Finding accommodation in Copenhagen can be challenging if you’re on a budget. But if you haveextra mo ney to spare (and you’ll need it in Copenhagen), then you can easily rent a stylish apartment in an iconic location.
Copenhagen is a wonderful city to stay in for at least a week. Not only is there a lot to see and do, but there’s also great pleasure to be had just being in the city and becoming a temporary Dane. Rent a bike or take a cycling tour, wander up and down the many pedestrian streets, stop for coffee and watch the world go by, and stroll along the harbor.
On my visit to Copenhagen in September 2022, we stayed in two places–an apartment for a week and a hotel for one night. Both were great, with the edge going to the apartment, which was hands down one of the nicest and most comfy apartments we’ve ever stayed in during our many years of traveling in Europe.
Copenhagen Accommodation in Nyhavn
We chose to spend our week in Copenhagen in Nyhavn, the lively harbor area full of iconic, colorful houses and tons of outdoor cafes. I loved this location and never got tired of walking up and down the harbor taking pictures of the houses in every light.
Captivating Nyhavn in early evening
We booked an apartment through booking.com that exceeded our expectations. It was a two-bedroom apartment located in one of the colorful houses right on the harbor. To access it, we walked through two courtyards and then rode an elevator to the fifth (top) floor.
Passageway leading from the harbor to our courtyard
Building in which our apartment was located
The apartment was very stylishly decorated and included a full kitchen and a very large dining area. We also had a lovely view over the rooftops of Copenhagen.
Living area
Looking from the living area toward the large dining area; kitchen is on the left
One of the two bedrooms in the apartment
Colorful rooftops of Copenhagen seen from the bedroom
The price was fairly reasonable considering the location. Copenhagen is not a cheap place to stay, so expect to pay in excess of $300 USD a night. I felt that the apartment was well worth the cost and can recommend it whole-heartedly if you’re planning to spend a week in Copenhagen.
Staying at Phoenix Copenhagen
We had an extra night to spend in Copenhagen as a result of a last-minute itinerary change. Our beloved apartment was no longer available, so we moved around the corner to the stylishly upscale Phoenix Copenhagen.
If you’re looking for a hotel in the Nyhavn area, the Phoenix is a fine choice. It’s pretty high end price-wise and the room was a trifle cramped, but the staff were friendly and as mentioned, the location on Bredgade can’t be beat. The marble lobby was gorgeous and the restaurant downstairs served hearty food, particularly welcome on the cold and rainy night we stayed.
Lobby at Phoenix Copenhagen
We particularly liked Phoenix Copenhagen because it was across the street from the gallery in which Gregg was exhibiting the “Color of Dreams.” Here’s a look at the exhibition at Galleri Bredgade 22:
Facade of Galleri Bredgade 22 in Copenhagen
“The Color of Dreams” Exhibition at Galleri Bredgade 22
Paintings in the exhibition
View from the street of the exhibition
Other Accommodation Options in Copenhagen
Here are other options for places to stay in Copenhagen. If possible, choose a location near the center of the city. The Nyhavn area is ideal because it is within walking distance of just about everything you’ll want to see in this lovely, compact city.
For most travelers, taking photgraphs is an integral part of exploring new destinations. Some people snap quick photos with their SmartPhones while others travel with several cameras and apply their training and a good eye to taking memorable, even exhibition-worthy photographs. Guest poster Julie H. Ferguson falls into the latter category.
Julie describes how she discovered her love of photography and shares her travel photography tips to help the Artsy Traveler take great pictures.
The cover photo for this post, previously exhibited, shows an iceberg in Baffin Bay, where Julie sailed on an expedition ship in the summer of 2022.
How I Got Started with Travel Photography
I believe photography is an art form, while travel is an addiction. Together, they make a magical combination.
My father was an accomplished painter in oils and watercolors who took me to all the great museums and galleries in the UK and some in Europe. A serious amateur, he was good enough to exhibit in the Royal Academy. He also tried hard to get me drawing and painting from an early age. However, I didn’t have his talent and got frustrated when I couldn’t reproduce what I was seeing. And then, when I was ten, Dad had a brainwave and bought me a Kodak Brownie camera. Finally, I found a way to reproduce what I was seeing! Since then, I always have a camera in my hand.
Guest poster Julie H. Ferguson in Croker Bay on an expedition to Canada’s High Arctic (Nunavut) in 2022 (Courtesy: Susan Dixon)
My Photography Passion Expands
For years, I employed what my father taught me about composition, color, and light, especially after I acquired my first single lens reflex camera. I bought my first digital camera in 1999 and was hooked. I joined a camera club in 2005, practised a lot, and learned how to edit my images on a computer.
Now, I own four cameras — two Nikons and lenses, one small but mighty Lumix that fits in my pocket when I’m doing active things like riding camels, and an old GoPro. I have about 50,000 images in the Cloud and have not stopped practising.
Julie’s cameras go everywhere with her when she travels
Exhibiting My Travel Photography
Our visual, connected world has seen an explosion in photography recently but, oddly enough, not much of an increase in photography exhibitions. Go to any small or large gallery, and you will rarely see photographs on display. I try to find photography exhibitions wherever I am in the world and am not always successful, but at least I can enjoy the world’s best travel photographers’ work online. Here are two of my favorite websites:
The excellent art gallery near where I live in Penticton, BC, asked my camera club, the Penticton Photography Club, to mount a small exhibition in collaboration with fibre artists in 2021. This was the first photography exhibit the gallery had mounted in its ninety-nine-year existence. I sold my first image at this exhibition — a thrilling moment for me after over twelve years of exhibiting. It was validating, and I felt I had honored my father’s long ago training sessions.
Julie next to the first photograph (R) she sold at an exhibition of the Naramata Inn near Penticton, BC (Courtesy: Merle Kindred)
What Kind of Camera Should You Use?
The best camera you have is the one in your hand is an old saying but it’s spot on! Today, the newer phone cameras are exceptional, and I use mine when I’m stuck without one of my cameras. It takes very sharp images with true colors, and manages low light quite well. The video is good too, although I prefer taking stills because I enjoy the challenge.
My Travel Photography Tips
Do you, like me, view photography as more than a snapshot? Perhaps even art? If so, here are some simple travel photography tips to up your game for taking great travel shots.
Travel Photography Tip 1: Keep it straight
Here’s how to avoid shooting wonky horizons and leaning buildings
Line up the horizon to be parallel with the top or bottom of the screen; line up the side of buildings with the side of the screen.
Don’t tip your camera up or down—keep it parallel to the ground.
Keeping the horizon line straight and focusing on the foreground
Travel Photography Tip 2: Avoid fuzzy images
Fuzzy images are generally caused by camera shake or poor focussing. Here’s how to fix:
Camera shake (everything is fuzzy): Never hold your camera or phone at arm’s length as it bounces when you click the shutter down. Wedge it against something or fix your elbows on a wall, your chest, or your knees before pressing the shutter.
Out of focus (the subject is fuzzy): Press the shutter halfway down and wait for the camera to focus on the subject. If using a phone, tap the screen over the subject. When shooting people or animals focus on the eye closest to you.
Travel Photography Tip 3: Find great light
Don’t shoot into the sun. The best light is during the golden hour after sunrise and before sunset.
Travel Photography Tip 4: Take great people shots
Light people effectively: Take portraits in the shade or on an overcast day to avoid ugly shadows on faces and squinty eyes in bright sunlight. Dark or silhouetted portraits are caused by bright light behind them from skies, sun, sea, or snow.
An example of a portrait that demonstrates harsh shadows under the nose, deep wrinkles, and squinty eyes in bright midday sun.
Put your focus point on the subject by holding down the shutter halfway while the camera focuses. If your camera has an interactive screen, tap over the subject, or tap the subject on your phone’s screen.
In 2018 at the Pushkar Camel Fair, two chiefs haggle good-naturedly over the price of one camel.
If you’re shooting inside and using flash, move your subjects away from the walls by at least a metre to avoid unsightly shadows behind them.
Travel Photography Tip 5: Apply effective composition principles
Avoid placing your subject (focus point) in the middle of the frame. Use the “Rule of Thirds” and put your subject in the area of one of the red dots in the diagram — it’s more pleasing to the eye.
This photograph of an Inuk elder in Canada’s Arctic demonstrates the Rule of Thirds and the need for space in front of her.
Travel Photograph Tip 6: Avoid shooting where you are standing
Walk around your subject if possible; move right and left, forward and back, and up and down to find the best angle for your shot.
Making this huge rock the focal point using the Rule of Thirds with leading lines in this shot of the Ziz Gorge in Morocco
Travel Photography Tip 7: Practise often!
It’s digital, so you can take as many photos as you like, and your “eye” will begin to improve, and the above tips will become more automatic.
Avoid taking a new camera on vacation without taking 2001+ photographs before you go!
Editing Your Photographs
I always endeavour to get the picture I want right in the camera, but I do appreciate the creativity that the digital darkroom affords. In fact, I love the editing as much as taking the photographs. This is where the magic happens for me.
Once you start getting comfortable with your camera, you might want to take the next step and get an editing app for your phone or computer. There’s plenty of suggestions online or from camera club members to get you started . For example, my favourites are Adobe Photoshop and the Nik Collection, the first of which has a steep learning curve (check out this guide to learning Photoshop). Other apps are effective and easy to use.
Upping your photography game when travelling takes some practice and thought. It’s well worth the effort both for personal satisfaction and as a means of preserving your memories.
Every so often when traveling, serendipty rears its delightful head. The plans you’ve made go awry, but instead of facing disaster, you step into something even more wonderful.
That happened to us in October 2022 a few kilometers out of the fabled town of Montepulciano in Tuscany.
Read about our day leading up to finding Sant’Antonio Country Resort or cut to the chase and scroll down to my review!
Lead-Up to Montepulciano
In Rome, we woke up to the first rainy day of our time in Italy (we’d been in the country two weeks). The clanging at the building site next door to our apartment was slightly muted, much to our relief. After nine nights, it was time to leave the Eternal City. We were all packed and waiting at the door for our 10:30 Uber. Horrendous Rome traffic delayed him over half an hour, but when he finally arrived, Roberto was cheerful and helpful.
Thirty minutes later, he dropped us at the garage where we found the same smiling attendant and our car already out of its slot and waiting for us to drive it away. What a wonderful service. Shout-out to Parclick!
