We've been using Air BnB for almost the whole trip so far, or effective equivalents. I thought I'd discuss how this has gone for us in the Balkans.
The answer is, pretty well really.
They allow us to stay reasonably close to the centres of towns for not too much money. Sometimes hotels would be as cheap, but would not have close to the facilities we want. Note that we have only been selecting "self-contained" places, rather than those where you share a room in a house.
They have often been small, although only a couple have been "studio" types. Partly that's because smaller ones are cheaper and there's only the two of us so we don't care too much about size. Partly it is because in the ex-Soviet places they have tended to be ex-Soviet era apartments, so about 45 to 55 square metres (55 sq m was a four-person family apartment). Even then they are bigger than any hotel rooms we could afford.
Most of the apartment building ones are either an upper floor or basement, because they are the ones people don't like (or move out of when they lose mobility). Not all of them in the more eastern places had lifts, or at least had lifts all the way, so carting bags up and down stairs has been normal. One reason we shed weight early in the trip.
All have had cooking facilities, except the first one in Cyprus. Often quite rudimentary facilities though, such as only two cookers, but nonetheless enough for us to prepare a dinner. Rarely an oven. That saves money compared to eating out, but also since we are traveling for so long, it is better for our digestions not to eat too much restaurant food. If we are going to buy a restaurant or cafe food, it will generally be lunch.
Luckily Alison brought a small but effective selection of cooking implements, which has proved very useful. Places have usually have most of the things you need but often have gaps – so one place will have no strainer for pasta, the next no decent stirring spoon, and some only pathetic little blunt knives. Having a decent knife, stirring spoon, corkscrew, tongs and peeler has proved quite useful.
Everywhere has had a fridge, albeit sometimes quite little ones. That means we can have fresh milk for our coffees, if nothing else (I've been very surprised, that everywhere has actually had fresh milk). Also we can buy more than one day's worth of salad dressing, salami, cheese, butter and such.
Cooking oil has been the big issue, because it is awkward to travel with and some places have had none.
The beds have mostly been fine. Firm, in that European way, which we like. Generally queen or wider, although we have had to relearn how to sleep in doubles again. The only disaster was the one in Bar, Montenegro which squeaked tremendously every time we moved – really really loudly – which was really very annoying.
Most have had washing machines. Given the length of our trip, that has proved very important. Some of the machines have been a trifle difficult to use, as we try to guess how to use them from their instructions in a different language, but far better than trying to wrangle laundromats or paying the exorbitant prices hotels charge. (In Mexico we resorted to hand washing rather than paying hotel prices.)
Showers have been a bit of an issue. Some of the plumbing in the Balkans is ropy, and getting the showers to a pleasant temperature has proved possible sometimes only after quite a lot of effort.
Everywhere has been clean, including all the towels and bedclothes. Properly clean.
The hosts have all been excellent. Most of have spoken enough English to get by with. Some have proved a trifle over eager to help really (to the point where I often hope that they don't have much English). A few places were a bit hard to find, since street names aren't as reliable here as you might hope.
So overall, we have found them good, and we are pleased we have taken this route rather than hotels.
They don't have that sweet reliability of hotels, but unlike hotels we can cook, have a fridge, can wash our clothes etc. That's far more important than yet another perfect hotel room with perfect beige bed and fluffy towels.
Also, we have a bit more insight into how people in the countries actually live. The international blandness of hotels might be a way to avoid culture shock for some people, but we enjoy seeing the slightly different ways people do things.
Oddball Issues for the Balkans
Furnishings have been good, except curtains. Apparently curtains that keep light out aren't a bit thing in the Balkans. Many of the recent places have had shutters, but almost nowhere has had genuinely dark curtains. Bulgaria was particularly poor in regards to curtains, which were more or less non-existent.
Romanians and Hungarians apparently have not really worked out how shower curtains work – or even in some cases that they are a good idea.
Then again the Romanian places had no plugs for the sinks, and no plastic basins. Washing up is a significant issue when you can't hold water in a sink. We asked one of the Romanian owners about it and he said that it was normal in Romania – you wash them all with hot water then rinse them afterwards with running water. All for want of a $1 plug!
