I had one day in New York to explore before my 10 pm flight to London but what to do and where to go from morning to night without a hotel room to come back to?  Maybe a Brooklyn Walking Tour? Despite my many visits to New York City over the years, there are a few “touristy” things still left on my checklist that I just can’t seem to bring myself to pay for or participate in so I decided to check out the New York City Airbnb Experiences.  Airbnb Experiences is a new feature that is meant to connect travelers (tourists like me) with locals who are keen to share their knowledge via a tour or experience.  It was there that I saw the “Brooklyn and Manhattan Walking Tour“.  It was a three hour tour for $30 – I had to look at that again because I thought it said $30?!  It did, so I quickly purchased that tour to reserve my spot. Within a few minutes, I received a message from the tour guide, Brian, confirming my reservation, providing meet up information and sharing his cell phone number in case of questions, emergencies or delays.

Travel from Midtown Manhattan to Brooklyn

The tour would start in Brooklyn so I needed to take public transit from Midtown Manhattan to the meeting point.  Since the meetup was at 8:45 a.m. during the rush hour commute, I wasn’t keen on Uber, Lyft or a taxi given the traffic and tolls.  The issue was me as I chose the train that seemed to be most direct with a quick walk (according to both Google Maps and Citymapper) and that was my first mistake.  Both apps took into account delays and such so I waited on the A train (it was late so I texted Brian) when I should have apparently taken a different train and transferred.  The A train eventually arrived and I boarded with the Brooklyn Bridge stop planned.

Lost in Brooklyn Walking Tour

When I came up to the street, I immediately became the blue dot on Google Maps that gets lost as I’m the worst blue dot ever!  I ended up wandering the area for a few blocks before returning to the subway exit and going the other way.  I stopped at a Fire Station to ask for directions and then was on the right route, texting Brian that I was on my way and would meet the group at the first stop.

Manhattan Skyline from Brooklyn

I’ve never visited Brooklyn before so I was keen to explore and take lots of photos of the Manhattan skyline from across the water.  I met the group of three (a couple from Norway and an artist from Sweden) and the guide, Brian, in the park.  We then moved along to learn more about Brooklyn as Brian, who is a licensed tour guide (not required in NYC but he felt it was worth it) told us about interesting stories and facts along the way.  He has just started offering this tour via Airbnb Experiences based on tours he’s done for visiting friends and family so he thought best to share and supplement his income (which currently consists of au pair, teacher and artist).

We learned about the pier transformation to serve the residents of the city rather than build even more expensive housing.  The piers are now served by a new ferry service from Manhattan so it’s easy to get to Brooklyn and take advantage of the parks, pool and volleyball sand.  There are many Brooklyn Bridge events scheduled this summer to entertain people – movie nights, volleyball, basketball clinics, kayaking and more per the Brooklyn Bridge Park press release.

The Brooklyn Bridge Waterfront

We walked our way over to the star of the walk – The Brooklyn Bridge.  As we neared it, photos were taken.  As we walked under it, photos were taken.  As we walked past it, photos were taken.  We all wanted photos with the bridge, the Manhattan skyline and all angles of interesting Brooklyn life. Along the way, Brian filled us in on the history of the Brooklyn bridge (leave it to a woman to get it finished!).  We then found benches for a seated break to learn more (and in my case, enjoy my snack).  It was a bright sunny (and surprisingly hot) day with a few clouds stopping in to tease us with rain (sunscreen reminder!).

Before we would walk over the Brooklyn Bridge we had a few stops to make – restaurants/cafes, shops, the carousel,  and ferry boat stop along the shoreline, through the park and most important – the restroom and coffee shop!

After the coffee shop stop we turned around and stood in the middle of street with the other tourists (needing to move quickly when cabs and cars needed to drive through) to capture the iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge, the one that all the movies and television shows love to use (think Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, etc.).  The view under the bridge framed by buildings in DUMBO while framing the Empire State building in the distance.

Brooklyn Bridge Photo Walk

When it was time to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, we were told “stay in the walking lane, do not walk in the bike lane, it’s for your safety”.  He wasn’t kidding!  The bikers were using bells, horns and their voices to clear the bike lane to avoid colliding with masses of tourists.  The bikers have their own lane on the bridge, as they should, but seriously don’t even try to cross the line without looking both ways twice as I did to get a photo.

Our group spent a good deal of time walking over the bridge, asking questions and learning more. When we arrived back in the city as evident by the vendors selling souvenirs (note there are a few water/snack vendors on the bridge if you forgot to bring your own).  We walked toward City Hall and to be honest, could have ended the tour right then and there at 3 hours – noon.

Lower Manhattan Walking Tour

As Brian has just started offering this tour, he is still working out the timing, group size, etc. The rest of the tour (the Manhattan part) was yet to be seen so he asked us if we wanted to continue and we all said “yes”.  The couple from Norway needed to call their Airbnb to see if they could store their luggage for a bit longer.

The Oculus at the World Trade Center Station

We then proceeded to the new World Trade Center Station (transit hub and metro center) to learn the history of the competing subway lines (it was also a nice relief to be out of the sun in the air conditioning).  The lines were privately owned at one point and competing which is why they are not connected and often seem to run the same ways.  Of course, that didn’t last long and they are no longer privately owned so work continues to connect subway lines.  Walking underground in the newly constructed pedestrian hallways we arrived at the Westfield World Trade Center Mall to the Oculus viewing point before proceeding outside to the 9/11 Memorial.  The Oculus was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava. The station is said to be the third largest transportation center in New York City connecting eleven train lines in the city.

9/11 Memorial

This (lower) Manhattan walk should be its own tour as you contemplate the sites – a few minutes isn’t really enough.  The 9/11 Museum is open to the public with an admission fee.  Brian said that on Tuesday nights the museum offers free admission from 5 p.m. (tickets limited). We walked around the World Trade Center memorials (there are two – one for each building) and learned that the names on the memorial were not alphabetical but rather grouped together by how they were found together, it was hard not to be emotional.

On the day of our visit, many roses were placed inside the names signifying a birthday.

One bit of hope found in the rubble was a tree that survived that day and was nursed until it could return to the site.  It is now surrounded by a fence. In the distance, an art sculpture was damaged and remains that way.