Arrival in Montepulciano
We made it out of Rome without even one wrong turn—perhaps a record for us! Soon, we were back on the Autostrade speeding north to Tuscany. Ah, Tuscany! It’s one of my favorite places in Europe which is why I set my first novel, The Towers of Tuscany, there. I’m working on two more novels set in Tuscany; perhaps on this trip I’d find more inspiration to finish them.
The beauty of the Tuscany landscape never gets old
After a smooth two-hour drive, we pulled up in front of our hotel for two nights—a lovely Albergo about five minutes outside Montepulciano. Neither of us had ever visited Montepulciano and so decided that on this trip we’d skip our usual visits to San Gimignano and Siena and see something new. Good call!
No Room at the Inn
Except we had a few more hoops to go through before the full Tuscan experience would wash over us.
The proprietor of the hotel looked puzzled when I give him my name. He searched his list, frowned, shook his head.
No, Signora.
Oh dear. I pulled out my phone and showed him my booking on booking.com and said in a somewhat aggrieved tone, We’ve definitely booked! See – October 13 to 15! A little shiver of doubt ran through me as I said this. Wasn’t today October 13?
He peered at my phone. Ah. That’s 2023, Signora.
Oh.
And of course the place was full.
Plan B
We piled back into the car and started driving toward a place he suggested. Within three minutes–Google Maps notwithstanding–we were lost. We’ve found that Google Maps doesn’t always work well in the Italian countryside, or in the cities for that matter.
Gregg pulled over and I consulted my phone to see what booking.com had to offer. Fortunately, several options popped up around Montepulciano. We wanted something outside the town in a country setting. Over the years, we’ve had our share of disasters when we’ve booked places within the medieval walls of an ancient town. If you’ve ever done so, you’ll know what I mean. And if you haven’t, trust me.
Never book a place inside the walls of a medieval city. Ever.
Success
After a few searches, I selected Sant’Antonio Country Resort. It ticked all the boxes–countryside, looked pretty, nice big rooms, mid-range price, and best of all, available. I booked it, paid for it, and entered the address in Google Maps. The suggested route took us around Montepulciano where a band of red showed traffic congestion. Another route, slower but seemingly more direct, took us across country in a straight line.
Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to ignore Google Maps and the nice GPS lady and directed Gregg along the other route.
On Our Way Again
Soon, we were bumping along dirt roads cleaving through vine-studded fields punctuated by deep green cypresses. In the distance, a row of pale blue Tuscan mountains floated in a smoky autumnal haze.
It wasthe Tuscany of our dreams. And fortunately, the road, although unpaved, was not undrivable and so at a leisurely and extremely scenic pace, we eventually arrived at a massive iron gate—the entrance to the grandly named Sant’Antonio Country Resort.
I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I pressed the intercom and we drove in. The owners were incredibly welcoming and friendly. They informed us that never in the history of their working with booking.com had anyone ever booked on the website on the same day they wanted to stay. Apparently, the system is designed to reject such bookings.
But for some unexplainable reason, a glitch in the system let us through. How fortuitous!
Heaven at Sant’Antonio Country Resort: My Review
Sant’Antonio Country Resort is everything we love about Tuscany. Here’s why:
Located out in the country but still within a short drive of an iconic hilltown, in this case, Montepulciano
Plenty of free parking and easy to drive to
Gorgeous self-contained units in a renovated medieval convent
Most units with terraces
A swimming pool and many outdoor areas on the grounds
Plenty of country walks and scenic drives nearby
Stunning vistas of olive trees and cypresses at every turn
Excellent reviews
Friendly and accommodating owners who speak English and genuinely love sharing their little piece of heaven with their guests
And at the Sant’Antonio Country Resort, there is even a friendly fox that likes to steal shoes. We were warned not to leave our shoes outside our door because the fox would take them. What the fox does with the shoes is a mystery, but we agreed not to find out.
Our Accommodation at Sant’Antonio Country Resort
The owners very kindly upgraded us to a two-bedroom apartment complete with very comfortable living room, a big dining room, a large bed in the master bedroom, a second smaller bedroom where we stashed the luggage, and two bathrooms.
Oh, and two terraces.
Here are a few photographs of the place.
Our two-bedroom apartment is on the ground floor
Comfortable living room and dining area
On a walk on the grounds of the resort
Beautiful spots for relaxing all over the property
Memorable Dinners in Montepulciano
After a few hours reveling in our good luck, we left around 5 pm for a drive up to Montepulciano which we discovered is a lovely, calm town, much less frenetic than other Tuscan towns such as San Gimignano.
The deal here is food and wine—lots of wine, particularly the vino nobile of Montepulciano. We stopped at a little bar and I sampled my first glass while Gregg had a cappuccino. With about an hour to kill before our dinner reservation (kindly made by our hosts at Sant’Antonio Country Resort), we climbed the cobbled streets to reach the piazza. It was nearly empty in the early evening. I imagine that during the day, the place is mobbed.
Carol in the Grande Piazza in Montepulciano
Sunset over Tuscany from MontepulcianoDarkness falls over Montepulciano
Dinner at Porta di Bacco was served in an ancient room replete with a column (is it Roman?) and brick arches. The wine and food were predictably excellent. I ordered gnocchi with a duck ragout—hearty and tasty. The food here is different from Rome – more country-style and a nice change from the usual fare offered in Roman trattorias, which can get a bit repetitive.
After a moonlit stroll back to the car, we faced the challenging drive in the dark back to Sant’Antonio Country Resort. A drive that in daylight is quick and easy took on a different tenor at night. We made a few wrong turns but eventually got back on track and were soon pulling into our temporary home.
The next night we dined at Ristorante La Grotta, outside the city walls. Located in a 16th-century building, the restaurant was directly opposite the Church of San Biagio, a noted example of Tuscan Renaissance architecture.
Getting settled at the Ristorante La Grotta
My dessert
Church of San Biagio with Montepulciano perched on the hill above
I highly recommend Ristorante La Grotta for a Tuscan splurge. The service was impeccable and the food excellent. It was the most expensive meal we had in nine weeks, but at 110 Euros for three gourmet courses and excellent wine, it was an amazing bargain!
Enjoying Sant’Antonio Country Resort
While at Sant’Antonio Country Resort, we met some fellow Canadians who shared that they’ve visited before, and love returning. I can’t say I blame them!
We spent our day “off” from traveling by taking walks around the property (it stretches for several hectares), enjoying a drive along small country roads in the area, and generally chilling out. We even saw the fox!
Gregg working on one of our two terraces
Swimming pool (too cold in October!)
Walkway to our suite
An outdoor dining area for guests
Beautiful vista of Tuscan countryside near Sant’Antonio Country Resort
Should You Visit Sant’Antonio Country Resort?
If you’re looking for a Tuscan retreat that is reasonably priced (albeit slightly on the high side, but worth it), set in a glorious landscape, and owned by very helpful and friendly hosts, then I can’t recommend Sant’Antonio Country Resort highly enough.
For other places in and around Montepulciano, click the map below.
Many years ago, I took a wine tour of Tuscany that included a visit to a vineyard near Montepulciano. If you have a day to spare while visiting Tuscany, I highly recommend booking a wine tour. Here are a few suggestions.
Other Posts about Tuscany
Over the past three decades, I’ve visited Tuscany at least a dozen times, and every time I discover new wonders to enjoy and fabulous places to stay. For more suggestions about Tuscany, check out these posts:
Small group tours, whether for a half-day or several weeks, have myriad benefits. The most profound is access to local expert guides who are able to customize the tour according to the interests of the participants. These experts heighten focussed travel experiences and almost always deliver a memorable experience.
Guest Poster Julie H. Ferguson shares her take on why small groups tours are the way to go, particularly for solo and older travelers.
The cover photo for this post shows the participants of Julie’s small group tour of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, with “favorite uncle” Thulani in front. Participants were from Australia, Switzerland, France, Holland, and Germany, with Julie being the sole Canadian (fourth from left).
Why I Recommend Small Group Tours
Many years ago, I went on a couple of regular sightseeing tours of local sites, which meant thirty-plus tourists. It was hopeless! Often, I couldn’t hear the guide or get close enough to the exhibits or even ask questions.
Small group tours are very different! I recommend them in these circumstances:
When you visit art museums and historic sites
When you have limited time in a location and want to see the highlights
When you travel in countries for an extended time where renting a car is unwise or destinations are unsafe to explore alone
Exploring Art Museums and Historic Sites
I learned the benefits of taking small group or private tours in art museums and historic sites the hard way. When my husband was alive, we toured Notre Dame in Paris in twenty minutes. This was not enough time for me, but he didn’t want to join any type of guided tour. As a result, we missed a lot!
Memorable Tours
A decade after that visit to Paris, I was eager to explore the Vatican Museums and told James how much we would gain from having a private guide. He finally agreed to try it mainly because we could jump the tedious entry lines. For five hours, our Italian guide from The Metropolitan Museum in New York thrilled us. James had to admit it was an incredible way to get the most out of the visit! After that, we often hired private guides and took many small-group day tours.
At the Prado in Madrid, we were two of five guests of a PhD in art history. At the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, one of only four mosques open to non-Muslims, a committee member who managed the building project showed my group around.
In Casablanca, Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque was built out over the Atlantic. The floor of the prayer hall is glass so the faithful can see the waves.
I also gained much from a hands-on photography workshop on the Isle of Arran with a professional. One of my favorite solo experiences was a one-on-one, day-long cooking school with an international chef in Fez, Morocco, that cost less than $80 CAD.
After shopping for ingredients in the food souk in the medina of Fez, I cooked a lunch with the chef’s help for four in a tiny kitchen in a riad or guest house.
When I arrive with or without a car in a safe city for the first time, I often take a small group tour to get orientated.
On a free day in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, I spent a morning with a local university student visiting health clinics and schools.
While on a recent trip to Portugal, I took a ten-hour private tour of the Douro Valley that included port tastings, a three-course lunch in a chateau, and a short boat cruise. My driver frequently stopped so I could take photos. He also passed me over to the experts at each location and told me about the region as he drove.
The Douro Valley in northern Portugal is where the port grapes grow on terraced mountainsides. The raw wine is taken down river in casks to Porto to be made into port, matured, and shipped around the world.
