Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and where to find them at the airport: AirportLink and the train, the SkyDrive express bus, taxis, Uber, shuttle buses and private transfers, and hire cars, which many people use to start their road trip. I also explain how to get between the international and domestic terminals, and how to get back to the airport. 1 New Zealand dollar is worth around £0.43.

Quick overview

• AirportLink bus and train: typically 6 to 7 dollars (around £3) with contactless payment or an AT HOP card, and about an hour to Waitematā (formerly Britomart) or Te Waihorotiu in the city centre.
• SkyDrive: express bus to SkyCity by the Sky Tower for around 20 dollars (around £8.50) and 35 to 55 minutes depending on traffic.
• Taxi: fixed fares to the city centre from around 60 to 105 dollars (around £25 to £45) depending on the company, and about 30 minutes without traffic.
• Uber and other ride-hailing services: dedicated pick-up points at both terminals, and you see the price in the app before you book.
• SuperShuttle: shared door-to-door minibus for 35 dollars (around £15) for one person and 8 dollars (around £3.50) for each additional person in the group.
• Private transfer: from around 47 dollars (around £20) per person, and it must be booked in advance.
• Hire car: desks at both terminals. You don’t need a car in Auckland, but it’s ideal for a road trip around the North Island and South Island.

How to find the transport from Auckland Airport to the city centre

Auckland Airport has two terminals. The international terminal is used by all flights to and from abroad, and the domestic terminal is used by domestic flights, including those with Air New Zealand and Jetstar. They are just under a kilometre apart, and you can either walk or take a free bus between them, as I explain further down.

At the international terminal, the buses are gathered at the Transport Hub just outside the arrivals area. The AirportLink bus stops at stop A, and the SkyDrive express bus and InterCity’s long-distance coaches stop at stop E between the Transport Hub and the Novotel hotel. Taxis, Uber and SuperShuttle pick you up in the Transport Pick-up Zone, which is a one to two-minute walk out of door 11 in the arrivals area. Follow the orange signs when you’re looking for public transport.

At the domestic terminal, everything stops on the forecourt in front of the building. AirportLink leaves from stop B, SkyDrive from stop A between door 3 and door 4, taxis wait outside door 4, and Uber picks you up in lane 2 by door 2. The airport has gathered the buses and payment details on its public transport page.

1. The AirportLink bus and the train via Puhinui

AirportLink and the train is the option I recommend if you’re travelling alone or as a couple and don’t have too much luggage. AirportLink is an ordinary city bus run by Auckland Transport (AT) that runs between the airport, Puhinui Station and Manukau. It runs every 10 minutes, seven days a week, from around 4.30am to 00.40 at night. The bus stops at stop A in the Transport Hub at the international terminal and at stop B at the domestic terminal, and there’s room for suitcases on board.

The ride to Puhinui takes 13 to 20 minutes, and the bus uses dedicated bus lanes for most of the way. Puhinui is a modern interchange with lifts and escalators, so it’s easy to get from the bus up to the platforms with your suitcase. From here the train takes around 35 minutes into the city centre, and with waiting time you should allow about an hour from the airport to the city. You’ll find timetables and service changes on AT’s AirportLink page.

Fares and payment: contactless or AT HOP card

You can’t pay cash on AT buses. Instead, adults can tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay card, or a phone with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, on the card reader both when getting on and when getting off. It costs the same as with an AT HOP card, and with contactless payment you never pay more than 20 dollars (around £8.50) a day. Use the same card or phone for the whole journey, and check whether your bank charges a fee for payments in a foreign currency.

The fare depends on how many zones you travel through, and you pay a single combined fare for the bus and train when you board the train within 30 minutes of leaving the bus. An adult typically pays 6 to 7 dollars (around £2.50 to £3) from the airport to the city centre. Fares are usually adjusted once a year, so check the exact price in AT’s journey planner or app before you travel.

An AT HOP card makes sense if you’re spending a few days in Auckland or travelling with children. The card itself costs 5 dollars (around £2), and from the machines you buy it for 25 dollars (around £10) with 20 dollars loaded on it. There are machines at stop A in the Transport Hub and outside door 4 at the domestic terminal, and the Take Home Convenience shop in the international terminal also sells the card. With a HOP card you never pay more than 50 dollars (around £20) over seven days. Children aged 5 to 15 get a discount with a registered HOP card, but not with contactless payment, and children under 5 travel free with an adult.

Two train lines into the city centre

Two train lines run from Puhinui into the city centre: the East West line and the South City line. Both run through the City Rail Link, a tunnel under the centre with new stations, and Britomart, the old terminus by the harbour, is now called Waitematā. So you can simply take the first train heading into town and get off at the station closest to your hotel. Both lines run roughly every 15 minutes during the day and more often at peak times, so you rarely have to wait long.

The East West line runs via Ōtāhuhu, Panmure and Ōrākei and reaches Waitematā after about 34 minutes, then continues to Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape and Maungawhau. The South City line runs via Newmarket and Grafton and reaches Karanga-a-Hape, Te Waihorotiu and Waitematā in 31 to 37 minutes. Waitematā is by the harbour and the ferries, Te Waihorotiu is right in the centre by Aotea Square, a few minutes’ walk from the Sky Tower, and Karanga-a-Hape is on Karangahape Road with its bars and restaurants. AT has an overview of the lines and the new stations on its City Rail Link page.

Trains run from around 5am until close to midnight on weekdays and a little later on Fridays and Saturdays. AirportLink runs later than the trains, so if you land late, check the last train from Puhinui before you get on the bus. At weekends and during holidays, trains are regularly replaced by buses when there’s work on the line, so check AT’s service changes before you travel. If you have neither a card nor a phone for contactless payment, you can buy a train ticket with cash at Puhinui Station.

From Waitematā onwards into the city

Waitematā Station lies beneath the Britomart district at the northern end of Queen Street, directly opposite the Downtown Ferry Terminal, where ferries sail to Devonport and the wine island of Waiheke. From here it’s about a 10-minute walk to the restaurants at Viaduct Harbour, and most hotels in the city centre are within a 15-minute walk of one of the central stations.

If you’d like to stay right by the station, the five-star The Hotel Britomart on Galway Street is a stone’s throw from Waitematā, and you can see prices for The Hotel Britomart here. If you’re unsure where to stay, read my guide to where to stay in New Zealand. Auckland is the first base in the guide, with hotels in three price ranges, and I also cover the rest of the round trip from the Bay of Islands to Christchurch.

2. SkyDrive: the express bus from Auckland Airport to the city centre

SkyDrive is the airport’s express bus to the city centre, operated by the bus company Ritchies. The bus runs directly between the airport and SkyCity’s bus terminal on Hobson Street at the foot of the Sky Tower. At the international terminal it stops at stop E between the Transport Hub and the Novotel, and at the domestic terminal it stops at stop A between door 3 and door 4. The SkyBus airport bus, which you may come across in older travel guides, no longer runs between the airport and the city centre.

The first bus leaves SkyCity at 5am, and the last leaves the domestic terminal at 10.30pm. According to the airport, there’s a bus every half hour. The journey takes about 35 minutes without traffic and up to 55 minutes at rush hour. An adult single ticket costs around 20 dollars (around £8.50), and there are discounts for children, students and seniors. Two suitcases and a small piece of hand luggage are included in the price.

You buy your ticket on SkyDrive’s website, and it arrives as a QR code in your email, which the driver scans. The bus may be full if you haven’t booked, so it’s a good idea to book once you know your arrival time. The ticket is valid on any departure the same day if there’s space, so it doesn’t matter much if your flight is delayed.

SkyDrive is a good choice if your hotel is in the southern part of the city centre around the Sky Tower, Victoria Street and Federal Street, or if you’d rather stay on one bus than change at Puhinui. If you’re staying by the harbour, it’s about a 10 to 15-minute walk downhill from SkyCity to Waitematā and Viaduct Harbour. If you want to stay right by the bus terminal, SkyCity Hotel Auckland is in the same complex as the Sky Tower.

3. Taxi from Auckland Airport

Only licensed taxi companies are allowed to pick up passengers from the airport ranks, and according to the airport these are Alert Taxis, Auckland Co-op Taxis, Cheap Cabs and Corporate Cabs. At the international terminal, the taxis wait in the Transport Pick-up Zone in lanes 2 and 3 outside door 11 by the arrivals area, and at the domestic terminal they wait outside door 4. If you’ve booked a taxi in advance, the driver will meet you inside the arrivals hall.

Each company has its own fixed fare from the airport to the city centre, and according to the airport’s overview of taxis and shuttle buses they range from around 60 to 105 dollars (around £25 to £45), including the airport fee. There’s a big difference between the companies, so ask the driver about the fare before you get in. Taxis are allowed to add a surcharge when you pay by card.

The journey to the city centre takes about 30 minutes without traffic, but the motorway is often busy at rush hour, when it can take up to an hour. If there are three or four of you going to the same hotel, a taxi from one of the cheaper companies costs roughly the same as SkyDrive tickets for the whole group, and it takes you right to the door.

4. Uber and other ride-hailing services

At the international terminal, Uber picks you up in the Transport Pick-up Zone in lane 1, a one to two-minute walk outside door 11. At the domestic terminal, the pick-up point is in lane 2 by door 2. Some ride-hailing services use the Off-site Transfer Zone behind the Te Arikinui Pullman hotel instead, a five to seven-minute walk north of the Transport Hub, so always check in the app where the car is waiting.

The airport charges 5.50 dollars (around £2.30) for each pick-up, and this is added to the fare. You’ll see the price in the app before you book, and it depends on the type of car, the traffic and demand. When lots of flights land at the same time, prices go up, and a fixed-fare taxi may then be the best option. Only book the car once you’ve collected your luggage and got through customs and the biosecurity check, as this can take a while in Auckland.

5. Shuttle bus and private transfer

SuperShuttle is a shared minibus that takes you all the way to your hotel along with other passengers. At the international terminal, it leaves from the Transport Pick-up Zone in lane 2. According to the airport, the trip to the city centre costs 35 dollars (around £15) for one person and 8 dollars (around £3.40) for each additional person in the same group, so it’s cheapest when there are several of you. Allow around an hour, as the bus drops off other passengers along the way.

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who waits for you in the arrivals hall and drives you straight to your hotel. On GetYourGuide, prices start from about 47 dollars (around £20) per person. It’s more expensive than the bus, but it gives you peace of mind after the long journey from Europe, especially if you’re travelling with children or have a lot of luggage.

Book a private transfer from Auckland Airport here.

The transfer must be booked at least 10 hours in advance, so it’s not something you can sort out once you’re standing in the arrivals hall. Enter your flight number when booking so the driver can keep track of any delays, and check how many people and suitcases the price covers.

6. Car hire from Auckland Airport

New Zealand is a country made for a road trip, and many people pick up their car right at the airport. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, ezi, Europcar, Hertz, National, Sixt and Thrifty all have desks at the airport. At the international terminal they’re in the Transport Hub, and at the domestic terminal they’re on the ground floor of car park R. Hire companies without a desk at the airport usually pick you up in a shuttle bus from the Off-site Transfer Zone. Book your car well in advance, especially for the summer from December to February, and compare prices on car hire at Booking.com before you travel.

New Zealand drives on the left. If your driving licence isn’t in English, according to New Zealand’s official tourism website you’ll need to bring an English translation or an International Driving Permit, and you must always carry your licence when driving. From the airport, you take the motorway into Auckland in about half an hour without traffic, but parking in the city centre is expensive, and you don’t need a car in the city itself.

My advice is therefore to take AirportLink or SkyDrive into the city and pick up the car on the day you move on. A classic start to a road trip heads east to the Coromandel Peninsula, which you can read about in my post on Coromandel, Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. If you want to head south along the west coast past Raglan and Mount Taranaki, you’ll find the route in my post about the North Island of New Zealand.

If you’re driving north towards Northland and the Bay of Islands, part of the motorway north of Auckland is a toll road, the Northern Gateway Toll Road, with no barriers. The toll is paid online after your trip, so ask at the desk how the hire company handles it, as many add an admin fee on top.

Between the international and domestic terminals

If you’re continuing on a domestic flight after landing from Europe, you’ll need to change terminals. The free inter-terminal bus runs every 15 minutes between 5am and 11pm and takes about 10 minutes. At the international terminal it stops at stop B in the Transport Hub, and at the domestic terminal it stops at stop C outside door 2.

You can also walk. The route is 950 metres long, follows a green line on the pavement and takes 10 to 15 minutes. It’s fine if the bus has just left, but not much fun with two large suitcases in the rain.

You’ll need to collect your luggage and go through customs and the biosecurity check before you can transfer to a domestic flight, and the airport recommends allowing around three hours for the connection. If you’re flying on with Air New Zealand and there’s more than an hour until departure, you can drop your bags at the airline’s transfer desk on the ground floor of the international terminal. If there’s less than an hour, take the inter-terminal bus straight to the domestic terminal.

Getting back to the airport

From the city centre, take the train to Puhinui and the AirportLink bus from there. Take an East West line train towards Manukau from Waitematā, Te Waihorotiu or Karanga-a-Hape, or a South City line train towards Pukekohe. Check on the screen that the train stops at Puhinui, as not all trains run all the way to the end of the line. At Puhinui, change to AirportLink, which reaches the domestic terminal in 13 to 17 minutes and the international terminal in 18 to 20 minutes.

Give yourself plenty of time, and allow extra at rush hour and at weekends, when trains may be replaced by buses. The airport recommends arriving at least three hours before an international flight and one hour before a domestic flight. SkyDrive runs from SkyCity from 5am, and if you have a very early flight, you might consider spending your last night near the airport. Novotel Auckland Airport is a few minutes’ walk from the international terminal, and you can see prices for Novotel Auckland Airport here.

If your trip continues to Melbourne, I’ve covered the airport bus, taxis and the cheap alternatives in my guide to getting from Melbourne Airport to the city centre. If you’re landing in Sydney, you can read where to stay in Sydney, and if you’d like to see more of Auckland before moving on, I’ve written about sights and day trips in Auckland.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re heading and how you’re travelling:

Britomart, the waterfront and Viaduct Harbour: Take the AirportLink to Puhinui and then the train on the East West line to Waitematā, which typically costs 6 to 7 dollars (around £3).

Midtown, the Sky Tower and Karangahape Road: The AirportLink and the train to Te Waihorotiu or Karanga-a-Hape, or SkyDrive straight to SkyCity if you’d rather avoid changing.

3 to 4 adults going to the same hotel: A taxi from one of the cheaper companies costs roughly the same as the SkyDrive tickets and takes you right to the door.

Children or lots of luggage: A private transfer or SuperShuttle, so you avoid the change at Puhinui.

On a tight budget: The AirportLink and the train with contactless payment. It’s the cheapest way into the city.

If you land late in the evening: SkyDrive, if you can make the last bus at 22.30 from the domestic terminal, and otherwise a taxi or an Uber. The AirportLink runs until after midnight, but check the last train from Puhinui.

Touring the rest of the country: Pick up your hire car on the day you leave Auckland, so you don’t have to pay for parking in the city centre.

The post Auckland Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

It depends on whether you want to explore the narrow streets, lie on the beach or take the train along the coast. Here are my six suggestions, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Antibes: The Best Areas

• Old Town and Port Vauban - best area for first-time visitors
• Town centre by the station - best area for day trips by train
• La Salis and Ponteil - best area for families and sandy beaches
• Juan-les-Pins - best area for beach life and nightlife
• Cap d’Antibes - best area for luxury and peace and quiet
• Biot and Sophia Antipolis - best area for drivers and a pool

The Old Town, the town centre and La Salis sit side by side, so you can do most things on foot there, while Juan-les-Pins lies on the other side of Cap d’Antibes and has its own station. Cap d’Antibes and Biot realistically require a car or a taxi. Below I go through the areas one by one, with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in June for two people, and in July and August they are quite a bit higher.

1. Old Town and Port Vauban - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the Old Town. From the market on Cours Masséna it’s a five-minute walk to Port Vauban, the Musée Picasso and the small beach Plage de la Gravette.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk everywhere. The railway station is about a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, and many of the streets are narrow, cobbled pedestrian lanes, so take a taxi if you have a heavy suitcase.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 minutes by train from Nice Saint-Augustin to Antibes followed by a 15-minute walk, or 40 to 50 minutes on bus 82 to the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly 168 to 385 euros (around £140 to £320) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and busy until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds at the market and on the harbour promenade in summer.

The Old Town, which locals call Vieil Antibes, lies behind the old sea walls facing the Mediterranean, and the harbour here has been in use since antiquity. The streets are narrow, the houses have coloured shutters, and right in the middle is Cours Masséna with the covered Marché Provençal. The market is open every morning, except on Mondays outside the summer season, and in the afternoon local craftspeople sell their work in the same spot.

By the sea stands Château Grimaldi, where Picasso had a studio for two months in the autumn of 1946. Today the château is the Musée Picasso, and it’s closed on Mondays. Just north of the Old Town is Port Vauban, which the tourist office calls Europe’s largest marina, with over 1,500 berths and a quay where superyachts of up to 165 metres moor. If you’d like the stories behind it all, you can join a walking tour of the Old Town with a local guide from around 25 euros (about £20).

See hotels in the Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Antibes, or if you only have a couple of nights. You can browse the market in the morning, swim at Plage de la Gravette inside the harbour wall and have dinner on one of the little squares without giving transport a thought. The station is close by too, so day trips to Nice, Cannes and Monaco are easy.

The downsides are space and price. Many rooms in the Old Town are small, several buildings have no lift, and most places are B&Bs and apartments rather than proper hotels. In summer the bars and pubs are lively until late, and in the pubs you’ll often hear more English than French, so ask for a room away from the street if you’re a light sleeper. If you’re arriving by car, you’ll need a car park such as Pré des Pêcheurs, where the hotels quote around 20 euros (about £17) a day.

Hotels in the Old Town and by Port Vauban

Hôtel La Villa Port d’Antibes & Spa - four-star hotel with a heated pool and spa close to the harbour

La Villa Port d’Antibes is on Avenue Frédéric Mistral between Place de Gaulle and Port Vauban, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool and a spa with a hammam and massages, and with a score of 8.9 from over 1,600 reviews it was the most expensive of my three picks in the area. Parking costs around 20 euros (about £17) a day in the Pré des Pêcheurs car park, and one guest felt the pool was too small for the number of guests.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely location, beautiful décor and fantastic staff and service.”

See photos and book Hôtel La Villa Port d’Antibes here.

Irin Hotel - small hotel with a lift in the heart of the Old Town

Irin Hotel is on Rue de la République in the middle of the Old Town, a couple of minutes’ walk from the market on Cours Masséna. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift and air conditioning, and it scores 8.9 from almost 500 reviews. Breakfast is served at extra cost in a nearby restaurant, parking nearby costs around 20 euros (about £17) a day, and one guest found the room very small.

From a review: “Clean, lovely bathroom and excellent location.”

See photos and book Irin Hotel here.

Les Petits Volets 2 - B&B 100 metres from the sea in the southern part of the Old Town

Les Petits Volets 2 is on Rue du Bas Castelet in the southern part of the Old Town, about 100 metres from the sea walls and a couple of minutes’ walk from the Musée Picasso. It’s a small B&B with a score of 9.3, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the Old Town when I searched. There’s no lift and breakfast isn’t included, but there’s tea and coffee in the room. One guest found the room small but fine for a few days.

One of the guests highlights: “The location was really good, Dominique was lovely, and the room was spotlessly clean.”

See photos and book Les Petits Volets 2 here.

2. Town Centre by the Station - best area for day trips by train 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay in the newer part of town between the station and Place de Gaulle. From here, it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk into the Old Town.
• 🚆 Transport: The train station and the Pôle d’Échanges bus terminal are in the same place. Bus 82 from the airport stops here, and the local buses to Juan-les-Pins, Cap d’Antibes and Biot leave from here.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 minutes by train from Nice Saint-Augustin, or 40 to 50 minutes on bus 82, which stops at the station.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around €120 to €230 (roughly £100 to £195) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but less lively in the evening than the Old Town. Keep an eye on your bag on the platforms and on the coastal trains, where pickpockets operate in summer.

The town centre is the newer part of Antibes, lying between the railway and the Old Town. This is where you’ll find the shopping streets around Place de Gaulle and Boulevard Albert 1er, along with banks, supermarkets and cafés where the locals have lunch. North-east of the station, the Fort Carré fortress sits on a headland facing the sea, and from there you can look out over the whole of Port Vauban and its huge yachts.

The big advantage is the train. From Antibes, regional trains run along the coast to Nice in about 20 minutes and to Cannes in about a quarter of an hour, and Monaco takes around an hour. You’ll find the timetables at TER Sud, and a single ticket to Nice costs about €7 (around £6). Local Envibus buses leave from the bus terminal, and a ticket costs €1.50 (around £1.25) on board or €1 (around 85p) in the app. If you want to see more of Nice, I’ve written about things to do in Nice, and I cover the train and bus from the airport in my guide to getting from Nice Airport to the city centre.

See hotels near the station and Place de Gaulle here.

I would stay here if you want to use Antibes as a base for day trips by train, or if you’d like a proper hotel with a reception and breakfast at a lower price than in the Old Town. The hotels are bigger than the B&Bs behind the walls, several have their own parking, and you can reach the train in a few minutes with your suitcase.

The downside is that the centre doesn’t have the Old Town’s charm, and some of the streets are busy during the day. Boulevard Général Vautrin along the coast north of the station is a major road with heavy traffic, and in the evening the modern streets are quiet. It’s 10 to 15 minutes to the restaurants in the Old Town, so it’s easy to walk back and forth, but the atmosphere isn’t quite the same.

Hotels near the station and Place de Gaulle

La Place Boutique Hotel - boutique hotel with a breakfast buffet on Place de Gaulle

La Place is on Avenue du 24 Août by Place de Gaulle, about a 15-minute walk from the station and five minutes from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated three-star boutique hotel with a bar, a terrace and a breakfast buffet, and it scores 8.6 from over 750 reviews. Parking costs about €27 (around £23) a day in a nearby public car park, and one guest found the room small.

One guest writes: “A very nice hotel, the staff are super friendly and welcoming, and the breakfast is a bonus.”

See photos and book La Place Boutique Hotel here.

Hôtel Le Collier - three-star hotel with its own parking a few minutes from the station

Le Collier is on Boulevard Général Vautrin, a few minutes’ walk north of the station and 10 to 15 minutes from the Old Town. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift, a terrace and its own parking for about €12 (around £10) a day, and it scores 8.3 from over 2,000 reviews. The hotel faces the coast road, and one guest warns that there’s a lot of traffic during the day, though it’s quiet at night.

From a review: “Excellent breakfast, the location close to the station, value for money and the staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Collier here.

Hôtel de l’Étoile - budget-friendly hotel between the station and the harbour

Hôtel de l’Étoile is on Avenue Gambetta between the station and Port Vauban, about a five-minute walk from both. It’s an officially rated three-star hotel with a lift, a 24-hour reception and parking for about €9 (around £7.50) a day, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It scores 8.1 from over 2,200 reviews, but the breakfast at €9.50 (around £8) gets criticism, and one guest got only old fruit, a few pastries and a single cup of coffee.

One guest says: “Friendly and helpful staff, and the location was perfect, a five-minute walk from the train and a five-minute walk from the harbour.”

See photos and book Hôtel de l’Étoile here.

3. La Salis and Ponteil - best area for families and sandy beaches 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying south of the Old Town along the bay towards Cap d’Antibes. From Plage du Ponteil it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk to the Old Town, and from Plage de la Salis about a quarter of an hour.
• 🚶 Transport: You can walk into the Old Town along the seafront and reach the station in 20 to 25 minutes. There’s a large car park by the beaches, and several hotels have their own parking.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 30 to 40 minutes by taxi, or take the train to Antibes followed by a short taxi ride.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €170 to €362 (around £140 to £305) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and peaceful. Don’t leave your bag unattended on the beach while you’re swimming.

Just south of the Old Town, the bay of Anse de la Salis begins, with two long sandy beaches, Plage du Ponteil and Plage de la Salis. According to the Antibes tourist office, the water is shallow, so the beaches are well suited to younger children, and there are lifeguards, showers and toilets. It’s sand rather than pebbles like in Nice, which is one of the reasons so many families choose this particular corner of town when deciding where to stay in Antibes.

