Traditional budget accommodation in Europe takes many forms and travellers find the meanings of popular terms such as pension, guesthouse and B&B difficult to separate. Think of them as simple, small hotels that are relatively cheap.

What most have in common is that they have fewer rooms than most hotels, offer breakfast, are in the lower price scale, and are run by families or small businesses.

Most likely, guests will enjoy personal contact with the owner. They will most likely not get satellite TV, although complimentary wi-fi is now available in most European accommodation.

Small accommodation houses are everywhere in Europe, but are most likely to be the common budget choices in small destinations. The names they carry do not consistently indicate the features on offer, or the nightly rate. In each case, check on the features and the availability and cost of parking.

Raven Travel Guides Europe tries to throw some light on what travellers might expect from small hotel-like accommodation.

Europe's hotels garnis

A hotel garni is a small hotel that offers accommodation and breakfast. It is similar to a bed-and-breakfast property but is designed and run as a hotel. Hotels garnis don't usually have a 24-hour reception desk or a restaurant, but there might be other services.

Hotels garnis are usually privately run and have fewer rooms than chain hotels. The French term hotel garni means something like "accommodation with more" and is common in France, Germany, Italy and parts of central Europe. It’s easy to find them at accommodation booking sites.

In hotel terms, 2½-star status is common, but some businesses might claim three stars. Public transport links nearby are likely to be good.

Raven Guides stayed at three hotels garnis in 2023. Typical of small hotels in Germany was a beautiful family-run hotel in Lindau, 10 minutes’ walk from Lake Constance. The large room, with full facilities and an excellent buffet breakfast, cost €78. In Innsbruck, a similar offer with smaller rooms and a 10-minute tram ride from the city centre cost €80. At the same rate came a good basic room in the Austrian spa resort Bad Ischl, about 20 minutes’ walk through the town centre from the small railway station. These are not cheap destinations.

Not for you? Check out Raven Guides’ blog on bright, basic, budget hotels in Europe.

Pensions

Europe’s pensions offer simple and intimate accommodation with breakfast on a budget. They are small businesses, often family-run. Quaint traditional buildings are common and the owner might live on the site.

A German accommodation industry classification defines pensions as accommodation houses “with more than nine beds but not more than 20” and “not having the character of a hotel”. But many properties calling themselves pensions defy this and others use the term “hotel pension”.

The rooms could be suitable for singles or families and in some cases bathroom facilities are shared. Towels and linen will be provided.

Half-pension, one meal other than breakfast, is sometimes offered and “full” pension means all meals. It’s best to ask what is included when booking or when choosing at a tourist office.

Star ratings are sometimes quoted, but these might not use the same criteria as hotel systems. In hotel terms, two-star status is common. The quality of public transport links varies. Some pensions accept cash payment only.

Raven Guides has used pensions in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Czechia over more than 30 years and has found them a satisfying, budget-friendly accommodation option.

Costs and conditions vary considerably. In a small, family-run Czech pension in 2023, Raven Guides paid the equivalent of €40 a night with private bathroom and toilet and too much breakfast to eat. A Salzburg pension with shared facilities and buffet breakfast cost €62 a night. A Melk pension with bathroom but without breakfast cost €55 a night. A pension with shared facilities but without breakfast, three minutes’ walk from Munich’s central station, cost €75. But an upscale pension in Hallstatt, an expensive destination, cost €130 a night without breakfast. The view over the town, lake and to the mountains is unforgettable.

The searchable Pension.de register includes a claimed total of more than 12,000 properties in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. About 5,000 further listings are at Deutsche-pensionen.de.

Guesthouses of Europe

Guesthouses are small private accommodation businesses and traditional buildings are again common. Usually they charge lower rates than hotels. Sometimes a restaurant or bar is attached. The best advice is to check facilities carefully before booking.

The service is limited but what you get might be more personal. Some guesthouses describe themselves as B&Bs, but check that breakfast is actually covered by the headline price. Public transport access varies. Some properties are upmarket and beautifully presented, so the rate could be at the top of the price ranges given above or towards the lower end.

Many guesthouses accept cash payment only or charge fees of the order of €6 for payments by credit or debit card.

In German-speaking countries terms such as Gasthaus, Gästehaus, Gasthof or Landhaus are often used to describe an inn or tavern (Wirtshaus, Gaststätte) that offers rooms and breakfast.

Bed and breakfast

B&Bs are best characterised as a small group of private rooms. The term is self-descriptive and the businesses are often part of a private residence and run by a family. It is best not to consider star ratings and more important to check exactly what each B&B offers in the quoted nightly rate.

Cash payment is common and the position of properties might be well out of central areas. But, because guest numbers are generally small, parking might be available. Many B&Bs accept cash payment only.

Do you have more questions about booking hotels in Europe? Find out how to get European hotels at cheap rates, or sign up for Raven Travel Guides Europe’s comprehensive free special report How to get the lowest hotel rate online 100% of the time. 

Discover more ways to save and enhance your European adventures by reading Raven Guides’ posts on planning for lower hotel rates, self-service and self-check-in hotels, and getting lower hotel rates outside peak seasons.

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