Where to Find Small Group Day Tours
I seek tours that focus on history, art, and photography run by reputable companies. Sometimes, I find tours by researching online or by asking the advice of hotel concierges. When I wanted to visit textile factories in Delhi, the concierge wove all three of my interests into one marvelous day.
Yes, I pay a premium to enjoy these private or small group tours, but the value they provide is enormously worth the cost. They quadruple my enjoyment of art museums, castles, cathedrals, and cuisine.
I see much more than I could alone, my understanding and appreciation of the location soars, and I support the local economy.
Taking Extended Small Group Tours
Although I was an experienced solo traveler, after James died, I wanted to dig deeper into my A-list which included remoter regions where solo travel was challenging or downright unsafe.
I suspected that extended small group tours with twelve or fewer tourists would work for me, but I had concerns. Would I like my travel companions? Would I be the oldest? Would I get enough vital alone-time?
My First Extended Small Group Tour
My first experience on an extended small group tour was on a Majestic Line cruise of the Scottish Inner Hebrides. A micro-cruise in a converted Irish trawler meant I was trapped with twelve passengers for a week. I needn’t have worried. Everyone was respectful of others’ time, the captain listened to our pleas for unscheduled adventures, and the gourmet food was divine. Small vessels can reach places that bigger ships cannot, which meant I enjoyed wonderful shore excursions accompanied by a local expert.
Cruising the Inner Hebrides of Scotland on the Glen Tarsen, visiting Mull, Iona, and Staffa and exploring castles, remote bays, sea lochs, and enjoying a wildlife safari on land.
Favorite Benefits of Small Group Tours
Who takes small group tours? What is the transportation? What about transfers and baggage? These are all good questions, and the answers provide more reasons why I prefer small group tours.
Small Group Tour Participants
I find people who travel with extended small-group tours are well-educated, gracious, helpful, and fun. Almost all are well traveled, with the majority being retirees, often from different countries. Sixty to eighty percent are solo and most are female. I’m still in contact with friends I’ve made from around the world.
Transportation on Small Group Tours
Every extended tour I’ve done has used modern Mercedes Sprinter vans with fourteen seats. These vehicles have good air-conditioning, coolers for water (and gin!), and USB ports for charging cameras and laptops. In Africa, the all-terrain Sprinters easily handle the bad roads and trails in game parks.
During my last three-week safari, our Sprinter had two flat tires and a fuel leak (not unusual) that were all repaired on site by our amazing tour leader who was also our guide, expert ranger, driver, navigator, picnic chef, and favorite uncle.
The Mercedes Sprinter in Namibia as we prepared our daily picnic lunch in a remote spot; the trailer carried all our baggage, picnic kit, a folding table and camp chairs.
Access to Help
A significant bonus of taking a small group tour is access to help and on-call problem solving whenever I need it. I also appreciate having my baggage transported, my airport transfers organized, and accommodation in clean, well-run hotels.
Recommended Small Group Tour Companies
My two recommended tour companies are Explore! in the UK and Bestway Tours in Canada, which have focussed inventories of worldwide trips, often categorized into activity levels. These tour companies choose locally owned and regularly assessed hotels. I have visited China, India, and sub-Saharan African countries, among others, with them on many long tours and safaris.
Conclusion
If you’re not sure you’ll enjoy small group tours, I suggest trying a couple of half-day or full-day tours to see if you gain pleasure from them. I’m certain you will. While you likely won’t experience in an hour or two the friendships that accrue from longer tours, you’ll get a good idea if small group tours are for you. Then, perhaps, you’ll decide to take some extended tours.
Read about Julie H. Ferguson on the Artsy Traveler Guest Posters page.
I’m a big fan of small group tours and have enjoyed them in New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland. Here is a post about my small group tour around Iceland:
Traveling green is a challenge in these days of high fuel costs and encroaching climate change. Can you enjoy traveling while still doing your part to reduce greenhouse gasses, help local economies, and lessen your impact on the planet?
Let’s face it. The greenest thing you can do for our precious planet is to stay home. On the other hand, traveling usually (not always) helps local economies and it also enriches your life. It’s a trade-off for sure.
After almost three years staying very close to home, I choose to continue traveling. But I also choose to seek out smart ways to travel as greenly as possible. I share my suggestions for green travel in this post.
Traveling Green: Transportation
Carbon Offsets
Search online for companies that offer carbon offsetting programs. Visit a website such as Atmosfair or My Climate and use the tools to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions generated from your trip. Then pay the offset company the amount required to reduce emissions elsewhere in the world by funding offset renewable energy projects worldwide.
I shudder at the amount of garbage produced on planes. The flight attendants patrol the aisles armed with massive plastic bags into which we chuck plastic glasses and the remains of meals consisting of more packaging than food. It’s discouraging in this day and age.
What to do?
Reduce some of the waste by taking your own water bottle onto the plane. Empty it before security and then fill it up before you board. You can then say no when the attendant offers you a plastic glass full of water and ice.
Instead of accepting the plastic tray laden with plastic-wrapped everything, purchase food in the airport that is minimally packaged.
Take your trash off the plane and dispose of it in the recycling bins usually provided in the airport. You might not want to take the remains of your dinner, but you could stash a few plastic cups in a bag to carry off. Every little bit helps.
Fortunately, some airlines are getting on board with green travel. Before you buy your plane ticket, research the greenest airlines.
On the Road
Following are some suggestions for how to reduce waste while you’re on the road.
Take along a collapsible insulated food bag. While traveling, fill it with food and drinks you’ve bought in local grocery stores. Instead of purchasing overpriced packaged foods at the rest stop cafés, you have the fixings for fresh sandwiches to enjoy at the nearby picnic tables.
Don’t leave home without your trusty Swiss Army knife to cut hunks of cheese from the unpackaged block you bought in the market, spread butter on your fresh baguette, and open your bottle of wine. Just make sure you pack the knife in your checked bag to avoid confiscation at security.
I still use—and treasure—the Swiss Army knife my dad bought me for my 18th birthday before I set off on my first solo trip to Europe.
On the Train
Travel green by taking the train as often as possible.
Also consider buying freshly made sandwiches with minimal packaging at delis in the train stations to take on board with you. Then you won’t need to buy the plastic-wrapped and painfully over-packaged food available in the dining cars and from the trolleys.
In the Car
Zipping around your chosen destination by car is not a green activity. We generally rent cars to transport paintings to exhibitions and because Gregg was a racing car driver in a past life (or at least he drives like one).
We enjoy the freedom, the independence, and the flexibility of car touring.
That said, we’re well aware of the environmental impact of car travel. Here
are some suggestions to compensate.
Rent the smallest car that meets your needs. You’ll save gas and will find driving in small towns and villages easier.
Check out options for renting a hybrid car. Many providers, such as Hertz, rent hybrid cars.
When you’re driving, maintain a reasonable speed. On some freeways in the EU countries, particularly Germany, the speed limit is higher than you’re likely used to at home. But just because you can go fast doesn’t mean you should!
TIP: Always drive at or just below the speed limit. More times than I care to admit, we’ve received speeding tickets months after we arrived home. The fines are hefty. Also, never drive in the far left lane unless you are passing. Cars will come up behind you at dizzying speeds and flash their lights. Get out of the way!
Gregg with our rental car in Portugal
Staying Green: Accommodation
Travel green by staying in small, locally run hotels and bed-and-breakfasts that have the added bonus of directly helping the local economy.
Choosing Hotels
Consider hotels that advertise environmental policies and green initiatives. If two properties are comparable, choose the one that lists itself as a green hotel with initiatives such as recycling, rainwater harvesting, energy efficient lighting, and so on.
These days, most hotels and guest houses ask that you hang up your towels if you don’t need them replaced. I don’t wash my towels every day at home, so why expect clean towels daily while on the road?
You’re also unlikely to have your sheets changed daily which is all to the
good. If necessary, ask that your towels be changed every two or three days and
your sheets weekly for long stays.
Here are other suggestions for traveling green:
In your room, reduce waste by avoiding the dreaded single-use coffee pods. Go to a café, order a real coffee that comes in a real coffee cup (not take-out!), and experience your destination like a local.
Leave the bottles of water for the next guest and avoid raiding the mini bar, with its tiny, eco-unfriendly bottles and cans. Keep a bottle of wine (screw top variety) or a few beers stashed in your food bag.
Bring your own shampoos and lotions in reusable bottles so you’re not tempted to use the single-use soaps and shampoos provided in some hotels. I like hotels that have large multi-use dispensers for shampoo and body wash. Unwrapping a soap to use once or twice knowing it will be chucked borders on criminal.
Pack a travel soap dish, preferably one made of recycled plastic, and put a big bar of soap in it. Chances are, the bar will last your entire trip. If you travel for 21 days, you save the landfill from 21 small bars of soap. That’s a lotta soap.
Back in the 1970s when I started traveling, I always packed my own soap dish because soap in hostels and even bed-and-breakfasts was unheard of. Time to go back to our former, eco-friendly ways!
Energy Use
In many hotels, the lights in hallways are turned off until you enter them. Back in the day, you had to grope for a light switch. Nowadays, most are equipped with motion sensors so the lights come on as soon as you walk into the hallway.
When you enter your room, you’ll generally find that the power is off. Put your room key card into the slot in the door to turn on the electricity. When you remove the card and leave the room, the power switches off again.
Just remember that if you want to charge your devices while you’re out, they won’t get, um, charged. I’ve been caught out on that more than once.
Also save energy by keeping the air conditioning at a reasonable level and
taking short showers.
Home-Basing
Staying put is eco-friendly if you do actually stay put! However, home-basing can involve a considerable amount of driving if you decide to do all your local sightseeing by car.
When choosing a place to home-base, consider what sightseeing you’re planning on doing. If each day, you’ll be driving for hours, you may want to rethink the home-base idea. We choose to home-base when we know we’ll be staying put in the area for most of the time.
In general, you save both money and resources when you choose home-basing over point-to-point traveling. You also benefit the local economy by shopping in local markets and eating in local restaurants and cafés.
Recycling
Most hotel rooms provide recycling bins. Help out housekeeping by sorting your trash into the appropriate bins.
A big advantage of staying in apartments or houses when you travel is that some of your trash can be recycled. We’ve been surprised to discover that many European countries offer fewer recycling options than we have at home. You’ll always find places to recycle wine bottles, but sometimes that’s about it.
Consider yourself lucky if you find this many recycling options in the community you’re visiting
In an apartment or house, you’re able to focus on the reduce and reuse parts of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle trifecta.