From the beach you look back at the sea walls and the Old Town, and on clear days you can see the Alps behind the town. The promenade along Boulevard James Wyllie continues out towards Cap d’Antibes, and from the southern end of Plage de la Salis you can take the steep Chemin du Calvaire path up to Plateau de la Garoupe with its lighthouse and views. There’s also a sailing school by the beaches if the children fancy trying a dinghy.

See hotels in La Salis and Ponteil here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling with children, or if the beach holiday matters as much as the Old Town. You have the sandy beach right outside the door, you can walk to the market and restaurants in 10 to 15 minutes, and several hotels have their own parking. It’s also a good compromise between the Old Town and Cap d’Antibes if you’d like a bit more peace and quiet in the evenings.

The downside is that the beaches are narrow and get very crowded in July and August, and the road runs right behind the sand, so there’s traffic close by. The beach clubs charge a fair bit for sunloungers and parasols, and the car park fills up early on hot days. So in high season, arrive early in the morning if you want a good spot on the public part of the beach.

Hotels in La Salis and Ponteil

Royal Antibes - four-star hotel with its own beach and spa at Ponteil

Royal Antibes is on Boulevard Maréchal Leclerc, right on the beach at Ponteil, about five minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s an official four-star hotel with its own beach, a restaurant and a spa with sauna, hammam and hot tub, and parking costs about €20 (around £17) a day. It scores 7.9 from over 1,000 reviews, and one guest felt the price of using one of the sunloungers was outrageous.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location, a very cosy room, and we loved that there was a separate bath and shower.”

See photos and book Royal Antibes here.

Hôtel Josse - family-friendly hotel right on Plage de la Salis

Hôtel Josse is on Boulevard James Wyllie, directly opposite Plage de la Salis, about a quarter of an hour’s walk from the Old Town. It’s an official three-star hotel with a bar, terrace and family rooms, and with a score of 8.8 from over 1,200 reviews it’s a safe choice. There are four free spaces in front of the hotel on a first come, first served basis; otherwise the secure parking costs about €16 (around £13) a day, and one guest missed having a lift to the top floor.

From a review: “Fantastic hotel with a beautiful location and good facilities, and the staff were so friendly and helpful.”

See photos and book Hôtel Josse here.

Hotel Le Ponteil - small hotel with a garden 150 metres from the beach

Le Ponteil is tucked away in a small cul-de-sac, Impasse Jean Mensier, about 150 metres from the beach and five minutes’ walk from the Old Town. It’s a small official two-star hotel with a garden and parking for about €10 (around £8) a day, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It scores 8.8, although one guest missed having somewhere to hang wet beach towels to dry.

One of the guests highlights: “The hotel is wonderful, small and tastefully decorated.”

See photos and book Hotel Le Ponteil here.

4. Juan-les-Pins - best area for beach life and nightlife 🎷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Juan-les-Pins is on the western side of Cap d’Antibes. It’s about a half-hour walk to the Old Town in Antibes, or a few minutes on the regional train to Antibes station.
• 🚆 Transport: Juan-les-Pins has its own station in the middle of town, but only regional trains stop here. Envibus local buses run to Antibes.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 25 minutes on the regional train from Nice Saint-Augustin, or 30 to 40 minutes by taxi, which has a fixed fare of around €72 (around £60).
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €110 to €337 (around £90 to £280) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but lively and noisy on summer nights around the bars and clubs. Keep an eye on your bag on the beach and in the evening crowds.

Juan-les-Pins is part of Antibes, but it feels like a seaside resort in its own right on the other side of Cap d’Antibes. The town has its roots in the Belle Époque and the 1920s, and today it’s Antibes’ beach town, with long sandy beaches, a palm-lined promenade and most of the town’s bars and nightclubs. The public beaches stretch from the centre towards Golfe-Juan, with beach clubs offering sunloungers and restaurants dotted in between.

In the middle of town is the Pinède Gould pine grove, where the Jazz à Juan festival has been held since 1960. The festival calls itself Europe’s oldest jazz festival and takes place in July, and Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles have all played here. In July and August there’s also a night market on the Promenade du Soleil, and if you fancy getting out on the water, you can hire a two-person paddleboard in Juan-les-Pins from around €38 (around £30).

See hotels in Juan-les-Pins here.

I’d stay here if the beach and the evenings matter most to you, or if you’re a group of friends who want bars and nightlife within walking distance. Juan-les-Pins has its own station, so you can still take the train to Cannes and Nice, and several of the hotels have a pool, which is rare in the Old Town.

The downsides are the noise and the prices in high season. During Jazz à Juan and at weekends in July and August, things are in full swing until late into the night, and the hotels fill up early. Out of season, many beach clubs and nightclubs close, and the town can feel quiet. If you want the Old Town and the market close by, Antibes is a better choice than Juan-les-Pins.

Hotels in Juan-les-Pins

Hôtel La Villa Sainte Valérie Adults Only - adults-only four-star hotel with a heated pool

La Villa Sainte Valérie is on Rue de l’Oratoire in a quiet residential area of villas, about 100 metres from the beach and 800 metres from Juan-les-Pins station. It’s an official four-star, adults-only hotel with a heated pool, garden and bar, and it scores 9.2 from just under 450 reviews. The secure parking costs around €20 (around £17) a day, and one guest felt the breakfast could have been a little better, but that it was good value for money.

One guest writes: “What a fantastic hotel! From the warm welcome to the beautiful rooms, we loved everything about this little hotel.”

See photos and book La Villa Sainte Valérie here.

Hôtel Hélios - four-star hotel 100 metres from the beach and close to the station

Hôtel Hélios is on Avenue Dautheville in the heart of Juan-les-Pins, about 100 metres from the beach and a five-minute walk from the station. It’s an official four-star hotel with a bar, lift and underground parking for around €20 (around £17) a day, and it scores 8.5 from more than 500 reviews. There’s no pool, and one guest thought the breakfast was rather mediocre.

From a review: “Very convenient location close to the station.”

See photos and book Hôtel Hélios here.

The Originals Boutique, Hôtel Les Strélitzias - affordable hotel with a restaurant 300 metres from the beach

Les Strélitzias is on Rue Pierre Commanay in the western part of Juan-les-Pins, about 300 metres from the beach and a ten-minute walk from the station. It’s an official three-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, garden and family rooms, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Juan-les-Pins when I searched. It scores 8.1, breakfast costs €16.50 (around £14) per adult, and parking costs from around €10 (around £8) a day. One guest felt the breakfast could be more varied.

One guest says: “Good location in Juan-les-Pins and only a short walk from the beach.”

See photos and book Hôtel Les Strélitzias here.

5. Cap d’Antibes - best area for luxury and peace and quiet 🌲

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The cape stretches around three kilometres out to sea south of Antibes. From the hotels in the middle of the cape, it’s 10 to 15 minutes by car or taxi to the Old Town.
• 🚗 Transport: A car, taxi or bike is easiest. Envibus local buses also run out here, but the roads are narrow and hilly, and in the evening most people end up taking a taxi.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: Around 30 to 40 minutes by car or taxi, depending on traffic.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below cost around €181 to €1,383 (roughly £150 to £1,160) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. Lock your car and don’t leave valuables on show when you park by the beaches and the coastal path.

Cap d’Antibes is the peninsula between Antibes and Juan-les-Pins, home to some of the Riviera’s most expensive villas, hidden behind high walls and umbrella pines. Wealthy families have been building summer homes out here since the mid-1800s, and the cape is also where you’ll find the legendary Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. There’s no real town centre, but there are small beaches such as Plage de la Garoupe and rocky coves with crystal-clear water.

The best thing about the cape is the coastal path. Sentier de Tirepoil starts at the car park by Plage de la Garoupe and follows the rocks around the southern tip past Villa Eilenroc. The walk is around five kilometres and takes about two hours. The path closes in strong winds and can be partly closed at times, so check the tourist office website before you set off. In the middle of the cape is Plateau de la Garoupe, with one of the most powerful lighthouses on the Mediterranean coast and the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garoupe chapel, and on clear days the viewpoint lets you see from Italy to the Alps.

See hotels on Cap d’Antibes here.

I’d stay here if you want luxury, a pool and peace and quiet, and if you have a car or don’t mind taking a taxi into town. If you’d like to see the cape from the water, you can take a private boat trip to the Lérins Islands and around Cap d’Antibes from Golfe-Juan for around €550 (about £460) for up to five people. The easiest place to pick up a car is Nice Airport, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com.

The downsides are the price and the distance. Even the cheapest hotels on the cape cost more than most in Antibes, and restaurants are few and far between in the evening. Without a car you’ll rely on taxis, and the trips back and forth soon add up. If you only have one or two nights, you’ll get more out of staying in the Old Town and heading out to the cape for the day.

Hotels on Cap d’Antibes

Villa Miraé by Inwood Hotels - five-star hotel with a pool and private beach area near Garoupe

Villa Miraé is on Chemin de la Garoupe in the middle of the cape, less than a ten-minute walk from Plage de la Garoupe. It’s an officially rated five-star hotel with a heated pool, restaurant, bar, garden and private beach area, and it scores 9.3. It’s by far the most expensive hotel in this guide at around €1,383 (about £1,160) per night when I searched, and one guest was disappointed that using the hotel’s sun deck cost extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about this hotel was 10 out of 10!”

See photos and book Villa Miraé here.

Hôtel Beau Site - four-star hotel with a pool and garden in the middle of the cape

Hôtel Beau Site is on Boulevard Kennedy in the middle of the cape, less than a ten-minute walk from the sea. It’s an officially rated four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, garden, bar and private parking for around €15 (about £13) a day, and it scores 8.8 from just under 500 reviews. The breakfast buffet costs €17 (about £14) per person, and one guest was unhappy with the check-out time.

From one review: “The location, the hotel and the staff were fabulous.”

See photos and book Hôtel Beau Site here.

Hôtel Le Petit Castel - small hotel with free parking where the cape begins

Le Petit Castel is on Chemin des Sables, where Cap d’Antibes begins between Juan-les-Pins and La Salis, around a ten-minute walk from the beaches on either side. It’s a small, officially rated three-star hotel with a garden, sun terrace, free street parking and a few private spaces, and it was the cheapest of my three picks on the cape when I searched. It scores 8.9, but none of the rooms has a balcony, which one guest missed.

One guest says: “Lovely little hotel. Clean, excellent location and friendly staff.”

See photos and book Hôtel Le Petit Castel here.

6. Biot and Sophia Antipolis - best area for drivers and a pool 🚗

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The village of Biot lies about six kilometres north of the Old Town in Antibes, and the Sophia Antipolis technology park lies further inland. Allow 15 to 20 minutes by car to the Old Town.
• 🚗 Transport: You’ll need a car. Biot has a station down by the coast where only regional trains stop, and Envibus runs to Antibes, but the village and the hotels are a fair distance from the station.
• ✈️ Time from Nice Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by car on the A8 motorway.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 90 to 289 euros (roughly £75 to £240) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Sophia Antipolis is a business district that is very quiet in the evenings and at weekends.

Biot is a small hilltop village north of Antibes, known for its glassblowers. At Verrerie de Biot, founded in 1956, they invented the bubbled glass the village is famous for, and entry is free. Just below the village is the Musée national Fernand Léger with the artist’s huge mosaic façade, and a ticket costs 8 euros (around £7) when there’s no special exhibition. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

West of the village lies Sophia Antipolis, the large technology park set among the pine forests. This is where many of the hotels and aparthotels that booking sites show you when you search for Antibes are located, and they often have a pool, free parking and lower prices than on the coast. By car, you’re quickly at the beaches in Antibes, and you’re close to the motorway towards Cannes, Nice and into Provence.

See hotels in Biot and Sophia Antipolis here.

I would stay here if you’re a family with a car who want a pool and plenty of space for your money, or if Antibes is just one stop on a road trip. From here you can drive to Cannes, Nice and the little hill villages such as Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and if you want to head further inland, I’ve rounded up the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Provence. You can compare car hire prices at Booking.com’s car rental.

The downside is that you’re not by the sea, and Sophia Antipolis is an office district with no atmosphere, which is quiet in the evenings and at weekends. Without a car it’s the wrong choice, and in summer there can be queues on the roads down to the coast. If you’d like to stay in Biot itself, there are only a few places in the village, and most of them are apartments.

Hotels in Biot and Sophia Antipolis

Auberge TAO - four-star countryside hotel with a pool, massages and a restaurant

Auberge TAO is on Route de Valbonne between Biot and Sophia Antipolis, about a quarter of an hour by car from the beach. It’s an official four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, massages and free parking, and it scores 9.3. Breakfast costs around 20 euros (about £17) per person, and one guest felt it was expensive and that the price wasn’t stated in advance.

One guest writes: “An exceptional stay! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and professionalism.”

See photos and book Auberge TAO here.

Moxy Antibes Sophia Antipolis - modern hotel with a pool and free parking

Moxy is in Sophia Antipolis, about 20 minutes by car from the Old Town in Antibes. It’s an official three-star hotel with a heated outdoor pool, pool bar, gym and free parking, and it scores 8.4 from more than 1,000 reviews. One guest writes that the location isn’t very central, even though the road links are excellent, and breakfast can get overcrowded.

From one review: “The atmosphere, the room, the breakfast, the pool, the staff.”

See photos and book Moxy Antibes Sophia Antipolis here.

Nemea Appart Hotel Green Side Biot Sophia Antipolis - aparthotel with a pool and playground for families

Nemea Green Side is on Rue Henri Poincaré in Sophia Antipolis. It’s an aparthotel with a pool, sauna, gym, playground, mini golf and free parking, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the area when I searched. It only scores 7.0, breakfast costs 14 euros (around £12) per person, and one guest felt that check-in not until 5pm was too late after a long drive.

One guest says: “The pool was lovely, clean and well maintained.”

See photos and book Nemea Appart Hotel Green Side here.

Where not to stay in Antibes?

Watch out for the many cheap apartments listed as Antibes on booking sites that are actually in the residential neighbourhoods far from the sea to the north and west, where it’s two to four kilometres to the Old Town and there’s not much to do in the evenings. Also check whether the hotel is in Sophia Antipolis, as several business hotels out there have Antibes in their name, and without a car they’re the wrong choice. Don’t stay in the middle of Juan-les-Pins during Jazz à Juan or at weekends in July and August if you want an early night. And don’t pick Cap d’Antibes without a car if you want to eat out in the Old Town every evening, as the taxi fares soon add up.

If it’s your first trip to Antibes, I would stay in the Old Town. If you want to take day trips by train, the centre by the station is the most practical, and if you’re travelling with children, choose La Salis and Ponteil with their sandy beaches and short walk into town. For beach life and nightlife, stay in Juan-les-Pins; for luxury and peace, stay on Cap d’Antibes; and if you have a car and want a pool for your money, Biot and Sophia Antipolis are the best choice.

Give Antibes at least three nights, so you have time for the Old Town, the coastal path on Cap d’Antibes and a day trip. If you’d rather stay in the big city and take the train here, you can read about where to stay in Nice, and for a night or two in the principality, I’ve put together a guide to where to stay in Monaco. For the rest of the country, see my guide to where to stay in France.

The post Where to Stay in Antibes? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

The towns are close together, but each sits on its own hilltop, so deciding where to stay comes down to atmosphere as well as trains and parking. Here are my six suggestions, with three hotels in each town.

Where to Stay in Umbria: The Best Towns

• Perugia - best town for city life and travellers without a car
• Assisi - best town for first-timers and culture
• Spello - best town for couples and wine lovers
• Spoleto - best town for culture and peace and quiet in the south
• Orvieto - best town for train travellers and a trip from Rome
• Lake Trasimeno - best area for families and a beach holiday

I go through the towns from Perugia in the north down through the valley to Spoleto, then Orvieto in the south-west and finally Lake Trasimeno on the border with Tuscany. For each town you get a map, transport, price level and three hotels in different price ranges. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and they rise in July and August and during the towns’ festivals.

1. Perugia - best town for city life and travellers without a car 🎷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay right in the Old Town. From Piazza IV Novembre with the cathedral and the fountain, you walk along the main street, Corso Vannucci, to Piazza Italia in five minutes.
• 🚆 Transport: Perugia Fontivegge railway station is down in the valley, and from here the small automated Minimetrò line runs up to Pincetto just below the centre. The train to Assisi takes about 20 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Perugia’s small airport is about 20 minutes away by car. From Florence Airport, allow just under two hours, and from Rome Fiumicino about two and a half hours.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around €124 to €520 (around £105 to £435) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe in the Old Town, also in the evening. The area around Fontivegge station is more run-down, so stay up in the centre.

Perugia is the capital of Umbria and the only real city in this guide. The Old Town sits on a hill, and the main street, Corso Vannucci, links Piazza Italia with Piazza IV Novembre, where the 13th-century Fontana Maggiore fountain stands in front of the town hall, Palazzo dei Priori. Inside the town hall is the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria with the region’s largest art collection, including paintings by Perugino, who came from the area.

The city has two universities, so the streets are lively in the evening all year round. In July the Umbria Jazz festival fills the squares with concerts, and the Perugina chocolate factory, which makes Baci, is from here too. By the old Rocca Paolina fortress, escalators run from Piazza Partigiani up through the underground streets to the centre.

See hotels in Perugia here.

I would stay in Perugia if you’re travelling without a car. From here you can reach Assisi and Spello by regional train in under half an hour, and from the station the Minimetrò runs up to the centre every couple of minutes. If you come by car, you can leave it at the Pian di Massiano terminus and take the line up, so you avoid the traffic zone completely. If you’re coming from Florence, you can spend a few nights there first, and my guide to where to stay in Florence will help you choose a neighbourhood.

The downside is that Perugia is a city with suburbs, traffic and a steep hill up to the centre. The hotels in the Old Town are inside the limited traffic zone, the ZTL, and many old buildings have no lift. On the other hand, it’s easy to find parking outside the zone, and the medieval town of Gubbio is less than an hour’s drive to the north-east if you fancy a day trip.

Hotels in Perugia

Sina Brufani - five-star palazzo with a pool above Etruscan ruins

Sina Brufani is Perugia’s classic luxury hotel and sits on Piazza Italia at the end of Corso Vannucci. The indoor pool has a glass floor, so you can look down on Etruscan ruins, and there’s a spa, sauna, gym and restaurant. According to Booking.com, on-site parking costs €20 (around £17) a day and must be booked in advance. Several guests feel, however, that the breakfast doesn’t live up to the price.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is fantastic.”

See photos and book Sina Brufani here.

Times Suites - modern guesthouse in the middle of the Old Town

Times Suites is on Via Sant’Ercolano, a few minutes’ walk from Corso Vannucci, and has a score of 9.2 from over 850 reviews. The rooms are modern and have air conditioning, but there’s no reception, so you check in yourself. There’s also no lift or breakfast, but there are bars nearby, and your car will need to go in a public car park.

From one review: “The rooms were clean, spacious and very modern.”

See photos and book Times Suites here.

Hotel Morlacchi - small budget hotel with breakfast close to the cathedral

Hotel Morlacchi is a two-star hotel on Via Leopoldo Tiberi, a couple of minutes’ walk from Piazza IV Novembre. It scores 9.1 from just under 800 reviews, and breakfast is included in the price, although several guests find it fairly basic. There’s no lift, and if you want to park for free nearby, you’ll need a permit from the hotel.

One guest highlights: “Excellent location, very clean and friendly, helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Morlacchi here.

2. Assisi - best town for first-time visitors and culture ⛪

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay in the Old Town. From Piazza del Comune it’s about a ten-minute walk down to the Basilica di San Francesco and five minutes to Santa Chiara.
• 🚌 Transport: The railway station is in Santa Maria degli Angeli, about four kilometres away down on the plain, and a bus runs from there up to the town. The train from Perugia takes about 20 minutes.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Perugia’s airport is about 15 minutes away by car. From Rome Fiumicino, allow about two and a half hours, and from Florence Airport just over two hours.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below ranged from about 140 to 861 euros (around £115 to £720) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. The town is full of pilgrims during the day and quiet in the evening, but the streets are steep and slippery when it rains.

Assisi is the town of St Francis of Assisi and the most visited in Umbria. The Basilica di San Francesco is made up of two churches, one on top of the other: in the upper church, Giotto’s frescoes cover the walls, and the saint’s tomb lies in the crypt beneath the lower church. The town, the basilica and the Franciscan sites in the surrounding area are listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll find the opening hours for the two churches and the crypt on the basilica’s own website.

At the other end of town stands the Basilica di Santa Chiara with its facade of pink and white stone, and in between lies Piazza del Comune with the columns of a Roman temple. High above the town is the Rocca Maggiore fortress, with views across the whole plain, and down by the station is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built over St Francis’s little Porziuncola chapel. If you want the stories behind it all, you can take a guided walking tour with a visit to the basilica for around 60 euros (around £50).

See hotels in Assisi here.

I would stay in Assisi if it’s your first trip to Umbria and you want a beautiful town with plenty of sights right on your doorstep. In the evening, once the day-trippers’ coaches have left, the streets go quiet and the light falls on the pale stone. The town is also in the middle of the region, so Perugia, Spello and Spoleto are all within an hour’s drive.

The downsides are the daytime crowds, especially at weekends and on religious holidays, and the fact that the whole town is built on a hillside. The Old Town is a restricted traffic zone, ZTL, so your car has to be left in one of the large car parks just outside the town walls, and if your hotel has no lift, you’ll be carrying your suitcase up the stairs.

Hotels in Assisi

Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum - five-star hotel with a spa in Roman excavations

Nun Assisi is on Piazza Matteotti at the eastern end of the Old Town, in a converted 13th-century convent. The spa sits down among Roman excavations, and there’s an indoor pool, a restaurant and a bar. Breakfast is included, and on-site parking costs 25 euros (around £20) per night. It’s at the pricier end, the score is based on only just over 120 reviews, and a couple of guests missed having an iron in the room.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful surroundings and the most amazing spa facilities ever.”

See photos and book Nun Assisi here.

Hotel Il Palazzo - three-star hotel on the street between the square and the basilica

Hotel Il Palazzo is on Via San Francesco, the street leading from Piazza del Comune down to the basilica. It has a lift and air conditioning, and it scores 9.2 from 900 reviews. Breakfast costs extra, and a couple of guests mention minor issues in the bathroom.

From one review: “The property had an excellent location in Assisi.”

See photos and book Hotel Il Palazzo here.

Hotel Pallotta - simple hotel with its own trattoria by the square

Hotel Pallotta is on Via San Rufino, right by Piazza del Comune, and the hotel’s trattoria is on the ground floor. It’s a two-star with air conditioning, and it scores 8.8 from over 750 reviews. There’s no lift, and there are steps up to the hotel, so it’s not a good fit if you have difficulty walking. According to Booking.com, the public car park nearby costs about 12 euros (around £10) a day.

One guest highlights: “Very friendly and helpful staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Pallotta here.

3. Spello - best town for couples and wine lovers 🌸

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Spello is so small that you can walk from one end of the Old Town to the other in a quarter of an hour. Assisi is about 12 kilometres to the north.
• 🚗 Transport: Spello has its own railway station on the line between Perugia and Foligno, about ten minutes’ walk from the town gate. You’ll need a car to get to Montefalco and the vineyards.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Perugia’s airport is about 25 minutes away by car, and from Rome Fiumicino you should allow about two hours.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€. The three places below cost around 82 to 168 euros (roughly £70 to £140) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet in the evening. The streets are steep, and there are lots of steps.

If you ask me, Spello is the prettiest little town in Umbria. It sits on the slopes of Monte Subasio with Roman town gates, narrow lanes of pink stone and flowerpots on every step. In the church of Santa Maria Maggiore you can see Pinturicchio’s frescoes in the Cappella Baglioni, and from the town walls you look out across the plain towards Assisi.

The town is best known for the Infiorate di Spello, when the streets are covered in carpets of flowers on the night before Corpus Domini Sunday. The festival usually falls in late May or June, and that weekend the town is packed, so book well ahead if you want to stay here.

See hotels in Spello here.

I would stay in Spello if you’re a couple looking for peace and quiet, good food and a small town you can stroll around in the evening. Assisi is a quarter of an hour away, and you can reach the wine towns of Bevagna and Montefalco in 15 to 25 minutes by car. Montefalco is known for its full-bodied red wine, Sagrantino, and you can taste it on a guided tour with wine tasting at a winery in Montefalco for around 25 euros (about £20). You can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com before you travel.