Visiting Wall Street

As we walked away from the 9/11 memorial site toward Wall Street, you are reminded of the many pre-cautions in place now – barriers (concrete and metal), security, police and scanners – to name only those I could see (so much more I couldn’t see).  Entering Wall Street is also a different experience from my many prior visits.  There are no cars – there are barriers up around the street and visitors to the Stock Exchange have their own security entrance.  One dash of hope that remains as I remember it is the steps filled with people.

We would end our Brooklyn & Manhattan Walking Tour at Wall Street.  I would then walk two blocks away in search of the “Fearless Girl” and Bull of Wall Street.  I was saddened by the swarms of tourists – swarm is the right word as I couldn’t get a photo by myself without hoards of people around me – I gave up and took only a photo of the Fearless Girl flanked by tourists bits and pieces in the photo.

Final Thoughts –

Brooklyn Walking Tour & Lower Manhattan Walking Tour

The Brooklyn & Manhattan Walking Tour, part of Airbnb Experiences, was really an incredible way to see both Brooklyn and the city without the tourist bus, without the hordes of tourists on those busses and without the high prices the companies charge.  The fact that Brian took the time to get licensed as a guide for New York shows his love of the city and his commitment to presenting accurate information on his tours.

I would definitely recommend the walking tour – bring water and snacks and don’t be a bad blue dot on the map.  Go directly to the subway station (make the connections).  As I mentioned to Brian, the tour should be split into two distinct tours. The Brooklyn Walking Tour should end at 3 hours (which is already a long time to be walking in the sun) when the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge meets City Hall.  From there, you can do your own timeline to the Oculus, 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Note:

• I scheduled an hour from Midtown via the subway and was still late (there was a wait at the cash only ticket counter, plus a long walk underground to the A train platform and delays I didn’t factor in) for the tour so check out Google Maps, CityMapper and other apps for information and add at least a fifteen minute buffer. If you are a bad blue dot like me, add extra time.   You may want to leave even earlier and enjoy breakfast in Brooklyn before meeting the tour at 9 a.m. to ensure you are on time.
• I was one of the first to take this new tour so it may change once Brian works out the timing, size, etc. and resumes later this summer.

With two days in Sorrento, I asked my Facebook friend and Italian tour guide, Marcello, to recommend an affordable place to stay.  He told me to contact friends of his who have two rooms in their residence in Piano di Sorrento that they rent out as B&B Antica Dimora (no website but you can read reviews on TripAdvisor or Airbnb).  I contacted Daniela directly to book a room and paid by PayPal ahead of time. She was quick to reply to my emails which was nice as I was planning my sabbatical piece by piece.

B&B Antica Dimora Location

A few miles outside of Sorrento, Piano di Sorrento is a residential area and the B&B is located on the main road.  You can walk (although a bit hard without sidewalks) or take the bus at the corner across the street into Sorrento city center. The apartment building is located across the street from many cafes, shops and the police station – it was a quiet area.  There are also many ATMs on the street and a fabulous gelato shop (one of many).  You know you are in a residential area when you look at the restaurant menus posted outside and do a double take at the prices which seem so cheap in comparison to Sorrento, Capri and Naples that I became accustomed to.

Arrival

Marcello, had picked me up at the ferry dock in the morning to do a full day Sorrento tour so he called ahead when I was ready to arrive near 5 p.m.  I was met by the owners, Daniela and Roberto.  Walking into the ground floor courtyard, I felt like I was visiting friends and then we journeyed up the four flights of stairs to the second floor (U.S. folks would call it the third floor), I was shown into their apartment.

Roberto carried my rock of a suitcase (remember I packed for three months away in one bag and had already shipped a portion ahead from Naples to Milan). Their apartment is half a floor so they’ve designed the front two rooms into the B&B while they live in the rest of the apartment which lies further inside. Roberto brought me water with lemon and Daniela, Marcello and I laughed as he squeezed the whole lemon in my one glass as evident by my face after the first sip.

The Studio Apartment

My room, which would be a studio apartment in many cities, was a surprise.  With high ceilings, a tile floor and a double door window leading to the balcony, this was a large room. With two double beds on either side of the room, there was a bathroom, small kitchen, small table serving as a dining area, a large wardrobe and multiple tables. Absent were wall photos or splashes of color which I think would have tied it all together. After the tour of the room, I was given coupons for breakfast with a choice of four cafes in the area (generally a pastry and coffee – the sugar donuts are a MUST). It was comfortable to have so much space as well as a window with small balcony to get fresh air and look outside. The bed was a slat bed and I did dislodge one or two slats during the night that I put back in but otherwise it was comfortable.

The Bathroom

Compact and stocked with shampoo, shower gel, three rolls of toilet paper and cotton swabs.  The shower was pointed out as having a sauna function as well as a radio option (neither of which I used). I was put off by the huge step up into the shower afraid I would fall when exiting (I was careful) but this is probably only an issue for me not most folks.

Other Amenities

The kitchen is small, functional and stocked with supplies. Sadly, during my visit, the clothes washer was broken (there is a wash/dry a few blocks away that I didn’t get to use as my days were busy).  I was looking forward to doing wash after being on the road for two weeks so that was a disappointment.  The Wi-Fi was strong in the room and there are many outlets to use.

The Neighborhood

I walked around the area both nights and it felt safe.  I ate at the local café, Bar Sess, across the road, happy to get a toasted sandwich (I had eaten so much at lunch that I barely had room to eat dinner) and watch Italian music television (which was very entertaining since I didn’t think they still made music videos).

The owners, a multi-generation family, found me interesting as they don’t get many American guests or tourists it seemed during my visits.   After my sandwich each night I would walk to the small gelato shop, Gelato a Chilo, that Marcello said was the best (I’m not going to argue with a local about the best gelato and happily took his word and enjoyed the research).  Seeing folks double park their cars to run in for gelato was proof that this was a popular local shop.  The gelato cost €1.50 for a small cone. I felt no guilt by my multiple visits as the stairs back to the apartment were enough to work off the ice cream (and hopefully the pizza, pasta and wine!).

