Where we stayed
Every place we slept on our trip around the world
When you travel around the world as a family of four for 333 days, that means you have to find a place to lay your head when the day is done 333 times.
Fortunately, we had one of the best travel planners in the world accompanying us on our journey (of course I’m referring to Samantha), so we never had to worry about having a place to sleep, and during the trip we spent the night at 109 different houses, apartments, hotels, planes, trains, and buses.
What follows is a full account of every place we stayed while we traveled around the world.
1. Studio Hotel. San Jose. Costa Rica.
The first hotel of our adventure. We only spent one night there as it was just a place to lay our heads after a long travel day from Los Angeles, through Fort Lauderdale, and into Costa Rica. The hotel, which bills itself as an Art Hotel, was quite accommodating and a nice place to start an adventure. It offered a good breakfast, too.
2. Essence Arenal. El Castillo. Costa Rica.
This hostel near the Arenal Volcano is also a small working farm. At night they held cooking classes, which were always full and really enjoyable, and the staff offered a number of different nature walks around the grounds. We learned to relax here, and for that we’ll always hold it in high regard. Oh, and we can’t forget to mention Banono, the scarlet macaw who lived there.
3. Casa Cejales. Costa de Pájaros. Costa Rica.
A deluxe Airbnb (our first Airbnb of the trip) situated at the end of a sketchy driveway above the small fishing village of Costa de Pájaros and overlooking the Golfo de Morales. The house was nice, if a bit odd with regard to layout. The only way to access one of the bedroom was from outside the house, which gave us a little pause — as did the stark contrast between the relative opulence of the house and the poverty of the town below.
4. TicaBus. San Jose, Costa Rica to Panama City, Panama.
A 15-hour bus ride from San Jose to Panama City that included what can only be described as a confusing and somewhat confrontational border crossing. But after that, we slept as the bus rocketed down the Panamanian highway.
5. Apartment. Panama City. Panama.
Our second Airbnb of the trip, a small two-bedroom apartment in a high-rise tower overlooking Panama Bay. When we arrived the place was plastered with signs saying that short-term rentals were not allowed. This worried us a little, but our greeter (a friend of the out-of-the-country owner) told us that if anyone asked, we just tell them we were visiting friends. Okay, but man, we had a lot of luggage for anyone to believe that story.
6. Hilton Garden Inn. Santiago, Chile.
We were in Santiago for a one-night layover before we headed out to Easter Island. So we just needed a place near the airport, and this was it. Most of the flight crew staffing our plane from Panama City were staying here as well.
7. Cabaña Rapa Nui Orito. Hanga Roa, Easter Island.
This place was fantastic and is run by very friendly people who were kind enough to pick us up from the airport at midnight after our plane was delayed by six hours. It's just a short distance from Hanga Roa (the only town on the island) and proved to be a great base of operations to explore Easter Island. Plus, we were greeted by a cat every morning.
8. Hostal Rio Amazonas. Santiago, Chile.
After our return from Easter Island, we had one day to spend in Santiago. Hostal Amazonas was a great base from which to explore central Santiago. One of the upshots of staying in hostels is meeting interesting people, and the communal breakfast table offered great conversation.
9. Qantas Flight 28. Santiago, Chile to Sydney, Australia.
A long flight from Santiago to Sydney, over the vast Pacific Ocean and across the International Date Line.
10. Rydges Hotel. Sydney Airport, Australia
After flying across the Pacific Ocean, we had to spend one night in Sydney before we left for Auckland, New Zealand. Such are the oddities of international travel. Again, this place was too fancy for our needs, but it was literally across the street from the airport. It’s noteworthy for being the place we began to acquire an appreciation for Vegemite.
11. Jetpark Hotel. Auckland, New Zealand.
An airport-adjacent hotel we used as a crash pad after we landed in New Zealand. A little over-priced for what you get and unremarkable, but it was located conveniently close to the THL office so we could pick up the vehicle we'd be piloting for the next two weeks.
12. Muriwai Motor Camp. Muriwai, New Zealand.
Our entire two weeks in New Zealand were spent in a giant camper van we dubbed the Behemoth. As such, we got to experience many of New Zealand's motor camps — 11 in total. This was the first, memorable for its colonies of nesting blue-footed boobies and its black-sand beaches. It was here that we had our first taste of Hokey Pokey ice cream.