The downside is that Spello is small. There are few hotels, most places are B&Bs and apartments, and there isn’t really a luxury hotel in town. The Old Town is also a restricted traffic zone, ZTL, so you’ll have to leave the car in the car parks outside the walls. On the plus side, prices are lower than in Assisi, and several of the small places have free parking right by the walls.

Hotels in Spello

La Bastiglia - four-star hotel with a pool and terrace at the top of town

La Bastiglia is the closest Spello gets to a luxury hotel. It’s a four-star hotel on Via Salnitraria at the northern end of the Old Town, with a seasonal outdoor pool, spa, restaurant and a terrace overlooking the plain. Parking costs 15 euros (around £13) a day. It scores 7.9, and some guests feel the breakfast is basic and the pool is small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic location and a lovely view from the terrace.”

See photos and book La Bastiglia here.

Villa Pandolfi Elmi - guesthouse in a villa with a garden and free parking

Villa Pandolfi Elmi is on Via Tommaso Corbo just outside the walls and is a guesthouse in a villa with a garden. Parking is free, breakfast with fresh cakes and fruit is included, and it scores 9.1. With fewer than 100 reviews, though, there’s less to go on than at the bigger places.

From one review: “The location is fantastic, a few metres from the Old Town.”

See photos and book Villa Pandolfi Elmi here.

Residenza Frenguelli - budget rooms with free parking by the Old Town

Residenza Frenguelli is on Via Tempio di Diana, a few minutes’ walk from the centre, and has rooms with air conditioning and a kitchenette. There’s free parking nearby, and it scores 8.8 from more than 550 reviews. The bathrooms are small, and the kitchenette is fairly basic.

One guest highlights: “Excellent location with free parking nearby and a short walk into the centre of beautiful Spello.”

See photos and book Residenza Frenguelli here.

4. Spoleto - best town for culture and peace in the south 🎭

• 📍 Distance to the centre: From Piazza del Mercato it’s a five-minute walk to the cathedral and a quarter of an hour up to the fortress and the Ponte delle Torri bridge.
• 🚆 Transport: The railway station is in the newer part of town below the hill, and the train to Rome takes around an hour and a half. In town you walk, and escalators help you up the steepest stretches.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Rome Fiumicino, allow around two hours by car, and around 45 minutes from Perugia’s airport.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 108 to 174 euros (around £90 to £145) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. Outside the festival weeks, the town is peaceful in the evenings.

Spoleto is less well known than Assisi and Orvieto, and that works in its favour. The town sits on a hill in the southern part of the region, with the Rocca Albornoziana fortress at the top, and right next to it the tall Ponte delle Torri aqueduct bridge spans the gorge. The path around the fortress gives you the best view of the bridge. The cathedral stands at the end of a wide flight of steps, and the apse has frescoes by Filippo Lippi.

Every summer, from late June to mid-July, the Festival dei Due Mondi fills the town with opera, dance, theatre and concerts, and prices go up. The rest of the year, Spoleto is a quiet town with good restaurants, where black truffles from the mountains feature on the menu.

See hotels in Spoleto here.

I would stay in Spoleto if you want a quiet base in southern Umbria with fewer tourists. The man-made Cascata delle Marmore waterfall near Terni is around half an hour away by car, and you can reach Spello and Montefalco in under an hour. If you want to get out into nature, the paths from the bridge lead on up into the holm oak forest on Monteluco above the town. Spoleto is also on the railway line towards Rome, so it works well as the first or last stop on a round trip.

The downside is the hills. The Old Town is built on a steep slope, and the upper part by the cathedral and fortress sits well above the lower part. It’s best to leave the car in the Spoletosfera car park on Viale Matteotti, from where escalators take you up towards the centre, as the Old Town is a limited traffic zone (ZTL). On the plus side, hotels are cheaper than in Assisi and Orvieto.

Hotels in Spoleto

Hotel San Luca - four-star hotel with a garden and parking outside the traffic zone

I couldn’t find any five-star hotels in Spoleto itself, so Hotel San Luca is the top choice. It’s a four-star hotel on Via Interna delle Mura in the lower part of the Old Town, outside the traffic zone, and has a garden, a lift and on-site parking. It scores 9.1 from over 700 reviews, and the breakfast buffet gets the most praise. It’s uphill to the upper parts of town, which several guests mention.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The breakfast was without doubt the big highlight.”

See photos and book Hotel San Luca here.

Aurora Boutique Hotel & Private SPA - three-star boutique hotel with a private spa

Aurora Boutique Hotel is on Via dell’Apollinare by Piazza della Libertà in the middle of the Old Town. There’s a lift and a private spa you can book, and breakfast is included in the price. It scores 8.9 from over 1,400 reviews. The hotel is inside the traffic zone, so you’ll need to leave the car in the Spoletosfera car park around 200 metres away.

From one review: “The staff are wonderful, friendly and super helpful.”

See photos and book Aurora Boutique Hotel here.

Hotel Clarici - simple hotel with parking in the lower part of town

Hotel Clarici is a three-star hotel on Piazza della Vittoria at the lower end of the Old Town. There’s a lift, breakfast is included in the price, and on-site parking costs 10 euros (around £8) a day. It scores 8.1, and a few guests have complained about the cleaning.

One of the guests writes: “Good location, friendly staff.”

See photos and book Hotel Clarici here.

5. Orvieto - best town for train travellers and a trip from Rome 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The Old Town sits up on the clifftop. From the cathedral it’s a five-minute walk to the Torre del Moro tower on Corso Cavour and a quarter of an hour to Piazza Cahen by the funicular.
• 🚆 Transport: Orvieto is on the railway line between Rome and Florence. From the station in Orvieto Scalo, a funicular runs up to Piazza Cahen, and the train from Rome takes just over an hour.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: From Rome Fiumicino, allow around an hour and a half by car, and just under two hours from Florence Airport.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost around 105 to 295 euros (around £90 to £245) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe. In the middle of the day there are lots of day-trippers around the cathedral, but it goes quiet in the evening.

Orvieto sits on top of a cliff of volcanic tuff, and when you see the town from the motorway, it’s easy to understand why so many people stop here. The cathedral is one of Italy’s finest Gothic churches, with a façade covered in mosaics, and in the Cappella di San Brizio you can see the Last Judgement frescoes that Luca Signorelli painted around 1500. Tickets and opening hours are listed on the cathedral’s official website.

Beneath the town lie hundreds of caves and tunnels, dug out of the tuff since Etruscan times, and you can head down on a guided tour. The Pozzo di San Patrizio well has two spiral staircases that wind around each other, so the donkeys carrying the water never met on their way up and down.

See hotels in Orvieto here.

I’d stay in Orvieto if you’re travelling by train or want to combine Umbria with Rome. Trenitalia sells a combined ticket for the train and the funicular up to the centre, Orvieto Link, and you can read how to buy tickets for regional trains in my guide to trains in Italy. If you have a few days in Rome before or after, have a look at my guide to where to stay in Rome. From Orvieto it’s also a short trip to the village of Civita di Bagnoregio, which sits on its own clifftop just over the border in Lazio.

The downside is the day-trippers. Coaches from Rome and Florence fill the streets around the cathedral in the middle of the day, and the prices at the cafés on the square reflect that. The Old Town is also a restricted traffic zone, ZTL, so if you’re driving, it’s easiest to park by the station down in Orvieto Scalo and take the funicular up.

Hotels in Orvieto

Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini - four-star hotel in an old palazzo

Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini is on Piazza Ranieri in the western part of the Old Town, less than ten minutes’ walk from the cathedral. It’s a four-star hotel with a lift, gym and bar, and breakfast is included. The staff will park your car for 15 euros (around £13) a day. It scores 9.1 from over 1,000 reviews, and a couple of guests mention that the air conditioning didn’t work quite as it should.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Exceptional service, the staff were absolutely outstanding.”

See photos and book Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini here.

Hotel Duomo - three-star hotel a few steps from the cathedral

Hotel Duomo is on Vicolo di Maurizio just behind the cathedral and scores 9.2 from over 1,000 reviews. The breakfast buffet is included, and the hotel has its own parking, which costs 20 euros (around £17) a day. Some of the rooms are in an annexe with several flights of stairs, so ask for a room in the main building if you’d rather avoid stairs.

From one review: “The location couldn’t be better, right next to the cathedral.”

See photos and book Hotel Duomo here.

Hotel Picchio - budget hotel with parking down by the station

Hotel Picchio is in Orvieto Scalo, the modern town down by the station, and was the cheapest of my three suggestions. It’s a three-star hotel, the breakfast buffet is included, and parking costs 5 euros (around £4) a day. You take the funicular or the car up to the Old Town, and there isn’t much going on down there in the evening. A couple of guests struggled to find the hotel using GPS.

One guest writes: “Good location and very convenient for visiting Orvieto.”

See photos and book Hotel Picchio here.

6. Lake Trasimeno - best area for families and a beach holiday 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The lake lies 30 to 50 kilometres west of Perugia. Castiglione del Lago is on the western shore, and Passignano and Tuoro are on the northern shore.
• 🚗 Transport: Ideally you’ll want a car. Castiglione del Lago and Passignano have railway stations, and the ferry to the island of Isola Maggiore leaves from Passignano.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Allow about an hour and a half by car from Florence Airport and about 45 minutes from Perugia’s airport.
• 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three places below cost around 97 to 333 euros (roughly £80 to £280) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and peaceful, including for families with children.

Lake Trasimeno is Italy’s fourth-largest lake and the largest in central Italy, and it sits right on the border with Tuscany. The water is shallow and warms up quickly in summer, and several of the towns have small swimming beaches with sunloungers and playgrounds. Castiglione del Lago stands on a promontory with a castle and town walls, and Passignano has a long promenade along the water.

From Passignano the ferry sails to Isola Maggiore, the only inhabited island, where Francis of Assisi spent Lent in 1211. North of the lake near Tuoro, the Romans suffered one of their worst defeats against Hannibal in 217 BC.

See hotels by Lake Trasimeno here.

I’d stay by the lake if you’re travelling with children in summer, or if you want to combine Umbria with Tuscany. Cortona and Montepulciano are half an hour away, and Siena is just over an hour by car, so you can easily add a couple of nights there, and here you can read about where to stay in Siena. If you’d like to see more areas in the neighbouring region to the west, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Tuscany. The lake also makes a good stop on the way between Florence and Perugia. The easiest place to pick up a car is at Florence or Rome airport, and you can compare prices on Booking.com’s car hire.

The downside is that Trasimeno isn’t a swimming lake like the big lakes in northern Italy. The water is shallow and often murky, and the bottom is muddy in many places, so not everyone finds it inviting for a swim. On the other hand, most hotels and agriturismi have a pool, and you’re close to both Perugia and Tuscany.

Hotels by Lake Trasimeno

I Capricci di Merion Resort & Spa - agriturismo resort with a spa and a pool overlooking the lake

I Capricci di Merion sits in the hills near Tuoro sul Trasimeno, about two kilometres from the lake, and has both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool with views over the water, which is open in summer. There’s a spa, a restaurant and free parking, breakfast is included, and it scores 9.2 from almost 700 reviews. The attic rooms have low ceilings.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The restaurant was very good, and so were the spa and the pool.”

See photos and book I Capricci di Merion here.

Le Macerine - family-friendly hotel with a pool and playground in Castiglione del Lago

Le Macerine is a three-star hotel on Via Salvo D’Acquisto in Castiglione del Lago, about a three-minute walk from the shore. There’s an outdoor pool, a playground, a garden and free parking, and breakfast is included. It scores 9.1, but the pool is only open from mid-June to mid-September, so if you come in May, you’ll have to do without it.

From one review: “The hosts were welcoming and attentive, so we felt completely at home.”

See photos and book Le Macerine here.

Parkhotel Montigeto - budget apartment hotel with a pool and sauna near Passignano

Parkhotel Montigeto is just outside Passignano sul Trasimeno, about two kilometres from the lake, and has an outdoor pool in summer, a sauna, a playground and free parking. It scores 9.0 from almost 700 reviews, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions by the lake. Several guests feel the rooms could do with updating.

One guest writes: “It’s a rather practical place to stay when visiting Lake Trasimeno.”

See photos and book Parkhotel Montigeto here.

Where not to stay in Umbria?

Avoid the modern suburbs and business districts down in the valleys, for example around the station in Perugia or along the motorway near Ponte San Giovanni and Foligno. The hotels there are cheap, but you’ll be staying among roundabouts and will need the car or the train to get up into an Old Town. Terni is the region’s industrial town and fine as a base for the waterfall, but it’s not a town worth travelling for. Don’t stay at a remote agriturismo without a car either, as hardly any buses run out there. And if you do have a car, don’t choose a hotel inside a limited traffic zone unless the hotel can register your number plate. Otherwise you’ll end up carrying your suitcase up steep streets or getting a fine in the post.

If it’s your first trip to Umbria and you have a week, I’d split it in two: three or four nights in Assisi or Spello with day trips to Perugia, Montefalco and Spoleto, and two or three nights in Orvieto before taking the train on to Rome. If you’re travelling without a car, choose Perugia or Orvieto, where you can get from the train up into town without driving yourself. If you’re travelling with children in summer, Lake Trasimeno is the most relaxed choice, and if you’re a couple, Spello is hard to beat.

The two beautiful hill towns of Todi and Gubbio aren’t on the list, but they make good day trips from Orvieto and Perugia respectively. And if you’re travelling further around the country, I’ve gathered the best regions and cities in my guide to where to stay in Italy.

The post Where to Stay in Umbria? The 6 Best Towns & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

So where should you stay in Rio de Janeiro? For most people the answer is Zona Sul, the southern part of the city with Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, where the beach, the metro and the restaurants are all close by. Here you’ll find my six picks of areas, honest safety advice and three hotels in each area, from luxury to budget.

Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro: The Best Areas

• Copacabana - best area for first-time visitors
• Ipanema - best area for beach life and restaurants
• Leblon - best area for luxury and families
• Botafogo - best area for local life and budget stays
• Santa Teresa - best area for boutique hotels and art
• Barra da Tijuca - best area for families with a car and surfers

Below I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and 1 real is worth roughly 15p. Four of the six areas are in Zona Sul, and around New Year and Carnival in February or March, prices rise sharply across the whole city.

1. Copacabana - best area for first-time visitors

• Distance to the centre: Centro is about 10 km to the north, and the journey takes around 15 minutes by metro.
• Transport: Metro Line 1 has three stations in the neighbourhood, Cardeal Arcoverde, Siqueira Campos and Cantagalo, and you’ll find the map of the whole metro network at MetrôRio.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: About 40 minutes to an hour by car, depending on traffic.
• Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost roughly 490 to 1,190 reais (around £75 to £175) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: The well-lit streets are lively in the evening, but bag snatching is common. Walk on the pavement along Avenida Atlântica rather than down on the sand after dark, and never let your GPS send you up the hill behind the neighbourhood.

Copacabana is the roughly four-kilometre curve of sand that made Rio famous. Along the beach runs Avenida Atlântica with its hotels, kiosks and wave-patterned mosaic pavement, and behind it lies a densely built neighbourhood of supermarkets, juice bars and restaurants where the locals live. At the northern end the beach is called Leme, and at the southern end stands the old fort, Forte de Copacabana, with views over the whole bay.

The bay is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering Rio’s landscapes between the mountains and the sea, and this is where most people set off on trips to Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain. If you want to tick off both in one day with hotel pick-up, you can take a day trip to Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Selarón Steps with lunch from about 422 reais (around £65).

See hotels in Copacabana here.

I would stay here if it’s your first trip to Rio, or if you want the most for your money close to the beach. Copacabana has the most hotels in every price range, the metro runs right beneath the neighbourhood, and from the northern end it’s a short hop to Botafogo and Sugarloaf Mountain. On New Year’s Eve the city throws its big party with fireworks on the beach, and the hotels are booked up well in advance.

The downside is that Copacabana is run-down and noisy in places, and the neighbourhood sits right up against favelas on the hillsides behind it. The beach is also a well-known spot for theft from tourists, so only take what you can afford to lose down there. If you’d prefer a smarter and quieter neighbourhood, look towards Ipanema.

Hotels in Copacabana

Hilton Copacabana Rio de Janeiro - five-star hotel with a rooftop infinity pool in Leme

The Hilton is on Avenida Atlântica at the northern end of the beach by Leme, and the upper floors look out over the whole of Copacabana. There’s a rooftop infinity pool, a spa and a gym, and it scores 8.2 from over 2,200 reviews. Breakfast isn’t included in every rate, and several guests say the hotel is getting worn and can be noisy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel is really close to everything: the beach, the tourist attractions, the restaurants and so on.”

See photos and book Hilton Copacabana here.

Windsor California Copacabana - beach hotel with a rooftop pool in the middle of Copacabana

Windsor California sits on Avenida Atlântica in the middle of the beach, with a rooftop pool and bar, a sauna and a gym. It has the highest score of my three picks here, 8.9 from over 3,700 reviews. The pool and terrace are smaller than many expect, and the hotel doesn’t allow guests to bring visitors up to their rooms.

From one review: “The staff are extremely attentive and always willing to help.”

See photos and book Windsor California here.

Hotel Diplomata Copacabana - simple hotel with breakfast at the northern end

Diplomata is a small two-star hotel at the northern end of Copacabana near Leme, less than a kilometre from the beach. Breakfast is included, and it was the cheapest of my three picks here when I searched, but there’s no pool. Some guests mention traffic noise and beds that aren’t particularly good.

One guest highlights: “Excellent location, the staff were lovely and friendly, and the room was very nice and comfortable.”

See photos and book Hotel Diplomata here.

2. Ipanema - best area for beach life and restaurants

• Distance to the centre: Ipanema is around 13 km from Centro, and the metro takes 20 to 25 minutes.
• Transport: Line 1 terminates at General Osório at the eastern end, and Line 4 has Nossa Senhora da Paz station in the middle of the neighbourhood.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: Around 45 minutes to an hour by car, depending on traffic.
• Price level: Mid-range to very high. The three hotels below cost around 495 to 4,715 reais (roughly £75 to £700) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: One of the safer neighbourhoods in Zona Sul, but theft on the beach happens here too. Leave your valuables at the hotel, and don’t walk on the beach after dark.

Ipanema sits just west of Copacabana, and everything here is a little smarter, pricier and more laid-back. The beach is divided up by the lifeguard towers, known as postos, and each stretch has its own crowd, from families to young people playing footvolley. Behind the beach are the streets Visconde de Pirajá and Rua Garcia d’Ávila, with shops, cafés and some of the city’s best restaurants, and the streets stay lively until late in the evening. Around Posto 9 and Rua Farme de Amoedo the atmosphere is young and LGBT+ friendly.

At the eastern end is the Arpoador rock, where people gather to watch the sun set behind the Dois Irmãos mountains and applaud as it disappears. Every Sunday there’s a craft market, the Feira Hippie, on Praça General Osório, and behind the neighbourhood lies the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, with a path all the way round that’s great for a run or a bike ride.

See hotels in Ipanema here.

I’d stay here if you want the best combination of beach, restaurants and safety, and if your budget can stretch to it. Ipanema suits couples and anyone who wants to be able to walk to most things, and you have both the metro and Copacabana within walking distance. On Sundays and public holidays, one side of the beachfront road is closed to cars, so you can walk, run and cycle all the way to Leblon.

The downside is the price. The hotels right on the beachfront are among the most expensive in the city, and there are few good budget hotels, so many people opt for an apartment. The hill between Ipanema and Copacabana is covered by the Cantagalo favela, and you should stay away from the steps leading up there.

Hotels in Ipanema

Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro - design hotel with a rooftop pool facing Arpoador

Fasano is on Avenida Vieira Souto at the eastern end of Ipanema, right across from the beach and close to Arpoador. The hotel was designed by Philippe Starck and has a rooftop pool overlooking the whole beach, plus a spa, restaurant and bar. It’s the most expensive hotel in this guide, the rooms are small for the price, and breakfast costs extra.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Wonderful stay! Excellent and attentive service.”

See photos and book Hotel Fasano here.

Ipanema Inn Hotel - four-star hotel one block from the beach

Ipanema Inn is on Rua Maria Quitéria in the middle of Ipanema, around 130 metres from the beach. It scores 8.8 from over 1,200 reviews, and the restaurants on Visconde de Pirajá are just round the corner. There’s no pool, the rooms are small, and breakfast costs extra and can be slow when it’s busy.

From one review: “Location, location, location, breakfast and staff.”

See photos and book Ipanema Inn here.

Injoy Lofts & Studios Ipanema - small studios at a lower price

Injoy Lofts is on Rua Joana Angélica, around 700 metres from the beach, and you stay in a small studio rather than a classic hotel room. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions here when I searched, and it scores 8.6 from 870 reviews. There’s no breakfast, pool or lift, and the rooms are very small.

One guest highlights: “Great location close to restaurants and Ipanema Beach.”

See photos and book Injoy Lofts here.

3. Leblon - best area for luxury and families

• Distance to the centre: Leblon is about 15 km from Centro, and the metro gets you there in roughly half an hour.
• Transport: Line 4 has two stations in the neighbourhood, Jardim de Alah and Antero de Quental, with connections to Ipanema, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: Around 50 minutes to an hour and a quarter by car.
• Price level: High. The three places below cost roughly 590 to 3,940 reais (around £85 to £585) a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Leblon is considered one of the safest neighbourhoods in the city. The Vidigal favela sits on the hillside at the end of the beach by Avenida Niemeyer, and you shouldn’t walk up there.

Leblon is the westward continuation of Ipanema, separated from it by the canal at Jardim de Alah, and it’s the city’s most exclusive beach neighbourhood. The beach is calmer than Copacabana and ends at the Mirante do Leblon viewpoint beneath the Dois Irmãos mountains. Inside the neighbourhood you’ll find quiet tree-lined streets, playgrounds and a large shopping centre, and on Rua Dias Ferreira the restaurants sit side by side. By Posto 12 is Baixo Bebê, a corner of the beach with a playground where local families gather.

Behind the neighbourhood lie the lagoon and the Jardim Botânico botanical garden, founded in 1808 and known for its long avenue of royal palms. You’ll find opening hours and ticket prices on the garden’s own website. In the morning the beachfront promenade is full of runners and cyclists, and in the evening the locals, the cariocas, gather in the bars of Baixo Leblon.

See hotels in Leblon here.

I’d stay here if you’re a family, if you want the safest and quietest neighbourhood, or if you have a big budget and want to eat well every evening. Leblon feels like a well-off suburb by the beach, and it’s easy to get around on foot.

The downside is that Leblon is the most expensive neighbourhood in this guide, and there are hardly any cheap hotels, so my budget pick below is an apartment. It’s also further from Centro, Santa Teresa and Sugarloaf Mountain, so expect more Uber rides when you go sightseeing. Many of the hotels are also a few blocks back from the beach, so there are few places with sea views at a reasonable price.

Hotels in Leblon

JANEIRO Hotel - adults-only five-star hotel right opposite the beach

JANEIRO is on Avenida Delfim Moreira, right opposite Leblon Beach, and is for adults only. There’s a pool, a spa and a restaurant, and it scores 9.1 from just under 370 reviews. Breakfast costs extra, and some guests find the restaurant service slow and the communal areas small.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was fantastic. The staff were super friendly and always willing to help.”

See photos and book JANEIRO Hotel here.

Promenade Palladium Leblon - four-star hotel with a pool and breakfast

Promenade Palladium is on Avenida General Artigas, about a five-minute walk from the beach, and breakfast is included. There’s a pool, a spa and a happy hour for guests, and it scores 9.0 from over 850 reviews. A few guests feel the hotel is overpriced and that the facilities need updating.

From one review: “The location was fantastic, and the food at breakfast and happy hour was delicious.”

See photos and book Promenade Palladium here.

Leblon The best of Brazil - private apartment with breakfast close to the beach

Leblon The best of Brazil is a private apartment on Rua Almirante Guilhem, about a seven-minute walk from the beach, and breakfast is included. It was the cheapest place in Leblon when I searched, and it scores 9.7 from just over 70 reviews. There’s no pool and no hotel-style reception, and the apartment gets booked up quickly.

One review says: “Fantastic location! Fantastic breakfast!”

See photos and book Leblon The best of Brazil here.