There are a few market shops on the road which made it easy to buy fresh fruit, juice and food to take back to the flat. I had a laugh when Roberto told Marcello that he thought I didn’t like the cafes as I brought breakfast back to my room each day.  Was I not happy? For me, this was normal as I brought back the pastries (one day a fresh croissant, the next day the amazing sugar donut) to go with my fruit and juice rather than sit at the café alone. It was a reminder of cultural differences – I did laugh at being ratted out on my routine.

B&B Antica Dimora Overall

While others are paying exorbitant fees in Sorrento, you can easily stay here and experience the town as a local.  You can also save enough money to hire your own private tour guide like Marcello of See Sorrento to see the Amalfi Coast like I did. For early May, my rate was €55 per night (I was upgraded into the larger room as they had another guest, normally this room costs more than what I paid.)  A bonus is that Roberto and Daniela offer a few free tours of the area which judging from the many internet reviews are a great amenity for guests.  I’m glad that Marcello recommended B&B Antica Dimora because it was a nice change from the hotels I had stayed in and allowed me to experience this part of Italy a bit like a local, albeit a local living in a nice building in a large apartment with new friends Daniela and Roberto.

The apartment is also listed on Airbnb.  If you decided to book your first stay with Airbnb, use my personal code for a discount

When Milan hosted Expo15 last year (formerly known as The World’s Fair) finding a reasonable hotel room proved to be difficult for my dates (three nights) so I turned to AirBnb. Searching through all the options, I kept coming back to the Navigli apartment – it was located in Navigli on the canal and had good reviews.  I didn’t know Milan had canals so I was intrigued. It seemed like a good choice and was fairly priced at $122 per night (total of $366 for the stay). Here’s my review of the Airbnb Milan Studio in Navigli Entertainment District.

Studio Location

Navigli is the entertainment district full of restaurants, bars, music and art.  It is easily reached by the green line metro M3 (S. Porta Genova) or a €20 taxi ride (if you have luggage like I did but I had such an interesting conversation with taxi driver who is a huge country music fan) from Centrale train station. A supermarket, takeaway and a bank are a quick five minute walk. This is a neighborhood of Milan that is more local than tourist. The canals run through a pedestrian only zone of about eight blocks with bridges connecting both sides. The studio flat was at the corner of one of the bridges.

Arrival at the Studio

The owner, Lorenzo, was stuck at work, so his friend met me outside. We walked in the door to the courtyard, made a right to the elevator (yeah, elevator!) which needs key access and easily ascended to the 2^nd floor (if you take the stairs, remember you are going to the 3^rd floor as the bottom floor is zero). There are two key locks on the door (four deadbolts) and with that we were in to the studio flat. It looks exactly like the photos – no surprises there.

I was explained all of the keys – ground floor door, elevator key, front door keys and how one goes first before the other. I was offered a glass of water and shown how the kitchen stuff works. Then the bed details. Ok, I forgot about the bed part – it was a high loft/bunk bed. I realized that my climbing up to the bed days are over especially with the get up in the middle of the night jaunts and the oops I forgot about the stairs mishaps of my younger days. I pointed to the couch/trundle bed and said, I’m going to sleep there. He apologized for not preparing that bed and I said “no worries, just give me the sheets and blanket and I’m fine”.

Navigli Information

Lorenzo has a few printouts of recommendations for the area – restaurants, sights to see and other need to know information. He also has a map showing you where the places are in relation to the flat. He doesn’t offer a manual like my Venice AirBnb properties did so no required reading. His friend showed me the electric circuit breakers (I hoped I didn’t need to use those!).

The Milan Studio Flat

Well equipped with a loft bed and trundle bed. There is a small television with headsets on the table and a nice sized kitchen to work in. There is a washer (no dryer because this is Italy!) and fast wi-fi. The bathroom has shelving for your toiletries (hand soap is provided), a hair dryer and walk in shower that had good water pressure. I was given two towels and requested an extra without a problem.  There is a balcony with a small table and two chairs and serves as the smoking area as well as providing you a nice view of the canal and bridge. It is a good size for solo travelers and couples.  A family might be a bit on top of each other in the studio in my opinion.

The Singing Italians

A benefit of the entertainment area is that you get to be entertained while you work or while you are in your PJs – I had live music until midnight one night (the band was pretty good and like the Italians I found myself singing along to the popular U.S. music). Yet another night, I had a bevy of “buona serra” and “ciao” that I wanted to yell “goodnight already! Just say a blanket “ciao” and go home” – it was a big group and everyone did a round of good-byes.

The Navigli Entertainment Area

The comments on the flat mentioned the noise from the bars/restaurants and to bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Well there is noise, no way around that (and Lorenzo can’t control that aspect) from below so luckily my Expo15 schedule worked perfectly – I was up late and slept in.

The plethora of restaurants gives you so much choice you won’t know where to go first – Napoli pizza, Steakhouse, Tapas, Pub, Gelato, Wine Bar, Italian, etc. With my busy schedule I didn’t quite enjoy enough of the area as I could have – it was a lost opportunity. The benefit of the busy nightlife was feeling safe on the metro and walking back to the flat near midnight alone. The area was busy in the day with tourists on canal tours and at night with Italians enjoying good food, wine and music.

Overall – the Milan Studio in Navigli

I met Lorenzo on check-out day for a quick chat – I found out he has a few properties in Milan for rent through Airbnb. I wasn’t able to stay later as he has new guest arriving – this is a popular studio for him. He was kind to order me a cab to my next Milan stop, the Westin Milan, and help me with my bags to the taxi. The flat was perfect for my needs during Expo15, shame I didn’t stay longer to sample all the restaurants and feel a bit more local.

Booking your first Airbnb stay?  Use my personal code for an Airbnb discount.

My friend said to “book the quirky Airbnb house on Gozo” when I gave him a few choices for our last minute trip as he was more familiar with the island than I was.  He wanted a private pool and a farmhouse.  I still blame him for our calamities!

