Finding the right place to stay can be the difference between a fantasy vacation and a travelling nightmare. Going to bed and waking up in a pleasant setting can change your whole perception of your day and everything around you. When spending a vacation in a different country, many larger hotels will be the easiest to find and make reservations with, particularly in popular tourist destinations like Paris or Rome.

These hotels can be nice enough, but they are often crowded with other tourists from all over the world and the service can be very impersonal and mechanical, neither feature really being ideal for a traveller wishing to soak up the local flavour. What’s more, they also tend to be a little more expensive than smaller local hotels since they base most of their business on tourists with no knowledge of the local housing options.

The best option then, is to spend some time before you make your trip and explore the different accommodations available in your chosen vacation spot.

Stay away from the big places attached to tour groups and travel packages and try to find your area’s top secret hotels. When you find yourself at a small local hotel with a friendly staff that will learn your name and get to know you, as well as introduce you to some of the area’s best kept secrets, you’ll be glad you took the extra time. Most of these hotels’ rooms will be as nice, if not nicer, than anything at the larger hotels, many featuring antique furniture and housed in historic buildings rich in local culture. If the hotel does not offer its own dining options, the managers will be more than happy to direct you to some of their favorite establishments, well off the beaten path.

The internet will make your search much easier, as there are many specialized websites designed to help you find smaller lodging options. A quick search using the country or city you will be travelling to and something like “guesthouse,” “inn,” or “bed and breakfast” will immediately yield many results, most of which will also have links to other databases. Again thanks to the aid of the internet, many of the hotels and owners have websites of their own which feature pictures of their available rooms and other details about their amenities and locations. Many now allow you to book online as well, either by email or through an online form, making taking advantage of these wonderful lodgings easier than ever.