4. Botafogo - best area for local life and budget stays

• Distance to the centre: Botafogo is about 6 km from Centro, around 10 minutes by metro. Copacabana is just on the other side of the tunnels.
• Transport: Botafogo station is on metro lines 1 and 2, and buses run from here to the whole city.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: About 30 to 50 minutes by car. Santos Dumont, the domestic airport, is around a quarter of an hour away.
• Price level: Low to mid-range. The three hotels below cost around 320 to 1,190 reais (roughly £45 to £175) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe in the busy streets around the metro and the bay. Take an Uber home from the bars late at night rather than walking through quiet side streets.

Botafogo sits on the bay of the same name, with the classic postcard view of Sugarloaf Mountain and the sailing boats right on your doorstep. It’s a lively residential district with offices, small bars and restaurants, and in the evening locals fill the pavements around Rua Voluntários da Pátria and the Cobal do Humaitá food market next door. The beach is mostly used for walks, football and volleyball, as the water in the bay is rarely clean enough to swim in. From the top floor of the Botafogo Praia Shopping centre, you get a view over the bay and Sugarloaf Mountain.

The neighbouring district of Urca lies at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, and the cable car runs from Praia Vermelha via Morro da Urca to the summit. A cable car ticket costs 205 reais (around £30), and the ride is at its most beautiful in the hour before sunset. Afterwards, you can do as the locals do and buy a cold beer on the Mureta da Urca wall by the water.

See hotels in Botafogo here.

I’d stay here if you’re travelling on a budget, if you want to stay among the locals, or if you’d like a night out without paying beachfront prices. The metro gets you quickly to both Copacabana and Centro, and Sugarloaf Mountain is close by. It’s also only a short taxi ride to the train up to Christ the Redeemer in Cosme Velho.

The downside is that you don’t have a swimming beach on your doorstep, and the area is dominated by traffic. The road along the bay has many lanes, and the hotels facing the water can suffer from road noise. If you want to lie on the beach every day, you’ll need to take the metro or an Uber to Copacabana.

Hotels in Botafogo

Yoo2 Rio de Janeiro, Tapestry Collection by Hilton - five-star design hotel with a pool overlooking the bay

Yoo2 is on Praia de Botafogo, facing the bay and Sugarloaf Mountain. There’s an outdoor pool, a terrace and a bar, breakfast is included, and Botafogo metro station is about a kilometre away. It scores 8.4, but the rooms are small, and several guests miss bedside tables and a coffee machine.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Great location in Botafogo with easy access to the rest of Rio and the metro close by.”

See photos and book Yoo2 here.

Novotel RJ Praia de Botafogo - mid-range hotel on the bay with breakfast

Novotel is also on Praia de Botafogo, just under 700 metres from the metro station, and breakfast is included. There’s a gym but no pool, and it scores 8.1. Several guests find the hotel plain, and say both the facilities and the breakfast are basic.

From one review: “Convenient location by Botafogo beach.”

See photos and book Novotel Praia de Botafogo here.

ibis budget RJ Praia de Botafogo - cheap and simple hotel close to the metro

ibis budget is on a small square by Praia de Botafogo, about 500 metres from the metro station. It was the cheapest hotel in the whole guide when I searched, and with over 5,700 reviews and a score of 8.0, you know what you’re getting. The rooms are small and very basic, and there’s no pool.

One guest highlights: “Cheap, functional and clean.”

See photos and book ibis budget Botafogo here.

5. Santa Teresa - best area for boutique hotels and art

• Distance to the centre: Santa Teresa sits on the hill just above Centro and Lapa, about 2 km from the centre, but it’s around 8 to 10 km to the beaches in Copacabana.
• Transport: The yellow tram, the bondinho, runs from Centro across the Arcos da Lapa and up into the neighbourhood. Otherwise you’ll use Uber or a taxi, as there’s no metro up here.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: About 30 to 45 minutes by car.
• Price level: Low to high. The three places below cost around 470 to 3,200 reais (roughly £65 to £440) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Santa Teresa borders several favelas. Walk around Largo dos Guimarães in daylight, always take an Uber or taxi in the evening, and don’t walk down the steps towards Lapa after dark.

Santa Teresa is Rio’s artists’ quarter on the hill above Centro, with cobbled streets, old 19th-century villas and views over the bay. Its heart is the square Largo dos Guimarães, with small restaurants, bars and galleries, and from Parque das Ruínas, a former mansion that is now a park and cultural centre, you can look out over Centro and Sugarloaf Mountain. Down the hill is the colourful Selarón Steps, which link the neighbourhood with Lapa. The Chácara do Céu art museum is set in a villa with a garden in the upper part of the neighbourhood.

Christ the Redeemer is close by too. The train up Corcovado leaves from the station in Cosme Velho, a short taxi ride from here, and tickets cost from 139 reais (around £20) on the official website. The ride goes through the rainforest of Tijuca National Park, and it’s worth catching one of the first trains in the morning, before the clouds and the crowds arrive.

See hotels in Santa Teresa here.

I’d stay here if you’ve been to Rio before, or if you’d rather stay in a small boutique hotel with a garden and a view than in a high-rise by the beach. It’s also a good choice for couples who want peace and atmosphere around them. Many of the places are in old houses with just a few rooms, so you get a completely different experience from a chain hotel.

The downsides are safety and distances. The neighbourhood is quiet in the evening, the streets are steep, and in several places it borders favelas, so you’ll need an Uber every time you go out after dark. It’s also a long way to the beach, so Santa Teresa works best for a couple of nights combined with a stay in Zona Sul.

Hotels in Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa Hotel MGallery - five-star hotel with a garden and a pool with a view

Santa Teresa Hotel is on Rua Almirante Alexandrino, the neighbourhood’s main street, a few minutes’ walk from Largo dos Guimarães. There’s a garden, a pool with views over the city, a spa, a restaurant and a bar, breakfast is included, and it scores 9.1 from over 440 reviews. Some guests mention noise from outside, that the pool is cold and that the bathrooms need some maintenance.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The most beautiful place ever with very helpful and charming staff.”

See photos and book Santa Teresa Hotel here.

Casa Beleza - small bed and breakfast with a pool and a view

Casa Beleza is a small bed and breakfast on Rua Laurinda Santos Lobo with a pool and a view, and breakfast is included. It scores 9.2 from over 170 reviews. The house sits on a slope with lots of steps, so it’s not a good fit if you have limited mobility or heavy luggage.

From a review: “Everything! The house is beautiful, and the location is great, close to bars and restaurants.”

See photos and book Casa Beleza here.

Casa SAMAMBAIA - simple apartments with a plunge pool and a view

Casa Samambaia is on Rua Aarão Reis, a little further up in the neighbourhood, and you stay in an apartment with access to a shared plunge pool and a view. It was the cheapest of my three suggestions here when I searched, and it scores 9.0 from just under 290 reviews. There’s no breakfast, the steps are hard work with luggage, and some guests have felt unsafe in the surrounding streets.

One guest highlights: “Beautifully decorated home with a fantastic view and pool.”

See photos and book Casa Samambaia here.

6. Barra da Tijuca - best area for families with a car and surfers

• Distance to the centre: Barra is around 30 km west of Centro and 15 to 20 km from Ipanema. Allow half an hour to an hour by car to Zona Sul.
• Transport: Metro line 4 terminates at Jardim Oceânico at the eastern end of Barra, and from there the BRT buses continue along the coast. Otherwise, you’ll be getting around by car or Uber.
• Time from Rio Galeão Airport: Around 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter by car.
• Price level: Mid-range to high. The three hotels below cost around 440 to 1,975 reais (roughly £65 to £295) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Quiet and modern, with lots of gated residential complexes and shopping centres. Distances are long, so you’ll rarely walk around in the evening, and you should park your car somewhere guarded.

Barra da Tijuca is Rio’s modern district to the west, with wide roads, high-rises, big shopping centres and a beach that is far longer and less crowded than the beaches in Zona Sul. The water is clearer and the waves bigger, and the eastern end at Jardim Oceânico has restaurants and bars within walking distance. Further west is Praia da Reserva, where there’s hardly any development along the beach. Much of the 2016 Olympic Games was held in Barra, and the Olympic Park is now used for big concerts.

From here it’s a short trip to Pedra Bonita and the beach at São Conrado, where the hang-gliders land. If you fancy trying it yourself, you can book a tandem hang-gliding flight over Rio from around 1,250 reais (about £185). If you’re getting around on your own, you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com, but choose a hotel with guarded parking.

See hotels in Barra da Tijuca here.

I would stay here if you’re a family wanting a pool, space and a big beach, if you’re coming to surf, or if you’re going to a concert or event in the western part of the city. Plenty of Brazilian families holiday out here too.

The downside is that Barra doesn’t feel like the Rio you’ve seen in the pictures. It’s a long way to Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer and Santa Teresa, and without a car you’ll spend a lot of time in traffic. If it’s your first trip, I would choose Zona Sul and come out here on a day trip. If you’re flying home from Galeão, allow plenty of time for the traffic too.

Hotels in Barra da Tijuca

Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro - five-star resort hotel opposite Praia da Reserva

The Grand Hyatt is on Avenida Lúcio Costa far to the west, right opposite the quiet Praia da Reserva beach. There’s an outdoor pool, spa, kids’ club and several restaurants, and it scores 9.1 from over 1,900 reviews. It’s around 7 km to the metro at Jardim Oceânico, and some guests find the pool area noisy.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is absolutely the best.”

See photos and book the Grand Hyatt Rio here.

Windsor Oceanico Hotel - four-star hotel with a rooftop infinity pool close to the beach

The Windsor Oceanico is in the eastern part of Barra, around 100 metres from the beach and 1.7 km from Jardim Oceânico metro station. There’s a rooftop infinity pool, sauna and restaurant, and with over 7,000 reviews and a score of 8.7 it’s a safe choice. Breakfast isn’t included in every rate, and several guests find the pool small.

From one review: “The room, the breakfast and the location were absolutely incredible.”

See photos and book the Windsor Oceanico here.

Entremares Hotel - budget hotel with free parking near the metro

Entremares is on Avenida Érico Veríssimo, around 500 metres from the beach and 800 metres from Jardim Oceânico metro station. Parking is free, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions here when I searched, but there’s no pool. Some guests mention old wardrobes with an unpleasant smell.

One guest highlights: “The location, the breakfast, the staff and the clean rooms.”

See photos and book Entremares here.

Where not to stay in Rio de Janeiro?

Don’t stay in Centro if you want to make the most of your evenings. The city centre is busy on weekdays but empties out after office hours and at weekends, and the streets quickly become deserted. The same goes for Lapa, where the samba and bar scene is fun to experience, but where there are lots of pickpockets and noise all night. Take an Uber there and back again the same way.

Never book a flat or hostel in a favela either, however tempting the price and the view. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all travel to the favelas and points out that in Rio they border tourist areas such as Copacabana and Ipanema. Also avoid hotels by the Rodoviária Novo Rio bus terminal and in Zona Norte, which are a long way from what you’ve come to see.

If it’s your first trip to Rio, I would stay in Copacabana, or in Ipanema if your budget stretches to it. Leblon is for families and anyone wanting the safest and most upmarket option, and Botafogo is for those on a budget who want to stay among the locals. Santa Teresa is the choice for couples after a boutique hotel with a view, while Barra da Tijuca suits families with a car and surfers.

A few practical tips apply to the whole city. Use Uber, 99 or a registered taxi in the evening, take only a cheap phone and a little cash to the beach, and withdraw money from cash machines inside banks or shopping centres. If you’re travelling around New Year or Carnival, book early and ideally choose a booking with free cancellation.

Many connections from Europe to Rio go via Lisbon or Madrid, and if you have time for a stopover on the way, you can read my guide to where to stay in Lisbon or my guide to where to stay in Madrid.

The post Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Bolzano is also the gateway to the Dolomites. Buses run from here out into the valleys, and the cable car takes you up to the Renon plateau in 12 minutes. So the question of where to stay in Bolzano really comes down to how you want to get around. Here are my five suggestions, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Bolzano: The Best Areas

• Old Town - best area for first-time visitors
• Near the railway station - best area for day trips to the Dolomites without a car
• Gries - best area for peace, quiet and wine
• Soprabolzano on the Renon - best area for families and hikers
• Appiano on the Wine Road - best area for drivers and wine lovers

Bolzano sits at the bottom of a valley where the Talvera and Isarco rivers meet, and the centre is so small that the first two areas are just a few minutes’ walk from each other. Gries lies on the other side of the Talvera, while Renon and Appiano are outside the city, up on the plateau and out among the vineyards. The prices below come from a search for a weekend in June for two people, so expect them to rise in high season and during the Christmas market weeks.

1. Old Town - best area for first-time visitors 🏰

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the centre. From Piazza Walther it’s a two-minute walk to the arcades of Via dei Portici and about five minutes to the railway station.
• 🚶 Transport: You walk everywhere. The whole Old Town is a limited traffic zone, so your car has to stay in the hotel’s garage or in a multi-storey car park such as Bolzano Centro, a five-minute walk from Piazza Walther.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About 15 minutes by taxi from Bolzano’s small airport south of the city, and about two hours by airport bus and train from Verona Airport.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below came to around 156 to 431 euros (around £130 to £360) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe, even late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds when the Christmas market fills the squares.

The Old Town is the heart of Bolzano, built around Piazza Walther, the large square with the statue of the medieval poet Walther von der Vogelweide. On one side of the square stands the cathedral with its Gothic spire and colourful tiled roof, and from here it’s just a few steps to Via dei Portici. This is the city’s old trading street, lined on both sides with low arcades where merchants have done business for centuries, and today shops, cafés and pastry shops sit side by side.

At the end of the arcades lies Piazza delle Erbe with its fruit and vegetable market, and just round the corner you’ll find the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, home to Ötzi the Iceman. He is more than 5,000 years old and was found in the ice high up in the Alps, and a ticket costs 13 euros (around £11). If you’d like the city’s history too, you can take a guided walking tour of the Old Town for around 30 euros (around £25).

See hotels in the Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Bolzano, or if you’re coming at Christmas. During Advent and until early January, the city’s Christmas market fills Piazza Walther and the surrounding streets with wooden stalls selling crafts, speck, mulled wine and wine from Bolzano’s own grapes, Lagrein and Santa Maddalena. During those weeks the Old Town hotels are booked up well in advance, so book early.

The downsides are the price and the car. The Old Town is the most expensive area in the city, and the zone is monitored by cameras around the clock, so you mustn’t drive in without an arrangement with your hotel. Many hotels have their own garage or a deal with a car park, and at the three places below it costs 10 to 22 euros (around £8 to £18) a day. In summer Bolzano can get very hot down in the valley, so check that your room has air conditioning.

Hotels in the Old Town

Hotel Greif - design hotel in a historic building on Piazza Walther

Hotel Greif sits right on Piazza Walther and is an official four-star design hotel in a historic building, with breakfast included. It scores 9.1 from more than 1,100 reviews, and guests can swim in the pool at a partner hotel nearby. Parking costs 22 euros (around £18) a day, and one guest wasn’t happy about having to carry luggage up and down stairs between the garage lift and reception.

One guest writes: “We loved everything about the hotel, from the excellent central location with underground parking to the luxurious, enormous bedroom.”

See photos and book Hotel Greif here.

Feichter Hotel & Living - highly rated hotel a couple of minutes from Piazza Walther

Feichter is on a side street east of Piazza Walther, a couple of minutes’ walk from both the cathedral and the arcades. It’s an official three-star hotel with a terrace and breakfast included, and it scores 9.3 from more than 1,200 reviews. Parking costs 15 euros (around £13) a day, the lift doesn’t reach every room type, and one guest missed having a coffee machine in the room.

From one review: “The location was excellent, and the staff were very helpful, polite and friendly.”

See photos and book Feichter Hotel & Living here.

Lauben Suite Old Town Bolzano - apartment with a kitchenette just behind the arcades

Lauben Suite is on Via Dr. Streiter, which runs parallel to the arcades of Via dei Portici, and is an apartment with a kitchenette, a lift and a sun terrace. It scores 9.0 from more than 250 reviews, and it was the cheapest of my three Old Town suggestions when I searched. There’s no breakfast, and parking costs 10 euros (around £8) per night.

One guest highlights: “It’s the homeliest apartment I’ve ever stayed in.”

See photos and book Lauben Suite here.

2. Near the Railway Station – best area for day trips to the Dolomites without a car 🚆

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re on the south-eastern edge of the centre. From the railway station, it’s about a five-minute walk to Piazza Walther.
• 🚆 Transport: Trains to Verona, Innsbruck and Merano leave from the railway station, regional buses stop at the bus station right next door, and the cable car to Renon is less than a ten-minute walk away.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About two hours from Verona Airport by airport bus and train, and about five hours from Munich Airport by S-Bahn and train over the Brenner Pass.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost around €184 to €302 (around £155 to £255) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Busy and safe during the day. As with most railway stations, the atmosphere around the station is less pleasant late in the evening, so take the direct route back.

The area between the railway station and Piazza Walther is Bolzano’s transport hub. Trains run over the Brenner Pass towards Innsbruck and Munich and south towards Verona, and next to the station is the bus station, where regional buses head out into the valleys. Between the station and the Old Town is the new WaltherPark with its shops, and a few streets further east you’ll find the valley station for the cable car to Renon.

This is where to stay in Bolzano if you want to see the Dolomites without a car. The mountains, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, begin just east of the city, and buses run from the bus station to the villages below Alpe di Siusi and to Val Gardena. The journey to the villages below Alpe di Siusi takes 30 to 50 minutes, and to Ortisei in Val Gardena about an hour. You’ll find the timetables at South Tyrol’s transport company, and if you’d rather stay among the mountains, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in the Dolomites.

See hotels near the railway station here.

Ask your hotel about the city’s guest card. Many hotels in Bolzano give it out for free, and with the guest card you travel free on regional trains, regional buses and cable cars throughout South Tyrol for the length of your stay. That makes day trips much cheaper. The train is also the easy choice for travelling further, as Innsbruck is about two hours away over the Brenner Pass and Verona an hour and a half to just under two hours to the south. My guide to trains in Italy explains the ticket types, and if you’re moving on, you can read about where to stay in Innsbruck and Verona.

The downside is that the area around the station is busier with traffic and less charming than the Old Town. On the other hand, the Old Town is only five minutes away, and several hotels have their own garage, so you avoid the limited traffic zone. If you’re landing in Munich, you can read my guide to getting from Munich Airport to the city centre before you take the train south.

Hotels near the railway station

Falkensteiner Hotel Bozen WaltherPark – five-star hotel with a spa between the station and the Old Town

Falkensteiner is in WaltherPark between the railway station and Piazza Walther and is an official five-star hotel with a spa, sauna, gym and restaurant. The breakfast buffet is included, it scores 9.2 from more than 700 reviews, and parking costs €22 (around £18) a day. The only thing one guest missed was a swimming pool.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “This five-star hotel adds great value to the city.”

See photos and book Falkensteiner WaltherPark here.

Parkhotel Mondschein – design hotel with a park and an outdoor pool

Parkhotel Mondschein is on Via Piave between the Old Town and the cable car to Renon and is an official four-star design hotel with a park, a seasonal outdoor pool, a sauna and a gym. Breakfast is included, and it scores 8.5 from more than 2,300 reviews. Parking costs €28 (around £23) a day, and one guest felt there were too few sun loungers by the pool.

From a review: “The facilities and the decor of the room were perfect.”

See photos and book Parkhotel Mondschein here.

Mia Rooms Bolzano Center – simple en-suite rooms close to the station

Mia Rooms is on Via Crispi, a few minutes’ walk north-east of the railway station, and has en-suite rooms in an apartment. It scores 8.6 from more than 200 reviews, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions near the railway station when I searched. There’s no breakfast, and one guest found that the air conditioning was broken and the wi-fi didn’t reach the rooms.

One guest says: “Modern and clean apartment with comfortable beds.”

See photos and book Mia Rooms here.

3. Gries - best area for peace, quiet and wine 🍷

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay west of the River Talvera. From Piazza Gries it’s around a 20-minute walk to Piazza Walther.
• 🚌 Transport: City buses run along Corso Libertà into the centre, and you’re outside the limited traffic zone, so it’s easier to have a car.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 15 minutes by taxi from Bolzano Airport and around two hours by bus and train from Verona Airport.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three places below cost around 180 to 340 euros (roughly £150 to £285) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. Gries is an affluent residential area with villas and gardens.

Gries was once an independent village where many prominent figures holidayed in the Austro-Hungarian era, and it only became part of Bolzano in 1925. You can still sense this, as the district has its own square, Piazza Gries, with the baroque façade of the Muri-Gries Abbey. Benedictine monks from Muri in Switzerland took over the abbey in 1845, and it still has a wine cellar right in the middle of the neighbourhood, where they make wine from Lagrein, one of South Tyrol’s most important local grapes.

From Gries, the Guncina promenade climbs the slope behind the villas with views over the city and the mountains, and down towards the river lie the green meadows along the Talvera, where locals jog, stroll and sunbathe in summer. In the evening it’s quiet here, and you’ll eat at a wine tavern or a pizzeria in the neighbourhood rather than in the tourist streets. If you’d like to taste the local wines with a guide, you can join a walk with wine tasting at the Thurnhof winery for around 35 euros (about £30).

See hotels in Gries here.

I’d stay in Gries if you’re staying several days, arriving by car or want more peace and quiet than the Old Town can offer. You’re outside the limited traffic zone, parking is cheaper or free, and from Gries you’re quickly on the road towards Merano and the Wine Road. In the evening you can walk across the bridge over the Talvera and be in the Old Town in about 15 minutes.

The downsides are the distance and the choice. It’s a 20-minute walk from Piazza Gries to Piazza Walther, and there are only a few hotels here, so you’ll often have to choose between a simple hotel and an apartment. Restaurants are more spread out than in the centre, and if you stay right out among the vineyards at the western end of Gries, you’ll need to take the bus into town.

Hotels in Gries

Garden Suite - apartment with a garden by the Guncina promenade

Garden Suite is on Via Guncina in the eastern part of Gries, around a 20-minute walk from Piazza Walther, and is an apartment with a kitchen, garden, terrace and private parking. It scores 9.4 from over 150 reviews, and it was the most expensive of my three suggestions in Gries. There’s no breakfast, and one guest felt the apartment was a little basic and that a few extra touches would have made a big difference.

From a review: “The neighbourhood is lovely. Peaceful and very beautiful.”

See photos and book Garden Suite here.

Hotel Post Gries - classic hotel with a restaurant on Piazza Gries

Hotel Post Gries is on Corso Libertà by Piazza Gries and is an officially three-star hotel with a restaurant serving traditional food, a bar and a terrace. Parking in a nearby car park costs 10 euros (around £8) a day, and it scores 8.4 from over 1,600 reviews. One guest felt breakfast could be better and that the pillow was very poor.

One guest writes: “The location is good, the car park is close by, and then there’s the cleanliness and the quality of the bed linen.”

See photos and book Hotel Post Gries here.

Kaiserau-Höfl - apartments among the vineyards with free parking

Kaiserau-Höfl sits among the vineyards on the western edge of Gries and has apartments with a kitchenette, a garden, a playground and free parking. It scores 9.6 from over 270 reviews, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Gries when I searched. It’s a five-minute walk to the bus but around half an hour on foot into the Old Town, and one guest missed having somewhere to wash and iron clothes.

One guest highlights: “An absolutely fantastic little gem in the middle of the vineyards.”

See photos and book Kaiserau-Höfl here.

4. Soprabolzano on the Renon - best area for families and hikers 🚠

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay on the Renon plateau, around 1,200 metres above sea level. The cable car takes you down to Bolzano in 12 minutes, and from the valley station it’s about a ten-minute walk to Piazza Walther.
• 🚠 Transport: The cable car runs every 4 to 12 minutes, and up on the plateau the old mountain railway continues on towards Collalbo.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: About half an hour from Bolzano’s airport by taxi to the cable car and on up, and about two and a half hours from Verona Airport by bus, train and cable car.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost around €179 to €566 (around £150 to £475) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. The paths are dark in the evening, so bring a torch if you’re walking back after dinner.

The Renon is a broad plateau of meadows, forests and small villages high above Bolzano, and Soprabolzano is the village where the cable car from the city arrives. For more than a hundred years, the people of Bolzano have come up here to escape the summer heat down in the valley, and from the plateau you look across to the jagged peaks of the Dolomites and the great Schlern massif. The village is small, with a few hotels, cafés and a shop around the station.

