-Dieu hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

Cité Internationale

Just northeast entrance of the city, Cité Internationale is ideally served by a dense network of infrastructure, skilled hand of the Genoese architect drew light pavilions, transparent, inspired greenhouses nineteenth century. The complex, designed by Renzo Piano, houses luxury apartments, hotels, restaurants, a convention centre, vast amphitheatre and the radical Musée d’Art Contemporain.

Where to stay in Bratislava?

Slovenia’s capital Bratislava, is also the most visited tourist spot in the country as well as being a cultural and business center. With its castle overlooking the shores of Danube River, city center is filled with fancy, well-preserved buildings and lovely alleys. This city is also the wealthiest city of the Eastern Europe.

Bratislava had served as a capital for Hungarian Empire for many years. Up until 1993, it was also the capital of the old Czechoslovakia. This communist era country, separated peacefully in a way that is unlikely in history and now they are countries living together with good relations and cooperation as Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Even though the Slovenians make up the majority of the population now, up until 19th century, the city had a mainly German population. After the World War I, most of the Germans and Hungarians left the city and the rest has been sent away after the World War II.

Instead of giving individual hotel recommendations to answer the question of “Where to stay in 
Bratislava?” we’ll respond by introducing the popular places of the city. We recommend Stare Mesto, Ruzinov and Nove Mesto districts (in this order) which we detailed down below. Let’s remind that even though city is small and crime rate is low, the Petrzalka District on the other side of the river from Stare Mesto was known until recently as the “Bronx of Bratislava” and while the crime rate is not that high today, it is still known as a “not necessarily safe” place.

Bratislava map and major districts

Stare Mesto (Old City)

Bratislava’s small and beautiful historic center is called Stare Mesto. The historic center consists of Hlavne namestie (Main Square), Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav Square) and its surroundings. It spread to a small area (It’s one of Europe’s smallest city centers). Although it’s difficult to walk in some hilly areas, it’s still a place that you can travel on foot. With its bars, restaurants and cafes that are crowding the streets giving the city a very beautiful atmosphere when the weather is nice, it’s a small but nicely renovated district.

Hlavne namestie (Main Square) is the most popular square and is known as the heart and the center of city of Bratislava.  Old Town and Roland Fountain is also located here.

The historic center of Bratislava is one of the best places to stay for a tourist. To find hotels, compare prices and see details like guest reviews, you can check the Bratislava Stare Mesto Hotels page. For the most central hotels in Bratislava, you can check out the Bratislava Mains Square Hotels page.

Main Square (Hlavne namestie) in Bratislava's historic center, Bratislava'nın tarihi merkezindeki (Stare Mesto) is the heart of the city.

Ruzinov

Right next to historic center is Ruzinov District, which is filled with industrial buildings, malls, banks, and financial buildings. Although it’s known as an industrial district, it’s actually a very green and pleasant place. Štrkovec Lake in the heart of Ruzinov is the best recreation and exercise area in Bratislava. You can go to the historic center from most of the hotels here with just a 10 minute trolleybus ride.

To see Bratislava hotels in this area, you can check the Ruzinov Hotels page.

Nove Mesto

In the skirts of Little Carpathians, just north of the Stare Mesto is Nove Mesto (New City), covered mainly by the Bratislava Forest Park. One of the city’s main tourist attractions Kamzik Tv Tower is also located in this forest. Nove Mesto is full of modern buildings and it’s close to the city center. It’s a good alternative for accommodation in Bratislava.

You can check the Nove Mesto Hotels page to see Bratislava hotels here.

Where to stay in Munich?

Munich is the largest city in Germany following Berlin and Hamburg. Its stunning architecture, cultural scene, museums, shopping opportunities and colorful nightlife makes it even more beautiful than Berlin. The historic center is magnificent and looks very original (although it was almost completely destroyed in World World II bombings and later rebuilt again).

Other than all these beauties attractive to average tourist, Munich is also a very important global city for business, finance, engineering, Research & Development as well as healthcare. Thanks to rich business life, Munich is also the wealthiest city in Germany.