Exploring Green: Sightseeing
With a bit of planning, green sightseeing is not only possible but also pleasurable. Here are my suggestions.
Walking Tours
Instead of opting for the gas-guzzling Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tours (which do have their place), consider joining walking tours to explore new cities.
I’m a huge fan of walking tours! Your carbon footprint is almost nil, you
learn lots of quirky and intriguing things, you see places you’d never see from
a bus, and you’re likely to meet some interesting fellow travelers.
I enjoy walking tours geared to specific interests, such as theater or art or architecture. Search for walking tours online. Many are free, although you are expected to tip the guide.
Cycling’s the way to sightsee in many places, particularly cycle-friendly cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Take advantage of cycle stations to rent a bike for an hour or longer.
If you’re really ambitious, consider ditching cars and trains altogether in favor of a cycling or walking holiday. Many countries have vast networks of cycling trails to explore.
Bikes on a bridge, Amsterdam
Coming soon: Guest posts on cycling and walking holidays in Europe!
Public Transit
Green travel and public transit go hand in hand.
Instead of hailing a taxi, hop on a bus. If you’re not sure how to purchase tickets, ask at your hotel. Bus tickets are usually available at local convenience stores or at kiosks near the bus stops.
Subways are easier to use because you buy your tickets from kiosks in the
subway and have access to large fixed maps—often color-coded and interactive—to
figure out your route. Subways also get you from A to B quickly.
But let’s face it. You don’t travel to stare at other people’s armpits in hot, dark, sweaty subways. I used to favor subways because they were easier to figure out, but lately, I’ve made the effort to understand and use the local bus system, especially in big cities like Paris and London.
You get to relax and watch the world go by. If you’re in London, rattle along
on the top level where you’ll enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the crowds surging
below. Subways may be fast and efficient, but busses are fun.
Double decker bus in London
TIP: On most European busses, stamp your ticket in the machine when you board the bus and again when you get off. Watch the locals to see what they do and then do the same. Usually some kind soul will help you. You’ll quickly get the hang of bus travel, and then you’re set for some awesome sightseeing—and helping other newbies!
Taxi?
I’m not saying never take taxis. I usually take a taxi from the train station to my hotel unless the hotel is super close. I’m not keen on wrangling my suitcase—mid-size though it is—on and off a local bus when I’ve just arrived in a place and don’t yet know the lay of the land.
And definitely take taxis when your safety or health may
be compromised by walking or taking public transit.
On a recent trip to Amsterdam, we emerged from a fabulous lunchtime concert at the Concertgebouw (great artsy sightseeing thing to do – see the Netherlands page) and into a streaming rain. At first, we thought we’d save money and brave the rain for the entire 20-minute walk back to our bed-and-breakfast (a fabulous place on the Herengracht).
After two minutes of walking, I was struck by a Sensible Thought. Walking home might save the planet and our money, but at what cost? It was the second day of a six-week trip to Europe. Both of us are, um, not young.
If one or both of us came down with a cold, we’d be doomed to days of misery.
I weighed that sobering possibility against the cost of a taxi (about 15 euros, as it turned out), and stuck out my arm to flag down a fortuitously passing cab.
Comfort over budget!
Museums and Concerts
Unless you can read the language, refuse the programs offered at concerts. Why waste paper when all you’ll do is look at the pictures?
In museums, leave the paper maps at the information desk and download the museum’s app. Small museums may not have apps, but large museums, such as the Louvre, National Gallery, and Rijksmuseum, do.
I’m really into using these apps when I tour a museum. I can usually find a particular painting more quickly via the app than by staring at maps that are often confusing.
Check to see if a museum has an app to use instead of a paper guide
Guidebooks
Load guidebooks onto your e-reader, Smartphone, or tablet. Some guidebooks, such as those by Rick Steves, also include helpful audio apps for visiting specific sites.
I enjoyed listening to Rick Steves explain the Sistine Chapel to me on a
recent visit, although I did get a crick in my neck.
Another useful app for finding your way around is Google Maps. Use this app to find local restaurants and check reviews. No more carrying around a paper guidebook!
And if you do take a guidebook, take only the portions you need for your
trip.
Before every trip to Europe, I buy one or more guidebooks (usually Rick Steves – I’m a big fan as you’ve probably guessed) and cut out the sections I want. I reduce my luggage weight (okay, not by much but every little bit counts), and I don’t have to carry a whole book with me on my daily meanderings.
Tour Operators
Pay attention to information on the tour operator’s website about
sustainable travel initiatives and other environmental activities.
Also, seek out independent local guides. You’ll gain plenty of personal
insights about the destination while also supporting the local economy.
Buying Green: Shopping
Say No to Receipts
Unless you’re traveling for business and your accountant wants you to keep paper receipts, either say no to receipts or have them emailed if the option is offered. All those bitty bits of paper add up, only to eventually be thrown away.
An exception is when you need a receipt to claim the V.A.T. refund at the airport before you leave for home. Learn more about tax-free savings and getting V.A.T. refunds on sales taxes in this article.
Shop Local
One of my favorite things about traveling is shopping at local markets for fresh food. The packaging is usually less than in supermarkets, and the quality is often higher. You also get to interact with local people and even try out a few words of the local language—at least please and thank you and a few numbers!
Deux tomates, s’il vous plaît!
Shopping Bags
Gregg and I have a thing about shopping bags. At the beginning of every trip, we buy a cloth bag or two in the local supermarket, use them throughout our trip, and then bring them home.
Every time we go shopping at home, we pull out one of the bags we bought while traveling and enjoy memories of our trip. One of the bags we bought is stamped with photographs of Fayence in the south of France which always make me smile. It’s the small things that make life worth living!
Souvenirs
Avoid buying the cheap plastic souvenirs that clutter up most gift shops. The majority are not made locally and just add to clutter. Instead, focus on purchasing a few locally made, useful souvenirs.
In Portugal, for example, buy a high-quality purse made from cork (I love
cork) instead of a plastic rooster statue. Roosters are a thing in Portugal.
Selection of cork products in Portugal –a practical souvenir
I get more pleasure out of products that I can use when I get home compared to figurines and knick-knacks that just sit on a shelf, crying out for a dusting that never comes.
When you buy locally made crafts and artwork, you also support local artisans and artists—a very Artsy Traveler (and green!) thing to do.
Another green travel option is to take a picture of a souvenir. You keep the memory and you help save the planet at the same time. Win win!
Being Green: Personal Products
Skin Care
Purchase eco-friendly sunscreens and insect repellants, particularly when you’ll be swimming in protected waters or eco-sensitive environments.
Packing
Consider packing light. I favor a mid-size suitcase, but I acknowledge the benefits of traveling with a carry-on size bag. With a small bag, you’ll likely take fewer taxis and walk more. Check out my packing suggestions here.
Gadgets
Whenever possible, purchase rechargeable batteries for battery-operated gadgets, such as your camera.
Eating Green: Food
Restaurants
Many countries are getting on board with plant-based cuisines. Back in the day, when it came to meal time, traveling in many parts of the world could be tough for vegetarians and almost impossible for vegans. Fortunately, this situation is rapidly changing. In cities, you’ll almost always find restaurants with excellent vegetarian and vegan options.
For example, we found a lovely little vegan restaurant called Gló in Reykjavik in Iceland—a country where just about every menu item is either lamb or fish.
Select dishes that are locally sourced whenever possible. Ask your server for suggestions. Choosing small, “mom-and-pop” restaurants instead of large chains full of tour groups is generally a good and green thing to do and far more interesting!
Straws
Tuck one of those fancy new reusable stainless-steel straws in your purse or backpack and forgo disposable plastic straws.
Coffee
Avoid buying take-out coffee. You’re on vacation! Get your coffee in a proper cup, pull up a chair in a sidewalk café, and watch the world go by.
Conclusion
Make finding new ways to travel green a fun part of your trip.
Every time you use your own soap and leave the packaged soap unopened, or buy a slab of cheese wrapped in paper from a market, or take a walking tour, or choose a small hybrid car over a gas-guzzling SUV, you’re doing your part to help keep our beautiful planet healthy and safe for future generations.
Happy traveling!
Do you have suggestions for traveling green? Please share them in the comments.
With COVID restrictions starting to ease around the world, intrepid travel writer and photographer–and new Artsy Traveler guest poster–Julie H. Ferguson decided to take the plunge and fly to Europe after two years of staying home. What were the COVID restrictions? How did she adapt? What was it like to fly again? Read Julie’s answers to these questions and more!
On March 13, 2022, clutching a supply of high-quality masks, tamping down some anxiety, and grinning broadly, I boarded the first of four flights to begin my trial.
I couldn’t help wondering how safe international travel would be for a seventy-six-year-old after the two-year COVID hiatus. Was Portugal the safest country to visit? What if I caught COVID while I was away?
For months, I’d followed the COVID stats and studies, as well as the opinions of infectious disease specialists so I could analyze my risk when countries began to ease travel restrictions. Perhaps Spring 2022 was the moment before the world began to travel like crazy.
Could I beat the rush?
Why I Chose Portugal to Test Travel
For me, traveling to Europe at this time was a more sensible option than traveling to remote destinations such as the Sahara or Zimbabwe that I usually favor. In February, I selected Portugal. It has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and at the time of my visit still maintained a mask mandate for indoor public spaces. The latter has since been lifted.
I was triple vaxxed and healthy. I also knew that Portugal had a good health care system, so I booked flights and accommodations a month before flying to Lisbon for my five-week trip.
Portugal proved a delight. Instead of using crowded trains and buses to tour the country, I decided that a rental car would reduce my risk. I also opted for two timeshares and chain hotels rather than Airbnbs, which I usually prefer.
The Portuguese were cheerfully masked inside, everywhere was clean, and my accommodations were spotless. Taxis (which I used in Lisbon and Porto) had a partition between the driver and passenger.
Prices were lower than in other European cities, particularly for food, wine, and taxis. And although the weather was unseasonably cool, I spent most days outside even when eating so I felt safer.
Air travel was good despite full planes. The timing of my trip meant that the requirement to be tested outbound had ended for Portugal, although all the airlines I used required me to show the Canadian vaccination certificate for three shots and to wear a mask on board.
I was not particularly worried about the risk in planes because ventilation and the HEPA filters are excellent.