From Soprabolzano, the narrow-gauge mountain railway, which opened in 1907, runs about seven kilometres across the plateau to Collalbo. From there you can walk out to the earth pyramids at Longomoso, tall columns of clay topped with a stone, which are the plateau’s best-known sight. According to the Renon tourist office, a return ticket on the cable car costs €13.50 (around £11), or €20.50 (around £17) if you add the mountain railway.

See hotels in Soprabolzano and on the Renon here.

I would stay here if you’re a family, want to go hiking or are visiting in summer, when it’s several degrees cooler than down in Bolzano. Many hotels on the plateau give you the RittenCard guest card, which includes free public transport in South Tyrol, so you can take the cable car down into the city by day and be back in the peace and quiet by evening. In winter there’s a small ski area on Corno del Renon in the northern part of the plateau.

The downside is that the cable car is your link to the city. It closes at night, so a late dinner in the Old Town has to be planned around the last departure, or you’ll need a taxi up the winding road. Restaurants are also few and far between up here, and the hotels are spread out across the plateau, so you’ll do a fair bit of walking if you don’t have a car.

Hotels in Soprabolzano and on the Renon

Parkhotel Holzner - family hotel with pools right by the cable car

Parkhotel Holzner sits in the middle of Soprabolzano, right by the cable car’s top station, and is an official four-star hotel with indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, a tennis court and free parking. The RittenCard is included, and it scores 9.7, although the hotel has only 11 reviews on Booking.com. It’s the most expensive hotel in this guide, and one guest felt the children’s menus could have been easier to navigate.

One guest writes: “It was an absolutely fantastic setting, which we reached by flying to Bolzano and then taking the cable car up to the hotel.”

See photos and book Parkhotel Holzner here.

Hotel Lichtenstern - family-run hotel with a pool and views

Hotel Lichtenstern is at Stella, east of Soprabolzano, where the mountain railway has a stop, and is an official three-star hotel with a restaurant, sauna, garden and an outdoor pool with views. It scores 9.4 from over 120 reviews, and parking is free. The pool is only open from May to early October, so outside the season you’ll have to make do with the sauna.

From one review: “We had a lovely stay at this charming family-run hotel.”

See photos and book Hotel Lichtenstern here.

Eden Apartment - apartment with an infinity pool and free parking

Eden Apartment is in the southern part of Soprabolzano, about a kilometre from the cable car, and has apartments with an infinity pool, garden, terrace and free parking. The RittenCard is included, it scores 9.2 from over 100 reviews, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions on the Renon when I searched. The car park is some distance from the house, though.

One guest says: “We really enjoyed our stay! The apartment was spacious and comfortable.”

See photos and book Eden Apartment here.

5. Appiano on the Wine Road - best area for drivers and wine lovers 🚗

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around ten kilometres south-west of Bolzano. Allow about 20 minutes by car to a multi-storey car park in town.
• 🚗 Getting around: A car is easiest, but regional buses also run between Appiano and Bolzano.
• ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 20 minutes by car from Bolzano Airport and around two hours by car from Verona Airport.
• 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three places below cost around 166 to 346 euros (around £140 to £290) per night when I searched for a weekend in June.
• 👮 Safety: Very safe and quiet. Drive carefully on the narrow roads between the vineyards, especially after dark.

Appiano sulla Strada del Vino is a municipality made up of several villages on the Wine Road south-west of Bolzano, and its main village is San Michele. According to South Tyrol’s tourist board, there are more than 180 castles, palaces and manor houses in the municipality, and between them the vineyards lie close together, with wineries where you can taste the local white wines and red Lagrein.

In the forest south-east of San Michele are the two Monticolo lakes, where you can swim in summer, and further south is Lago di Caldaro, considered one of the warmest swimming lakes in the Alps. On the road towards Bolzano stands Sigmundskron Castle, where the mountaineer Reinhold Messner has set up his MMM Firmian mountain museum. It’s open from March to November but closed on Thursdays, and a ticket costs 15 euros (around £13).

See hotels in Appiano here.

I’d stay here if you’re on a road trip and want to combine the Dolomites with wine and swimming lakes. From Appiano you can head up into the mountains without driving through central Bolzano, and Lake Garda is around an hour and a half to the south if you’re moving on. You can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com, and if you’re heading down to the lake afterwards, you can read my guide to where to stay on Lake Garda.

The downside is that you can’t walk home after dinner in Bolzano. One of you will have to drive, or you’ll need to take the bus back, and if you’re staying up in the hills, it’s a long way to the nearest stop. If you drive into town, park outside the limited traffic zone. According to the tourist office, the car park at the Fiera exhibition centre in the south of the city has 1,300 spaces and a bus to the centre every 15 minutes, and from Bolzano Sud station the train takes three minutes to the main station.

Hotels in Appiano

Schloss Englar - 15th-century castle hotel among the vineyards

Schloss Englar sits on the edge of San Michele and is a 15th-century castle that is now an officially four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, garden and free parking. It scores 9.8, the highest in this guide, but there’s no restaurant, only breakfast, and one guest felt the price didn’t match a hotel without a lift.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic place, exceptional staff and a lovely breakfast.”

See photos and book Schloss Englar here.

Hotel Ansitz Rungghof - manor house hotel with pool and restaurant

Ansitz Rungghof lies east of San Michele towards Bolzano and is an officially four-star hotel with a seasonal outdoor pool, sauna, restaurant and free parking. It scores 9.2 from just under 200 reviews. One guest was unhappy that hotel guests were mostly seated in a less appealing room than the restaurant’s other diners at mealtimes.

From one review: “Very good breakfast and dinner.”

See photos and book Ansitz Rungghof here.

Kreuzstein Bed&Breakfast - B&B with a great breakfast in the hills

Kreuzstein sits up in the hills north-west of San Michele and is an officially three-star B&B with a garden, sun terrace, bar and free parking. It scores 9.3, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Appiano when I searched. The bar is closed in winter and there’s no restaurant, so for dinner you’ll need to head down to the village.

One guest highlights: “Breakfast was a real highlight, fresh, delicious and beautifully presented every morning.”

See photos and book Kreuzstein here.

Where not to stay in Bolzano?

Many flats on the booking sites are in the modern residential districts south of the River Isarco or out by the industrial area around Bolzano Sud, and on the map they look close. From there it’s a long way to the Old Town, there are few restaurants and not much atmosphere in the evening, so check the address before you book. Don’t drive into the Old Town either unless your hotel has given you access, as the zone is monitored by cameras around the clock. And if you plan to hike in the Dolomites every single day, you’re better off staying up in the valleys, as the drive from Bolzano takes 45 to 60 minutes each way. Bolzano is at its best when you want a mix of city life, wine and day trips.

If it’s your first trip to Bolzano, I’d stay in the Old Town close to Piazza Walther. If you want to see the Dolomites without a car, stay near the railway station, and if you want peace and slightly lower prices, Gries is the right choice. If you’re travelling with children or want to hike in summer, take the cable car up to Soprabolzano, and if you’re on a road trip, Appiano on the Wine Road makes a good base.

Give Bolzano at least two nights, so you get both a day in the city and a day on the Renon or out in the mountains. And if you’re travelling further around the country, I’ve gathered the best regions and cities in my guide to where to stay in Italy.

The post Where to Stay in Bolzano? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and where to find them at the airport: the train, the public buses, taxis, Uber, shuttle buses and private transfers, and car hire. I also explain how to get between T1 International and T2/T3 Domestic, and how to get into the city if you land at Sydney’s new airport, Western Sydney International. 1 Australian dollar is worth roughly 53p.

Quick overview

• Airport Link train: 22.94 dollars (around £12) at peak times and 21.64 dollars (around £11) the rest of the time with contactless payment or an Opal card, 13 minutes to Central and about 20 minutes to Circular Quay.
• Bus 420 and train via Mascot: usually under 10 dollars (around £5), because you avoid the station access fee, but it takes roughly three times as long.
• Bus 350: direct from T2/T3 Domestic to Coogee and Bondi Junction for no more than 5.77 dollars (around £3).
• Taxi: about 60 dollars (around £30) to the CBD, about 20 minutes without traffic.
• Uber and other rideshare services: dedicated pick-up points at all terminals, and you see the price in the app before you book.
• Private transfer: from about 53 dollars (around £28) per person, must be booked in advance.
• Car hire: desks on the arrivals level in all terminals. Unnecessary in the city, but good for the Blue Mountains and the coast.

How to find transport from Sydney Airport to the city centre

Sydney Airport has three terminals. T1 International stands on its own on the western side of the airport and handles all international flights, while T2 and T3 Domestic sit side by side just over a kilometre further east. T2 is used by Virgin Australia and Jetstar, among others, and T3 by Qantas domestic flights. You can’t walk between the international and the domestic terminals, so always check your boarding pass so you know where you’re landing and where you’re flying from.

The train stations are beneath the terminals. At T1 International, leave the arrivals hall by exit A, turn right and carry on to the end, or take the lift or escalator by check-in counter A. At T2 and T3, you’ll find the station by the lift and escalator at baggage carousel 1. The taxi ranks are just outside each terminal, and the public buses stop on the arrivals level outside the terminals. The airport has its own overview of taxis and the pick-up points for Uber and the other rideshare services.

1. Airport Link train from Sydney Airport to the city centre, Central and Circular Quay

The train is the option I recommend if you’re staying in the centre and travelling alone or as a pair. Airport Link is part of Sydney’s regular rail network and runs on the T8 Airport & South Line from International and Domestic via Mascot and Green Square to Central Station. From there, the train continues around the City Circle beneath the centre, stopping at Museum, St James, Circular Quay, Wynyard and Town Hall, so you can get all the way down to the harbour without changing.

According to the timetable, the journey takes 13 minutes from International and 11 minutes from Domestic to Central, and around 20 minutes to Circular Quay. Trains run every 7 to 10 minutes for most of the day and every 15 minutes early in the morning and late in the evening, from roughly 5am until midnight. If you’re heading to Town Hall or Wynyard, it’s worth changing at Central to a train that goes there directly, as the airport train takes the long way round the City Circle.

Fares and the station access fee

The two airport stations are owned by a private company, Airport Link Company, so you pay a station access fee on top of the normal fare whenever you get on or off at the airport. With contactless payment or an Opal card, the fee is 18.61 dollars (around £14) for adults, and the fare into the centre is 4.33 dollars (around £3.20) at peak times and 3.03 dollars (around £2.30) at other times. That makes a total of 22.94 dollars (around £17) or 21.64 dollars (around £16) to all the stations in the centre and Kings Cross, according to Airport Link’s fare overview.

There’s a 30 per cent discount on the fare itself on Fridays, at weekends, on public holidays and off-peak on weekdays, but the station access fee stays the same all week. If you buy a single ticket from the machine, it costs more: 24.20 dollars (around £18) for an adult. Children aged 4 to 15 pay 18.15 to 18.80 dollars (around £14) with a child Opal card, and children under 4 travel free.

The station access fee doesn’t count towards the Opal system’s daily and weekly caps, but it has its own weekly cap of 37.75 dollars (around £28) from Monday to Sunday. So if you pass back through the airport in the same week, for example on a domestic flight, you’ll pay almost no fee on the third journey. Be careful about leaving the station and going back in, as the usual 60-minute transfer rule doesn’t apply at the airport, so you’ll pay the fee twice. All the fees are listed at Transport for NSW.

Contactless payment or Opal card

You don’t need to buy a travel card. Adults can simply tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, a phone or a smartwatch on the reader at the gates when they go in and again when they come out. Use the same card for the whole journey, and remember that each person needs their own card or phone, so you can’t pay for two people with the same card. It’s also worth checking whether your bank charges a fee for payments in foreign currency.

If you’d rather have an Opal card, you can buy one at the ticket office at the airport stations or at the WH Smith shop in the terminal, but at the stations you need to load at least 35 dollars (around £26) onto the card straight away. Child Opal cards are also available at the stations. With either payment method, you never pay more than 19.30 dollars (around £14) a day from Monday to Thursday, 9.65 dollars (around £7) from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays, and 50 dollars (around £37) a week for all public transport, apart from the airport station access fee. Fares are usually adjusted once a year.

From Central onwards into the city

Central Station is Sydney’s main hub at the southern end of the CBD, the city centre. From here, the light rail runs up George Street to Circular Quay, the metro goes to Martin Place, Barangaroo and North Sydney, and regional trains run to places including the Blue Mountains. If you’re staying in Surry Hills, Haymarket or Chinatown, you can usually walk to your hotel in 5 to 15 minutes.

If you’d like to stay right by the station, YHA Sydney Central is on Rawson Place just a few steps from Central. It’s a large hostel with a rooftop pool, and you can see prices for YHA Sydney Central here. If you’re heading all the way down to the harbour, you can stay on the train to Circular Quay, where Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay is on Pitt Street, a couple of minutes’ walk from the station.

If you’re not sure which area to choose, read my guide to where to stay in Sydney, where I go through the CBD, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Surry Hills, Bondi and Manly with hotels in several price ranges.

2. Public buses from the airport

The bus is the cheapest way out of the airport, because you avoid the station access fee. You pay with the same contactless card or Opal card as on the train, and a journey costs 3.30 to 5.77 dollars (around £2.50 to £4.30) depending on distance, and 30 per cent less off-peak. The buses stop on the arrivals level outside the terminals, and three routes are useful for travellers.

Bus 350 to Coogee and Bondi Junction: This bus runs from T2/T3 Domestic via Mascot, Maroubra and Coogee to Bondi Junction at least every 10 minutes during the day, seven days a week. It’s ideal if you’re staying near Coogee Beach, and for Bondi Beach you change at Bondi Junction to one of the many buses down to the beach. If you land at T1 International, first take the free terminal transfer bus over to T2 and T3.

Bus 420 and the train from Mascot: Bus 420 runs between Burwood and Mascot Station via Campsie and Rockdale and stops at both T1 and T2/T3. Here’s the budget trick: take the bus to Mascot Station and catch the train from there to Central. Mascot is on the same line as the airport but has no station access fee, so the whole journey usually costs less than 10 dollars (around £7.50). Allow 30 to 45 minutes in total and an extra change with your suitcase.

The N20 night bus: Between midnight and 4am, when the trains take a break, the N20 night bus runs from T1 International into the centre. According to Transport for NSW, buses 350 and 420 run from early morning until around midnight.

3. Taxi from Sydney Airport

There are covered taxi ranks just outside all three terminals, and at busy times staff are on hand to help manage the queue. They can also arrange a maxi taxi for larger groups, a taxi with a baby seat or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Only take a taxi from the official ranks, as taxis aren’t allowed to pick up passengers anywhere else at the airport.

Expect to pay around 60 dollars (around £45) for a standard taxi from the airport ranks to Sydney CBD, including fees and tolls, and a little more for a maxi taxi if there are five or more of you. If you pay by card, a surcharge may be added. Fares and any fixed prices to the CBD are set by the New South Wales authorities, so check Point to Point’s page on airport taxi fares before you travel.

Outside that area, taxis run on the meter with a flag fall of 5.17 dollars (around £4) and 2.61 dollars (around £2) per kilometre during the day, a little more between 10pm and 6am, with tolls added on top. To Bondi Beach, expect around 45 to 65 dollars (around £35 to £50). The journey to the city centre takes about 20 minutes without traffic.

If there are three or four adults heading into the CBD, a taxi actually works out cheaper than the train. Three train tickets at peak times cost 68.82 dollars (around £50) compared with around 60 dollars for a taxi, and the taxi takes you right to the door.

4. Uber and other rideshare services

According to the airport, UberX picks you up at T1 International at bay C, about 20 metres outside arrivals hall B. Here Uber uses a PIN system: once you’ve booked your ride, you get a six-digit code, which you give to the first available driver in the queue before you get in. The pricier Uber options, including Uber XL, wait at bay B and send a specific car to you.

At T2 Domestic, Uber picks you up in the Priority Pick-up Zone, and at T3 Domestic the cars stop at the kerb just outside the arrivals level. Other rideshare services pick you up in the Priority Pick-up Zone. You’ll see the price in the app before you book, and it depends on the type of car, traffic and distance. When lots of flights land at the same time, prices go up, and a taxi from the rank may then be the better choice. Only book your car once you’ve collected your luggage.

5. Shuttle bus and private transfer

According to the airport, the DART Express Shuttle runs from T1 International to several places in the city centre, including Central, Hyde Park, Kings Cross, Darling Harbour and The Rocks. It can be handy if your hotel is close to one of the stops and you don’t want to drag your suitcase through a train station. Check prices and departures directly with the company before you travel.

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you straight to your hotel. On GetYourGuide, prices start from around 53 dollars (around £40) per person, and there are also cars with a fixed price for the whole group. It isn’t the cheapest option, but it gives you peace of mind after the long flight from Europe, especially if you’re travelling with children or have a lot of luggage.

Book a private transfer from Sydney Airport here.

The transfer must be booked at least 10 hours in advance, so it isn’t something you can sort out once you’re standing in the arrivals hall. Enter your flight number when booking so the driver can keep track of any delays, and check how many people and suitcases the price covers.

6. Car hire from Sydney Airport

Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, Redspot and Sixt all have desks at the airport. At T1 International the desks are in the arrivals hall, and you collect your car on the ground floor of the P7 car park directly opposite the terminal. At T2 and T3 Domestic it depends on the company: Avis, Budget and Sixt have their cars at arrivals level, Europcar in the P2 car park and Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar on Ross Smith Avenue, while Redspot takes you by free shuttle bus to its office in Mascot. You can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com before you travel.

Australia drives on the left, just like the UK. Many of Sydney’s motorways have electronic tolls with no barriers, and the hire company charges you the tolls afterwards, often with an admin fee on top, so ask at the desk how they handle this. You don’t need a car in Sydney itself, as trains, ferries and buses cover the city, and parking in the CBD is expensive. A car does make good sense for the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley wine region and the coast south of the city, so my advice is to pick up the car on the day you leave Sydney.

Between T1 International and T2/T3 Domestic

If you’re catching a domestic flight after an international arrival, or vice versa, you’ll need to change terminals, and you can’t walk between T1 and T2/T3. The easiest option is the airport’s free Terminal Transfer Bus, which runs every 15 minutes between 5.30am and 10.30pm and takes about 10 minutes. At T1 it stops on the arrivals level outside arrivals hall B, where you follow the signs for T2 Domestic Transfer, and at T2 and T3 it stops outside each terminal.

The train between International and Domestic takes just 2 minutes. Here you pay a lower station access fee of 5.20 dollars (around £4) plus the train fare, so the journey costs around 8 to 10 dollars (around £4 to £5) per person. Bus 420 also runs between the terminals for a standard bus fare. Between T2 and T3 you can walk in about 5 minutes along the walkway through the P1 car park. The airport has more details in its guide to transferring between terminals.

Western Sydney International: Sydney’s new airport

Sydney now has a second airport, Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), about 45 kilometres west of the city centre. It’s open around the clock, whereas Sydney Airport has a night-time curfew for flights between 11pm and 6am, and several airlines fly from there, so always check which airport is on your ticket. No train runs all the way to the airport until the new metro line to St Marys is finished.

The free WSI Link bus is the easiest way. It runs every 30 minutes between the airport and St Marys Station, and from there you take the train on the T1 line into Central. Allow around an hour and a half or more to the city centre. Buses also run from the airport to the train stations in Penrith, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Mount Druitt and Leppington, and you pay for these with contactless payment or an Opal-card. Taxis run on the meter, and there’s no fixed price to the city centre. You’ll find up-to-date connections at Western Sydney International Airport.

Getting back to the airport

The train to the airport runs from Central and all the City Circle stations. Take a train on the T8 Airport & South Line, and check the screen to make sure it goes via the airport, as some T8 trains take a different route south. Domestic is the first stop at the airport and International is the next. If you get off at the wrong terminal, it costs you both time and an extra station access fee to carry on, so check the terminal on your ticket before you set off.

Allow plenty of time during the morning and late afternoon rush hours, when the trains can be packed and the roads to the airport are slow. If you have a very early flight, you might consider spending your last night by the airport. Rydges Sydney Airport is right opposite T1 International, and you can see prices for Rydges Sydney Airport here.

If your trip continues to Melbourne, flying is by far the quickest option, and I’ve covered SkyBus, taxis and the cheap alternatives in my guide to getting from Melbourne Airport to the city centre. There you can also read about where to stay in Melbourne, and if you’re flying on across the Tasman Sea, I have a guide to where to stay in New Zealand.

Which option should you choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re heading and how you’re travelling:

CBD, Circular Quay and The Rocks: Take the train for 22.94 Australian dollars (around £12) at peak times, and get off at Central or stay on to Circular Quay.

Surry Hills and Haymarket: The train to Central and a few minutes’ walk to your hotel.

3 to 4 adults to the CBD: A taxi for around 60 Australian dollars (around £30) is cheaper than the train tickets and takes you right to the door.

Bondi and Coogee: Bus 350 from T2/T3 Domestic, or a taxi or Uber if you have a lot of luggage.

Manly: The train to Circular Quay and the ferry from there out across the harbour.

On a tight budget: Bus 420 to Mascot Station and the train into the city, typically for under 10 Australian dollars (around £5).

If you land in the middle of the night: A taxi or an Uber, or the N20 night bus from T1 International while the trains aren’t running.

The Blue Mountains and trips out of the city: Pick up your hire car on the day you leave Sydney, so you avoid paying for parking in the CBD.

The post Sydney Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Where should you stay in Langkawi? It mostly depends on whether you want beach life and restaurants right on your doorstep, or peace, rainforest and luxury. Here are my five picks of areas, with three hotels in each, from the most expensive to the cheapest.

Where to Stay in Langkawi: The Best Areas

• Pantai Cenang - best area for first-time visitors
• Pantai Tengah - best area for couples and a quieter beach
• Pantai Kok & Telaga Harbour - best area for nature and the cable car
• Kuah - best area for budget stays, ferries and duty-free shopping
• Tanjung Rhu - best area for luxury and peace and quiet

Below, I go through the areas one at a time with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in March for two people, and 1 ringgit is roughly 18p. It’s also worth thinking about how you’ll get around before you choose an area, as distances on the island are greater than they look on the map. Pantai Cenang is the area where you’ll manage best on foot, and in most other places you’ll rely on Grab, taxis or a hire car.

1. Pantai Cenang - best area for first-time visitors 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Pantai Cenang is the island’s tourist hub, with most of the restaurants, bars and shops. Kuah, the island’s main town, is about 25 minutes away by car.
• 🚕 Transport: You can walk to most things along the beach and the main road. For the rest of the island, take a Grab or a taxi, and the taxis charge fixed fares rather than using a meter.
• ✈️ Time from Langkawi Airport: About 10 to 15 minutes by car. The airport is only about 5 kilometres north of the beach.
• 💰 Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost about 205 to 1,155 ringgit (around £40 to £210) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, including in the evening. Watch out for the traffic on the main road, Jalan Pantai Cenang, and keep an eye out for jet skis and speedboats when you swim.

Pantai Cenang is Langkawi’s most popular beach and the one most people associate with the island. The long, pale sandy beach faces west, so the sunset is the big event of the evening, and the waterfront is lined with beach bars and restaurants with tables right down on the sand. During the day you can hire a jet ski, try parasailing or simply lie in the shade under the palm trees, and behind the beach runs the main road with shops, cafés, massage places and small supermarkets.

With children, the Underwater World aquarium is a good option on a rainy day, as you walk through an underwater tunnel with sharks and sea turtles, and there are penguins too. Many people also go island hopping to Pulau Dayang Bunting with its lake, Tasik Dayang Bunting, the white beach on Pulau Beras Basah and eagle watching along the way. You can book an island-hopping trip by speedboat from around £11 per person.

See hotels in Pantai Cenang here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Langkawi, or if you’d like to be able to walk to the beach, restaurants and bars without waiting for a Grab every time. There are hotels in every price range, from simple guesthouses to large resorts right on the beach, and the airport is so close that you’ll arrive shortly after landing. It’s also where you’ll find the widest choice of places to eat in the evening.

The downside is that Pantai Cenang is the busiest beach on the island. There’s noise from jet skis and speedboats during the day and music from the bars in the evening, and in high season the beach can feel crowded. If you want the same beach with more peace, look at Pantai Tengah just to the south.