Every single place has had one of these sponge with scratchy backings for the dishes. They are so useless! I have not seen a brush type dish cleaner yet.
The answer is, pretty well really.
They allow us to stay reasonably close to the centres of towns for not too much money. Sometimes hotels would be as cheap, but would not have close to the facilities we want. Note that we have only been selecting "self-contained" places, rather than those where you share a room in a house.
They have often been small, although only a couple have been "studio" types. Partly that's because smaller ones are cheaper and there's only the two of us so we don't care too much about size. Partly it is because in the ex-Soviet places they have tended to be ex-Soviet era apartments, so about 45 to 55 square metres (55 sq m was a four-person family apartment). Even then they are bigger than any hotel rooms we could afford.
Most of the apartment building ones are either an upper floor or basement, because they are the ones people don't like (or move out of when they lose mobility). Not all of them in the more eastern places had lifts, or at least had lifts all the way, so carting bags up and down stairs has been normal. One reason we shed weight early in the trip.
Standard lobby in Bulgaria. The red door is to the (tiny) elevator.
The rooms are much nicer.
All have had cooking facilities, except the first one in Cyprus. Often quite rudimentary facilities though, such as only two cookers, but nonetheless enough for us to prepare a dinner. Rarely an oven. That saves money compared to eating out, but also since we are traveling for so long, it is better for our digestions not to eat too much restaurant food. If we are going to buy a restaurant or cafe food, it will generally be lunch.
Luckily Alison brought a small but effective selection of cooking implements, which has proved very useful. Places have usually have most of the things you need but often have gaps – so one place will have no strainer for pasta, the next no decent stirring spoon, and some only pathetic little blunt knives. Having a decent knife, stirring spoon, corkscrew, tongs and peeler has proved quite useful.
Everywhere has had a fridge, albeit sometimes quite little ones. That means we can have fresh milk for our coffees, if nothing else (I've been very surprised, that everywhere has actually had fresh milk). Also we can buy more than one day's worth of salad dressing, salami, cheese, butter and such.
Cooking oil has been the big issue, because it is awkward to travel with and some places have had none.
The beds have mostly been fine. Firm, in that European way, which we like. Generally queen or wider, although we have had to relearn how to sleep in doubles again. The only disaster was the one in Bar, Montenegro which squeaked tremendously every time we moved – really really loudly – which was really very annoying.
Most have had washing machines. Given the length of our trip, that has proved very important. Some of the machines have been a trifle difficult to use, as we try to guess how to use them from their instructions in a different language, but far better than trying to wrangle laundromats or paying the exorbitant prices hotels charge. (In Mexico we resorted to hand washing rather than paying hotel prices.)
Showers have been a bit of an issue. Some of the plumbing in the Balkans is ropy, and getting the showers to a pleasant temperature has proved possible sometimes only after quite a lot of effort.
Everywhere has been clean, including all the towels and bedclothes. Properly clean.
The hosts have all been excellent. Most of have spoken enough English to get by with. Some have proved a trifle over eager to help really (to the point where I often hope that they don't have much English). A few places were a bit hard to find, since street names aren't as reliable here as you might hope.
So overall, we have found them good, and we are pleased we have taken this route rather than hotels.
They don't have that sweet reliability of hotels, but unlike hotels we can cook, have a fridge, can wash our clothes etc. That's far more important than yet another perfect hotel room with perfect beige bed and fluffy towels.
Also, we have a bit more insight into how people in the countries actually live. The international blandness of hotels might be a way to avoid culture shock for some people, but we enjoy seeing the slightly different ways people do things.
Oddball Issues for the Balkans
Romanians and Hungarians apparently have not really worked out how shower curtains work – or even in some cases that they are a good idea.
Then again the Romanian places had no plugs for the sinks, and no plastic basins. Washing up is a significant issue when you can't hold water in a sink. We asked one of the Romanian owners about it and he said that it was normal in Romania – you wash them all with hot water then rinse them afterwards with running water. All for want of a $1 plug!
next trip, dish brush :-)
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