13. Sandspit Motor Camp. Sandspit, New Zealand.
We stayed here after a visit to Sheepworld. Notable for its giant Snakes and Ladders game and impressive lending library.
14. Camp Kiwi. Ototohanga, New Zealand.
Right outside the Otorohanga Kiwi House, which we visited when it opened the following morning. This small camping park has since closed.
15. Ohakune Top 10. Ohakune, New Zealand.
Our first Top 10 Park (a popular chain in New Zealand). A two-night stay in a town known for its giant carrot at the base of the volcano that played Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. It was nice to not have to drive the giant van for a day.
16. Inside the camper van parked in a Wellington neighborhood. Wellington, New Zealand.
We were befriended by a New Zealand family of four. They offered dinner and conversation. We accepted, of course, and remain eternally grateful to them for their hospitality — and a night-time tour of Wellington.
17. Picton Top 10. Picton, New Zealand.
After riding the Interislander ferry from the North Island to the South Island, we had just enough time to pull into Picton Top 10 and get set up before dinner and bed. We were kept company by the camp cat. This is now the Picton Holiday Park, part of the Tasman Holiday Park chain.
18. Kaikoura Top 10. Kaikoura, New Zealand.
On our trip south on the South Island, we had to stop here for the crayfish — which was delicious. It was also where we experienced our first jumping pillow — which was fantastic.
19. Hanmer Springs Top 10. Hanmer Springs, New Zealand.
Hanmer Springs is an adventure town. Many people visit there to enjoy the natural hot springs, so this place was easily the busiest motor camp we'd visited thus far. The kids got to ride bikes and play soccer with some other kids. Oh, and another jumping pillow. So great.
20. Camp Kiwi at Geraldine. Geraldine, New Zealand
Geraldine is a small town, but it had a lot going on — including a fantastic butcher where we stocked up the camper van's refrigerator. It's also home to Grandpa's Toys, which the kids named the best toy store in the world. When we visited, it was where you could find the World's LargestJjumper and 1066: A Medieval Mosaic, Michael Linton's extended recreation of the Bayeaux Tapestry made from millions of hand-painted sewing tines. It was an impressive piece of work. (It's now in storage). (Now a Top 10 Holiday Park.)
21. Oamaru Top 10. Oamaru, New Zealand.
A trip below the southern 45th parallel and into another Top 10. No jumping pillow this time, but it served us well on our one-night stay while we visited the famous blue penguins, the greatest playground in the world, and the fantastic Steampunk HQ.
22. Twizel Holiday Park. Twizel, New Zealand.
This got us pretty far south in New Zealand. So far south, in fact, it snowed. And it took us into the distant mystical lands of Gondor and Rohan as part of the now-shuttered One Rings Tours.
23. Christchurch Top 10. Christchurch, New Zealand.
The busiest motor park we visited — it almost felt like a KOA in the U.S. We spent just one night here before heading to the airport the next morning for our flight to Australia. And let me just say, the jumping pillow here was hopping. Now the North South Holiday Park.
24. Paddington House. Sydney, Australia.
Airbnb number three, and our home for five days in Sydney’s Paddington neighborhood. After 12 days in a cramped caravan, this modest apartment house felt positively palatial.
25. Overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne. Australia.
Our third time sleeping on a mode of transportation, but our first overnight train. More comfortable than a bus, less cozy than a plane.
26. West Footscray Airstream. Melbourne, Australia.
Five nights in a classic Airstream (Airbnb four) parked in our host's backyard. It reminded us very much of the camper van in New Zealand. The hosts also owned Happy Camper Pizza, an Airstream-themed pizza truck. (They now operate six!)
27. Rydges Hobart. Hobart, Tasmania.
A one-night stay in Hobart before heading out to the wilds of Tasmania. Nice enough, but we were there all of maybe ten hours.
28. Wind Song B&B. Little Swanport, Tasmania.
A fantastic bed & breakfast that was known as The Lodge. We stayed here two nights. The hosts were fantastic. The property is home to countless wallabies that bounce all over the place, and the kids enjoyed petting the horse named Mate. (It doesn't seem to be in business any longer).
29. Bicheno by the Bay. Bicheno, Tasmania.
We stayed in a rustic cabin named the Alpine Lodge (although there was nothing really alpine about it) for two nights where we experienced the disturbing nocturnal wail of the quoll.