Hotels in Pantai Cenang

Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi - five-star beachfront resort with a kids’ club and water slide

Pelangi sits at the northern end of Pantai Cenang with direct beach access, an outdoor pool with a pool bar, spa, tennis court, kids’ club and water slide. It scores 9.0 from more than 3,100 reviews, but it’s also by far the most expensive of my three suggestions here, and a few guests feel the resort can seem crowded because there are so many guests.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location on the coast. The rooms are spacious and well furnished.”

See photos and book Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa here.

Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang - modern hotel with a pool a few minutes’ walk from the beach

Mercure is on Jalan Pantai Cenang, about a five-minute walk from the beach, and has an outdoor pool, children’s pool, spa, gym and kids’ club. The price was about 480 ringgit (around £90) per night when I searched, and it scores 8.4 from more than 1,500 reviews. Some guests do feel the rooms are dark and in need of maintenance.

From one review: “The location was fantastic. Only a 2-minute walk to the beach.”

See photos and book Mercure Langkawi Pantai Cenang here.

Langkawi Country Lodge - budget guesthouse with a free airport transfer

Country Lodge is on Jalan Haji Saad in the northern part of Pantai Cenang, about a seven-minute walk from the beach. There’s no pool, but the guesthouse has both rooms and chalets, offers free transfers to and from the airport, and with a score of 9.4 from more than 1,100 reviews it’s one of the best-rated places in the area. The price was about 205 ringgit (around £40) per night, but a few guests have had ants in their room.

One guest highlights: “The location and the friendly atmosphere.”

See photos and book Langkawi Country Lodge here.

2. Pantai Tengah - best area for couples and a quieter beach 🌅

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Pantai Tengah lies just south of Pantai Cenang, about 2 to 3 kilometres from the middle of Cenang. Kuah is around half an hour away by car.
• 🚕 Transport: You can walk to Pantai Cenang in about half an hour, but most people take a Grab, especially in the evening. For the rest of the island, you’ll need a Grab, a taxi or a hire car.
• ✈️ Time from Langkawi Airport: About 15 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost around 200 to 1,040 ringgit (roughly £35 to £190) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and calm. There are still jet skis and parasailing at the northern end of the beach, so keep an eye out for boats when you swim.

Pantai Tengah is the southern continuation of Pantai Cenang, and the two beaches almost run into each other, but the atmosphere is different. There are fewer stalls and bars here, and in front of the resorts you’ll find sunloungers and beanbags under the palm trees, where you can relax in peace for most of the day. The sunset is just as beautiful as in Cenang, and at the end of the beach there are rocks that break up the long stretch of sand.

Along Jalan Pantai Tengah and Jalan Teluk Baru you’ll find restaurants, cafés, massage places and small shops, so you don’t have to travel far for a good dinner. There are also a few bars on the beach, but it’s mostly a quiet sunset drink rather than partying into the small hours. If that’s what you’re after, Pantai Cenang is only a few minutes away by car.

See hotels in Pantai Tengah here.

I would stay here as a couple, or if you want the beach and restaurants within walking distance without the noise of Cenang. Many of the hotels are smaller resorts and villas with pools, and several sit a little way up the hills with sea views, so you can get a lot of hotel for your money. It’s also a good choice for a longer holiday, because Pantai Cenang is still close by when you fancy a bit more life.

The downside is that you’ll need a car or a Grab for almost everything other than the beach and the restaurants, and many of the hotels are on the other side of the road or up the hill, not right by the water. Check the distance to the beach before you book, especially if you’re travelling with young children.

Hotels in Pantai Tengah

Ambong Rainforest Retreat - adults-only rooms and cabins in the rainforest

Ambong sits on the slope above Pantai Tengah, with rooms and cabins spread out in the rainforest, an outdoor pool, a spa and a restaurant. It’s adults only, it scores 9.4, and it was the most expensive of the three when I searched. On the other hand, there are steep steps, and it’s about a 15-minute walk down the hill to the beach.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “A haven for nature lovers in the rainforest with views over the beach.”

See photos and book Ambong Rainforest Retreat here.

Aloft by Marriott Langkawi Pantai Tengah - modern hotel with a pool bar close to the beach

Aloft is on Jalan Pantai Tengah about 150 metres from the beach and has an outdoor pool with a pool bar, a gym, a kids’ club and a restaurant. It scores 8.9 from more than 2,200 reviews, and the price was about 580 ringgit (around £105) per night when I searched. A few guests do mention, however, that the staff aren’t always well coordinated.

From one review: “A great place for a lovely holiday with good food, a lovely pool and nice people.”

See photos and book Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah here.

Airis Sanctuary Resort - budget resort with a pool and garden

Airis Sanctuary is in Pantai Tengah about 600 metres from the beach and has an outdoor pool, a garden and free parking. It’s a simple two-star resort, but it scores 8.4 from more than 1,000 reviews, and the price was about 200 ringgit (around £35) per night. Some guests have, however, had problems with leaks and insects in their room.

One guest highlights: “Beautiful place with a lovely room and a great view.”

See photos and book Airis Sanctuary Resort here.

3. Pantai Kok & Telaga Harbour - best area for nature and the cable car 🚡

• 📍 Distance to the centre: The area is on the west coast at the foot of the Machinchang mountains, about 20 minutes by car from Pantai Cenang and 40 minutes from Kuah.
• 🚗 Getting around: Things are spread out here, so plan on using Grab, a taxi or a hire car. From most hotels, though, it’s only a short trip to the cable car at Oriental Village.
• ✈️ Time from Langkawi Airport: About 20 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: Mid-range to very high. The three hotels below cost around 425 to 2,550 ringgit (around £80 to £470) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. There can be jellyfish in the water, so ask at your hotel before you swim.

Pantai Kok lies on Langkawi’s west coast, where the rainforest runs right down to the sea and the mountains rise up behind the beach. This is where the SkyCab cable car runs from Oriental Village up towards the summit of Gunung Mat Cincang, and from the top station you can walk down to the SkyBridge, the curved suspension bridge hanging above the rainforest. Tickets are sold by Panorama Langkawi. Set off early to avoid the longest queues, and pick a clear day, as the top can be shrouded in cloud.

A little further up the road is the Telaga Tujuh waterfall, where you climb several hundred steps to a series of natural pools you can swim in. At Telaga Harbour there’s a marina with restaurants and a lighthouse at the end of the road, and in the evening it’s one of the nicest places on this side of the island to eat while looking out over the boats.

See hotels in Pantai Kok here.

I’d stay here if you’re more into nature, rainforest and peace and quiet than beach bars, or if you want one of the island’s luxury resorts with its own beach. If you want to get away from it all completely, The Datai Langkawi is about a 20-minute drive further north at Datai Bay, deep in the rainforest. It’s one of the island’s most expensive resorts, and the price was around 3,420 ringgit (around £630) per night when I searched for a weekend in May, as March was sold out.

The downside is that there isn’t much to walk to in the evening apart from the hotels’ own restaurants and the places at Telaga Harbour. The beaches are also smaller than in Cenang, and several of them are mostly used by hotel guests.

Hotels in Pantai Kok and Telaga Harbour

The Danna Langkawi - luxury hotel by the marina at Telaga Harbour

The Danna sits at Telaga Harbour with its own beach, infinity pool, spa and kids’ club, and the hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. It scores 9.4 from over 1,200 reviews, but it’s also clearly the most expensive of the three, and a few guests mention that the service occasionally falls short.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything was fantastic.”

See photos and book The Danna Langkawi here.

Berjaya Langkawi Resort - chalets in the rainforest and on stilts over the sea

Berjaya is right on the beach at Burau Bay, a short distance from the cable car, and you can choose between chalets in the rainforest and chalets on stilts out over the water. There’s an outdoor pool, spa, tennis court and kids’ club, and with over 3,000 reviews and a score of 8.8 it’s one of the most popular resorts on the island. Several guests do feel, however, that it’s in need of a refurbishment.

From one review: “A fantastic place right on the beach.”

See photos and book Berjaya Langkawi Resort here.

Ocean Lodge - small guesthouse with a bar and garden

Ocean Lodge is on Jalan Pantai Kok at Kuala Teriang, at the eastern end of the area, about a ten-minute drive from the cable car. The price was the lowest of the three, around 425 ringgit (around £80) per night, and it scores 9.3, but there are few genuine budget hotels out here. Some guests mention that the walls are thin.

One guest highlights: “The hosts made the experience.”

See photos and book Ocean Lodge here.

4. Kuah - best area for budget stays, ferries and duty-free shopping 🛍️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Kuah is the island’s main town, home to the ferry terminal and most of the duty-free shops. Pantai Cenang is about 25 minutes away by car.
• 🚕 Transport: You can walk around the town itself, and a taxi from the ferry terminal into Kuah costs 6 ringgit (around £1) at the fixed fare. To reach the beaches, take a Grab, a taxi or a hire car.
• ✈️ Time from Langkawi Airport: About 20 to 25 minutes by car. A taxi from the airport to Kuah costs 24 ringgit (around £4) at the fixed fare.
• 💰 Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost roughly 80 to 960 ringgit (around £15 to £170) a night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Kuah is an ordinary Malaysian town with heavy traffic on the main roads, so use the pedestrian crossings.

Kuah sits on Langkawi’s south-east coast and is the island’s main town. This is where the ferries from the mainland arrive, and on the waterfront stands the huge eagle statue at Dataran Lang, which has become the island’s landmark. According to local legend, the name Langkawi comes from the Malay words helang, meaning eagle, and kawi, meaning reddish-brown. From here, ferries sail to Kuala Perlis and Kuala Kedah on the mainland, taking about an hour and a quarter to Kuala Perlis and an hour and three quarters to Kuala Kedah.

Langkawi was declared a duty-free island in 1987, and Kuah is where you’ll find most of the shops selling duty-free chocolate, spirits and perfume. Cigarettes and tobacco haven’t been duty-free since 2021, though, and spirits can only be bought tax-free within a set allowance, so check the rules before you fill your suitcase. Kilim Geoforest Park, the island’s best-known mangrove forest, is about a 20-minute drive north of town.

See hotels in Kuah here.

I’d stay in Kuah if you’re on a tight budget, need to catch an early ferry or simply want to spend a couple of days shopping duty-free. Hotels are generally cheaper than by the beaches, and you’re staying in an ordinary Malaysian town with local places to eat rather than in a tourist area.

The downside is that Kuah isn’t a beach area. The town is on the water, but there’s no beach you’d actually want to lie on, so you’ll need to drive about 25 minutes to Pantai Cenang for a swim. If you want a beach right outside your door, The Westin just south of the ferry terminal is the exception, with its own beach.

Hotels in Kuah

The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa - five-star resort with its own beach and infinity pool

The Westin is on the water just south of the ferry terminal and Dataran Lang, with its own beach, an infinity pool, spa, tennis court and kids’ club. It’s the most expensive of my three picks in Kuah, and it scores 8.4. Several guests feel, however, that the hotel is a little worn and could do with a thorough clean.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “All in all a good place with really lovely staff.”

See photos and book The Westin Langkawi here.

Ramada by Wyndham Langkawi Marina - hotel with a pool and views over the marina

Ramada is on Jalan Dato Syed Omar by the marina, close to the ferry terminal, and has an outdoor pool, spa, restaurant and bar. The price was about 290 ringgit (around £50) a night when I searched, and it scores 8.0. Several guests mention that parking spaces are limited, though.

From one review: “The view over the marina and the sunset over the islands is fantastic.”

See photos and book Ramada Langkawi Marina here.

Motel Seri Mutiara - cheap motel in the heart of Kuah

Seri Mutiara is on Jalan Penarak in Kuah, about a kilometre from the ferry terminal. It’s a simple motel with no pool or restaurant, but it has air conditioning, family rooms and free parking, and the price was only about 80 ringgit (around £15) a night. It scores 8.1 from over 600 reviews, although some guests have been bothered by noise from outside.

One guest highlights: “Very happy with our stay. It was really good value for money.”

See photos and book Motel Seri Mutiara here.

5. Tanjung Rhu - best area for luxury and peace and quiet 🌴

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Tanjung Rhu is on the north coast, around 30 minutes by car from Kuah and 40 minutes from Pantai Cenang.
• 🚗 Getting around: A car or scooter is almost essential here if you want to explore the island. Grab is also an option, but expect longer journeys and higher fares than in the south.
• ✈️ Time from Langkawi Airport: Around 30 minutes by car.
• 💰 Price level: Low to very high. The three hotels below cost around 215 to 3,260 ringgit (around £40 to £600) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and very quiet. The water isn’t always completely clean, so ask at your hotel where the best place to swim is.

Tanjung Rhu is a long, pale sandy beach on Langkawi’s north coast, looking out over small limestone islands in the sea. It’s the quietest beach area on the island, with only a handful of hotels, including two of Langkawi’s best resorts, and in the evening there’s hardly anyone around apart from hotel guests. It’s the place for long days by the pool and a stroll along the water as the sun goes down.

The mangrove forests start right next door. Langkawi was Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark, and some of the island’s rocks are more than 550 million years old. Kilim Geoforest Park is around a 15-minute drive to the south-east, and the boat trips through the mangroves pass limestone cliffs and caves full of bats. You can join a mangrove tour with a nature guide for around £35 per person.

See hotels in Tanjung Rhu here.

I’d stay here if your Langkawi trip is all about relaxation, a honeymoon or luxury, and you’re happy to eat at your hotel most evenings. If you want to get around the island, the easiest option is a hire car from Booking.com, and according to Langkawi’s official tourism website you can hire a car from around 40 ringgit (around £7) a day outside the high season. Remember that Malaysia drives on the left, and the site recommends bringing an International Driving Permit.

The downside is the distance. There are only a few places to eat besides the hotels’ own restaurants, and those are expensive, so if you’re on a budget, Tanjung Rhu only makes sense if you have a car and can drive to Kuah or Cenang for meals. The same goes if you want to see a lot of the island, as you’ll spend quite a bit of time in the car.

Hotels in Tanjung Rhu

Four Seasons Resort Langkawi - luxury beachfront resort with an infinity pool

Four Seasons sits right on the beach at Tanjung Rhu, with an infinity pool, spa, kids’ club, tennis court and several restaurants. It scores 9.5, but the price was also around 3,260 ringgit (around £600) per night when I searched, and several guests feel the restaurants are expensive for what you get.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful resort. The staff were lovely and very helpful.”

See photos and book Four Seasons Resort Langkawi here.

Tanjung Rhu Resort - five-star resort with a private beach at a lower price

Tanjung Rhu Resort is also right on the beach and has a pool with a pool bar, spa, tennis court and its own beach. It’s five-star like its neighbour, but cost around a third of the price when I searched, and it scores 9.1 from more than 1,400 reviews. Some guests do feel the rooms are in need of a refurbishment, though.

From one review: “We loved the location and the private beach access!”

See photos and book Tanjung Rhu Resort here.

Eagleye Langkawi - small place with an adults-only pool

Eagleye is on Jalan Tanjung Rhu in Padang Lalang, a couple of kilometres before the beach at Tanjung Rhu itself, and has a pool with a pool bar and massages. It’s adults only, scores 9.4, and the price was around 215 ringgit (around £40) per night. Some guests mention, however, that there’s plastic litter on the nearby beach.

One guest highlights: “The location is very good.”

See photos and book Eagleye Langkawi here.

Where not to stay in Langkawi?

Padang Matsirat and the area around the airport are handy if you have a very early flight, but there’s no beach and nothing within walking distance in the evening. The same goes for the many homestays and villas inland among the rice fields. They can be cheap and beautiful, but without a car or scooter you’ll be relying on Grab for every single meal.

Most people fly to Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur, with departures from both Terminal 1 and klia2. If you’re spending a couple of nights in the capital on the way, you can read about where to stay in Kuala Lumpur and how to get from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city centre.

If it’s your first trip to Langkawi, I’d stay in Pantai Cenang, or in Pantai Tengah if you want the same beach with more peace and quiet. Pantai Kok and Telaga Harbour suit you if you’re after rainforest, the cable car and luxury, and Tanjung Rhu is the obvious choice for a purely relaxing holiday. Kuah is for you if you’re travelling on a budget or catching the ferry onwards.

Many people combine Langkawi with Penang, and there are direct flights between the two islands. If you haven’t found your hotel on Penang yet, take a look at my guide to where to stay on Penang. Also check the official travel advice for Malaysia before you go.

The post Where to Stay in Langkawi? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

That’s why your choice of area matters so much. On Ortigia you can walk everywhere, but if you have a car, you’ll need to deal with the restricted traffic zone and parking. Here are my six suggestions for where to stay in Syracuse, with three hotels in each area.

Where to Stay in Syracuse: The Best Areas

• Ortigia - best area for first-time visitors
• Umbertino by the bridges - best area for drivers and arriving by bus
• Borgata Santa Lucia - best area for local atmosphere and good prices
• Neapolis by the archaeological park - best area for history lovers
• The beaches south of the city - best area for a beach holiday
• The countryside towards Noto - best area for road trips and a pool

Ortigia, Umbertino and Borgata sit side by side, so you can do most things on foot there, while Neapolis is about a 20-minute walk from the bridges. For the beaches and the countryside towards Noto, you’ll need a car. Below I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and in July and August they’re quite a bit higher.

1. Ortigia - best area for first-time visitors

• Distance to the centre: You’re staying in the Old Town. The island is about a kilometre long, and from Piazza Duomo it’s a five to ten-minute walk to either end.
• Transport: You walk everywhere. The bus terminal and the railway station are on the mainland, roughly a 20 to 30-minute walk from Piazza Duomo, so take a taxi if you have a heavy suitcase.
• Time from Catania Airport: About 70 minutes on Interbus to Corso Umberto followed by a 15-minute walk over the bridge, or about an hour by car.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€€. The three hotels below ranged from about 87 to 757 euros (around £75 to £635) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Very safe and busy with people until late in the evening. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds at the market and on Piazza Duomo.

Ortigia is Syracuse’s Old Town, and the city has stood here ever since the Greeks founded it in the 8th century BC. You can see it everywhere. At the entrance to the island stand the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, and the cathedral on Piazza Duomo is built into a Greek temple to Athena, so the old Doric columns still stand in the church walls. Together with Neapolis, Ortigia is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica.

By the water on the west side is the Fonte Aretusa spring, where papyrus grows in a pool right next to the sea, and at the southern tip of the island stands the Castello Maniace fortress. In the mornings there’s a market in the streets by the Temple of Apollo selling fish, fruit and cheese, and in the evenings the restaurants fill the little squares. If you’d like to see the island from the water, you can take a boat trip around Ortigia and into the sea caves from around 20 euros (around £17).

See hotels on Ortigia here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Syracuse, or if you only have two or three nights. You can step out of the door in the morning before the day-trippers arrive, swim from the rocks along the island’s coast in summer and walk home from dinner without thinking about buses or taxis.

The downside is the car. Ortigia is a restricted traffic zone, a ZTL, with cameras at the bridges, and the rules on when and who may drive in change regularly. If you drive in without a permit, the fine arrives via the hire company months later. So ask your hotel before you arrive whether it can register your number plate. Otherwise you can park in the Talete car park at the entrance to the island or on the large Molo Sant’Antonio car park by the bridges, where 24 hours costs around 15 euros (around £13), according to guests. Bear in mind too that many B&Bs are in old buildings without a lift.

Hotels on Ortigia

Grand Hotel Des Etrangers - five-star hotel with a spa and pool by Fonte Aretusa

Grand Hotel Des Etrangers is on Passeggio Adorno right by Fonte Aretusa and is an official five-star hotel with a spa, a restaurant and an outdoor pool with a view, which is open in season. It scores 9.1 and is the most expensive hotel in this guide. Breakfast isn’t always included in the price, valet parking costs 50 euros (around £40) a day, and one guest felt the spa didn’t live up to the rest of the hotel.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about our stay was absolutely perfect.”

See photos and book Grand Hotel Des Etrangers here.

Aretusa Vacanze B&B - highly rated B&B with a lift and breakfast

Aretusa Vacanze is on a small side street in the southern part of Ortigia, a few minutes from both Fonte Aretusa and Castello Maniace. It’s a B&B with a lift, soundproofed rooms and breakfast included, and with a score of 9.5 from over 1,200 reviews it’s one of the best-rated places on the island. Parking costs 15 euros (around £13) a day, and one guest thought the room was a little small for the price.

From one review: “Very welcoming hosts, excellent breakfast, we loved our stay.”

See photos and book Aretusa Vacanze B&B here.

Camere A’ Marina - small guesthouse with a shared kitchen near Fonte Aretusa

Camere A’ Marina is on Via delle Carceri Vecchie on the west side of Ortigia, a couple of minutes from Fonte Aretusa and the waterfront. It’s a small guesthouse with a shared kitchen and a score of 9.3, and it was the cheapest of my three picks on the island when I searched. There’s no lift, breakfast isn’t included, and one guest heard noise from a water pump in the attic.

One guest highlights: “Perfect location, lovely view and a wonderful host, Laura.”

See photos and book Camere A’ Marina here.

2. Umbertino by the bridges - best area for drivers and arriving by bus

• Distance to the centre: You stay on the mainland directly opposite Ortigia. From the bridges, it’s a five-minute walk to the Temple of Apollo and around a quarter of an hour to Piazza Duomo.
• Transport: The bus from Catania Airport terminates on Corso Umberto, and the railway station is just a few minutes away. The large Molo Sant’Antonio car park is by Porto Grande, right next to the bridges.
• Time from Catania Airport: Around 70 minutes with Interbus, which stops in the middle of the neighbourhood, or about an hour by car.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly €84 to €378 (around £70 to £315) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe, but quieter in the evening than Ortigia. Don’t give money to people offering to help you in the car parks; pay at the machine or with an app instead.

Umbertino is the neighbourhood on the mainland directly opposite Ortigia, built in the late 19th century around Corso Umberto I, which is named after King Umberto I. The street runs from the Ponte Umbertino bridge towards Foro Siracusano, a large square with the remains of the city’s ancient forum, and the railway station is just a few minutes from there. Yachts and fishing boats line Porto Grande, and small boats are moored close together in the channel between the mainland and Ortigia.

It isn’t the most romantic part of town, but it is the most practical. The bus from the airport terminates on Corso Umberto, and if you need help with the journey, you can read my guide to getting from Catania Airport to the city and your hotel. You’ll find the timetable on the website of the bus company Interbus, and you can check trains towards Catania and Taormina with Trenitalia.

See hotels in Umbertino here.

I’d stay here if you’re arriving by car and want to be close to Ortigia. Several hotels have their own parking or valet service, and from the Molo Sant’Antonio car park you can walk across to Ortigia in five minutes. It’s also a good choice if you’re travelling on by train, and if you’d like to see more of the country by rail, I’ve written about trains in Italy.

The downside is that the streets are busier and less charming than on Ortigia, and there isn’t much going on along Corso Umberto in the evening. You’ll need to cross the bridge to find the good restaurants, but that only takes five to ten minutes. Choose a room away from the road if you’re a light sleeper, as the traffic by the harbour and on Corso Umberto starts early.

Hotels in Umbertino

Caportigia Boutique Hotel - five-star hotel five minutes from the bridge

Caportigia is on Viale Montedoro in Umbertino, about a five-minute walk from the bridges to Ortigia. It’s an officially five-star hotel with a restaurant, bar, sun terrace and valet parking, and the breakfast buffet is included in the price. It scores 8.7 from almost 700 reviews, although one guest missed having shelf space in the bathroom and felt the mirror was hung too high.

One guest writes: “The staff were excellent, polite, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating.”

See photos and book Caportigia Boutique Hotel here.

Fortaleza Charme House - apartments right by the bridge with private parking

Fortaleza Charme House is on Via Eritrea near the harbour, about a four-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s an aparthotel with a lift and a score of 9.7 from almost 600 reviews, and private parking costs €25 (around £20) per night but must be booked in advance. Breakfast isn’t included, but there’s a coffee machine and kettle in the room, and one guest could hear noise from the neighbouring room.

From one review: “Fantastic location just across the bridge from Ortigia.”

See photos and book Fortaleza Charme House here.