I did find the big airports in Toronto, Frankfurt, and Lisbon a mite stressful despite their mask mandates. Each one was as busy as they were before the pandemic, but I still didn’t need the recommended three hours before international flights to negotiate check-in and security.
Social distancing was often impossible while standing in immigration and security lines, and waiting in departure lounges and baggage claim areas. Calgary airport, by contrast, was quiet and fast both leaving and returning.
Coming Home Safely to Canada
While I was away, Canada ended its COVID testing requirement for re-entry for vaccinated citizens. As a result, getting home was easy with just the ARRIVECan app to complete before departure.
Once home, I isolated for five days so I wouldn’t infect anyone here if I had caught COVID en route. I can report that I had not.
I continue to keep current with the COVID situation overseas because it makes sense to know what I may be getting into when I travel next.
Where to Next?
I’m booked to go on an Arctic expedition in August that has been cancelled twice. I’m so excited! After this test trip to Europe, I feel confident in my ability to avoid COVID while traveling by air and sea.
Read about Julie H. Ferguson on the Artsy Traveler Guest Posters page. Here are some other contributions from guest posters to help you with your travel planning:
Over the years, I’ve stayed in many charming, family-run hotels in Europe. Most are small, boutique-style places, and none are particularly expensive.
I’ve chosen family-run (or at least small) hotels in Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Limiting this list to ten was challenging, because, over the years, we’ve stayed in some pretty charming family-run, boutique-style places.
You’ll quickly find that Europe has more than its fair share of cool accommodation options!
I start in Austria and proceed through France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. If you wish to book accommodation at any of the places described, click the link to go directly to the hotel’s page on booking.com. I earn a small commission if you make a booking.
Austria
Gutshof zum Schluxen – a Boutique Hotel in the Tyrol
The charming Gutshof zum Schluxen is located just over the border from Füssen in Germany and not far from the famous “Mad Ludwig” castle, otherwise known as Neuschwanstein Castle. To find the place, you’ll need your GPS to guide you along country roads to the hamlet of Unterpinswang which is just beyond Pinswang and nestled in a valley ringed by the Tyrolean alps.
Pull into the spacious parking lot surrounded by horse-dotted fields. Minutes later, you’re greeted by the friendly, lederhosen-clad owner.
Exterior of Gutshof zum Schluxen
On the sunny terrace at the hotel
Our room
This small, family-run hotel, built in 1853 and renovated in 2014, is exactly what you imagine a Tyrolean inn would be, complete with wooden furniture, mountain views, hearty food, and beer served on an outdoor terrace.
We stayed only one night while en route to Italy, but I’d love to go back and settle in for longer. Many of the people staying at the Gutshof zum Schluxen were exploring the hiking trails in the area.
The inn offers a nightly dinner of good, filling Tyrolean food. I chose spaetzle and a delicious beer. After dinner, with the valley still bathed in golden light, we walked along the trail that leads to Neuschwanstein Castle.
You can hike to the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles in about an hour or cycle there in 30 minutes. To drive takes just 15 minutes. Linderhof Castle is a 45-minute drive away.
We slept well on comfy beds after our dinner and walk. Check out options for staying at the Gutshof zum Schluxen.
Charming Hotels in France
Small, family-run, boutique-style hotels surrounded by gorgeous scenery are thick on the ground in France.
I chose two of the many dozens we’ve stayed at to feature here: Les Sables d’Ocre outside of Roussillon in Provence, and the Château de la Vénerie, an honest-to-goodness château in the Champagne region about 40 kilometers north of Lyon.
Les Sables d’Ocre–A Family Favorite Hotel Near Roussillon
We discovered this place in the heart of the Luberon Natural Park in 1999 and have returned a few times. It’s a family favorite and the subject of one of the pieces (Monsieurs) in Pastel & Pen, a non-collaborative collaboration of Gregg’s drawings and my writing.
Les Sables d’Ocre sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be.
With its Provençal decor and airy rooms, many with private terraces, Les Sables d’Ocre is a marvelous place to relax. Stretch out on loungers by the pool on the one-hectare grounds overlooking a typical Provence landscape.
Another thing I like about this hotel is its proximity to the village of Roussillon. You can walk there in about 15 minutes.
Roussillon
If you haven’t been to Roussillon in the Luberon region of Provence, put it on your list.
Of all the charming villages in the Luberon, including Gordes, Bonnieux, Menerbes, and Apt, I like Roussillon best.
Perched atop a hill with a commanding view of the Luberon, the village includes plenty of small shops selling authentic souvenirs, such as local ceramics and scented soaps. You can never have too many bars of lavender soap, in my opinion!
Roussillon village sunset view, Provence, France
But what sets Roussillon apart from its sister villages in the Luberon are the stunning ochre cliffs. Go in the late afternoon when the light is perfect for photography.
You can walk to the cliffs from Les Sables d’Ocre.
Ochre hill in Roussillon
Ochre landscape at Roussillon in Provence, France
If you decide to stay at the Les Sables d’Ocre, spring for the Privilege Room with Terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.
The Luberon is also lavender central. If you travel to the Luberon from the end of June to the beginning of August, drive into the hills to view vast fields of purple lavender.
Lavender field in the Luberon region of southern France
Château de la Vénerie, Denicé
On our way north from Provence to Paris, we broke our trip about 40 kilometers north of Lyon at the spectacular Château de la Vénerie.
I’d always wanted to stay in a château but had mistakenly thought such luxury was out of my price range. Thankfully, I was wrong.
For the same price we’d pay for a run-of-the-mill three-star hotel, we enjoyed a massive room at the Château de la Vénerie where we were the only guests.
Below is our bedroom. The bathroom was almost as large!
Our bedroom at the Château de la Vénerie
The château has been owned by the same family for generations which, as a history buff, I was fascinated to learn. The proprietor’s English was on par with my French, but we managed to have a reasonably coherent bilingual chat over breakfast about the château and its history.
Located a few kilometers south of San Gimignano with a killer view over the valley, the Hotel Pescille is in the running for my fave hotel in all of Europe (or at least the parts I’ve visited).
I keep returning to the three-star, reasonably-priced Hotel Pescille for its simple but comfortable rooms, its fabulous location in the Tuscan countryside, and its rustic indoor and outdoor public spaces.
The walls in the common areas are decorated with farm implements, and ceramic pumpkins adorn niches and stairwells.
On our most recent trip, we took several walks near the hotel to admire the view.
San GImignano!
If you’re visiting San Gimignano and you’re traveling by car, consider staying at the Hotel Pescille. I recommend spending a little extra (it’s really not much extra) to get a room overlooking the stunning town of San Gimignano. The last time we stayed, our room included a small balcony.
Hotel Emilia
High on a hill overlooking the fabled Adriatic Sea, the Hotel Emilia is a spectacular choice if you’re exploring the Marches region along the east coast of Italy.
Located in the countryside about 11 kilometers south of Ancona, the family-run, 4-star Hotel Emilia is close to the Conero National Park and overlooks the tiny beach town of Portonovo. In the summer months, a shuttle takes you from the hotel to the beach where you can dip your toes into the Adriatic.
We visited in May and were able to swim in the pool, but the beach action wasn’t happening yet. We did have an amazing meal at a restaurant right on the beach in Portonovo.
A lovely feature of the Hotel Emilia are the modern sculptures dotted around the extensive grounds and the large library of art books in the common area.
View from the Hotel Emilia
Breakfasts were fabulous, the rooms with private terraces overlooking the view comfortable, and the staff friendly.
This is a wonderful choice located just inside the city walls of Siena. Drive up the hill to the Porta Laterina, then nip through the arched gateway and hang a sharp right to arrive at the Athena Hotel.
When you’re visiting Siena, you do not want to drive more than a few feet past one of the city gates. Not only might you get a stiff fine, but also you’ll likely get hopelessly lost and scrape the paint job on your car in the narrow streets.
The rooms at the Athena Hotel are large and the views over the countryside spectacular. The hotel offers free parking (always a bonus!), an elegant Italian restaurant, and a furnished terrace with views of the town and the surrounding valley.
From the hotel, we walked just ten minutes to reach the Campo and the center of Siena.
Spend a little extra to get a room at the Hotel Athena with a view like the one below. I took this picture from the parking lot just below the hotel. Pretty nice!
View from the Athena Hotel in Siena
Netherlands
Mokum Suites, Amsterdam
Amsterdam is not a budget city. You’ll pay a lot for a mediocre hotel room in a nondescript area and even more if the hotel is in the Canal Ring, also known as the Centrum.
I suggest you increase your budget and book a well-reviewed, small hotel on one of the long, leafy canals, such as Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht, or Singel. Staying on the outskirts is less expensive, but you’re doomed to long tram rides, and you won’t be able to stroll along moonlit canals right outside your front door.
By far, our favorite place in Amsterdam is Mokum Suites overlooking the Herengracht canal and near the Rembrandtplein. From your suite, watch the canal boats slide past.
View from the Hotel Athena in Siena
Although expensive (we paid €350 a night in May), accommodation at the Mokum Suites costs considerably less than a regular hotel. The house contains two suites in addition to a common area on the ground floor that includes a fridge and cooking facilities.
Your room rate also includes breakfast at a local café.
I highly recommend Mokum Suites both for its location and for the quality of the accommodations. We’ll stay there again.
The architecture of Amsterdam and its iconic canals near Mokum Suites
Portugal
Monte da Fornalha, Estremoz
One of our favorite country hotels on all our travels is the Monte da Fornalha, a few kilometers outside Estremoz–a white-washed hill town in the historic and scenic Alentejo region. This region is sometimes referred to as the Tuscany of Portugal.
Cityscape of Estremoz, the White City in Alentejo region, Portugal. Vines in the foregrund.
Surrounded by cork trees and cows, the rural property has simple rooms, fabulous breakfasts, and a tiled pool that even on the hottest days in July was refreshing enough to raise goosebumps.
If you’re in the Estremoz area, consider staying at the Monte da Fornalha for a few days to totally relax and soak up the Alentejo beauty.
Entrance to the Monte da Fornalh
Cork trees with freshly crumbled bark in Portugal
Spain
Hotel Cortijo-las-Piletas
On our trip to Europe in 2019, we opted to stay in the countryside about a 15-minute drive from Ronda, and we’re glad we did.