Walking past the pool and into the house after 10 p.m. as we missed the ferry, we immediately had a bad feeling about this place.  The host made up only one of the four bedrooms (we wanted our own bedrooms) and showed us around, indicating what items were broken.  I saw something move in the dark, the host stepped on the bug and said “we are in the country, there are bugs”. With that, she was off and we were hungry after a very long travel day full of delays and a missed ferry to the island.  We would need to drive to another village on the island in the hopes of finding food near 11pm on a Thursday. Lucky for us, the café just agreed to let a table sit down and would serve us.  Back at the house, in the dark we promised to explore the house and property more in the morning.  Full of wine, with fans on and windows opened we passed out exhausted from the stressful day.

Wandering in the Light of Day

I woke up first and took to exploring the house and the compound of three other farmhouses.  In the daylight, my findings were a bit dire. First off, the Wi-Fi didn’t work in the house, I needed to go to the caretaker’s house (he was away) and stand on the top step or go inside (which I attempted but it was messy with uneaten bread on the table). Then I looked into the other houses past the odd garden made up of tile, glass bottles and dead plants. Our pool, while clear, had algae on the steps, walls and floor – we would not be using that.

The house itself had dust and trash behind the couch. The couch, well-worn had obvious stains and weirdly a child’s dirty stuffed animal on it as well as christmas holiday towels.  The space wasn’t ready for our arrival.

The upstairs cushions to put on the deck had mold, the wooden table was missing wood with rusty nails sticking out.  The grill was rusted (no food was going on that thing despite my tetanus shot).  The kitchen sink had only one of two faucets working (the host mentioned that on the quick tour the night before).  The other bedrooms both upstairs and downstairs had shoved in all of the extra supplies, furniture and equipment – all dusty and full of cobwebs.  It felt that the house hadn’t been open yet for the season and we were the first guests. Despite booking a week in advance, nothing seemed ready to welcome us.

Key Take Away: Take photos of everything!  If you have any issues with the property (even a 5 star hotel) it’s always best to have photo evidence when discussing concerns with the host, Airbnb or hotel staff. Research the property on all property rental sites if you can. 

The Quirky House

The house had potential, it really did, it just needed a good cleaning, consistent décor that wasn’t weird and to be set up for visitors. But sadly, it was missing all three of those things.  The bathrooms were a mixed bag – the faucet in one was turned off and barely dripping, with black mold around, the other had a rusted toilet that made noises and the powder room was darkly lit. 

The stairs had a loose step (I made a mental note not to trip on that going up and down) and outside the bedroom was an uneven last step that was filled in but not level.  Our bedroom was weirdly decorated and there were no screens in the windows.  We had fans to provide a bit of cool air in the otherwise humid room. The bed frame was custom made of wood to support the double queen size. Downstairs there was a plant growing inside the house with so many dead leaves and a vine that grew across the wall that we needed to duck under to reach the stairs. Of course, with plants there are flying bugs, etc.  

It’s Dirty

So I assessed that the place was dirty.  I’m sure we’ve all encountered something like this (or worse) in college but I was surprised that this was allowed to be rented on Airbnb.  It was Friday morning and we were scheduled to be here until Tuesday before moving to my friend’s family house which the rental agent was cleaning for us.  They needed to clean the house before we could move in, apparently our Airbnb host didn’t get the “clean the house memo”.  The island was sold out that weekend so our options to move were few and the prices quite high so I added a few cleaning supplies to our shopping list. Pif Paf, the European version of Raid!, was a lifesaver!

My friend slept past noon and woke up with more than ten mosquito bites on his back, arms and legs. He agreed the place was dirty and we tried to figure out how we would stay here not knowing what else to do.  I texted the host for a hairdryer Friday morning as none was provided. We left the house to explore the island and tried to stay out as long as we could to avoid the house.

On Saturday (no hair dryer yet), my friend woke up with bug bites on his wrists.  This time they appeared as boil like, fluid filled arranged in a circle of five on one arm and one on the other.  In a word – GROSS!

Key Take Aways: First impressions!  One of my own suggestions with European hotels is to view the room/property in the daytime not at night so that you have time to sort out alternative options. Also, on the first showing with the host, confirm that all items noted as provided are available. Bring Bug Spray!

Airbnb Response

I sent an email to Airbnb asking what to do about the dirty house as I looked for alternatives.  The host had a generous cancellation policy so I sent a text to cancel our Monday night stay, well within her policy.  The rep replied quickly that I should have contacted them within 24 hours to work out the situation with the host. I told them it was my first time renting with Airbnb and I didn’t know about this policy.  I explained that the host wasn’t replying to text messages about the hairdryer or the canceled last night.  The rep asked me to send photos to him showing the house condition.  I told him I would once I got Wi-Fi reception as the house didn’t have it.

Key Take Away: Contact Airbnb by email or phone immediately if you feel that the property is dirty or unsafe.  They will work to accommodate you elsewhere and talk with the host.  If you feel unsafe or something doesn’t seem right, leave immediately and then call/contact Airbnb from a safe location. 

The Vacation Injury

As I was getting ready for dinner, I came out of the bedroom and the uneven step threw me into the hallway and I heard a “pop” and couldn’t move my foot.  Trying not to cry in front of my friend (silly, I know), I yelled out his name and he came up the stairs to help me try to stand (not easily).  He helped me downstairs (we both stepped gingerly on the loose step) to the couch which I was putting paper towels on the pillows and went to the freezer for ice (we had none but we did have a frozen pitcher with a stain around the inside that I wouldn’t use).

By this time the caretaker was back, he introduced himself earlier in the day with his dog.  He had brought the hairdryer to me (a bit late after air drying my hair for two days).  My friend went to the caretakers house, explained that I had fallen on the steps and was given ice after the caretaker said “you guys are not having any luck here”.  Icing my foot, my friend went for takeaway pizza as I opened the bottle of wine.  We decided that we would leave in the morning as we couldn’t take it anymore. I would visit the clinic and get an x-ray on my foot – it was bruised & fractured which greatly affected the rest of my trip as I hobbled around for the next month.

Key Takeaway: You should always make sure you have your own health & travel insurance for any injuries that require medical assistance. Also, make sure you have wine around for your pity party.