B&B Nike - affordable rooms in an apartment near the harbour

B&B Nike is on Via Malta, a side street off Corso Umberto, about a five-minute walk from Ortigia. It offers rooms in a large apartment with a score of 8.5, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in the neighbourhood when I searched. Breakfast isn’t served, and one guest found it hard to find a space on the street, but mentions that a large car park nearby costs €15 (around £13) for 24 hours.

One guest says: “Lovely rooms in a beautiful apartment.”

See photos and book B&B Nike here.

3. Borgata Santa Lucia - best area for local atmosphere and good prices

• Distance to the centre: You’re staying north of Umbertino, out by the sea. From Piazza Santa Lucia it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk to the bridge over to Ortigia and around 20 minutes to Piazza Duomo.
• Transport: You walk into Ortigia along the waterfront. It’s easier to find a space on the street than in Umbertino, and several B&Bs have free parking.
• Time from Catania Airport: Around 70 minutes on the Interbus to Corso Umberto, followed by a 15-minute walk or a short taxi ride, or about an hour by car.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly 85 to 392 euros (around £70 to £330) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe. It’s an ordinary residential area, and some of the side streets are quiet and dark in the evening.

Borgata Santa Lucia is the old working-class and fishing quarter north of Umbertino. At its heart is the large Piazza Santa Lucia with trees and benches and the Basilica di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro. According to tradition, the city’s patron saint, Santa Lucia, was buried here, and there are catacombs beneath the church. Caravaggio painted his picture of her burial for this very church, and on 13 December her silver statue is carried in procession from the cathedral on Ortigia out to the square.

The Riviera Dionisio il Grande promenade runs along the sea with views across the bay, and at its southern end is the small harbour of Porto Piccolo with its fishing boats. The area has bakeries, small supermarkets and trattorias where the locals eat, and prices are lower than across the bridge. Further north lies the old quarry of Latomia dei Cappuccini, where the Greeks extracted stone for the city.

See hotels in Borgata here.

I’d stay here if you’re staying four nights or more, arriving by car and would like a bit more space for your money. Several B&Bs have free parking, and you can walk into Ortigia in 15 minutes along the water. In the evening you can eat on Ortigia and walk home, or stay in the neighbourhood, where the atmosphere is more local.

The downside is that Borgata is an ordinary residential area without any major sights, and some of the buildings and streets are a bit run-down. It’s about 20 minutes to Piazza Duomo, so if you walk back and forth several times a day, you’ll feel it in your legs in summer. At many places breakfast is a voucher for a nearby bar, so check what’s included in the price.

Hotels in Borgata

Re Dionisio Luxury Suites - suites with a spa on the seafront promenade

Re Dionisio is on Riviera Dionisio il Grande, the seafront promenade in Borgata, around a 15-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s a guesthouse with suites, a spa with sauna and hot tub, and breakfast included, and it scores 8.4. There’s free parking on the road outside, but one guest writes that finding a space can be tricky.

One guest says: “What a lovely team on reception and in the breakfast room. They couldn’t have been more helpful.”

See photos and book Re Dionisio Luxury Suites here.

B&B Il Moro Luxury Rooms - new rooms and free parking in the middle of the neighbourhood

Il Moro is on Via Milano in the middle of Borgata, around a ten-minute walk from Ortigia. The rooms are new, there’s a lift and free parking nearby, and it scores 9.0. Breakfast is served at a bar a couple of hundred metres away, and one guest felt it was too meagre, with just coffee and something sweet.

From a review: “Everything is brand new. The room is nicely furnished and the bed is comfortable.”

See photos and book B&B Il Moro here.

Porticciolo House - adults-only apartment by the little harbour

Porticciolo House is on Via Gaetano Fuggetta close to Porto Piccolo at the southern end of the neighbourhood, around a ten-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s an adults-only apartment with free parking and a score of 9.2, and it was the cheapest of my three suggestions in Borgata when I searched. Breakfast is a voucher for a nearby café, and according to one guest you get a small coffee and a pastry.

One guest highlights: “The place itself and the location very close to Ortigia. The host had left a welcome pack with wine and snacks, which we really appreciated.”

See photos and book Porticciolo House here.

4. Neapolis by the archaeological site - best area for history lovers

• Distance to the centre: You’ll be staying about two kilometres north of Ortigia. Allow 20 to 30 minutes on foot to the bridges and a bit longer to Piazza Duomo.
• Transport: Parking is easiest here, and several hotels offer free parking. To get into Ortigia, you walk or take a taxi.
• Time from Catania Airport: About an hour by car, or about 70 minutes on the Interbus to Corso Umberto followed by a short taxi ride.
• Price level: € to €€. The three places below cost around 70 to 157 euros (roughly £60 to £130) a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe. Viale Teocrito is a big, busy road, but the side streets are quiet residential areas.

Neapolis was the new town of ancient Syracuse, and today it’s home to one of the largest archaeological sites in the Mediterranean. In the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis you’ll see the Greek Theatre, carved straight out of the rock, and the old quarry Latomia del Paradiso with the cave known as the Orecchio di Dionisio, named after its ear-like shape. The same park also contains a Roman amphitheatre.

In early summer, usually in May and June, INDA stages Greek tragedies and comedies in the theatre in the evenings, and then the hotels in the area are full. Along Viale Teocrito you’ll find the large Paolo Orsi archaeological museum and the cone-shaped church Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime, which you can see from most of the city. If you’d like the history explained, you can take a guided tour of Neapolis and the Greek Theatre for around 30 euros (about £25).

See hotels near Neapolis here.

I’d stay here if the ancient sites are the reason you’re coming, or if you have a car and want to avoid the ZTL and paid parking. You can walk into the park as soon as it opens, before the coaches of day-trippers arrive, and the hotels are generally cheaper and more spacious than on Ortigia. It’s also a good compromise for families who want free parking and still be able to walk into town.

The downside is the distance to Ortigia, where most of the restaurants and bars are. In the evening you’ll walk 20 to 30 minutes home along main roads, or take a taxi, and the area itself has little going on after dark. If you stay here, plan your day so you see Neapolis in the morning and spend the afternoon and evening on Ortigia.

Hotels near Neapolis

Dimora Archimedea - B&B with a garden and free parking close to the park

Dimora Archimedea is on Via Necropoli Grotticelle, about 600 metres from Neapolis and roughly a 20-minute walk from Ortigia. It’s a B&B with a garden, a terrace, breakfast included and free parking subject to availability, and with a score of 9.5 it was the most expensive of my three picks in the area. One guest could hear the neighbours through the thin walls.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “We had a fantastic stay at Dimora Archimedea. The whole staff did everything to make our stay as comfortable and lovely as possible.”

See photos and book Dimora Archimedea here.

Hotel Teocrito - spacious hotel with a breakfast buffet and free street parking

Hotel Teocrito is on Viale Teocrito near the archaeological museum, about a ten-minute walk from Neapolis and 20 minutes from Ortigia. It’s an official three-star hotel with a lift, a bar and a breakfast buffet, and with a score of 9.1 from almost 2,300 reviews it’s a safe choice. There’s free public parking around the hotel, though one guest found the décor a little old-fashioned.

From a review: “It really is a good hotel, as the other reviews say. The rooms are spacious and incredibly clean. The breakfast is lovely!”

See photos and book Hotel Teocrito here.

Interno 10 - budget-friendly B&B five minutes from the park

Interno 10 is on the fourth floor on Viale Teracati, about a five-minute walk from Neapolis and 20 minutes from Ortigia. It’s a small B&B with a lift, breakfast with home baking and free street parking, and it was the cheapest of my three picks in the area when I searched. It scores 8.0, and one guest felt the shower could have been cleaner.

One guest says: “Clean and well-equipped B&B. A really good host who helped with tips on what’s nearby.”

See photos and book Interno 10 here.

5. The beaches south of the city - best area for a beach holiday

• Distance to the centre: Arenella is about a quarter of an hour’s drive south of Ortigia, and Fontane Bianche is about 20 to 25 minutes by car.
• Transport: You’ll need a car. A city bus runs from Corso Umberto to Arenella, but only a few times a day.
• Time from Catania Airport: About an hour by car on the motorway.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost around €112 to €362 (roughly £95 to £305) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Safe. Don’t leave valuables visible in the car when you park by the beaches.

South of Syracuse you’ll find the city’s beaches. First comes the Plemmirio peninsula, where the protected marine area Area Marina Protetta del Plemmirio has rocks, small coves and clear water for snorkelling. Water shoes are a good idea on the rocks. A little further south is the sandy beach at Arenella, and further still is Fontane Bianche, with a long stretch of pale sand, beach clubs and holiday homes.

This is where to stay in Syracuse if your beach holiday comes first and the city is somewhere you drive into in the afternoon or evening. In summer, Fontane Bianche is buzzing with beach bars and restaurants, while Arenella is smaller and quieter, with a free beach next to a beach club. If you’d like to see the coast from the water, you can take a boat trip to Plemmirio and the sea caves around Ortigia for around €40 (about £35).

See hotels by the beaches south of Syracuse here.

The easiest place to pick up a car is Catania Airport, and you can compare prices on hire cars at Booking.com. From the beaches you can drive into Syracuse in 15 to 25 minutes and park by the bridges, and you’re also not far from Noto and the baroque towns further south.

The downside is that you depend on the car the whole time, and it can be a long way to a restaurant in the evening. Out of season, many beach clubs and restaurants close, and Fontane Bianche can feel like an empty holiday-home village. So only come out here in the warmer months, and choose a hotel with a restaurant if you don’t want to drive out to eat every evening.

Hotels by the beaches south of Syracuse

Dimora Caiammari Luxury Hotel & Spa - five-star hotel with two pools and a spa

Dimora Caiammari is in Fanusa between Plemmirio and Arenella, about 15 minutes by car from Ortigia and just under three kilometres from the beach at Arenella. It’s an official five-star hotel with two outdoor pools, a spa, a bar, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 9.4. One guest missed having places to eat nearby and had to drive into Syracuse every evening.

One guest writes: “Beautiful room, fantastic pool, attentive staff.”

See photos and book Dimora Caiammari here.

Hotel Villamare - four-star hotel 150 metres from the beach in Fontane Bianche

Hotel Villamare is on Viale dei Lidi in Fontane Bianche, about 150 metres from the beach and 20 minutes by car from Ortigia. It’s an official four-star hotel with a pool, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 8.9. Neither lunch nor dinner is served, so you’ll need to eat out.

From a review: “The location so close to the beach was fantastic.”

See photos and book Hotel Villamare here.

Addauro Resort - resort with a pool and playground near Arenella

Addauro Resort is out in the countryside near Arenella, about 1.3 kilometres from the beach at Fanusa and a quarter of an hour by car from Ortigia. It’s an official four-star hotel with a pool, a playground, breakfast included and free parking, and it scores 8.8. It was the cheapest of my three beach suggestions when I searched, but one guest felt the resort was rather isolated.

One guest highlights: “Breakfast was plentiful, and the staff were really good.”

See photos and book Addauro Resort here.

6. The countryside towards Noto - best area for road trips and a pool

• Distance to the centre: Cassibile is about 20 minutes’ drive south of Syracuse, and from Noto the journey takes about half an hour.
• Transport: You’ll need a car. Many of the places are at the end of a narrow country road, and only a few buses run.
• Time from Catania Airport: About an hour to an hour and a quarter by car.
• Price level: €€ to €€€€. The three places below cost around €138 to €361 (around £115 to £300) per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
• Safety: Very safe and quiet. Drive carefully on the narrow, winding roads after dark.

Between Syracuse and Noto lies a landscape of olive and almond groves, citrus plantations and old farmhouses, known as masserie, many of which are now hotels with a pool. Noto is one of Sicily’s most beautiful baroque towns, rebuilt in pale sandstone after the earthquake of 1693, and it belongs to the Val di Noto, where eight baroque towns are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Noto you walk up the wide staircase to San Nicolò Cathedral and down the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, lined with baroque palaces on both sides.

South of Noto you’ll find the Vendicari nature reserve, with beaches and lagoons where you can spot migrating birds, and the fishing village of Marzamemi, while Modica and Ragusa Ibla lie further west. If you don’t have a car, you can get around on a day trip to Noto, Ragusa and Modica from Syracuse from around €115 (around £95).

See agriturismi and country hotels towards Noto here.

This is the right choice if you’re travelling with children in summer, want a pool and some peace and quiet, or are doing a tour of south-eastern Sicily. You drive into Syracuse in the morning, park by the bridges and walk over to Ortigia, and by the afternoon you’re back by the pool. You can compare car hire prices with Booking.com’s car rental, and if you’d like to see more of the island, I’ve gathered the best bases in my guide to where to stay in Sicily.

The downside is that you can’t walk home after dinner in Syracuse, and it’s often a long way to the nearest restaurant if the place doesn’t have its own. So don’t stay in the countryside if you only have one or two nights, as you’ll miss Ortigia in the evening, once the day-trippers have gone home.

Hotels in the countryside towards Noto

IUTA Farm - farm with lodges, saltwater pool and restaurant near Noto

IUTA Farm is in the countryside a few minutes’ drive from Noto and about half an hour from Syracuse. You stay in lodges or junior suites, some with their own pool, and there’s a saltwater pool, a restaurant and breakfast included. With a score of 9.7 it’s one of the highest-rated places in this guide, but one guest experienced a party with loud music outside the rooms on a Saturday evening without having been warned.

One guest writes: “The food was lovely and fresh, and the breakfast is the best I’ve had on my travels.”

See photos and book IUTA Farm here.

Casa di Melo - adults-only organic country hotel near Cassibile

Casa di Melo is near Cassibile, about 20 minutes’ drive from both Syracuse and Noto. It’s an adults-only organic country hotel with a pool with a view, a restaurant and breakfast included, and it scores 9.3. One guest felt the room was too small and that there was a smell from the bathroom drain.

From a review: “What a fantastic stay! I’d recommend it to everyone.”

See photos and book Casa di Melo here.

Hotel Villa Favorita - four-star hotel with a pool two kilometres from Noto

Villa Favorita is about two kilometres from Noto and half an hour’s drive from Syracuse. It’s an official four-star hotel with an outdoor pool, a restaurant serving local food and a breakfast buffet, and with a score of 9.3 from over 650 reviews it was the cheapest of my three countryside suggestions when I searched. One guest complains about noise from other guests in the morning and poor soundproofing.

One guest says: “Beautiful hotel. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly.”

See photos and book Hotel Villa Favorita here.

Where not to stay in Syracuse?

Many cheap flats on booking sites are listed as Syracuse but are actually in the modern districts far to the north and west, three to five kilometres from Ortigia and with little to do in the evening. Also be wary of places on the coast north of the city around Priolo and Augusta, where there’s a large industrial area with refineries. If you’re driving, don’t stay on Ortigia without arranging parking and access to the limited traffic zone with your hotel, or you’ll end up with a fine or carrying your suitcase a long way. And don’t choose the beach hotels at Fontane Bianche out of season, when most things around them are closed.

If it’s your first trip to Syracuse, I’d stay on Ortigia. If you’re arriving by car, Umbertino by the bridges is the easiest choice, and if you want more space and lower prices, go for Borgata or Neapolis. For a beach holiday, stay by the beaches south of the city, and if you’re doing a road trip, you’ll get the most peace and pool for your money in the countryside towards Noto.

Give Syracuse at least two nights so you have time for both Neapolis and an evening on Ortigia. If you’re heading on up the east coast, you can read about where to stay in Taormina, and if you’re flying home early from Catania, a last night there may be easier, so see my guide to where to stay in Catania. I’ve covered the rest of the country in my guide to where to stay in Italy.

The post Where to Stay in Syracuse? The 6 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and exactly where to find them at the airport: the Airport MRT, the airport buses, taxis, Uber, transfers and car hire. I also explain how to carry straight on by high-speed train, how to check in your suitcase in the city on your way home, and how to get in from the small Songshan Airport, which sits right in the middle of Taipei. Prices are given in Taiwan dollars, also written as NT$ or TWD, and 1 Taiwan dollar is roughly 2p.

Quick overview

• Airport MRT: 160 Taiwan dollars (around £4) to Taipei Main Station from both terminals. The express train takes 35 minutes from Terminal 1 and 38 minutes from Terminal 2 and runs every 15 minutes.
• Airport buses: bus 1819 to Taipei Bus Station by Taipei Main Station for around 140 Taiwan dollars (around £3.50) and bus 1960 to Xinyi. Bus 1819 also runs at night.
• Taxi: around 1,200 to 1,500 Taiwan dollars (around £30 to £35) to the centre including the airport surcharge and tolls. The journey takes 40 to 60 minutes.
• Uber and transfers: usually in the same price range as a taxi, and a private transfer costs from around 1,450 Taiwan dollars (around £35) for a car for up to three people.
• Onward by high-speed train: the Airport MRT to Taoyuan HSR Station in around 20 minutes, and from there on towards Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
• Songshan Airport: the metro’s brown line runs from the airport, and the journey to Taipei Main Station costs around 25 Taiwan dollars (around 60p).

How to find the transport at the airport

Taoyuan Airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and your ticket will tell you which one you land at. Both terminals have their own underground Airport MRT station. At Terminal 1 the station is called A12, and you reach it by going down to the food court on B1 and taking the escalator further down. At Terminal 2 the station is called A13, and it’s by the food court on B2. Just follow the signs for the Airport MRT once you’re through customs.

The airport buses stop on B1 by arrivals at Terminal 1 and at the eastern end of the ground-floor arrivals hall at Terminal 2, and the bus companies’ ticket desks are right next to the stops. The taxi rank is at the western end of the ground-floor arrivals hall at both terminals. If you need an EasyCard, Taiwan’s rechargeable travel card, you can buy one at the airport’s convenience stores, but you can also simply pay with your contactless bank card on the airport train. All the transport options are also listed on the airport’s website.

1. Taoyuan Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station

The Airport MRT is the airport’s own rail link, and it’s the quickest and cheapest way into Taipei. Two types of train run on the line. The express train is purple and only stops at the two terminals, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei Industrial Park and Taipei Main Station, where it terminates. The commuter train is blue and stops at every station, so it takes longer and has less room for luggage.

According to Taipei’s official travel website, the express train takes 35 minutes from Terminal 1 and 38 minutes from Terminal 2, while the commuter train takes around 50 minutes. Both types of train run every 15 minutes from around 6am until around 11pm, and the last departures from the airport are commuter trains. The express train has luggage racks for large suitcases, so you won’t have to stand with them in the aisle.

Fares and tickets

A single ticket from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 to Taipei Main Station costs 160 Taiwan dollars (around £4), and the fare is the same on the express and the commuter train. You can buy a ticket in the form of a plastic token from the machines or at the information desk, or you can use an EasyCard. The easiest option is to tap your contactless Visa, Mastercard or JCB card, or your phone with Apple Pay or Google Pay, on the reader at the ticket gates, both on the way in and on the way out. Children under 6 travel free with a ticket-holding adult.

If you’ll be getting around Taipei on the metro afterwards, take a look at the combined ticket, which according to Taoyuan Metro’s ticket page costs 520 Taiwan dollars (around £12) with a 48-hour metro pass and 600 Taiwan dollars (around £14) with a 72-hour metro pass. The ticket gives you one journey each way on the Airport MRT and unlimited travel on the Taipei metro for 48 or 72 hours from first use. Two single tickets on the airport train alone cost 320 Taiwan dollars (around £7.50), so if you take the train both ways and use the metro a lot, it’s a good deal. You can buy it at the terminal stations and at Taipei Main Station.

Where should you get off?

The airport train’s terminus at Taipei Main Station is called A1, and it’s a separate station at the western end of the station complex. It’s around 300 metres underground to the metro’s red and blue lines and to the regular trains and the high-speed rail, so follow the signs and allow plenty of time the first time. From here it’s one stop on the blue line to Ximending, one stop on the red line to Zhongshan and six to seven stops to Xinyi and Taipei 101.

If you’d like to stay where you can walk from the train to your hotel, the area around the station is the obvious choice. The five-star Palais de Chine is on Chengde Road north of the station, around 300 metres from the airport train, and if you want a comfortable stay close to both the trains and the airport, you can check prices for the Palais de Chine Hotel here.

If you’re unsure which district to choose, read my guide to where to stay in Taipei. In it I go through six areas, from Ximending and Zhongshan to Xinyi and the hot springs of Beitou, with hotels in three price ranges, and for each area I’ve noted how long the journey from the airport takes.

2. Airport buses to Taipei

The airport buses aren’t cheaper than the train, and they take longer because they use the motorway and then go through the traffic. They’re still worth knowing about if you land at night when the train isn’t running, or if your hotel is close to one of the bus stops. You buy your ticket at the bus company’s counter by the stop, so bring cash. The prices below are approximate adult fares.

Bus 1819 to Taipei Main Station: Kuo-Kuang runs bus 1819 from both terminals to Taipei Bus Station, which is just north of Taipei Main Station. The journey takes around an hour and costs around 140 Taiwan dollars (around £3.50). The bus runs most of the day and night, including the middle of the night, and it’s the one I would take if I landed after the last train. On the way home, you board from platform 409 on the 4th floor of Taipei Bus Station.

Bus 1960 to Xinyi: Da You Bus, which also calls itself CitiAir Bus, runs bus 1960 through the eastern part of the city to Taipei City Hall Bus Station in Xinyi. The journey takes around an hour or a little more and costs around 145 to 160 Taiwan dollars (around £3.50 to £4). It’s handy if you’re staying in Xinyi or Da’an and would rather not change with your suitcase.

Bus 1961 to the western part of the city: The same company runs bus 1961 towards Ximen and the western part of the centre for around 100 Taiwan dollars (around £2.50). The journey takes up to an hour and a half, so it’s only a good choice if the bus stops close to your hotel.

3. Taxi from Taoyuan Airport

The airport’s official taxis wait at the western end of the arrivals hall on the ground floor of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and they run around the clock. Join the queue at the taxi rank, and say no thanks to anyone offering you a car inside the arrivals hall. The taxis are metered, and on top of the fare there’s a 15 per cent airport surcharge and motorway tolls.

To hotels in central Taipei, expect to pay around 1,200 to 1,500 Taiwan dollars (around £30 to £35) including surcharges, and the journey takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. At night there’s a small night surcharge on top. Many drivers speak only a little English, so have your hotel’s name and address in Chinese ready on your phone, and carry cash, even though several taxis take cards.

To be honest, a taxi is expensive compared with the train, as four tickets on the Airport MRT cost around half the price of a taxi ride. It makes most sense if you land after the last train, are travelling with small children and lots of luggage, or if your hotel is far from a metro station.

4. Uber from Taoyuan Airport

Uber operates in Taiwan, and in the app you can choose between standard cars, larger cars and a couple of dedicated airport options. According to Uber’s own page about Taoyuan Airport, a standard ride into Taipei typically costs around 1,300 to 1,450 Taiwan dollars (around £30 to £35), so roughly the same as a taxi. You’ll see the price in the app before you book, and it can go up when it’s busy.

Follow the instructions in the app on where you’ll be picked up, as the pickup point depends on the terminal and the type of car. Only book once you’ve collected your luggage and made it out into the arrivals hall, and always compare with the taxi fare before you tap book.

5. Private transfer

A private transfer is a pre-booked car with a driver who takes you straight from the airport to your hotel. On GetYourGuide, prices start from around 1,450 Taiwan dollars (around £35) for a car for up to three people, and the transfer must be booked at least ten hours in advance. It makes most sense if you land late, are travelling with children, or want to be sure the driver knows the way to your hotel.

Book a private transfer from Taoyuan Airport here.

Enter your flight number when you book so the driver can keep track of any delays. You’ll receive the driver’s details by email the day before, and it’s a good idea to save them on your phone so you don’t have to hunt for Wi-Fi when you land.

6. Car Hire from Taoyuan Airport

The rental companies have desks at the airport, and you can compare prices on car hire at Booking.com. You won’t need a car in Taipei itself. The traffic is heavy, there are scooters everywhere, parking is expensive and the metro goes almost everywhere.

A car can make good sense on a round trip, though, if you’re heading to Sun Moon Lake, down the east coast or to the beaches in Kenting. Taiwan drives on the right, unlike the UK, and as a rule you’ll need an International Driving Permit, so check the rules before you travel. My advice is to take the train into Taipei and only pick up the car on the day you leave the city.