The weather was hot, and we needed a place to chill out. The Hotel Cortijo-las-Piletas fit the bill perfectly. The hotel even provided an excellent dinner served in the courtyard on one of the evenings we were there.
Courtyard at the HJotel Cortijo-las-Piletas
The proprietor of this family-run hotel was exceedingly friendly and accommodating. She handles the guests, and her husband cooks the dinners. I can’t recommend this place highly enough.
We were very happy to pull into this amazing place in the charming town of Boltaña after a harrowing drive in a torrential rainstorm across the Pyrenees from France.
If you’re in the vicinity of the Pyrenees, find and stay at the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña Spa. It’s a five-star establishment with three-star prices and serious luxury. I wish we could have stayed for a week.
In my travels, I’ve never seen a bigger bed than the Emperor-sized one placed regally in the middle of our cavernous room. At least six monks could have slept there comfortably, maybe seven if they were malnourished.
As the name suggests, the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña Spa includes a remarkable spa, a large and deliciously refreshing outdoor pool, and a gourmet restaurant. And did I mention the price? While not hostel-level, at just over €100 for our gorgeous double room, the prices are reasonable, considering the level of service and the beauty of the surroundings.
We’ve been known to pay a lot more for a lot less.
Ready for dinner at the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña Spa
I treated myself to a morning in the spa and, OMG! I’ve experienced a few spas in my time but never one as fancy and as varied as the spa at the Barceló Monasterio de Boltaña Spa. The spa features:
“Aguas del Ara” Spa Circuit
Large hydrotherapy pool with hot springs
Counter-current swimming unit
Oxygenating bubble beds
Three different-temperature cloverleaf-shaped hot tubs
Turkish bath
Roman bath
Ordesa rain shower room
Sensory showers with aromatherapy
I spent an hour completely alone in the spa–just me and a lot of bubbling, pummeling water. Heaven!
Staying healthy while traveling in Europe requires more vigilance than you exercise at home. You’ll come into contact with thousands of people, often in close quarters, and be exposed to millions of germs.
And if you work from home like I do, you’re at even greater risk of getting sick while traveling. Your system is likely not exposed to the variety of germs you’ll encounter when you travel to Europe.
Update: My guidelines are for traveling during normal times, not at present when most European countries are just starting to open their borders. When travel resumes, consider taking more precautions than you were used to taking in the past. Travel with a good supply of both disposable and washable masks, have your proof of vaccination ready, and observe all local regulations. Travel in 2021 and beyond will look different, for sure, but being kind and respectful will take you a long way! Here are new guidelines (as of June 9, 2021) regarding measures being put in place so you can prove you are vaccinated while traveling in Europe.
Be Vigilant About Hand-Washing
I
know—what else is new? But when you’re traveling, hand-washing is even more
important than it is when you’re at home. Not touching your face and keeping
your hands clean can help prevent the spread of germs and infectious diseases.
The current guideline is to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water.
Wet
your hands, leave the water running, soap up and then wash your hands while
singing Happy Birthday twice. Rinse your hands, then dry them with a
paper towel. Use the paper towel to turn off the water and to open the bathroom
door.
Frequent hand washing helps prevent getting sick.
In
a public washroom, you may want to sing under your breath. Or take a stab at
singing it in the local language and maybe make some new friends or at least
attract some smiles.
Finding
Washrooms in Europe
As
soon as you get to a restaurant and before you reach for the breadsticks, find
the washroom and wash your hands. Take time to learn how to ask, “Where is
the toilet?” in the language of the country you’re traveling in.
Or
just raise your eyebrow at the server, smile ruefully and point politely toward
the back of the restaurant. The server will know what you want and steer you in
the right direction.
That said, avoid public washrooms as much as possible, particularly the coin-operated, telephone-booth type WCs on street corners. In a pinch, you’ll have no choice, but if you can, wait until you get back to your hotel room.
Public toilets – useful in a pinch!
For an entertaining and detailed look at toilets in Europe, check out this article by Rick Steves.
Take Alcohol Wipes or Hand Sanitizer
Stash
several packets of alcohol wipes in your daypack or handbag. When you get to
Europe, look for the European versions in pharmacies and large supermarkets.
Purchasing
these kinds of products in Europe is always interesting because you often end
up with products that are different from what you’re used to and are work just
as well or better.
Keep Safe on the Plane
I’ve
taken to wiping down my tray table on the aircraft in recent years. I never
used to, which is probably why I usually caught a cold within the first few
days of arriving in Europe.
I
also recently read that the seat pocket in front of you is NEVER cleaned which
means it’s probably a ninth-grade science experiment. You don’t want to think
about it.
Resist
the temptation to stash your book or laptop in the seat pocket. Keep a small
bag with you at your seat for storing the stuff you need during the flight.
You should also wipe down the seatbelt and buckle, the remote control, the TV screen, and the headrest.
Inspect Hotel Rooms Carefully
Unfortunately, hotel rooms can be notoriously filthy even if they look clean, but during normal times, you don’t need to get too paranoid. Check for obvious signs of dirt such as poorly cleaned bathroom fixtures, stained carpets, and musty bedding. If the place is really awful, leave.
A
pervading smell of bug spray is another clue that you might want to find a
different place.
Also,
even in “good” hotels, bedspreads and decorative pillows are rarely washed. Be
sure to remove the bedspread before sitting on the bed and don’t cuddle up to
the pillows.
Another
germ-laced object in hotel rooms is the TV universal remote control. Before
using it, give it a good swab with an alcohol wipe.
Take Extra Medications
If
you take prescription medications, bring along more than you think you’ll need
for the duration of your trip. If you’re quarantined or otherwise delayed, you
want to be sure to have enough medication.
Consider
taking enough to last for at least four to six weeks beyond the duration of
your trip.
Take a First Aid Kit
In
addition to the usual first aid kit supplies (Band-Aids, tweezers, aspirins,
etc.), take along a small bottle of Oil of Oregano or the cold remedy of your
choice. At the first sign of a scratchy throat, take a dose or two.
Take along a good first aid kit
And
then get thee to a European pharmacy pronto.
Use European Pharmacies
Look
for the illuminated green cross. In many European cities, you’ll find a
pharmacy on every other block.
One
of the great joys of traveling in Europe is discovering the quality of the
pharmacies. Most are staffed with English-speaking health care professionals.
Buy Suggested Remedies at Pharmacies
Explain
what’s wrong to the pharmacist who will probably ask several detailed questions
about your symptoms and health history. They take their jobs very seriously and
really want to help.
The
remedies they recommend can be pricey, but in my experience they work well.
Don’t stint!
Go to the Hospital if Needed
Although,
thankfully, I’ve never been inside a European hospital, I’ve heard from many
other travelers that the level of care is excellent. If whatever ails you can’t
be fixed by a trip to the pharmacy, go to a local hospital and ask for help.
Avoid Large Crowds at Attractions
When
possible, avoid visiting attractions at peak times when crowds are at their
thickest. Your best bet is to go first thing in the morning.
When
you get to the Louvre the moment it opens, you’ll not only avoid crowds and
germs, you’ll also have the place to yourself. Imagine being the day’s first
person who gets to see the Mona Lisa.
Rent a Car
I know — it’s not the
green thing to do, but driving in your own car could help keep you healthy. If
you do travel by train, get out those alcoholwipes
and ramp up your hand-washing routine.
Travel Healthy: Walk More & Use Transit Less
Being
jammed next to someone who is coughing and sneezing when you have no room to
get away is a recipe for disaster. Be conscious of crowds on public transit and
whenever possible, walk or wait for the next bus or train that may be less
crowded.
Enjoy walking in European cities.
You
can mitigate some of the risk by avoiding traveling by public transit during
rush hour times.
Take Lots of Reading Material
What if you get delayed because of a health scare or, heaven forbid, you get sick yourself? Take along an e-Reader loaded with several novels. For inspiration, check out some of the novels listed in the various country pages on Artsy Traveler.
If you’re not able to enjoy your destination in person, you can at least read about it.
Conclusion
Staying
healthy while traveling in Europe is possible. Just like at home, you can avoid
germs by taking sensible precautions. The good news is that health care in
Europe is first rate.
Purchase
good travel insurance that includes health coverage and then relax. If you do
get sick, you will be well taken care of.
Everyone I know who has walked the Camino of Santiago (the Way) to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain raves about the experience.
My friend and guest poster Elizabeth Petrie is no exception. She and her friend, Cheri, walked the Camino from Pamplona to Burgos and from Sarria to Santiago, with train travel between Burgos, León, and Sarria.
Elizabeth shares her experiences and recommendations in three posts on Artsy Traveler. In this post, learn her top tips for enjoying the Camino of Santiago. To find out how Elizabeth and Cheri organized their walk, read A Camino Journal: Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela. Elizabeth’s recommendations for Burgos and León are included in Exploring Burgos and León.
Guest Poster Elizabeth Petrie
Retirement brings new opportunities, and one of my most cherished is having the chance to travel. New places, unique experiences, wonderful memories—what could be more enticing?
For a long time, walking across northern Spain on the Camino has topped my “bucket list.” My friend, Cheri, shared the same interest, so we decided to make plans to walk the Camino together.
Guest poster Elizabeth Petrie on the Camino of Santiago
Here are tips for helping you plan an awesome experience on the Camino of Santiago.
Prepare for the Camino of Santiago
Distance walking was new to me, so I started training about a year before leaving for Spain. Cheri and I began with modest treks of six to eight kilometers twice a week and worked up to walks of ten to twelve kilometers. By the time we left for Spain, we could comfortably walk about fourteen kilometers with our backpacks partially full.
Plan Your Itinerary
The Camino of Santiago extends across several countries and hundreds of kilometers. Start in France on the Camino Francés or complete all or a portion of the Camino del Norte like we did.
We put together an itinerary that included stays in four-star hotels in the cities we’d pass through: Pamplona, Burgos, León, and our final destination, Santiago de Compostela. We knew we’d appreciate a bit of luxury after days of slogging along and nights spent in the dormitory-like albergues.
An albergue is a hostel that provides accommodation only for pilgrims walking the Camino of Santiago. To stay in an albergue, you need to have a Pilgrims Passport.
Obtain a Pilgrims Passport
The Pilgrims Passport contains spaces for the sellos (stamps) that prove you’ve walked that day and are entitled to stay in one of the state-run albergues.
