Great Britain Bed And Breakfasts (B&Bs)

For a cozy alternative to impersonal hotel rooms, B&Bs (private homes with rooms available to travelers) range from acceptable to sublime. B&B owners sometimes go out of their way to be accommodating, giving personalized tours, helping with travel plans, or serving home-cooked meals. Some B&Bs, however, do not provide private bathrooms (ensuite) and most do not provide phones. Some do provide wireless Internet access. A double room has one large bed for two people; a twin has two separate beds. Let’s Go lists B&B prices by room type. You can book B&Bs by calling directly or asking the local Tourist Information Centre (TIC) to help you find accommodations; most can also book B&Bs in other towns. TICs usually charge a 10% deposit on the first night’s or the entire stay’s price, deductible from the amount you pay the proprietor. Occasionally a flat booking fee of £1-5 is added. Rooms in B&Bs generally cost £25-40 for a single and £45-60 for a double. Many websites provide B&B listings; check out InnFinder (www.inncrawler.com), InnSite (www.innsite.com), or BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com). The British tourist boards operate a B&B rating system, using a scale of one to five diamonds (in England) or stars (in Scotland and Wales). Rated accommodations are part of the tourist board’s booking system, but it costs money to be rated and some perfectly good B&Bs choose not to participate. Tourist-board approval is legally required of all Northern Ireland accommodations.

By clicking submit you agree to the terms of the Let’s Go Privacy Policy

For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.