Onwards by High-Speed Train to Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung

If you’re heading straight south, you don’t need to go into Taipei first. The high-speed rail station, Taoyuan HSR Station, is at the Airport MRT’s station A18, and the blue commuter train goes there. According to Taoyuan’s official travel website, the journey takes 19 minutes from Terminal 1, and a ticket costs around 35 Taiwan dollars (around £1). The alternative is shuttle bus 5089, which runs from the arrivals hall in both terminals to the station in around 25 minutes for around 30 Taiwan dollars (around £1).

From Taoyuan HSR Station, the high-speed train reaches Taichung in under an hour and Zuoying in Kaohsiung in under two hours. You’ll find timetables and fares at Taiwan High Speed Rail, and it’s a good idea to reserve a seat at weekends and during holidays. The station opens at 6.20am and closes at 11.45pm, so if you land late in the evening, it’s best to spend the night in Taipei and travel on the next day.

If you’re planning a round trip, I’ve written a guide to where to stay in Taiwan, covering Taipei, Jiufen, Hualien, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Kenting. Bear in mind that the high-speed rail stations in Taichung and Tainan are a fair way outside the cities.

From Songshan Airport to the City Centre

Taipei also has a small airport right in the city, Taipei Songshan Airport, which handles domestic flights and short routes within Asia, including to Tokyo Haneda and Seoul Gimpo. If you land here, you’re practically in the centre already. The airport has its own metro station, Songshan Airport, on the brown Wenhu line right by the terminal, and the metro runs from 6am until midnight.

For Taipei Main Station, take the brown line three stops to Zhongxiao Fuxing and change to the blue line, which runs three more stops. If you’re going to Zhongshan or Ximending, change to the green line at Nanjing Fuxing instead. The journey to Taipei Main Station takes around 15 to 20 minutes and costs around 25 Taiwan dollars (around 60p). According to Taipei Metro’s ticket page, you can pay with an EasyCard or tap your contactless bank card or phone on the reader, so you don’t need to buy a ticket.

The taxi rank is outside the arrivals hall, and a ride to most hotels in the centre costs around 200 to 300 Taiwan dollars (around £5 to £7) and takes 10 to 20 minutes. Mandarin Oriental, Taipei is on Dunhua North Road, around a kilometre south of the airport, and if you’d like to stay in luxury just minutes from the terminal, you can see prices for Mandarin Oriental, Taipei here. You’ll find flight times and practical information on Songshan Airport’s website.

If you’re flying on from Songshan to Japan or Korea, you can read my guides to getting from Tokyo’s airports to the city centre and from Seoul’s airports to the city centre.

The Journey Home and In-town Check-in

If you’re flying home from Taoyuan with one of the participating airlines, you can check in and drop off your suitcase at Taipei Main Station before taking the airport train. The service is called In-town Check-in and is on B1 at the Airport MRT’s station A1. According to Taoyuan Metro’s In-town Check-in page, it’s open from 6am to 9.30pm, and you must check in no later than three hours before departure for a flight from Taoyuan the same day.

The service only applies to selected airlines, including China Airlines, EVA Air, STARLUX and Cathay Pacific, and not necessarily to all their flights, so check with your airline before relying on it. Once your suitcase is checked in, you can spend the rest of the day in the city without luggage. Also check your ticket to see whether you’re flying from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, so you get off at the right station.

If you have a very early flight, you won’t make it with the first train, so a taxi or a night near the airport is the answer. Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport is a few minutes’ drive from the terminals and runs a shuttle bus to the airport, and you can see prices for Hyatt Regency Taoyuan here.

Which Option Should You Choose?

Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re going and how you’re travelling:

Taipei Main Station, Ximending and Zhongshan: Take the Airport MRT express train to Taipei Main Station for 160 Taiwan dollars (around £4) and the metro one stop further, or walk the last bit.

Xinyi and Da’an: The Airport MRT and then the metro, or bus 1960 to Taipei City Hall Bus Station if you’d rather stay on the bus all the way.

If you land in the middle of the night: Bus 1819 to Taipei Bus Station or a taxi from the official rank.

3 to 4 adults with lots of luggage or small children: A taxi or a private transfer that takes you right to the door.

Straight on south: The Airport MRT commuter train to Taoyuan HSR Station and the high-speed train from there.

From Songshan Airport: The metro’s brown line or a short taxi ride.

If you’re combining Taipei with other big cities in Asia, I’ve also written a guide to getting from Hong Kong Airport to the city centre, and if you’re flying on to Malaysia, you can read about the journey from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city centre.

The post Taipei Airport to the City Centre – Transport Guide appeared first on Destination Well Known.

Where to stay in Penang depends on whether you want city life and street food on your doorstep or a beach and a pool. Here are my five picks for areas and three hotels in each, from the most expensive to the cheapest.

Where to Stay in Penang: The Best Areas

• George Town Old Town - best area for first-time visitors
• Komtar & Jalan Penang - best area for pools, shopping and buses
• Gurney Drive & Pulau Tikus - best area for food, shopping and sea views
• Tanjung Tokong & Tanjung Bungah - best area for peace and quiet between the city and the beach
• Batu Ferringhi & Teluk Bahang - best area for beach holidays and families

Below, I go through the areas one by one with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. The prices come from a search for a weekend in March for two people, and 1 ringgit is roughly 17p. Expect higher prices and fewer available rooms around Chinese New Year, which falls in January or February, when George Town hangs red lanterns across the streets.

1. George Town Old Town - best area for first-time visitors 🏮

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the historic centre of George Town, and most of the sights are within a 15-minute walk. Komtar is less than a kilometre to the west.
• 🚶 Transport: You can do most things on foot. The free CAT bus links Weld Quay, the Old Town and Komtar, and for the rest of the island you can take the bus or Grab.
• ✈️ Time from Penang Airport: Around 30 to 45 minutes by car, depending on traffic. The airport is about 16 kilometres south of George Town, and bus 401E runs directly to Komtar and Weld Quay.
• 💰 Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost around 160 to 1,050 ringgit (around £30 to £180) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, in the evening too. The main thing to watch out for is the traffic, as the covered walkways in front of the shophouses are narrow and often blocked, so you end up walking in the road.

George Town’s Old Town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Melaka for its long rows of shophouses and its mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European architecture, brought here by trade and the British from the late 18th century. In just a few minutes you can walk from the Chinese clan house Khoo Kongsi to the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the colourful shophouses of Little India, and on the walls along Armenian Street you’ll find the murals and iron sculptures that have made the city famous on Instagram.

By the water are the Clan Jetties, small villages of wooden houses on stilts where Chinese clans have lived for generations, and Chew Jetty is the most visited. In the evening, it’s the food that draws the crowds. Penang is often called Malaysia’s food capital, and on Lebuh Chulia the stalls set up with wantan mee, satay and char koay teow once it gets dark. If you’d like help finding the best places, you can join a food tour with more than 15 tastings for around £45 per person.

See hotels in the Old Town here.

I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Penang, or if you’ve mainly come for the food and the city. Many of the hotels are in restored shophouses and old merchants’ houses with courtyards, so you’re staying right in the middle of the history you’ve come to see. If you’re also spending a few days in Malaysia’s capital, I’ve written a guide on where to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

The downside is that there’s no beach in the city, and only a few of the small hotels have a pool. It’s hot and humid all year round, so a room with good air conditioning matters more than the view. If you want a big hotel with a rooftop pool, have a look at Komtar a little further west.

Hotels in the Old Town

Eastern & Oriental Hotel - Penang’s classic colonial hotel from 1885 with a seafront pool

The E&O is on Lebuh Farquhar on the northern edge of the Old Town, with the sea right at the end of the garden. The hotel was opened by the Armenian Sarkies brothers, who a few years later were behind Raffles in Singapore, and today it has indoor and outdoor pools, a spa and several restaurants. It scores 9.2 from more than 3,000 reviews, but it’s also by far the most expensive of my three suggestions, and a few guests mention wear and tear and lapses in the cleaning.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel met every requirement of a top hotel.”

See photos and book Eastern & Oriental Hotel here.

Yeng Keng Hotel - restored 19th-century building with a pool on Lebuh Chulia

Yeng Keng is on Lebuh Chulia close to Love Lane and the evening food stalls, in a restored 19th-century building with a courtyard and an outdoor pool. There’s a restaurant, a breakfast with both European and local dishes and free parking, and it scores 9.0. Several guests do find the rooms small, though.

From one review: “Beautiful hotel in a perfect location, central but quiet at night.”

See photos and book Yeng Keng Hotel here.

The Century Hotel George Town - budget hotel in an old-style building with a pool

The Century is at the western end of Lebuh Chulia, a few minutes’ walk from Love Lane and Armenian Street. The hotel has an outdoor pool, a bar and free parking, and the price was around 160 ringgit (around £30) per night when I searched. Several guests do say the pool area could be cleaner, though.

One guest highlights: “I loved the big, airy old-style building and the decorative details.”

See photos and book The Century Hotel here.

2. Komtar & Jalan Penang - best area for a pool, shopping and buses 🛍️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re in George Town’s modern centre just west of the Old Town, and Armenian Street is about a 15-minute walk away.
• 🚌 Transport: Komtar is the island’s biggest bus hub. From here, bus 101 runs along the north coast to Batu Ferringhi, bus 204 goes to Penang Hill and bus 401E heads to the airport, while the free CAT bus runs to the Old Town and Weld Quay.
• ✈️ Time from Penang Airport: About 30 to 40 minutes by car. A taxi from the airport taxi counter costs around 45 ringgit (around £8) to Komtar, and bus 401E runs direct.
• 💰 Price level: Low to mid-range. The three hotels below cost around 240 to 545 ringgit (around £45 to £100) a night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe, but there’s a lot of traffic on Jalan Penang and around Komtar. Cross at the traffic lights and keep an eye out for mopeds.

Komtar is the tall tower in the middle of George Town that you can see from most of the city, and at the top is The TOP with the glass Rainbow Skywalk almost 250 metres above sea level. Around the tower are the Prangin Mall and 1st Avenue shopping centres, and Jalan Penang, also known as Penang Road, runs north from here past shops, hotels and places to eat to Lebuh Farquhar and the E&O.

On the corner of Lebuh Keng Kwee is one of the city’s best-known cendol stalls, serving the cold dessert made with green rice noodles, coconut milk and palm sugar, and there’s often a queue on hot afternoons. From Komtar you can also take bus 204 to the lower station on Penang Hill, where the funicular takes you up to the top at over 700 metres. A return ticket costs 40 ringgit (around £7) for foreign adults, and if you’d rather have it all arranged for you, there’s a tour to Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si Temple with pick-up for around £60.

See hotels near Komtar and Jalan Penang here.

I’d stay here if you want a big hotel with a rooftop pool at a lower price than in the Old Town, or if you’re moving on by bus. You can walk to the Old Town in 15 minutes, the bus to the beach at Batu Ferringhi leaves from Komtar, and the shopping centres are a handy escape when it rains.

The downside is that the area is more concrete, traffic and shopping centres than old-world charm. Choose a hotel north of Komtar close to Jalan Penang if you want to be able to walk back from the stalls on Lebuh Chulia in the evening.

Hotels near Komtar and Jalan Penang

Fifth Avenue Hotel - five-star hotel with a rooftop pool

Fifth Avenue is on Lebuh Macallum, less than a kilometre south of Komtar. The hotel has a rooftop pool with views, a restaurant, a bar, a gym and family rooms, and it scores 8.9 from over 2,000 reviews. A few guests did feel that some of the amenities were missing from their room, though.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The pool is excellent and just the right temperature, and the view is truly exceptional.”

See photos and book Fifth Avenue Hotel here.

Citadines Connect Georgetown Penang - modern hotel with a rooftop pool

Citadines Connect is on Lebuh Noordin, just under 500 metres from Komtar. The rooms are modern studios, and there’s a rooftop pool, a gym and a breakfast buffet with halal and Asian dishes. With over 4,400 reviews and a score of 8.5, it’s a safe choice. Several guests mention that parking can be hard to find, however.

From a review: “There was nothing to fault about the hotel, the staff were very helpful, and the room had everything we needed.”

See photos and book Citadines Connect Georgetown here.

Cititel Express Penang - budget hotel a few minutes from Komtar

Cititel Express is on Lebuh Noordin, a couple of minutes’ walk from Komtar and the airport bus. There’s no pool or restaurant, but the rooms are clean and functional, and parking is free. On the other hand, several guests say the rooms are a bit small.

One guest highlights: “The room is clean, the view is excellent, and the location is convenient.”

See photos and book Cititel Express Penang here.

3. Gurney Drive & Pulau Tikus - best area for food, shopping and sea views 🍜

• 📍 Distance to the centre: About 3 kilometres north-west of Old Town. By car it takes 10 to 15 minutes when the traffic is flowing.
• 🚌 Transport: Rapid Penang’s bus 101 runs along Jalan Burma and Jalan Kelawai just behind Gurney Drive towards both Komtar and Batu Ferringhi, but most people take a Grab to Old Town.
• ✈️ Time from Penang Airport: About 40 minutes by car outside rush hour.
• 💰 Price level: Mid-range to high. The three hotels below cost around 210 to 895 ringgit (roughly £40 to £170) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and well kept. There’s a lot of traffic on Persiaran Gurney, so use the pedestrian crossings when you head over to the promenade.

Gurney Drive, or Persiaran Gurney, is the seafront promenade north-west of the centre, and it’s where many well-off locals live in high-rises looking out over the Strait of Malacca. Along the road you’ll find the Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon shopping centres, and on the water’s edge Gurney Bay park has been laid out on reclaimed land, with paths where locals walk and jog as the sun goes down.

It’s the food, though, that draws most people out here. Gurney Drive Hawker Centre is one of the island’s best-known food markets, and in the evening you can get everything from assam laksa and char koay teow to pasembur, a salad with deep-fried vegetables, prawn fritters and a sweet, spicy sauce. In Pulau Tikus just behind, locals shop at the morning market, and on Lorong Burma the Thai temple Wat Chayamangkalaram, with its large reclining Buddha, and the Burmese temple Dhammikarama stand directly opposite each other.

See hotels on Gurney Drive here.

I’d choose Gurney Drive if you want to stay somewhere modern with a pool and sea views, with both a big shopping centre and a food market within walking distance. It also suits families and longer stays, as there are plenty of apartments with kitchens, and you can get into town and out to the beach quickly.

The downside is that Gurney Drive has no swimming beach, so you’ll need to head to the north coast for a swim, and you’ll have to take a car or bus to Old Town. The promenade is a place for a stroll, not for lying on a towel. On the other hand, you can be in Batu Ferringhi in about half an hour by car outside rush hour.

Hotels on Gurney Drive

Penang Marriott Hotel - five-star hotel with an infinity pool

Penang Marriott is on Persiaran Gurney and has an infinity pool, a gym, a kids’ club, several restaurants and a bar with a happy hour. It’s the most expensive of my three suggestions here, and it scores 8.7. A few guests feel it’s a bit far from the centre, so expect to take a Grab to Old Town.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Good staff throughout the hotel and a lovely café.”

See photos and book Penang Marriott Hotel here.

Gurney Bay Hotel, A PARKROYAL Partner Hotel - large hotel with a pool, spa and tennis court

Gurney Bay Hotel is also on Persiaran Gurney and has an outdoor pool, a spa, a sauna, a tennis court and a kids’ club. The hotel is officially five-star, but the price was mid-range when I searched, and it scores 8.6 from more than 2,400 reviews. Some guests find the pool can be cold in the afternoon.

From one review: “The room was clean and spacious, and the location was good.”

See photos and book Gurney Bay Hotel here.

TwinTree Kelawai - simple guesthouse with a shared kitchen

TwinTree is on Jalan Kelawai between Gurney Drive and Pulau Tikus, a short walk from Gurney Plaza. It’s a small guesthouse with a shared kitchen, family rooms and free parking, but no pool or restaurant, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. Several guests mention that parking spaces are limited, though.

One guest highlights: “Clean, all the equipment is there, and it’s easy to get a Grab.”

See photos and book TwinTree Kelawai here.

4. Tanjung Tokong & Tanjung Bungah - best area for peace and quiet between town and beach ⛵

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 7 to 11 kilometres north-west of Old Town along the coast road. Straits Quay in Tanjung Tokong is closest to town, and Tanjung Bungah is a couple of kilometres further west.
• 🚌 Transport: Bus 101 runs along the coast road through both neighbourhoods towards Komtar and Batu Ferringhi. With children or late in the evening, Grab is easier.
• ✈️ Time from Penang Airport: Around 45 minutes to an hour by car, depending on traffic.
• 💰 Price level: Low to mid-range. The three hotels below cost around 190 to 375 ringgit (roughly £35 to £70) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe and quiet. The water at the small beaches isn’t always clean, so most people prefer to swim in the hotel pool.

Between Gurney Drive and Batu Ferringhi lie Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah, two neighbourhoods where many of the island’s residents and expats live permanently, and where the hotels are spread out along the coast road. In Tanjung Tokong, the focal point is Straits Quay, a marina with restaurants, bars and shops facing the promenade, where you can sit by the water in the evening and watch the boats. And there’s still a small fishing village on the coast.

Tanjung Bungah has a couple of small beaches and the floating mosque Masjid Terapung, which stands on stilts out in the water and is one of the island’s most beautiful sights at sunset. From here it’s around 15 minutes by car to both Gurney Drive and Batu Ferringhi when the traffic is flowing, and that’s exactly why the area makes a good base if you want both the town and the beach without changing hotels.

See hotels in Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah here.

I’d choose this area if you want peace and quiet, sea views and a pool, but don’t want to stay all the way out in Batu Ferringhi. It’s also a good choice for longer stays and families, because prices are lower than by the beach, and there are supermarkets and apartments with kitchens. Several of the hotels are right on the water, so you can get a sea view for less money than in Batu Ferringhi.

The downside is that you need a car or bus to get to almost everything, and the beaches here are small. The coast road also gets packed at rush hour, so allow extra time to get into Old Town in the morning and late afternoon.

Hotels in Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah

M Social Resort Penang - beachfront design hotel with a rooftop pool

M Social is right on the beach in Tanjung Bungah and has a rooftop pool with a pool bar, a children’s pool, a gym and a restaurant with live music. The hotel has the highest score of the three, 8.7, but also the highest price. Some guests do feel the beach in front of the hotel could be cleaner.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “The private beach, which is easy to get down to.”

See photos and book M Social Resort Penang here.

Jazz Hotel Penang - large hotel with two pools close to Straits Quay

Jazz Hotel is in Seri Tanjung Pinang in Tanjung Tokong, around a ten-minute walk from Straits Quay. There’s a rooftop pool, an indoor pool, a children’s pool and a gym, and with over 3,700 reviews and a score of 8.2, it’s one of the most popular hotels in the area. The car park is high up in the building, which several guests find a hassle.

From one review: “Lovely hotel, good staff, stylishly decorated and a good location.”

See photos and book Jazz Hotel Penang here.

Golden View Serviced Apartments - budget apartments with kitchens

Golden View is on Jalan Pantai Molek in the southern part of Tanjung Tokong and has studios and two- or three-bedroom apartments, all with a kitchenette, microwave and fridge. There’s no pool, but there are supermarkets and restaurants within walking distance, and the price was the lowest of the three. Some guests have been bothered by noise from mopeds on the main road.

One guest highlights: “The apartment is very clean, and the staff are very friendly.”

See photos and book Golden View here.

5. Batu Ferringhi & Teluk Bahang - best area for a beach holiday and families 🏖️

• 📍 Distance to the centre: Around 15 to 20 kilometres north-west of Old Town along the coast road. Teluk Bahang is about 4 kilometres further west, at the end of the road.
• 🚌 Getting around: Bus 101 runs from Weld Quay and Komtar along the entire north coast to Teluk Bahang, and the journey to Batu Ferringhi takes about an hour, depending on traffic.
• ✈️ Time from Penang Airport: About an hour by car. A taxi from the airport taxi counter costs around 75 ringgit (around £14) to Batu Ferringhi, and bus 102 runs from the airport to the beaches on the north coast.
• 💰 Price level: Low to high. The three hotels below cost around 120 to 825 ringgit (around £22 to £150) per night when I searched for a weekend in March.
• 👮 Safety: Safe. Keep an eye out for jet skis and parasailing boats when you swim, and ask at your hotel whether there are jellyfish in the water.

Batu Ferringhi is Penang’s beach town, and the long, pale beach on the north coast is where the big resorts line up one after another, with pools and sun loungers right down to the sand. During the day you can hire a jet ski or try parasailing, and as the sun sets in the west, the beach bars and restaurants fill up, with fire shows on the beach in several places. In the evening, the night market sets up along the main road, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, with stalls selling clothes, souvenirs and food.

At the end of the road lies the fishing village of Teluk Bahang, where Penang National Park begins. From here, trails lead through the rainforest to Pantai Kerachut beach, which has a sea turtle centre and a lake where the water sits in two layers that don’t mix. Teluk Bahang is also home to the Entopia butterfly house and the ESCAPE theme park, which holds four Guinness World Records, including one for the world’s longest tube water slide.

See hotels in Batu Ferringhi here.

I would choose Batu Ferringhi if you want a beach holiday in Penang, or if you’re travelling with children and want a pool, kids’ club and beach all in one. It’s a good idea to spend a few nights in Old Town first and then move out here, so you get both the city and the beach. With children, Angsana Teluk Bahang, with its own water park, is also worth a look, and if you want to explore Balik Pulau and the west coast, it’s easiest with a hire car from Booking.com. Malaysia drives on the left, just like the UK.

The downside is the distance to George Town, as there’s only one road along the coast, and it can get clogged up at weekends. The beach isn’t brilliant white either, and the water isn’t always clear, so expect more buzz and water sports than turquoise sea.

Hotels in Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Penang - the island’s classic luxury resort with a large tropical garden

Rasa Sayang sits right on the beach in the eastern part of Batu Ferringhi, with a large tropical garden, several pools, a spa and a tennis court. It’s the most expensive of the three and has a score of 8.8. Some guests feel, however, that parts of the hotel seem a little dated.

One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful place with fantastic landscaped gardens and pool.”

See photos and book Shangri-La Rasa Sayang here.

Bahang Bay Hotel - four-star hotel with a pool in Teluk Bahang

Bahang Bay Hotel is on Jalan Teluk Bahang, a short drive from ESCAPE and the national park and just under 5 kilometres from the night market in Batu Ferringhi. There’s an outdoor pool, kids’ club, gym and restaurant, but the hotel isn’t right on the beach. Several guests mention that the pool isn’t always clean enough.

From one review: “Spacious and clean room, and the staff were very attentive.”

See photos and book Bahang Bay Hotel here.

Ray Yan Guesthouse Penang - budget guesthouse close to the night market

Ray Yan is on a side street in Batu Ferringhi, a few minutes’ walk from the beach and about 600 metres from the night market. It’s a simple guesthouse with a shared kitchen and family rooms, but no pool, and the price was around 120 ringgit (around £22) per night when I searched. Some guests have been bothered by noise from the street.

One guest highlights: “Really good value for money! The guesthouse is clean, comfortable and Muslim-friendly.”

See photos and book Ray Yan Guesthouse here.

Where not to stay in Penang?

Bayan Lepas in the south-east of the island is dominated by the airport and large factories, and the hotels here only make sense if you have a very early flight. The same goes for Butterworth and the rest of Seberang Perai on the mainland. The hotels are cheaper, but you’ll have to cross the bridge or take the ferry to George Town, which costs 2 ringgit (around 35p) for adults, every time you want to head into the city and its food.

If you’re arriving by train or bus from Kuala Lumpur, you’ll often arrive in Butterworth, and then the ferry is the easiest way onwards. Buses also run directly from KLIA airport to Butterworth, and you can read about them in the guide to getting from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city centre.

If it’s your first trip to Penang, I would stay in Old Town, or near Komtar if you want a pool and lower prices. If you’re travelling with children or want a beach, Batu Ferringhi is the obvious choice, and Gurney Drive suits you if you want modern accommodation with the food market just round the corner. Tanjung Tokong and Tanjung Bungah are for those who want peace and quiet, with both the city and the beach within a short drive.

Penang is hot and humid all year round, and heavy downpours can come at any time, so pack light clothing and a small umbrella. Many people combine the island with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, and if you haven’t found your hotel in Singapore yet, take a look at my guide to where to stay in Singapore. Also check the official travel advice for Malaysia before you go.

The post Where to Stay in Penang? The 5 Best Areas & Places to Stay appeared first on Destination Well Known.