Two sweet stays for the Transatlantic traveller

Travelling to Europe is but a dream for many, yet it needn't be. And too many people flock to organized tours when a solo journey offers deeper rewards. How else will you be asked for directions in French when you have decided, spur of the moment, to walk from the 10th arrondissement all the way to Musée d'Orsay? And in this moment overhear how the natives actually pronounce "oui" (it's more like "weh!"). You will need some tips, though, and lodging is always a good start. In that spirit I offer two hotels across the pond - one in Paris and one in Vienna:

Hotel De L'avre

21, rue de l'Avre, near Gare de Montparnasse train station. E-mail: hotel.delavre@wanadoo.fr; Phone: 1-866-599-6674. Cozy, out-of-the-way yet accessible to La Tour Eiffel, I highly recommend this boutique hotel for anyone on a budget or just fans of courtyards and quiet breakfasts outdoors. Une chambre-double-sur-rue (a room for two on or facing the street) is about 164 euros ($175 currently), while a single room is ten euros less. You'll save a bit by staying in the "simple" rooms, meaning a shared facility. I highly recommend having your own lavatory, though, especially if you've been flying or are otherwise exhausted. The hotel, like many in Europe, offers a quaint breakfast of fruit and pastries overlooking or actually in the exquisite garden out back.

Click here for more information or to book a stay.

2. Arcotel Kaiserwasser

Wagramer Strasse 8, in the 22nd district opposite the Austria Center; E-mail: kaiserwasser@arcotelhotels.com; Phone: +43 1 224 24-0 Travelled here on business almost a decade ago and fell in love with the city. If you are someone whose name begins with Wi, how would you not love Wien? Arcotel Kaiserwasser boasts a fun, neon-lit bar in the front where jetlagged tourists who don't speak German can get their gin-and-tonic on without judgment. The hotel's right across the street from the convention center, and within walking distance of a real shopping mall. I went there for an Italian dinner at a Greek-owned restaurant (or perhaps I have that the other way round), doodling the décor as I sipped red wine. The hotel rooms are white and red, a color pattern I love, and are extremely clean and quiet. The breakfast in the morning was the best I've had in Europe, full of every egg variety, fruit option and cheese under the sun. Oh yes, you better like all manner of sausages if you go to Vienna. Single rooms can be had for as low as a hundred euros; and there are different prices for bigger groups and suites.

For more information or to book a room, click here.

TIPS:

- Make sure to visit Prater Park while in Vienna. If you travel during the warm months you can catch a movie on the lawn under the stars, just after coming off a groß (big!) ferris wheel.

- In Paris, spend an evening dining outside, preferably with a view of La Tour Eiffel. And when you're at the tower, don't bring all your money, etc. Ladies, hold your purse tightly or try not to bring one at all. It's well secured but also a hotspot for theft.