30. Tamar Valley Resort. Tasmania.
We were flying out of Launceston the next day, and this place was convenient. It wasn’t our favorite place by any measure. They charged for everything and had a lot of weird rules about using and washing dishes. And it had the worst-maintained tennis courts we’ve ever seen.
31. Wyndham Torquay. Torquay, Australia.
A convenient place to stay while visiting friends who lived in Torquay and exploring the Great Ocean Road. It was nice enough, but too expensive for the amount of time we spent there.
32. Cilom’s. Melbourne, Australia.
This place was very low on frills but high on convenience. It caters to travelers departing on early flights from the Melbourne airport, which is exactly what we were doing the next day.
33. The Murray Hotel, Room 14. Perth, Australia.
We loved the Murray Hotel. With cold Little Creatures Pale Ale on tap and the world-famous (at least to the kids) pancake machine, what's not to love? Clean, reasonably priced, and the staff was awesome during our stay. Alas, it shut its doors on February 10, 2023.
Farmhouse. Dowerin, Australia.
We spent seven days in a small room in a farmhouse as we worked on an organic wheat farm in rural Western Australia as part of the WWOOFing program. It was an experience.
35. The Murray Hotel. Room 12. Perth, Australia.
We enjoyed the Murray so much, we returned after our foray WWOOFing in Western Australia. It was like coming home. To learn more about why we liked it so much, check out our TripAdvisor Review of the Murray Hotel.
36. Pukakoo Villa. Ubud, Bali.
In Bali, we settled into this somewhat secluded villa a short drive from Ubud village for 18 days. The hosts (three siblings) were attentive and spoiled us with a sumptuous breakfast every morning and our own on-call driver. Believe it or not, we got tired of the pool.
37. Tiong Bahru Apartment. Singapore.
We hadn’t initially planned on visiting Singapore, but when we were invited by a couple who had been following our journey to stay with them, we couldn’t pass it up.
38. Butterfly Victoria. Hong Kong.
The rooms of this hotel in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay were so small we needed two separate rooms for our family of four. Probably the smallest bathrooms we used on the trip. (It has since closed.)
39. Yunting Holiday Hotel. Shanghai, China.
From Hong Kong our China Eastern flight to Tokyo was so late, we missed our connecting flight in Shanghai and had to stay in China — but we had no visas. So the airline put us up in the Yunting Holiday Hotel for a night. This place was amazingly bizarre, and none of us will forget the experience. It was a harrowing 16 hours with a (free) stay in a hotel that one of the kids dubbed the "Yunting Horrible Hotel." Read the whole ordeal of the Shanghai Interlude.
40. Nishiazabo Apartment. Tokyo, Japan.
You've probably heard how small Tokyo apartments can be. Well, they're smaller. But this one, our 5th Airbnb, was close to the Chinese embassy, which we needed to visit to secure visas. And it had an NHK sticker. We spent three nights here.
41. Rhiga Royal Hotel. Tokyo, Japan.
A much fancier place than what we normally stayed at on our trip — and way out of our budget. But we had earned so many points on Hotels.com, we were awarded a free night. So we decided to live it up a little. One night.
42. Hello Kitty Apartment. Osaka, Japan.
Or as we call it, the Fabulous Hello Kitty Apartment. Say no more. Other than it also had an old-school Nintendo with a ton of games. For the kids. Yeah. Three nights was too short in Airbnb number six. Sadly, it seems to no longer be an Airbnb option in Osaka.
43. Reino Inn. Hiroshima, Japan.
A simple and clean hostel we stayed in for two nights. The restaurant there served good Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. (It has since closed.)
44. Abazu-bujan Apartment. Tokyo, Japan.
Back in Tokyo, we set up in another Airbnb (number seven) in Abazu-bujan for four nights. Slightly bigger than our previous Tokyo apartment. But just slightly.
45. Dongdemun Inn. Seoul, South Korea.
Although billed as an inn, it’s more of a hostel. It wasn’t the cleanest place we stayed, the room was small, the bathroom was dodgy, and the wi-fi was a little janky. But it was inexpensive, the heated floors were nice and toasty, and it was in the center of Seoul's design district. And the staff was great. It was a nice place to spend three nights, though it seems to have closed down.
