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| Dining area in an apartment in Berlin. |
When we were planning our trips about Europe, hubby and I chanced across a website, Wimdu, which allowed you to rent apartments to stay in many locations around the world. These apartments were mainly lived-in ones, where the owners made arrangements to move when you booked their apartment for a stay. The whole idea appealed to us, since we've not too fond of the cookie cutter rooms in hotels, and we found ourselves booking our stays off the site for almost every trip we made. Here's five reasons why:
1. We get to save money.
The cost of renting an apartment can sometimes be cheaper than booking a hotel, more so if you require two or more rooms if you have other family members like grandparents tagging along for the trip. Also, leaving a review on Wimdu for your apartment stay usually means you get a discount code for your next stay!
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| The room Junior J slept in when we were in Bordeaux, which was actually a room for a little girl! |
2. We get more room for our buck.
We had the option of finding apartments that had at least two bedrooms, instead of having to squeeze together in a family hotel room. This was great because it accommodated the two boys' different bedtimes, and ensured that big brother didn't disturb his baby brother when he was napping. Also, more room for the boys to explore was a boon when I had to leave the boys to play on their own, while I prepared meals on days the hubby was not around.
Also, some families that put up their apartment for rental have children, which means the kids can get access to toys...
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| Junior J was delighted to find a panda amongst the stuffed toys left in his room in Copenhagen. |
... and other baby-related items like high chairs, which is a must for feeding our little Mr Active!
3. We have access to a kitchen.
This was really important since I had to cook for baby J on our trips, as well as settle our meals on days that the hubby was out on attachment or attending a conference (I was not confident of bringing both the boys out for meals on my own, since baby J was so hard to feed!).
Another plus point of renting a lived-in apartment was that in most cases, you get a fully equipped kitchen and don't need to drag along your own pots and pans. Also, these kitchens usually had all the condiments needed for cooking, so you wouldn't need to bring your own or buy them.
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| Trying my hand at cooking fish soup when we were in Bordeaux. |
Aside from the kitchen, we always found it handy to have the access to a washing machine (and sometimes dryer). When you have young kids (where puke and pee accidents may happen anytime), a washer is always a big plus. And that also meant I didn't need to pack so much clothes for the trip since we could always do a load when we needed it!
4. We get to sample local produce.
Having access to a kitchen meant that we got to buy local produce and cook our own meals! Hubby and I love browsing and shopping at the local markets, and it was quite a joy buying fresh ingredients for our meals. While I admit I love pigging out at hotel breakfast buffets and it was a little troublesome for hubby to run out in the mornings to buy breakfast, it was a nice experience having freshly baked bread in the mornings, piping hot from a nearby bakery!
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| Home-cooked mussels in Bordeaux. |
5. We get to soak in culture and live like a local.
Most apartment renters would be more than happy to point out nearby amenities as well as other points of attraction. They would usually recommend places to dine, and we enjoyed taking walks about and exploring.
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| Marketing in the Marche des Capucins, while armed with a baguette. |
In a sense, you get to experience how the locals live, shopping at the places they shop, eating at the places they eat, standing in line at the post office. There were some minor inconveniences, like having to figure out how to sort your trash (each country seems to do it differently!), or having to shift all the fragile decor pieces to a safe place before letting the boys loose. However, staying in these apartments was quite an experience.
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| The view from our apartment in Venice. |
PS: This is not a sponsored post. We're just sharing since we found this website useful!
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