Let’s Restart this Holiday

In the morning, I called the five star hotel on the island, the Kempinski Gozo, and explained I was fleeing the Airbnb with an injured foot.  My friend and I packed our bags in the car and headed out to restart our holiday.  The hotel provided us an upgraded room with a view of the pool. We were able to sit in the sun and relax for the first time since arriving on the island.

Airbnb was quick to respond once they received the photos – they provided credits and an apology as well as intercede with the host who posted negative and libelous comments about me which violated the rules of Airbnb.  I was quite happy with their response to my plight.  

I can’t stress enough the importance of researching properties – while I found a few postive reviews on Airbnb, it took a while during my stay to find negative reviews on another property site which were spot on with the issues I encountered. If only I found that one first!

So I reluctantly left the great Fenice Flat with my gondola view. Lucky for me, the owner, Maurizio (an Airbnb Superhost), had a few other properties in Venice and could host me for one night in the Venice San Marco Apartment. Unlike the boutique designer inspired flat, I’m now in a standard apartment on the canal (different gondolas and experience here). I was still in the area of the Fenice flat – just five minutes away – but closer to Rialto bridge.

Francesca, Maurizio’s wife,  would meet me at the Fenice flat at check-out to walk me to the San Marco apartment. With another maze of zigs and zags (and photos taken as reference points along the way), we turned down an opening in the wall with a few more zigs and zags before arriving in the courtyard. I’m always amazed at what lies behind the walls. This time I’m on the 1^st floor (for Americans that means the 2^nd floor and one flight of stairs to haul my luggage). If arriving by vaporetto, you would exit at Rialto from the #1 or #2 line and it is then a ten minute walk with no bridges.

Airbnb Venice Italy – Canal View Apartments

This one is easy to find as there are signs to the Bovolo stairs, a much photographed Venice tourist attraction – the Gothic palace with cylindrical stairs. You will see a few groups in the courtyard during the day and the occassional photographer.

When Francesca opened the door to give me the quick tour, the apartment looked exactly like the photos except brighter. The ceilings have wood beams, the walls have Venice prints and the space felt inviting.

The Bedroom

A nicely sized separate bedroom looking out to the courtyard below. The closet armoire is stocked with hangers and a safe.  There are outside shutters on the windows and it was cool to open those in the morning as I’ve seen so many other Venice residents do over the years.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is down the hall from the bedroom next to the entryway. The small bathroom has one bath towel (again wish I had an extra but only one night) and a hand towel. There was a bottle of shower gel. The shower is a bit interesting as there is no delineation to separate it just a shower curtain and tile floor. A handheld shower unit is provided. The sink has three drawers – one with extra toilet paper (2 rolls), one with the hairdryer and one empty for your toiletries.

The Airbnb Venice Italy Canal View

Up one flight, I can still hear the gondolas singing below and look out to see them float by. There was a huge thunderstorm during my stay and the downpour made for interesting photos of the well prepared riders with umbrellas. At night a few boats go by but it’s pretty much a very quiet canal.  Opening the kitchen window to look out at the canal, you will see the clothes line if you need to Italian dry your wash.

The Kitchen and Living Room

The kitchen was fully stocked and a bottle of still water was provided in the refrigerator. If you wanted to shop at the market and prepare dinner, this was a good sized kitchen to do so.  The dining table separates the kitchen and living area.  With a television, nice sized couch, portable/strong wi-fi and the all important air conditioning/heating unit on the wall, you are set to enjoy your down time here.  An umbrella was provided which was a nice bonus especially given the rainy day I had.

Overall – Airbnb Venice Italy (San Marco Apartment)

The Venice San Marco apartment is a good size for one or two people visiting Venice. You can easily settle into a nice routine at this apartment as it is private, quiet and centrally located.  The location is nice with a short walk to Rialto Bridge area or San Marco or alternatively in the other direction to Accademia Bridge and the Dorsoduro area.   My airbnb rate for one night in May was $153, which negates any “Venice is too expensive” claims.

Want to try AirBnb for this Venice flat or another worldwide property?  Use my personal code for an Airbnb discount on your first booking.

Look at other Airbnb Venice properties by Maurizio & Francesca by going to his superhost page and seeing what new and exciting properties are in his portfolio now.

From the AirBnB site, it looked amazing! This large Airbnb Venice flat along the canals with a view of the gondolas in Venice outside. It seemed too good to be true. I looked at the calendar of availability and was immediately crestfallen as it was rented out for the whole summer save two nights during my stay. The minimum stay was three nights but I figured it doesn’t hurt to ask so I sent the owner, Maurizio, a friendly note.

He quickly replied that I could rent the Fenice apartment for two nights and I was thrilled. It was good that Maurizio manages a few properties and could move me elsewhere for another night. I was staying in Venice for five nights but the city was sold out due to Vogalonga rowing event and the Biennale (which started early this year due to Expo Milan) so I had to move from the Santa Margherita Guesthouse in Dorsoduro to this Fenice Opera apartment and then to the San Marco apartment in Venice.  Not ideal but I made it work. Trying Airbnb in Venice for the first time?  Use my Airbnb discount code.

Pre-Arrival – Venice Airbnb

Maurizio sent me multiple emails to prepare for my visit (Directions, Event Schedule, Public Transit prices/options, Venice Rental Tips, the Food Shopping Service and Lost Luggage Warning). These were a nice touch for a new visitor to the city as well as new to AirBnb. As I was staying at another property in the city prior to arrival, we arranged for Francesca (his wife) to meet me in the square near the Accademia bridge and walk me to the flat.

The Meet & Greet Arrival

Francesca is a lovely woman who is a great ambassador for your stay. As we walked she pointed out different points of interest as well as the leather store we would turn right (always good to take photos of these points of reference to find your way back) toward the Fenice theatre. There was a small bridge to navigate and a few more turns before arriving in the courtyard. The flat was the door on the right ahead (again take a photo of the door so you know where you are staying).  During my stay I would hear keys in the door trying to get in that freaked me out a bit, however,  when I opened the door, the ladies apologized as they forgot where they were staying.  It was a good laugh as the sharing economy grows.

Location – Fenice Opera Apartment

The Fenice apartment is located near the Fenice Opera House, hence the name.  It is a centrally located apartment overlooking the canal and a ten minute walk to the Rialto bridge or to San Marco, it really doesn’t get better than that in my opinion.

