How to Choose the Right Apartment While Travelling Europe

Many people are making the most of the reopening of Europe’s borders by heading abroad and travelling once again. Whether you’re heading abroad for a couple of weeks or several months, whether you want to visit one nation or travel across borders, Rentola has a vast range of short and long-term holiday lets that make the perfect base for you to explore the best that Europe has to offer.

This guide takes you through the best way to choose a suitable apartment while travelling through Europe.

Understand your Needs

Before beginning to search for an appropriate apartment to base yourself in, list out your requirements and use them to narrow your search down.

For example, if you’re planning to work remotely while travelling, then make somewhere that has a comfortable workspace a priority. If, however, you’re going to be spending most of your time exploring and eating out, then you may be able to include apartments that have smaller kitchen spaces as part of your search.

One thing it’s essential not to compromise on is a comfortable space in which to sleep. Travelling is tiring and having somewhere comfortable to rest your head that will leave you feeling replenished after a long day on your feet will be worth every penny.

Location, Location, Location

If you’re travelling through Europe, you will likely visit places you’re unfamiliar with. Researching the locations and neighbourhoods in which you’re looking at apartments is extremely important.

Find out what local amenities there are, such as shops and access to public transport links. This is especially important if you’re looking at apartments in a city’s suburbs, as the last thing you’ll want is to be left with a lengthy walk through unfamiliar climes to the nearest bus stop or metro station.

Use tools such as Google Street View to explore the local neighbourhood and see if it looks like it will be to your liking, and find other sites to learn more about the area the apartment is in.

Read User Reviews

Once you’ve found some apartments that fit your requirements, read the user reviews. These will give you a flavour of how accurate the listing is and an insight into how easy the landlord is to interact with.

Look out for problems previous renters encountered and whether or not they were quickly fixed. Also, read any responses from the property owner, as this will give you a flavour of how responsive they are and the level of service you’ll be able to expect from them.

You’ll be able to understand whether particular amenities are missing, whether the apartment was easy to find and if there are any difficulties with accessing the property, which would be necessary for those with young children or mobility issues.

Ask Questions

If you’re happy with your choice of property so far, but there are a few queries you have that aren’t answered by the listing or reviews, take the time to send a message to the owner and ask them for the answer.

For example, you can find out what the water pressure in the shower is like and the strength and reliability of the wi-fi signal if you need to work.

This also offers you a further chance to scope out the owner and the level of service they offer. The overwhelming majority will want you in their property and go out of their way to provide you with a quick and helpful response. If this doesn’t happen, tick the property off your list and move on to the next one, as the last thing you’ll want while travelling is to worry about what will happen if anything untoward occurs.

Extra Tips

Once you’re happy with your choice of property and have confirmed your booking, there are other things to bear in mind before you travel.

Get Directions

Some properties, particularly in city developments, can be awkward to find. The numbering of apartments isn’t always the most logical, and signage might be lacking. Speak to your host and get as detailed directions for finding the apartment as possible. Make sure you also get a contact number to ring them on arrival if you have problems.

Understand How To Get In

Hosts may not be able to greet you on-site when you arrive and may leave the keys in a lock box or have a keypad entry system. While it would be preferable for them to meet you in person, make sure you have every keycode you’ll need to gain entry to the apartment.

Read the House Manual

Most properties will come with a manual that will tell you how to use the amenities and, in many cases, offer suggestions for local shops, restaurants and attractions. Taking twenty minutes to read this will help you enjoy a smooth stay and not waste time fiddling around with gadgets while offering you potential hidden gems of things to see and do that aren’t in any guidebook.

Tidy Up

Finally, treat the property as you would your own home. Leave it tidy and presentable when you leave and inform the host of any breakages. Pay attention to any requests for laundry or cleaning before check-out to ensure you aren’t liable for hidden charges after you leave.