46. Dongfang Hotel. Beijing, China.
In China, we were on a packaged tour and didn't have any say in where we stayed. This place is said to be the first commercial hotel in Beijing, built in 1918, and it was definitely worn in. It seems to have been the site for many historical events, and these are detailed in paintings hanging in the lobby. They did get confused about our stay when it came to paying the bill, but fortunately our tour guide helped to straighten it out.
47. Overnight Train to Xian.
Our second overnight train. This time we had a private car. It was small, of course, but still larger than the Butterfly in Hong Kong (Stay No. 38). And it served as a warm-up for the Reunification Express (Stay No. 52) in Vietnam.
48. Skytel. Xian, China.
The package tour continues. One night here and mostly forgettable.
49. Kingtown Shanghai. China.
Package tour hotel number three. A very Western-style hotel in Shanghai displaying very humorous reviews. Two nights.
50. Hanoi Elegance Diamond. Hanoi, Vietnam.
One of the best hotels on the trip. Classy and reasonably priced. Everyone on staff was exceptional. And easily one of the best free breakfasts we had on our travels. (Now known as the La Siesta Classic Ma May, part of the EHG chain). The concierge here turned us on to a great Hanoi Food Tour (so good we took it twice). We can’t say how the hotel is under its new name, but when we stayed there, it was fantastic.
51. Garden Bay 1. A boat. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
Floating around Ha Long Bay for three nights with hundreds of other boats floating on Ha Long Bay is nerve wracking. This stay famously ended in a broken toe.
52. Reunification Express. A train. Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Our third overnight train ride was 32 hours on a train. We were glad to have had the experience. But we were really glad when it ended.
53. Blue River Hotel. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
A nice little hotel in District 1. The rooms were a bit spartan, but after 32 hours in a train cabin, it felt palatial. And the owner was very welcoming and kind.
54. District 7 Apartment. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
We settled in to Vietnam for a month, and this 18th floor apartment (Airbnb number 8) in District 7 was a good place to slow down the trip for a while. But it had odd moments, like when the bill collectors came asking for us to pay the cable bill — the dark side of Airbnb that doesn’t come up all that often. But the great sunset views made up for any slight inconvenience.
55. Soria Moria. Siem Reap, Cambodia.
We stayed here for 15 days and had a great experience. At the time, the hotel had a partnership/employee exchange program with a Norwegian company, so it had a very international feel. They trained young Cambodians in hospitality services, and the service here was top-notch. When we stayed here the hotel was at the corner of Street 24 and Wat Bo Road. It moved locations in 2017, the Norwegian partnership has since ended, and now it's called the Everland.
56. Golden Mountain Hostel. Bangkok, Thailand.
A (then) just-opened hostel near Bangkok's backpacker district in the shadow of the Golden Mount Temple. A good home for 10 days. Walking distance to Thip Samai (a restaurant that makes the best pad thai in world) and a nearby stop for the Bangkok water taxi. (It has since closed.)
57. Kan Village Apartment. Chiang Mai, Thailand.
For almost a month we lived in this spacious two-floor apartment (Airbnb number nine) inside what felt more like a gated suburban American subdivision than a Thailand neighborhood. Oddly, though there were plenty of parked cars on the streets, we never saw another resident. And the tuk tuk drivers didn’t know how to get there.
58. Aree Apartment. Bangkok, Thailand.
This Airbnb (number 10) had the best, meticulously hand-lettered and bound guide to the neighborhood of any Airbnb we've stayed at before or since. The owner even gave out step-by-step directions to give a taxi driver so that her guests wouldn’t get the runaround (ours still tried, though). But it's wi-fi name was "pornchan." Make of that what you will.
59. Hotel Palace Heights. New Delhi, India.
We booked a private driver to get us around India, and he took care of setting up accommodations for us. We arrived at our first hotel, right in the heart of Connaught Place, very late at night. We left early the next morning, so we didn't really get to expiernce the hotel's full amenities, though it was nice enough and served a good breakfast.
60. Wyndham Agra. Agra, India.
This place was weird and had poor service. Samantha made all our hotel bookings. This proved to be slightly problematic in India's patriarchal society, and the gent at the desk at the Wyndham Agra didn't want to deal with her. Tom didn't play the man's game, so we were handed off to a woman who slow-walked us to our room seemingly out of resentment. One night. Unremarkable. (This location may no longer be in operation, which is probably for the best).