First Impression

Francesca opened the door and WOW! I was speechless as the flat was even more fantastic in person. When you enter on the left is a coat rack and bench, ahead on the right is the kitchen table and kitchen area.

Kitchen

Francesca would go through all the bells and whistles of the kitchen – opening doors, cabinets and the refrigerator (complimentary still water) before proceeding with the rest of the apartment.The kitchen is stocked with appliances, pots/pans and cooking accessories. There is also a washing machine with easy to use instructions (no dryer because this is Italy and because they are on the canal there is a drying rack in the bathroom to use). The kitchen table seats four comfortably and has the house manual on it. There are also printed reminders throughout the kitchen.

Bathroom

The tiled bathroom is large and reminiscent of a boutique hotel. The walk in rain shower was a good size. Provided was a bath towel, hand towel (I do wish there was an extra towel or two – so American of me) and a shower gel. The hair dryer was in a box on the shower cabinet. At the end of the counter was a basket with two additional rolls of toilet paper).  I did find the lighting a bit dark to do makeup.

Bedroom/Living Room Area

After the bathroom, we walked the hall (past the candy jar) to the open floor plan of living room/desk/bedroom. There is a couch on the right which looks out into the canal (I would spend most of my time here relaxing to the gondolas going by and the occasional musician). The desk was a bit too small for me to work on so I used the large table flanked by two comfortable leather chairs. Sitting on the floor, the table was perfect height to type on my laptop.

The décor was a mix of IKEA (I have that table too!), the Italian version of Pier One and a few bespoke items mixing together quite well to create an elegant, luxury apartment. There is a lot of storage space – an armoire next to the bed, another smaller one in the hallway next to the bathroom (which has a safe).  Important feature is the air conditioning and heating unit about the armoire which quickly cools or heats the room.

Francesca opened the windows to the canal and I had my first glimpse of the gondolas going by (I would be entranced by this spectacle) as well as the warning about mosquitoes (I hate mosquitoes but luckily in May they weren’t an issue). With a few more explanations of how this, that and the other worked she asked if any questions.

One item to note that while the black out curtains are wonderful, you are living on a working canal so boats may make noise early (i.e. – construction workers at 6:30 a.m. one day) so if that bothers you bring ear plugs but really it shouldn’t as you are probably getting up and out to explore early each day anyway.

Where’s the Wifi?

Ah yes, the wifi, there is a device on the kitchen table with the password on the back. This is a portable wifi station you can take with you to the restaurant, square, etc. (these are really nice as I’ve seen a few people with these). The downside is that in the flat which is stone walls thick, the signal isn’t great. I was able to do most social media checks without issue but couldn’t get a FaceTime call through to my nieces to show them the canals outside.

Finding the Supermarket in Venice

As it was a Sunday, Francesca asked if I wanted her to show me how to find the supermarket.  It was open until 1 pm. I took her up on the offer, grabbed my reusable bag and we were off zig zagging through the streets (I was taking photos as my breadcrumbs back to the flat). Quickly at the market, I said good-bye and went inside to shop for important supplies (i.e. – water, chocolate, fruit).  I found my way back to the flat easily and quickly got to know the area.

Where to Eat Near Fenice Opera

Francesca provides a few cards of recommended restaurants in the area. I found a great bakery close by on the way to Rialto bridge as well as a wonderful wine bar/restaurant (Vino Vino Osteria) on the way to San Marco – each less than five minutes walk.

Overall – Airbnb Venice Flat

The flat was so nice it was hard to leave and explore the city. I spent most of my time reading while watching (and listening) to the gondolas, taking a nap after my rowing lesson and then catching up on work. I really enjoyed and used the flat as much as I could as this was not just a place to sleep. I pretended it really was my nice apartment in the city.

For my first AirBnb stay, I was spoiled (if only all hosts could manage their properties this way). Maurizio was super responsive to queries, Francesca was a joy and the flat was really amazing. This is a family business and their dedication shows in the details (emails, candy jar, shopping service, in person meet & greet, guest book and stay manual). I’d definitely stay at one of their properties for future visits to Venice.

The rate for my stay in May was $354 for two nights paid via Airbnb (the flat was $158 per night and the Airbnb fee was $38).  Note that Venice has a new mandatory city tax that is payable in cash at check-in of €2 per person per day for your stay. 

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UPDATE: This flat is no longer in Maurizio & Francesca’s Venice Portfolio, for other properties they manage, including larger flats for families as well as accessible apartment in Venice, check out Maurizio’s Superhost profile

Dorsoduro

Dorsoduro is one of the five sections of Venice and more residential.  Here you will see people walking their dogs and only a few copies of Rick Steves Italy books (tourist alert) at restaurants.  Streets are filled with art galleries, restaurants with outdoor gardens, students hanging out in the large square across the bridge in Santa Margherita. With the Accademia (as well as the bridge) and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection only a 10-15 minute walk away, this was a new side of Venice for me to explore.  I really liked the area as there was a daily produce boat to buy fruit, quiet canals to discover and it lacked the hoards of tourists (at least in May when I visited).

Getting There

From the rail station, I boarded the number 1 (San Marco/Lido) vaporetto which is the most popular line serving the Grand Canal.  Going nine stops to Ca Rezzonico, I walked to the square with the church and then walked along on the right to the end and the guesthouse is just two doors in on the left.  It was easy to find, there were no bridges to cross just cobblestones to contend with as I rolled my suitcase.

Welcome to Venice

I rang the bell, knowing that I was early (it was 12:30 pm) as Maria (owner) and I agreed to just drop my bags and check in later at 3 p.m.  Maria’s sister (she maintains the property and speaks a little English) let me in and told me that my room was ready and Maria would be there in ten minutes to complete the paperwork.  Great news as it was raining when I arrived.

The Common Spaces

Downstairs there is a small eating/kitchen area with tables, chairs, coffee machine, sink and microwave on the left.  On the right is the door to the outdoor garden with seating.  In front is a stack of DVDs to play in your room as well as chairs and magazines.  In the morning, breakfast would be set up in the entryway by the door.

