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    August 06

    The rest of the hotels and hostels

    Spain:
     
    • Barcelona:  Hostal-Residencia Rembrandt--nice place, clean, good rooms and great bathrooms.  On the 3rd floor but there is an elevator.  People that work there are really nice and the computer there is usually available.  Good price too.  Location is perfect as it is barely a block off of the middle of Las Ramblas in the center of the action.
    • Ibiza:  Hostal Residencia Roberto Playa--this is just like a regular hotel and nice!  I will DEFINTELY stay here on my next trip to Ibiza!  A/C and room with bath was great but the location rocked!  1 block from beach and a grocery store.  The Comic Bar across the street is great and there are plenty of restaurants right on the water to choose from.  15 min walk to downtown isn't a problem b/c taxi stand is a 2 blocks away and you'll use that to get to most clubs at night anyway. 
    • Madrid:  Hostal Esparteros--room was pretty big, had a fan and a tv.  Bathroom in room was nice.  Only downside was that it was on the 5th floor which was a little much at times.  Location and price make it a great deal though--1 block from the Puerto del Sol which is the center of Madrid and your lifeline to the metro system.  Oh and all of the bars you want to visit are right there!
    • Sevilla:  Hostel Lis II--this was where I had that mosquito nightmare so if you have bug spray you are good to go because the place is nice otherwise.  The shared bathroom worked fine for me and the people were really helpful.  Just make sure you have bug spray!!
    • Granada--I didn't end up going here so can't tell you what it was like.  But if I hear back from Fernando on it I'll put it on here.

    Portugal:

    • Lagos--I didn't end up going here so. . .
    • Salema:  Pension Mare--I stayed in room #5 and it was wonderful.  The owners are so nice and make an amazing breakfast (included) and the rooms are spacious, airy, resort-feeling and just perfect.  Plus it is a block from the beach.  The town isn't big so that helps but I recommend to you that this IS the place to stay in Salema.
    • Lisbon:  Pensao Modelo--location of this was great.  In the center of Lisbon off of the street of restuarants and the commercial square.  My room was on the 5th floor which meant lots and lots of stairs.  Ask for one lower.  It is right on a busy street but I had the window open all the time and was never bothered by noise.  But  I stayed out late so maybe that had something to do with it.  Bathroom was great and mine had a bathtub. 
     
    June 12

    Quick review of where I´ve stayed so far

    Here are some reviews to help my fellow travelers out!
    France & Switzerland:
    • Paris:  Hotel Stella--well the place was closed by the government a week before I was going there so don´t try this place!  Instead had 2 pricier nights at the Opera Hotel, 1 night with a fantastic new friend and 2 nights at Hostel Kellerman--I recommend this place, clean, nice, good price, had single room to myself with own shower/bath and they really didn´t mean the 1p curfew because they were there waiting for me at like 4 or 5 am one night : )
    • Chamonix (French Alps):  Hotel Le Chamonix--really nice place, cheap in the off season (trade of is that it is the off season there) and it is pricier in the snow season.  Room was great lodge feel, loved the bathroom with a shower that you just pick the temperature you want the water to be and turn it on.  Location couldn´t be beat. In center of town 3 min walk to train/bus station.
    • Geneva:  City Hostel Geneva--great location, 5 min from train station and 15 min walk to other side of the lake but strolling was best on this side.  Cleanest place I´ve stayed in and helpful staff.
    • Gimmelwald (Swiss Alps):  Mountain Hostel Jungfrau--perfect place to stay here!  Definitely a reason it is one of the top 10 hostels in the world.  Very camping like and no lockers but hey there are only 120 people in the town.  Great atmosphere, cheap and they have food and a bar with pool table.  What could be better?
    • Nice (French Riviera):  Hostel des Alize--this is one of the nastiest places in the world in a ghetto part of town!  AVOID!!
    • Arles (Provence):  Crau Hotel--hotel was fine if you have a car, otherwise it is a 10 Euro taxi ride and there is just not much going on nearby
    • Collioure:  Hotel Le Maritime--again hotel was fine but they didn´t give me directions until week before. . . and that would be because they weren´t really in Collioure, it was the town next door and there are 4 trains a day that go there or a 30+ Euro taxi ride
     