If you are planning to visit Munich, where to stay in Munich is a very important thing to determine. Here in this article, we will introduce the main areas tourist can and should stay, instead of going into individual Munich hotel advise. One thing you should note is that it is very difficult to find a reasonably priced hotel during trade fairs and events like Octoberfest which falls between mid-September and mid-October. During these times, Munich hotel room rates are tripled.

Below is a Munich Districts map. Munich’s city center, Altstadt-Lehel (Number 1), and the districts surrounding it are the best places to stay in Munich.

Munich Districts map. Munich city center is Altstadt-Lehel.

Munich City Center (Altstadt-Lehel)

Once, Munich was only Altstadt and Lehel was a suburb. Altstadt was once protected by city walls. The fortification has gone but its path now is a traffic loop known as the Altstadtring. Almost all the must-see tourist attractions in Munich are in Altstadt-Lehel area. New City Hall/Glockenspiel, Old City Hall, Frauenkirche, the Feldherrenhalle, the Residenz, etc. are all here. Other than historic structures, you will find museums, historic squares as well the main shopping street in Munich such as Neuhauser Strasse, Kaufinger Strasse, Maximilianstrasse, Theatinerstrasse, Residenzstrasse and Brienner Strasse with their luxury shops.

Altstadt-Lehel is the best place to stay in Munich if you just want to walk to almost every attraction from your hotel. For hotels in this area, their room rates and customer reviews, you can check Munich City Center (Altstadt-Lehel) Hotels page.

Two iconic buildings in Munich : Frauenkirche and Neues Rathaus

Maxvorstadt

Immediate North-west of Altstadt is Maxvorstadt with its importan acedemic institutions and art scene. Two of the best universities in Germany, The University of Munich (LMU) and Technische Universität München (TUM) are here. Famous Munich museums Pinakotheken, Museum Brandhorst, the Lenbach Haus, Glyptothek and Staatliche Antikensammlungen are also here. Apart from museums, Maxvorstadt houses many art galleries.

Right next to Munich’s center with its art and science scene, Maxvorstadt offers a very central and convenient area to stay in Munich. For hotels here you can refer to Munich Maxvorstadt Hotels page.

Aerial view of Munich Maxvorstadt

Schwabing (Schwabing-West, Schwabing-Freimann)

Schwabing is very popular among tourists and locals. It used to be Munich’s famous bohemian quarter and it offers many bars, clubs, and restaurants. Since Munich’s largest universities, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität and the Technical University of Munich can be found in nearby Maxvorstadt, there is a lot of student activity on and around Leopoldstrasse. Another popular attraction is the Englischer Garten, or English Garden, one of the world’s largest public parks.

This is a very good place for young people to stay in Munich. If you are looking for a hotel in Schwabing, you can check Munich Schwabing hotels page.

Au-Haidhausen

On the other side of Isar river and to the south east of Altstadt-Lehel, Au-Haidhausen is a residential district in Munich housing important night life spot Kultfabrik and Ostbahnhof (Munich East Train station). Kultfabrik/Optimolwerke is a 60,000 square-metre entertainment complex which houses many discos and clubs on a relatively small area.

For hotels around this area, you can check Munich Au-Haidhausen hotels page.

Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

Situated north-west of the River Isar and southeast of Munich’s Old Town, Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt houses beautiful Gärtnerplatz square surrounded with pubs, bars and clubs, Munich Central Station (to the south of the station there are many hostels and budget hotels) and Theresienwiese which is the site of Oktoberfest (Wiesn in local Bavarian language). Ludwigsvorstadt is a immigrant residential area and is quite colorful with a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern touch.

Oktoberfest (Wiesn in local language) is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. With more than 6 million people from around the world attends the event. During the event times, hotel prices goes to roof.

For hostels and hotels in this area with their room prices per night and customer reviews, you can take a look at Munich Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt Hotels page.

Where to stay in Vienna?

Austria’s capital and the largest city Vienna is also the country’s political , cultural and economic center . It has been home to Habsburg Dynasty for most of its long history and its historic center is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The city not only offers a lot of historic buildings and art in its huge open-air museum center but also offers great classic music and is known as the music capital of Europe. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Joseph Haydn , Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert , Johannes Brahms , Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg lived and composed their important pieces here. Combine all these with modern amenities and a lively city, Vienna is also the first in the list of World’s Most Livable Cities.

