Bed and Breakfast In Other Languages: Se alquila habitacion
Bed and Breakfasts – in general there are two reasons you might want to look for this kind of acomodation. The first: usually they are good value – cheaper than a hotel room or an apartment. And second: it´s a great way to get into contact with locals. In some places a complete and homemade breakfast is inluded in the deal – the tips about local points of interests come free with it.
But what if you are traveling a non-english speaking country? The term Bed and Breakfast is known pretty much internationally nowadays, espcially if you are loking on the Internet. But what if you are already on the move?
You can go into a tourist office almost anywhere and ask for a B+B, and they will know what you’re talking about…. but what if you’re in a car searching for a room?
If you’re driving down the autobahn in Germany you should be looking for a sign that says “Zimmer” or “Zimmer Frei”. OK… maybe you’ll be going too fast on the autobahn to see anything, but this is the term you should be looking for in Germany, …and Austria and Switzerland as well. And don’t be fooled by geography. In some parts of northern Italy, where there is a heavy Tyrolean influence, you may also be looking for zimmers.
One last thought about those “Zimmer Frei” signs… I think every traveler has a story about someone who thought that “Zimmer Frei” meant a free room. No… What it does mean is that there is a room available. And if you see a sign that says “besetzt”, it means no vacancies.
In France if you want a Bed and Breakfast, you will most often be looking for a “Chambre d’hote”. Though you could also be looking for a “pension” or a “gite”. A gite is generally a rural place; it could even be a whole farmhouse. The owners like to rent gites by the week, but you can always stop and ask if you can rent a room for a night or two.
In Italy look for “affittacamere”, especially in the Cinque Terre.
In Portugal Bed and Breakfasts are “pensao”. You can also look for “dormidas”… It is more common to see them called that near the seaside. Or you might just see “quarto” which means room.
Looking for the word “room” in the local language is a good idea. As we said, it’s “quarto” in Portugal. In Spain it’s “cuarto” or “habitacion”. In Italy it’s “camere”. In Croatia and Slovenia it’s “soba”.
In Spain, B+Bs are known as “casa rural”. They are generally situated in the countryside and smaller towns more than in cities. They may also be called “casa particular”, though that term seems to be more used in Cuba.
Scandinavia has wonderful Bed and Breakfasts. They’re incredibly cheap considering prices in Scandinavia, but they can’t advertise. At tourist information offices in Sweden and Norway, ask for a “rom” or “hus rum”. In Denmark the term is “vaerelse”.
Out in the countryside of England, you might find “farmhouse B+Bs”. In Italy the same type of places are called “agriturismos.”
You should check the language dictionary or lodging section of a good guidebook and see what they tell you about what Bed and Breakfasts are called in the country you’re visiting.
Other names you can be looking for are (are you ready?):
In French speaking countries: “gites du passant” or “gites d’hotel or “hebergement chez l’habitant”
In German speaking countries: “Gästezimmer“ or „Zimmer zu vermieten“
In Dutch speaking countries: “gastenkamer” or “kamers met ontbijt” or “logies met ontbijt”
In Italian speaking countries: “camera presso l’abitante” or “camere in case private”
In Spanish speaking countries: “habitaciones“ or „se alquila habitacion“
The list really does go on and on… but if you have an idea what words might be on that sign in the window, you will have no problems finding a bed and breakfast. If all else fails… just say you’re looking for a B+B… the term has gone global. You can wander into a tourist office and ask for a Bed and Breakfast, and you will probably find just what you’re looking for.
Foto: stockx.chng: Ayla87