If you start the Camino from St. Jean in France or from Pamplona, like we did, you need to get one stamp per day. If you walk only the last 100 kilometers from Sarria, you need to get two stamps each day.
So long as you have sufficient stamps and you state at the Pilgrims Office in Santiago de Compostela that you’ve completed the Camino for religious or spiritual reasons, you’ll receive the Compostela at the end of the journey in Santiago.
If you state other reasons for completing the Camino, you receive a different certificate to commemorate your journey.
You can also get a passport at some albergues and pilgrims’ offices along the Way.
However, to save time, I recommend you obtain your Pilgrims Passport before you leave. To do so, connect with the Pilgrims’ Association in your home country.
Camino Websites for Canada, the UK, and the United States
For other organizations, search online for Pilgrims’ Association and the name of your country.
Choose When to Go
Consider walking the Camino in May or September. The weather from June to August is too hot, the hotel prices are higher, and the Way is much more crowded.
We found that May was perfect with regard to both the weather and the crowds (or lack of!). While you definitely won’t run into crowds in the winter months, be aware that many of the smaller albergues are closed from mid-October to mid-April.
Purchase a Guidebook
I recommend A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago (Camino Francés): St. Jean – Roncesvalles – Santiago by John Brierley. The book includes all the information you’ll need: route and town maps, and the location of coffee shops, restaurants, and albergues. The book also lists telephone numbers of the albergues so that you can book ahead.
Plan Your Daily Walk Duration
Plan to walk no more than 15 to 18 kilometers in a day (about five hours), depending on the terrain.
This distance is long enough to give you a reasonable goal, time to stop for sightseeing and meals, and the best chance of finding accommodations. Also, we found that blisters started forming if we attempted to walk more than 22 kilometers in one day.
On most days, we left the albergue around 8 am and arrived at our next albergue in the mid-afternoon. The earlier you get to the albergue you plan to stay in, the better your chances of finding accommodations. Many albergues do not take reservations, although sometimes you can speak with the hospitalero and ask them to call ahead for you.
Book Accommodations for the Final 100 Kilometers
While you do not need to book accommodations along the early stretches of the Way (and often you cannot), you should book places to stay along the last 100 kilometers.
The Way becomes increasingly crowded the closer you get to Santiago. We used booking.com to book small hotels along the last stretch of the Way and were glad we did. Each place we booked was clean and conveniently located.
Here are some tips for helping you enjoy your time on the Camino.
Use the Send-Ahead Pack Service
Send your main pack ahead and hike with just a day pack. The send-ahead service was well worth the few extra euros (usually €3 to €5 per pack). You can send your pack from any Camino albergue in the morning to the albergue at your next stopping point. Call ahead to make sure the albergue you plan on staying at has available beds and will be open when the van arrives with your pack.
Take a Day Pack
Pack the following items in your day pack:
A full first-aid pack, complete with Compeed*and blister treatment, a needle and cotton thread, antibiotic ointment, Band-Aids, antiseptic spray, antihistamines, Afterbite, an elastic bandage, and sunscreen. You’ll find plenty of pharmacies along the Way in case you run out of anything.
A liter of water. If you sweat a lot, you will occasionally need to supplement your water with a local version of Gatorade.
A change of socks. Sweaty socks can bring on blisters.
A change of shirt and rain gear if rain threatens.
Fresh or dried fruit, nuts, protein, etc. Depending on your route for the day, you’ll usually find small coffee bars and restaurants along the Way where you can purchase lunch.
Your passport, credit cards, and other essential documents. Also, carry a day’s worth of currency and never flash around large amounts of cash.
*Compeed is a miracle blister treatment available in Spanish farmacias.
I suggest stocking up on Compeed before you leave by buying it online. As soon as you feel a friction blister coming on, put the clear plastic Compeed over it and leave it on. You’ll never have another blister!
Limit Technology
On the Way, consider forgoing technology as much as possible. If you take a SmartPhone to check weather reports and make hotel bookings, particularly in the last 100 kilometers, purchase a cell phone package for Europe from your service provider or pick up a SIM card at a local provider such as Vodafone or Orange.
Use your phone to take pictures instead of carrying a heavy, expensive camera. Also, I suggest not wearing earbuds while you’re walking or you’ll miss the bird song and conversation.
One of my lasting memories on the Way is the sound of an amazing variety of bird songs.
Enjoy the Pilgrim’s Dinner
Have the pilgrim’s dinner when it’s offered at the albergues. You’ll get a cheap and tasty meal that includes soup or salad, a fish or pork entrée, dessert, and a glass of local wine. The local soups are delicious and filling.
Use Other Transportation as Needed
Consider occasionally taking a taxi or public transit when you get tired rather than risking injury. Walking the Camino in short stages will help conserve your energy.
Take Good Footwear
Wear hiking boots that are well broken in. Also, pack a pair of lighter shoes, such as Teva sandals, to occasionally give your feet a rest. Wear flip flops in the shower and around the albergue at the end of the day.
Some markers are decorated imaginatively.
Enjoy Meeting New People on the Camino
A highlight of walking the Way is meeting many wonderful and interesting people. People in the albergues and elsewhere along the Camino could not do enough for us. We always left our packs closed, and they were never disturbed, even when we left them in dormitories to go sightseeing.
Slow Down
My best advice for walking the Camino is to slow down and savor the experience. In other words, stop and smell the roses!
Check out as many churches, shrines, historical sites, and civic plazas as you can. You’ll be amazed at the unexpected beauty and fascinating art and architecture.
Sign on the Camino de Santiago
Northern Spain has been home to human beings for tens of thousands of years, from Neanderthal times to the present. You can hardly take a step without passing a fascinating site of historical significance.
For example, on some sections of the Way, you’ll be following, if not actually walking on, the original Roman roads. And in some of the smaller villages where the Spanish Civil War was fought in the 1930s, you’ll still see bullet holes in the walls of old barns and houses.
Suggested Itinerary
For a detailed breakdown of our itinerary that started in Pamplona, Spain and included stops in Burgos and León,along with a few train journeys, see the post A Camino Journey: Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela.
I can’t imagine how our trip could have been any better. We enjoyed pretty much perfect weather, and we both kept well and healthy. In addition, we met interesting people, enjoyed delicious and reasonably-priced meals, and soaked up some of the rich history and culture of Navarra, La Rioja, and Galicia.
We also appreciated the spiritual nature of our journey to Santiago, taking time every day to reflect with humble gratitude upon our many blessings. Our trip was a pilgrimage in many senses of the word.
You’re in luck when it comes to finding great places to stay in France. In fact, some of our most memorable stays in Europe have been in family-run, country-style hotels in France.
In this post, I provide general tips about accommodations in France and then list hotels I recommend.
Choosing a Room
To Book or Not to Book?
I favor a combination approach to booking hotels in France. Generally, I book most of the hotels on my itinerary before I leave home, and then while traveling, I make adjustments as needed. I like the security of knowing that I have a place to stay, but I also take advantage of cancellation options to ensure I can always change my mind.
To stay flexible, choose a hotel booking site that allows you to book, change, or cancel hotel reservations if your itinerary changes. Most sites offer a no-cancellation option at a lower price.
TIP: Stay flexible when you travel. You never know when you might meet someone who recommends a festival or event or exhibition. More than once, I’ve altered an itinerary to attend a special exhibition or visit a new attraction.
I never choose the no-cancellation price unless I’m 100% sure I’ll be staying at the hotel. For example, I will select the no-cancellation price for hotels I’m staying at in the cities I fly into and depart from because I know those locations won’t change.
Breakfasts in French Hotels
Breakfasts in France are generally of the continental variety and include croissants (both regular and chocolate-filled), fresh baguettes with wonderful butter and lots of jams and marmalades, and coffee. You may also find fresh fruit, dry cereal, cold meats, and cheeses. In large hotels, cooked options may be available.
In our experience, most breakfasts in small country hotels in France are continental breakfasts that are either included in the room price or are generally not too expensive.
If hotel breakfasts cost too much extra, I buy yogurt and fruit at a local grocery store and then go to a bar or café for my morning café au lait.
Recommended Locations
In France, I favor hotels on the outskirts of cities or in the countryside if we’re driving. I check the map showing the location of hotels and choose one that is outside town walls but within walking distance of the center of town.
I don’t recommend driving into Paris. We’ve done so several times, and it’s challenging, to say the least!
Traffic in Paris–not for the faint of heart!
Star Rating
I favor three- or four-star properties in France that offer amenities such as elevators, air conditioning, parking, bathtubs, pools, and WIFI.
I also like larger rooms. Check the square meterage of the room. Anything under 15 square meters is too small for two people with luggage. I do my best to book rooms that are at least 20 square meters.
Reviews – Should You Care?
I recommend that you pay attention to reviews. If a property’s aggregate review is under 8.0 out of a possible 10, consider taking a pass. Sometimes, the difference between a property with a 9.6 review and one with an 8.2 review is only a few euros, and yet the quality of the higher-rated property makes the extra money worth spending.
You have to take reviews with a grain of salt, however. Just because a property has a score of 9.8 doesn’t meant it’s five-star luxury. A 9.8 score for a two-star hotel is not the same as a 9.8 for a four-star.
TIP: Read reviews on a few sites, such as booking.com and TripAdvisor. I take my time when booking accommodations in France and elsewhere to make sure I’m getting the best value for my travel dollar.
For each destination, I describe properties I’ve stayed in. Click the link to the hotel to make a reservation with booking.com.
Places to Stay in Paris
When you’re in Paris, you won’t want to stay outside the périphérique in what are pretty dull suburban areas. The périphérique is the multi-lane ring road that circles Paris. Mammoth traffic jams are not uncommon on the périphérique –we’ve experienced a few!
To avoid driving into Paris, we’ve occasionally stayed at a hotel near one of the portes on the périphérique. However, I don’t recommend doing so. The surrounding area can be quite dreary, and you’ll need to take a long Metro ride into the center.
If you’re driving, consider organizing your trip so that you either start or end in Paris. That way, you can be car-free in the city and stay at a place in an interesting and central area, such as the Marais or my favorite, Montparnasse, on the Left Bank.
Recommended Neighborhoods in Paris
We visit Paris frequently and usually stay either in apartments or hotels on the Left Bank. The Montparnasse area is far enough from the tourist crowds and the throat-tightening prices of Saint Germain but still within walking distance, or a short Metro ride, of the Seine.