My Guestroom (Single 3)

I had booked a single room with a twin bed which was on the 1^st floor (one floor up in Europe).  The room was basic as I expected but a good size for one. There is no need for high count sheets or luxury, this is a functional room with a few surprises – bottled water each day, in room coffee maker, mini refrigerator and nice sized shower.

WiFi is free and while Maria mentioned a better signal in the common area, I had a strong signal throughout without having to leave my room.  She has added blackout curtains in the room which is a bonus for a good lie in if you need it.

There is a wardrobe with a safe as well as a tv with dvd. The plant is a nice touch although I moved it to the bathroom as I thought it provided a bit of color there.

The Bathroom

Standard bathroom, bland beige but looks newly renovated, with good-sized walk in shower.  The water pressure was good and toiletries were provided in packets (I wasn’t a fan of the toiletries).  Three towels were provided and changed daily.

Breakfast Included

The breakfast is served between 8:30 am – 9:30 am on the table in the entryway.  Cereals, yoghurt, breads, cakes and fruit are available.

The Need To Know

• Communication with Maria was easy and meeting her in person was lovely, she lives outside of Venice and takes the bus more than two hours a day to the Guesthouse each day.
• The Airbnb cover photo will catch your eye with the colorful row of houses along the canal, unfortunately, that is not accurate of the guesthouse location or color (as I realized walking to the property). Marketing is good because this caught my eye and I then looked at the guesthouse options.  The photos of the property are accurate.
• Church bells ring all around Italy (even in your 5 star hotel) and as my room faced the street I could hear them as well as people going by but this didn’t bother me. If it bothers you ask for a room in back.
• The cleaning lady doesn’t speak English and knocked at 9 a.m. on the day of check-out (which is 10:30 a.m.) and then knocked two more times. I tried to explain that I had until 10:30 a.m. –this was the only annoying part of the stay.

The Cost

The single room (including Airbnb fee) cost $221 for two nights in May, proving that you can be on a budget in Venice.  There is a local tax that is payable in cash at check-in (my room category was €1.50 per night).

For exploring Venice you should be out and about and then crash at the end of the day.  The Santa Margherita guest house is the perfect place to do that.  The neighborhood is full of restaurant options as well as a fabulous pizza by the slice takeaway shop, bakery and gelato shops. You can also walk to the Dorsoduro stop to go to the cruise terminal stopping to see the gondola workshop across the canal as you enjoy your gelato from Gelati Nico.

I was curious about the “sharing economy” (which I think actually enables more people to travel which is a good thing) and on my recent travel sabbatical, I had the opportunity to try six different Airbnb properties as a leisure traveler in Europe.  My inner hotel inspector is always on so here is why I don’t think Airbnb (similar to a dating service in my opinion) is a good option for the business traveler (some of these are cautionary for the leisure traveler) based on my European experiences.

10 Reasons Airbnb for Business Travel isn’t Good

1. Safety/Security – Risk management is the most important business travel item as the firm is responsible for you. Is the neighborhood safe? Is the building safe? Is the apartment, house, room, clean? What happens in a fire?  Where do you go? Is the employee sharing with the host or are solo?

Staying in an apartment building in Milan, I had no idea what the evacuation procedures were – I missed my hotel door map. At another property, I fell down the uneven stairs outside of the bedroom and fractured my foot ending up at the hospital for an X-ray.  Hotels and Serviced apartments, on the other hand, are vetted to high-standard, and typically include round-the-clock surveillance. SilverDoor is a worldwide provider of serviced apartments and regularly inspects its properties

2.Research/Review Time – Time searching for a property by the employee is wasted company time. I spent untold hours researching, reading the reviews of the property and host, cross checking other rental/review sites and looking through calendars for availability and price sorting and I still ended up with a few duds. Is the location desirable to the work location? Add in the communication email time between you and the host and the possibility of being told “no” and starting over.

Plus you need to leave a review of the property and host after the stay, which means you need to set up a profile. Lost time working on actual business.

3. Perceived Savings – The rate is nice but then the added cleaning costs, Airbnb fees and other costs add up quickly. You’d be surprised to see that the hotel might be cheaper. If the property is not central to the business meeting/client location, then add costs for taxi or rental car. One flat was €20 taxi ride each way (or public transit and walk with luggage) from the train station and central business district. Additional Costs/Lost time

4. Delays – Travel delays are par for the course. With my London Airbnb rental, I was delayed due to a Eurostar disruption (I had to instead fly from Paris). I missed the 4pm key exchange with the cleaning lady who I was told spoke no English, so the keys were left at a local shop that closed at 8 p.m. I would miss that too but luckily had a friend in London pick up the keys for me. The alternative? Booking a hotel room for the night and retrieving the keys in the morning. Added costs. High stress.

5. Cleanliness – My idea of clean and the host’s idea of clean? Very different. With mold, dust, rusty nails, trash behind the couch and broken steps to name just a few of the many issues at one property, I had to contact Airbnb to resolve (always take photos). The photos online were great but didn’t show the details that matter. I left the property early but the host trashed me on the review which was libelous and against the Airbnb rules (who wants that showing up in their Google reputation/character search).

6. Responsibility – Hotels are responsible for maintaining their property and ensuring the room functions properly. At the Airbnb rentals, I was shown how to use the circuit breaker box, given the trash/recycle schedule and told not to use the faucet as it was broken. The plant below growing inside the house was hazardous with many dead leaves and attracted bugs (how many plants will your rental have?). What business traveler wants those hassles/headaches?

7. Comfort – I won’t lie, I was missing my luxury hotel with Heavenly bed and air conditioning as I slept on futons, hard beds, pull out couches and a single twin bed. One host supplied one towel for three nights which was a bit stingy in my opinion. Another host took two days to supply a hair dryer (thankfully I was on vacation but what if this was a business trip?). I read a few reviews that said one host charged extra for additional rolls of toilet paper (I didn’t book that one). So you may need to go shop for basic items to have a level of comfort. Lost time/added cost.

8. Spotty Wi-Fi/No business center – Wi-Fi was challenging at most properties with two having no service. That’s not good for business travelers.  Most serviced apartments, likewise, boast free Wi-Fi.  Need meeting materials shipped to you or sent back to the office? At a hotel, it’s easy, at a rental not so much. You’ll need to find the local FedEx office to help you ship items.