    Greece:
    • Athens:  Athens Backpackers--fun place, people working there are what make it great and another of the top 10 hostels in the world.  Location can´t be beat and great deal.  You will always share a room with 4-5 others but hey, that is hosteling.
    • Nafplion:  Eden Beach—Plaka Hotel Resort--chances are you are going here by car anyway so the 5km away from Nafplion issue isn´t a big deal.  Would only go here during high season when the entire resort is open.  Definitely not a cheap place, priciest night of my whole trip.
    • Athens:  Hotel Fivos--skip it, would have been better to go back to Athens Backpackers, not sure why I didn´t do this. . .
    • Mykonos (Greek Islands):  Hotel Philippi--loved this place and it is probably one of the real reasonable spots in town.  Beautiful hotel, great location in the center of Mykonos Town, nice facilities including a fridge which was helpful for cheaper eats!
    • Santorini (Greek Islands):  Pension George--this will forever be my favorite place to stay! Amazing place for an unbeatable price!! And the owners are so sweet!  10 minute walk from downtown Fira or 5 Euro cab ride at most.  Love it!  Must go back!
    Italy:
    • Milan:  Hotel Malta--place was fine, would have liked to be closer to the Duomo Piazza action but didn´t want to pay those prices. 
    • Padua:  Ostello della Gioventu Citta di Padova (hostel)--bare bones hostel, not much to say other than for a 1 night deal worked for me
    • Venice:  (Venizia) Ostello Hostel--this place was the cheapest in town (main benefit), worked fine for me but not a fan of the mandatory 16 beds per room and bath-toilet ratio but I didn´t run into any problems.  If traveling alone, here is good, with others, splurge for a hotel.  The 11:30 curfew was a little frustrating as well for pub crawls.
    • Cinque Terre/Monterosso (Italian Riviera):  Hotel Souvenir--no better place to stay for the price in the Cinque Terre.  Monterosso is the liveliest place after sunset and location is perfect.  Would skip the 5 Euro breakfast next time.  Big bright airy rooms that include sink-mirror and my room had lovely lemon trees just outside the window.  A must stay!
    • Florence:  Hotel Abaco--great location for Florence in center of everything, was affordable because shared room a friend.  Good hotel but hefty stair climb--beware if you are dancing all night that the workout doesn´t end at the front door of the building.
    • Siena:  La Casa di Antonella B&B--the ladies that run this place are total sweethearts and the place is great.  You will have to climb some stairs to get there but I´ll tell you the breakfast in the morning will make that worth the hike! Great price for here.
    • Assisi:  Camere Martini B&B--nice room with Anna Lisa as an owner that I would love to adopt as my grandmother, very affordable.
    • Rome:  Hotel Rosetta--great location!  2 or 3 blocks from the ruins and close to Metro lines, internet, etc.  Was affordable becasue sharing with 2 others.  Nice rooms.
     
    April 06

    Portugal: Where I'll be staying

    Salema:  Pension Mare (I'll be in Room #5--you can see room and view), http://www.algarve.co.uk/

    Spain: Where I'll be staying

    Barcelona:  Hostel-Residencia Rembrandt,  www.hostalrembrandt.com
    Madrid:  Hostal Esparteros, www.esparteros.com 
    Sevilla:  Hostel Lis II, www.lisdos.net
    Granada:  Oasis Granada Hostel, http://www.oasisgranada.com/en/default.html

    France & Switzerland: Where I'll be staying

    Paris:  Hotel Stella, http://site.voila.fr/hotel-stella/
    Chamonix (French Alps):  Hotel Le Chamonix, http://www.hotel-le-chamonix.com
    Geneva:  City Hostel Geneva, www.cityhostel.ch
    Gimmelwald (Swiss Alps):  Mountain Hostel Jungfrau, www.mountainhostel.com (check out how cool this one is! always ranked top 10 hostels in the world)
    Arles (Provence):  Crau Hotel, www.crau-hotel.com
    Collioure:  Hotel Le Maritime, http://www.roussillhotel.com/fr/maritime


     
    March 20

    Italy: Where I'll be staying

    I'm still working on getting all of this into my own files to take but here's what I've typed in already.  As of yesterday I have finished making all of my hotel/hostel reservations for the entire trip.  What an accomplishment!
     
    Milan:  Hotel Malta  www.hotelmalti.it
    Padua:  Ostello della Gioventu Citta di Padova (hostel)  www.ctgveneto.it/ostello2
    Venice:  Venizia Hostel  www.ostellionline.com
    Cinque Terre/Monterosso (Italian Riviera):  Hotel Souvenir  www.souvenirhotel.eu
    Florence:  Hotel Abaco  www.abaco-hotel.it
    Siena:  La Casa di Antonella B&B  www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/siena/7956/
    Assisi:  Camere Martini B&B  no website but email is cameremartini@libero.it and you can see a few pics in a review at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187905-d484378-Reviews-Camere_Annalisa_Martini-Assisi_Umbria.html
    Rome:  Hotel Rosetta  www.rosettahotel.com