Montparnasse these days isn’t the bohemian, majorly hip place it was between the World Wars when everyone who was anyone—from Hemingway to Picasso to the newly formed surrealist group— hung out there. However, it still has plenty of good restaurants (La Coupole, Le Dôme) with appropriately snooty waiters (I adore watching Parisian waiters work!) and amazing seafood.
Here are my accommodation picks for Paris, all of which we’ve stayed in.
Hôtel de L’Université on the Left Bank near Saint-Germain-des-Prés is lovely with spacious rooms and an awesome location just blocks from the Seine and the hip part of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. We will definitely stay there again.
Hôtel Le Chaplain in Montparnasse is a reasonably-priced budget option located near the Vavin Metro stop.
Hôtel A La Villa des Artistes is the first hotel we stayed in as a family. Located in Montparnasse on the same street as the Hôtel Le Chaplain and close to the Vavin Metro, the hotel is also a short walk to the Luxembourg Gardens where our daughter spent many happy hours in a smartly designed playground.
Hôtel Le Clos Médicis has a great location about a block from the Luxembourg Gardens near the Boulevard Saint Michel. The rooms are pricey and tiny but very well-appointed and comfortable.
Medici fountain in the Luxembourg Garden near the Hôtel Le Clos Médici
We’ve stayed in a few more hotels that don’t warrant a recommendation. Paris has its share of overpriced and underwhelming places. Take your time finding a place and be aware that you may need to adjust your budget upwards to get a comfortable room in a good location.
As mentioned, we usually stay in apartments. Good options are available on HomeAway and booking.com.
I recommend basing yourself in Honfleur and from there exploring the World War II beaches at Normandy, the charming town of Bayeux with its historic tapestry, and the soaring cliffs of Étretat.
Honfleur has several good choices, including the Hotel L’Ecrin where we stayed. The hotel includes free parking and is within easy walking distance of the Vieux Bassin.
We love traveling in Brittany! Over the years, we’ve visited a few times and have always found excellent, country-style accommodations.
Here are three hotels that I’m happy to recommend:
Trébeurden and Trégastel on the Côte de Granit Rose
Both Trébeurden and Trégastel are great choices if you want to spend time exploring the gorgeous Côte de granit rose (Pink Granite Coast). Both of these hotels are excellent options:
Trébeurden: Hôtel Le Toeno offers simple and comfortable accommodation with terraces that overlook the ocean.
Trégastel: Le Beauséjour also features sea views in addition to an excellent restaurant. Our room had a very fancy spa bath with more jet settings than I’ve ever seen.
View of the Côte de Granit Rose near Trégastel in Brittany
Pont Aven
Spend some time in lovely little Pont Aven where Gauguin was inspired to paint some of his most memorable works.
We stayed at Le Domain de Pont Aven Art Gallery Resort–quite a posh place that was worth the cost. Set in beautiful grounds and within walking distance of Pont Aven, the resort is a good choice for a splurge.
Places to Stay in Provence and the Côte d’Azur
Provence and the stunning Côte d’Azur are, hands down, my favorite areas of France. Well, why not? Provence has it all–fields of lavender and sunflowers under brittle blue skies, swims in the warm Mediterranean, excellent meals enjoyed al fresco, and that special light that has inspired artists for centuries.
Pretty much every time we’ve traveled to Europe in the past several years, we’ve squeezed in at least a few days in the south of France. In 2021, we plan to settle into a place near the Mediterranean for three months.
Here, I’ll describe some of the places we’ve stayed in Provence. Areas include van Gogh country around Les Baux-des-Provence on the western edge of Provence, the charming towns of Roussillon and Gordes in the Luberon area, the relatively undiscovered Var region, and finally, the fabled Côte d’Azur.
Les Baux-des-Provence in Van Gogh Country
By van Gogh country, I mean Arles and the surrounding areas where Vincent van Gogh painted during the few years he lived in the region. Because we always have a car in Provence, we book places in the countryside in this area rather than within the Arles city limits or in difficult-to-navigate Les Baux-des-Provence.
Les Baux-des-Provence is close to both recommended properties
But if you’re not driving, find a hotel in Arles so you can enjoy wandering this delightful city in the warm, Provençal evening.
Here are two places I highly recommend, both in the countryside near Les Baux-des-Provence:
Du Côté Des Olivades is outside the small town of Paradou, but it’s in the vicinity of Les Baux-des-Provence. This place is Provence with a capital P, with plenty of 4-star luxury and a gorgeous country setting. We walked from here to nearby Paradou where we enjoyed one of our favorite meals in Provence (which is saying something!).
On our most recent trip to the area, we stayed in Domaine du Mas Foucray in a rural setting near the small town of Maussane-les-Alpilles and within sight of Les-Baux-de-Provence. Billed as an aparthotel, the one-bedroom suites include a kitchen and sitting area and a private terrace. In early July when we were there, we picked fresh apricots off the trees.
I took this video on the grounds of the property. If you’re looking for a relaxing, Provençal experience without the hefty price tag of some of the properties in the area, then you can’t go wrong with the Domaine du Mas Foucray.
Domaine du Mas Foucray near Les Baux-de-Provence
Luberon Area (Vaucluse)
On one of our first family trips to Europe when our daughter was nine years old, we rented a house for two weeks in the hill town of Saignon, located near Apt in the Vaucluse region of the Luberon.
With lavender season in full swing and beautiful vistas everywhere we looked, not to mention warm summer days and lots to see, we fell in love with the area.
Saignon in the Luberon in Provence where we stayed for two weeks
Pick one of the gorgeous little towns and settle in for as many days as you can manage. We’ve home-based in Bonnieux, Roussillon, and Gordes. Other good options are Menerbes (where A Year in Provenceby Peter Mayle is set), Lacoste, and tiny Saignon with its ruined fortress and sweeping views.
One of our favorite family-run, country-style hotels is Les Sables d’Ocre in Roussillon. The place is also one of the two French properties I include in 10 Family-Run Hotels in Europe I Recommend.
Here are two highly recommended hotels in the Luberon, one in Roussillon and one in Gordes.
Les Sables d’Ocre – A 15-minute walk from the village of Roussillon, this place sets the bar for what a country-style, family-run, low-key, easy-on-the-budget place should be. Book one of the rooms that includes a terrace. You’ll have your own private outdoor space and be steps from the pool.
Domain de l’Enclos – This place close to Gordes–one of the most beautiful hill towns in the area–is wonderful. We snagged a room with a terrace which Gregg made use of to do some drawing. The views from the garden over the Luberon are spectacular.
Gregg drawing on the terrace at the Domaine de l’Enclos near Gordes, Provence
The Var
If you’re driving from Aix-en-Provence to the Côte d’Azur, you pass through the spectacular–and relatively undiscovered–region of the Var. We’ve stayed in the Var a few times while Gregg had exhibitions at the gorgeous little village of Seillans, a hill town not far from Fayence, one of the principal towns in the area.
Here are two recommended properties in the area around Seillans.
Hôtel Restaurant des Deux Rocs – Situated at the edge of Seillans and including a lovely restaurant with a terrace overlooking the view, this place is a great choice if you want to stay in the village of Seillans.
La Bastide de Negrin – This place is a good example of a typical small bed and breakfast in the area, with comfortable rooms and of course, a pool. Each of the four rooms is named after a different artist: Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and Cezanne.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence
This area of the Côte d’Azur is one of our favorites, particularly the town of Vence. You’ll find plenty of gorgeous properties in the area. Here are three that we’ve stayed in.
La Petite Maison: This two-story apartment has a spectacular view over Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the Mediterranean beyond. You are also within easy walking distance of the village.
Gregg surveying Saint Paul-de-Vence from the terrace of Le Petite Maison
Hôtel Marc Hély: We enjoyed a room with a view over Saint Paul-de-Vence and a tasty breakfast in the courtyard. This is a great choice in La Colle-sur-Loup, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Fondation Maeght.
Wine on the balcony at the Hôtel Marc-Hély
Miramar: This hotel is in Vence, which is just up the hill from Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a larger town with more services. FYI, we had the best pizza in an outdoor café in the Old Town of Vence! The Miramar is a reasonably-priced and well-located property that is great for drivers.
Port Palace Hotel in Monte Carlo – On a recent trip to the Riviera, we arrived at the house we’d rented through HomeAway for three days high above Monte Carlo to find no one there. A quick call to the HomeAway folks confirmed that our reservation had never been confirmed, despite emails to the contrary. What to do? Fortunately, HomeAway responded to our predicament by booking us into the Port Palace right on the harbor in Monte Carlo. The first night was comped, but we loved the place so much that we stayed for another two nights. Although a bit on the pricey side, the massive room and the harbor view along with fabulous breakfasts and really friendly staff made our stay at the Port Palace once of our most memorable in France.
Hôtel de l’Esterel in Agay overlooking the Mediterranean and not far from Saint Raphael is located right smack in the middle of a Pierre-en-Vacances, otherwise known as a holiday village. From our room we overlooked one of the largest hotel pools I’ve ever seen. The holiday village was hopping with French families and included several restaurants, a row of shops, and numerous activities.
Massive pools at the Holiday Village where the Hôtel de l’Esterel is located
Places to Stay in Dordogne and Languedoc
Like Provence, both Languedoc and the Dordogne have many gorgeous properties set in idyllic countryside. Here are two in the Dordogne and one in Albi in Languedoc that we’ve stayed in and recommend.
Château le Tour is a fabulous choice in the middle of the countryside east of Bergerac and near the tiny village of Faux. We stayed for several days and enjoyed evening meals served outside to all the guests, swims in the infinity pool, and lots of lounging around the grounds. If you want a country experience in the Dordogne and you’re touring France by car, you can’t go wrong at this place.
Château de Tour in the Dordogne region of France
The Hôtel Archambeau in the tiny village of Thonac not far from Montignac is another great country-style choice. Take a walk around the village and out into the bucolic countryside.
We recently visited Albi in Languedoc for the first time and were very much taken with it. La Cabane Albigeoise is a self-contained, two-floor minihouse located in a large garden above the river and right across from the iconic Albi Cathedral. Here’s the view from the terrace.
View of Albi Cathedral from La Cabane Albigeoise
Conclusion
Do you have recommendations for great places to stay in France? Please share your experience with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments section below.
Once you’ve secured your accommodations, check out what there is to see in the places your visiting. Here are some posts to help you choose:
