Readers' tips ... European city B&Bs
Each week we run a section in the Guardian newspaper's travel section, asking for readers to send in tips on a particular subject. The best tip wins a digital camera courtesy of Jessops. Find out more here.
Winning tip
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The Rooms B&B, Vienna
Posted by kdworschak
This place is just wonderful - peaceful and perfect in just about every way you could ask of a bed and breakfast!
Excellent and responsive service from the owners before you arrive.
Clear instructions on how to get to the property. Fantastic room accomodation which is immaculately clean. Exciting and varied breakfasts served with quiet friendly service (the best homemade muesli I ever had.)
Life lived with a Viennese family - at its best.
Five minutes walk, at most, from the metro (come down the stairs at the very far end of the platform, go out the left door, down a path, turn right, second on the left) and then only nine minutes to the city center.
One of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on.
Schlenthergasse 17
1220 Wien
www.therooms.at
00436644316830
Google map: tinyurl.com/yakacyr
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BB IJ, Amsterdam
Posted by Chipepo
This B&B offers two rooms on the ground floor of a typical Amsterdam house. The garden suite is the larger and gives you a double en suite room with cooking facilities looking out onto a small garden (which you can use) bordering a canal with a view of a windmill - perfect! It's only a short tram or bus ride from the central station on the SE of the city. The owner is delightful and provides a great self service breakfast. This made my first trip to the city very memorable.
Zeeburgerdijk 17-hs
1093 SK Amsterdam, Netherlands
020 4637665
www.bedandbreakfast-ij.nl
Google map: tinyurl.com/y8g48cx
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Bed & Breakfast Lut and Bruna Setola, Bruges
Posted by IrisC 25 January 2010
This small B&B is only a few minutes’ walk from the heart of UNESCO World Heritage town of Bruges. It has three simple but stylishly decorated rooms with ensuite bathrooms on the second floor of a character town house complete with mosaic flooring. The host is friendly and helpful with numerous insider tips on where to eat and drink, and the breakfast - served in the separate breakfast room - is everything you would expect from a continental breakfast and more! Clean crisp bed linen, fresh pastries at breakfast, a warm host and cosy rooms - it’s everything you’d want from a city B&B so we keep going back to romantic Bruges to stay at this lovely place. Prices very reasonable too from £55 (single) - £105 (family room) - recommended for anyone looking for bags of chocolate box charm in Belgium’s self proclaimed ‘chocolate city’!
Cars can be left at the conveniently located long-term car park served by frequent free buses into the town centre, or if you’re brave enough just get the Eurostar into Bruges.
Sint-Walburgastraat 12, 8000 Brugge
Tel +32 50 33 49 77
www.bedandbreakfast-bruges.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/y9ggxup
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A room of one's own - women only B&B, Florence
Posted by ash15
It is a B&B run by two women from Firenze for women travellers. It is in the heart of Firenze - and from my room I could see the Duomo and a little garden. It is small, cosy, extremely clean and you meet interesting women there. They were kind enough to put me up for free for a night as I was on a tight budget as I was travelling from India. Extremely warm and hospitable women offering a great service to women travellers. They also welcome pets.
B and B for women only
Borgo Pinti 31, 50121 Florence, Italy
Tel : 0044 203 027 7155
Santa Maria Novella station
Google map: tinyurl.com/ydmodtb
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Chambres d'Ami(e)s, Ghent
Posted by southboroughelaine
A most charming bed and breakfast on a quiet street away from the town centre, but near an efficient bus line. For nine years, the owners have been perfecting the art of discrete care with attention to detail being their USP. The house (over 100 years old) is fascinating and the rooms decorated with antiques, bric a brac and souveniers. Breakfast is on a long table with an open kitchen, providing good coffee, breads, cheeses, meats and fruit salad. The crockery and cutlery are part of an extensive collection of Victoriana, so you can dream of a golden age as you sip your morning caffeine. The owners also provide hints and tips on what to see and do and where to eat. They also speak good English, being regular visitors to the UK, to buy the antiques!
www.chambresdamies.be
Schoolstraat 14
9040 Gent-Sint-Amandsberg
tel. 00 32 (0)9 238 43 47
Google map: tinyurl.com/m34we4
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Simon Says, Ghent
Posted by Ravenman
Simon Says is a great coffee/tea shop and B&B right in the centre of Ghent. It is housed in a fantastic art nouveau building. The coffee shop serves great coffee including some very special single estate coffees. The best bit is the B&B with fabulous rooms over looking a little square.
8 Sluizeken, 9000 Ghent
simon-says.moonfruit.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/nkvjd5
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MS Innvik, Oslo
Posted by cronelit
Theatre ship with bed and breakfast facilities and bar. Totally unexpected cross cultural place to stay. Tone Holmen, one of the owners, is a great cook and speaks perfect English and Spanish, the ambience is terrific and the price of a bed for the night is reasonable for Oslo. The beer isn't very expensive either. The fjord is usually calm and it's a delightful experience to sit and look out over the sea while enjoying a cool lager and listening to some Afro-Caribbean music. Very near the main shopping centre, kindly hosts and lovely views.
www.bedandbreakfast.com/norway/ms-innvik.html
Phone 47-22-382397
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Pension Vysehrad, Prague
Posted by taycheedah
I selected the Pension Vysehrad because of its quirkiness and size (only five rooms), its location (a quiet residential neighbourhood 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre), its exceptionally reasonable room rates and its charming website. Guests are invited to help themselves to whatever they want for breakfast in the well-stocked dining room, which opens out onto a lush garden with patio. Hana, the welcoming owner, had lots of helpful suggestions about how to make the most of my time in and around Prague. And pets are welcome to stay free of charge. I wouldn’t dream of staying anywhere else.
Pension Vysehrad
Krokova 6
Prague 2
tel. +420 241 408 455
pensionvysehrad@centrum.cz
www.pension-vysehrad.cz
Google map: tinyurl.com/ydb4mka
Winning tip
______________________________________________________________
The Rooms B&B, Vienna
Posted by kdworschak
This place is just wonderful - peaceful and perfect in just about every way you could ask of a bed and breakfast!
Excellent and responsive service from the owners before you arrive.
Clear instructions on how to get to the property. Fantastic room accomodation which is immaculately clean. Exciting and varied breakfasts served with quiet friendly service (the best homemade muesli I ever had.)
Life lived with a Viennese family - at its best.
Five minutes walk, at most, from the metro (come down the stairs at the very far end of the platform, go out the left door, down a path, turn right, second on the left) and then only nine minutes to the city center.
One of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on.
Schlenthergasse 17
1220 Wien
www.therooms.at
00436644316830
Google map: tinyurl.com/yakacyr
______________________________________________________________
BB IJ, Amsterdam
Posted by Chipepo
This B&B offers two rooms on the ground floor of a typical Amsterdam house. The garden suite is the larger and gives you a double en suite room with cooking facilities looking out onto a small garden (which you can use) bordering a canal with a view of a windmill - perfect! It's only a short tram or bus ride from the central station on the SE of the city. The owner is delightful and provides a great self service breakfast. This made my first trip to the city very memorable.
Zeeburgerdijk 17-hs
1093 SK Amsterdam, Netherlands
020 4637665
www.bedandbreakfast-ij.nl
Google map: tinyurl.com/y8g48cx
______________________________________________________________
Bed & Breakfast Lut and Bruna Setola, Bruges
Posted by IrisC 25 January 2010
This small B&B is only a few minutes’ walk from the heart of UNESCO World Heritage town of Bruges. It has three simple but stylishly decorated rooms with ensuite bathrooms on the second floor of a character town house complete with mosaic flooring. The host is friendly and helpful with numerous insider tips on where to eat and drink, and the breakfast - served in the separate breakfast room - is everything you would expect from a continental breakfast and more! Clean crisp bed linen, fresh pastries at breakfast, a warm host and cosy rooms - it’s everything you’d want from a city B&B so we keep going back to romantic Bruges to stay at this lovely place. Prices very reasonable too from £55 (single) - £105 (family room) - recommended for anyone looking for bags of chocolate box charm in Belgium’s self proclaimed ‘chocolate city’!
Cars can be left at the conveniently located long-term car park served by frequent free buses into the town centre, or if you’re brave enough just get the Eurostar into Bruges.
Sint-Walburgastraat 12, 8000 Brugge
Tel +32 50 33 49 77
www.bedandbreakfast-bruges.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/y9ggxup
______________________________________________________________
A room of one's own - women only B&B, Florence
Posted by ash15
It is a B&B run by two women from Firenze for women travellers. It is in the heart of Firenze - and from my room I could see the Duomo and a little garden. It is small, cosy, extremely clean and you meet interesting women there. They were kind enough to put me up for free for a night as I was on a tight budget as I was travelling from India. Extremely warm and hospitable women offering a great service to women travellers. They also welcome pets.
B and B for women only
Borgo Pinti 31, 50121 Florence, Italy
Tel : 0044 203 027 7155
Santa Maria Novella station
Google map: tinyurl.com/ydmodtb
______________________________________________________________
Chambres d'Ami(e)s, Ghent
Posted by southboroughelaine
A most charming bed and breakfast on a quiet street away from the town centre, but near an efficient bus line. For nine years, the owners have been perfecting the art of discrete care with attention to detail being their USP. The house (over 100 years old) is fascinating and the rooms decorated with antiques, bric a brac and souveniers. Breakfast is on a long table with an open kitchen, providing good coffee, breads, cheeses, meats and fruit salad. The crockery and cutlery are part of an extensive collection of Victoriana, so you can dream of a golden age as you sip your morning caffeine. The owners also provide hints and tips on what to see and do and where to eat. They also speak good English, being regular visitors to the UK, to buy the antiques!
www.chambresdamies.be
Schoolstraat 14
9040 Gent-Sint-Amandsberg
tel. 00 32 (0)9 238 43 47
Google map: tinyurl.com/m34we4
______________________________________________________________
Simon Says, Ghent
Posted by Ravenman
Simon Says is a great coffee/tea shop and B&B right in the centre of Ghent. It is housed in a fantastic art nouveau building. The coffee shop serves great coffee including some very special single estate coffees. The best bit is the B&B with fabulous rooms over looking a little square.
8 Sluizeken, 9000 Ghent
simon-says.moonfruit.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/nkvjd5
______________________________________________________________
MS Innvik, Oslo
Posted by cronelit
Theatre ship with bed and breakfast facilities and bar. Totally unexpected cross cultural place to stay. Tone Holmen, one of the owners, is a great cook and speaks perfect English and Spanish, the ambience is terrific and the price of a bed for the night is reasonable for Oslo. The beer isn't very expensive either. The fjord is usually calm and it's a delightful experience to sit and look out over the sea while enjoying a cool lager and listening to some Afro-Caribbean music. Very near the main shopping centre, kindly hosts and lovely views.
www.bedandbreakfast.com/norway/ms-innvik.html
Phone 47-22-382397
______________________________________________________________
Pension Vysehrad, Prague
Posted by taycheedah
I selected the Pension Vysehrad because of its quirkiness and size (only five rooms), its location (a quiet residential neighbourhood 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre), its exceptionally reasonable room rates and its charming website. Guests are invited to help themselves to whatever they want for breakfast in the well-stocked dining room, which opens out onto a lush garden with patio. Hana, the welcoming owner, had lots of helpful suggestions about how to make the most of my time in and around Prague. And pets are welcome to stay free of charge. I wouldn’t dream of staying anywhere else.
Pension Vysehrad
Krokova 6
Prague 2
tel. +420 241 408 455
pensionvysehrad@centrum.cz
www.pension-vysehrad.cz
Google map: tinyurl.com/ydb4mka