If you are planning to visit the city and asking where to stay in Vienna, it is important to know that Vienna hotels are expensive, even expensive compared to its already expensive counterparts in Europe. But on the other hand quality of the Vienna hotels are high.

Another thing to know is that not all Vienna hotels marketing themselves in the city center are in core city center, Innere Stadt (District 1). In fact, many of these hotels are even not in broader city center, which falls within District 1 to 9. But if you find a nice hotel near metro station or a tram line, traveling to Vienna city center would only take 20 minutes.

If you really want to stay in historic city center and walk to all major Vienna tourist attractions, you should stay in historic center, District 1 or Innere Stadt.  But District 2-9 are also considered central districts and hotels here would also be just fine. Since hotels in Vienna are expensive, if you are budget conscious, you would like to stay away from city center but near a metro station to find the optimum hotel location.

Now, let’s look at the geography and the city center of Vienna and see what city center means here. District 1 , known as the heart of Vienna, is called Innere Stadt . Innere Stadt is the historic center of the city and home to most of the places to see in Vienna. Until 1850, the city of Vienna was just this district and every other part of the city either did not exist or a town near Vienna. Innere Stadt is also right in the middle of Vienna as you can see in the Vienna map below.

Stephansplatz Square in the center of Innere Stadt is the most famous place to visit in Vienna. The large Stephansdom Cathedral here is the attraction #1 and is the most important church in the city.

Historically, Innere Stadt was surrounded by defensive city walls. In 19th century, these walls were demolished and the road circling the city walls is kept as Ringstrasse ( Ring Road ).

Leopoldstadt ( District 2) , Landstraße ( District 3) , Wieden ( District 4 ), and Margaret the ( District 5) , Mariahilf ( District 6), Neubau ( District 7), Josefstadt ( District 8) and Alsergrund ( District 9) are also considered city center. If you look at the map, District 2 to 9 also encircles the Innere Stadt. This Districts are enclosed in 13 miles long Gürtel ( Belt Road ) which runs parallel to the Ringstraße .
So, you can consider District 1 to 9 within this Gürtel ( Belt Road ) as Vienna city center. But Brigittenau (District 20) next to District 2 and 9 is also considered a part of city center (District 2 and District 20 is on an island surrounded by rivers.

Vienna Map – Green area (District 1 – Innere Sdadt) is the historic center of the city and houses most of the tourist attractions. District 2 to 9 (orange areas) are also considered within city center.

District 1 (Innere Stadt)

Innere Stadt (Inner City) is the historic center of Vienna. The city was only this area until 1850s. Today, it is geographically in the center of modern Vienna. Stephansplatz and magnificent Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) is here right in the center. From the east and south of the Stephansplatz starts Graben and Kärntner Straße which are important shopping streets in Vienna.

Being home to Hapsburg, one of the most important royal houses of Europe, Vienna Innere Stadt is magnificant and is considered an open-air museum on its own. If you want to stay just in the middle of the city and within walking distance to almost everything to see, Innere Stadt is the place to stay in Vienna.

If you are thinking about to stay in this area, for a complete list of hotels and customer reviews as well as the latest best room prices refer to Vienna Innere Stadt Hotels page.

Vienna Stephansplatz and Stephansdom

District 2 – 9 (Leopoldstadt, Landstraße, Wieden, Margareten, Mariahilf, Neubau, Josefstadt ve Alsergrund)

Leopoldstadt (District 2) is to the north east of Innere Stadt and is between Danube River and Danube Canal. With Brigittenau (District 20), it forms a large island which is in the center of Vienna. Leopoldstadt’s most famous place to see is Prater Park which is popular with its large and shady boulevards, beer gardens and Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad). There are not many things here to see indeed but it is a central place outside city’s core center and a nice place to stay. For a detailed list of hotels here, you can visit Vienna Leopoldstadt Hotels page.

To the west of Innerstadt, you can find Landstrasse, a district soaked into art and culture. You will find extraordinary works of Hundertwasser such as KunstHaus Wien and the Hunderwasserhaus. To a little south, Belevedere Palace is a popular attraction with its baroque gardens and Austrian Gallery full of masterpieces like Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (Belevere is the #1 tourist attraction here). For hotels in Landstrasse visit Vienna Landstrasse Hotels page.