Hotels are good for a one/two night stay when I travel for work. Basically when I need a place to sleep and that's it.

When I travel for pleasure, my first option is to rent an apartment. I am not forced to eat in a restaurant 3 times a day, I can rest and read a book without being caged in a small room, it is easier to get into the place i am visiting

In the early days short rentals of private apartments could be a Russian roulette experience, but now there are apartments/structures that are dedicated to this business that are really great.

Of course tourism affects local realities. At times for the better: income related to tourist activities allows small towns to survive, art cities to maintain its buildings etc). Other times for the worse. Huge cruisers that stop by Piazza San Marco in Venice are totally unacceptable.

we can't really put the blame on Airbnb. Tourist towns have lost their identity well before Airbnb. Think of Florence, ROme, Venice etc.

In fact ror many countries tourism (and all its ancillary businesses) is one of the most important means of income, so governments actually promote tourism. Long distance flights are nowadays cheaper than a short run by car. As a result, millions of people travel for pleasure, and to maximise the income from tourism you need accommodation.

I see BV's point, but on the other hand, if millions of people nowadays want to visit the cinque terre and actually can do it, how can we prevent it?

Like it or not, transformation of the territory is an irreversible process-

C

I like this thread.
Im presently trying to decide if we should stay in a hotel or AirBnB for the Paris show.
Looking at AirBnB's and hotels mostly in the Gare Montparnasse area.
We are arriving on the 21 and will stay thru the 26th in Paris.
Price wise the AirBnB's are similar to a 3-4 star hotels in the area.
There are some cheaper AirBnB's but nothing we would stay in.
Looking for any recomendations?
Dont necessarily need to stay in Montparnasse area but somewhere close to the metro and train stations.
Its been over 30 yrs since I've been to Paris.
Merci!

Myself I would stay in bnb. Luckily for me my London shows..am staying with friends I just met last year. Hotels can be pricy in Paris.

Quote
babyblue

Hotels can be pricy in Paris.

It can, but not necessarily. Hotels & prices - [www.HRS.com] , [www.AccorHotels.com] .