9. Food – You’re on your own to forage for food at an Airbnb rental (unless they offer a pre-stock option). At a hotel, room service makes it easy to be on that conference call or work in the room.

10. A good night’s sleep – While the reviews said the outside noise in Milan couldn’t be avoided, I didn’t expect it to last until 3 a.m. I had shut the double windows and both the inside and outside shutters but the air vent let me hear every music note and goodbyes of the bar nearby. Another property had noisy neighbors. If you have a morning meeting, sleep is essential.  Whereas, in Venice, the boats started delivering at 6 a.m. each day. No profile lists noise from neighbors or neighborhood.

Bonus #11: On the Airbnb site, they mention how easy it is to rent a house for the team to stay and work together. This, to me, is a HR nightmare scenario on so many levels.  Frankly, I wouldn’t want to share a house with my boss or co-workers and have to share the bathroom!  Would you?

So imagine, you’ve had a long flight cramped in coach, because your T&E policy mandates coach (sorry about that), you have an address of the property you spent hours researching hoping the Uber (another post on that) guy finds it and you meet your host, who seems really nice but isn’t a hotelier, to get the keys to your “room, flat, house” and open the door to your new place.  Was it worth forgoing the corporate hotel (and points!) to be part of the “sharing economy” and playing roulette with your lodging options? My former job was to make your corporate travel life easy – you flew in business class, had a car waiting to take you to the hotel and any disruptions along the way, I was here to help solve it as you continued your business.

For me, as a business traveler, I’m all about the hotels because I need it to be simple and easy so I can spend my time being productive on business as I enjoy my room service food, glass of wine and dessert.

Does your company allow you to use Airbnb for business travel?  If so, would you?  What has been your Airbnb for BUSINESS TRAVEL experience?

When I was looking for an Airbnb London flat there were just so many to choose from it too hours to narrow down my top finds. Airbnb definitely has some hidden gems and finding the posh basement flat in London was one of them.  My journey to the flat was one of the worst travel days of my life so when I finally arrived I can’t tell you how happy I was to find that the flat was just like the photos – modern, clean, comfortable, stylish chic, quiet and it smelled good.

The Area (South Kensington)

I wasn’t familiar with the Chelsea/South Kensington area of London but first impression on the street was money, lots and lots of money.  People were parking their Maserati’s, Aston Martins, Porsche and other fancy cars on the street (!!!!) as well as their private driveways. Yes, private driveways in London!  There is a Ferrari dealership nearby as well as a Shell gas station!  Who knew there was a gas station in London?  I’ve never seen one in my twenty plus years traveling to the city!  This was such a sight to see the expensive cars like a Ferrari in queue behind the black cab and the family Rover. I wasn’t in the normal tourist area, I was in a dream neighborhood that I could afford only if I hit the lottery.

There are two underground stations nearby – South Kensington and Gloucester Road.  I preferred South Kensington as it had so many shops around it (i.e. – Hummingbird Bakery (my favorite for red velvet cupcakes), a gelato shop, Ben’s Cookies, Muriel’s Kitchen, Byron Burger, etc.).  It was an easy walk from the flat, exit left to the end of the street, make a right and walk to the station.  If you make a right from the flat and walk ½ block you arrive at the cinema, two supermarkets (Sainsbury and M&S) as well as pubs and restaurants.

Pre-Arrival

Chloe, the host, was easy to communicate with after booking and provided all information.  Unfortunately for me, I would have one of the worst travel days and arrive late.  Chloe was out-of-town and I would miss the key pickup with the cleaning lady so through text messages, she arranged to leave the keys at a local shop.  I would find a fantastic friend in London to pick the keys up for me as I would arrive after the shop closed. This was the downside to an Airbnb rental – what if you are delayed and miss the key pickup?  I would have had to find a hotel for the night and go the next day to pick up keys. Thankfully, my friend saved me that additional nightmare.

Arrival

The flat was easy to find and my friend was already there to welcome me.  Walking into the building, I had to go down two sets of steps to the basement and needed to use the three keys on the door.  Upon entry you see the hardwood floors and candles.  Your senses are then welcomed with a lovely fragrance which complements the white decor.

The Airbnb London Basement Flat

For London, this is a good size flat (apartment).  It is four rooms – bedroom with walk in closet, living room, kitchen, bathroom and a bonus of an outdoor patio (totally a surprise for London).  It’s a pretty flat that is calming. The bed is comfortably soft with side lamps that were fun as they are touch operated.

The instruction booklet asked not to touch the wine rack (really, who drinks other people’s wine?), use the walk in closet (again, it’s your stuff, I wouldn’t think to even go in) and don’t open anything that is taped as those are her private drawers.  Other than that, suggestions were given for the area as well as instructions for the kitchen, bathroom and heating.

Using the kitchen was a nice bonus in London as I was able to pick up a meal at M&S to microwave to enjoy relaxing watching a few interesting British television shows.

The Bathroom

Stocked with multiple wash cloths and towels, the bathroom was quite nice.  There is a step up from the hallway to note as the ceiling is then shorter (if you are tall it might be a bit annoying). The bathroom was stocked with extra toilet paper as well so no need to buy that which was a nice touch. The water pressure was good.

The Hottest Day of the Year in London

The Airbnb London basement flat surprisingly gets sunlight during the day but the flat is quite cool otherwise which on the hottest day of the year in London was wonderful.  No air conditioning is needed and at one point at night, I almost put the heat on but kept saying “it’s summer, goofball”.

Final Thoughts – Airbnb London – South Kensington Flat

If I lived in London, I’d want to live here! It was quiet despite upstairs and next door neighbors – during my three days there I never saw the residents.   I didn’t get to use the patio or enjoy the area enough as I was busy visiting friends in the city.  I’d definitely stay here again as the area seemed safe and offered so many options.

I stayed for three nights during Wimbledon, the rate was reasonable even we you added the cleaning fees and Airbnb administrative fees.  For three nights, this Airbnb London flat was $796 ($265/£170 per night). Totally worth it for the space, comfort and quiet!

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