61. 7 Apple Hotel Jal Mahal. Jaipur, India.
An unremarkable hotel that offered nice views of the Amber Palace and Jal Mahal (as the name suggests). We only stayed one night and can’t remember what it was called back then. It’s likely changed names (and probably owners) in the years since we stayed there.
62. Suncourt Yatri. New Delhi, India.
Our final hotel in India. It had some personality and good service — the polar opposite of the Wyndham Agra. One stand-out was a gent named Happy who went to a liquor store to get me a Kingfisher because they’d run out. I asked him not to, but he did anyway. Yes, I tipped him. It’s India, after all. Two nights here.
63. Empress Zoe. Istanbul, Turkey.
A top-notch hotel at the top end of our budget range. One of our Top Five. But it was worth it, partly because of the sumptuous daily free breakfast they served. A particular favorite with the kids mostly due to the resident hotel cats, primarily Sophie.
64. Gamirasu Cave Hotel. Urgub, Turkey.
We could not resist staying in a rather swanky hotel carved out of a cave in Turkey's Cappadoccia region. Also served a decent breakfast.
65. Tashkonak. Istanbul, Turkey.
This place was decent enough, but was a step down from our previous two hotels in Turkey . We stayed here for a two days after returning to Istanbul from Cappadocia as the Empress Zoë was full.
66. Bucharest Boutique Accommodation. Bucharest, Romania.
An old-school, family-operated bed & breakfast with a gregarious host. The family went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
67. Apart Hotel Vlad Tepes. Brasov, Romania.
This Transylvanian hotel is named for Transylvania's national hero. As was the street it was situated on. As were many other things in the town. Romania does love old Vlad.
68. Hotel Cismiguil. Bucharest, Romania.
A famous hotel that was quite the hotspot in pre-communist Bucharest back in the day. We wanted something a bit on the fancier side for our last night in Romania. And it was attached to the renowned Gambrinus Beer House (which we took advantage of for dinner).
69. Hostel Zamora. Madrid, Spain.
A basic hostel in the heart of Madrid. Served us well for two nights.
70. Toledo Apartment. Toledo, Spain.
A rather nice Airbnb (number 11) for a one-night stay (and a few loads of laundry) in Toledo.
71. Hotel Bécquer. Seville, Spain.
We arrived in Seville during Semana Santa, and the traffic was intense. We had to park quite a distance away and it took us along time to make our way through the crowds with our luggage. A lot of work for a one-night stay. But it was a nice place.
72. Shine Hotel Albyzin. Granada, Spain.
Like the day before, we arrived in a Spanish town during Semana Santa. But the crowds in Seville were just an appetizer for the celebration raging through the streets of Granada. The hotel proved very arduous to get to, but once we got settled in, our room offered a front-row seat to the numerous processions running all night (literally) through the city.
73. AdHoc Carmen. Valencia, Spain.
A one-night stop-over on the way to Barcelona.
74. Apartment in Barcelona, Spain.
We had some family join us for a week in Barcelona, so we needed a bigger apartment. This Airbnb (number 12), in an old building a few blocks from La Sagrada Familia, worked quite well.
75. Apartment in Athens, Greece.
We spent two nights in this Airbnb (number 13) in the heart of Athens.
76. St. George Retreat Village. Chania, Crete.
A relaxing Cretan getaway at the top of a hill. The perfect for a week of slow travel. It was next door to a small chapel that was featured in Zorba the Greek..
77. Palazzo Ripetta Rome, Italy.
We stayed three nights in a small but comfortable room just off the Piazza del Popolo that was situated a short walk from The Vatican. The in-room coffee was the traditional Italian Nespresso cups.
78. La Tavola Marche. Le Marche, Italy.
A farmhouse in the Italian countryside. We'd heard how fantastic it was from friends we'd made in Bali. And they were right. We took a cooking class from chef and co-owner Jason that forever changed how we prepare and think about food. Highly recommended.
79. Principe Calaf. Lucca, Italy.
A nice, traditional B&B with the full name of La Bella Addormentata e il Principe Calaf just outside the walls surrounding the city center of Lucca. Two nights here.
80. Santa Giulia Art & Wine Residence. Turin, Italy.
We spent three nights in this stylish hotel in the heart of Torino. It was a slightly classier place than we were used to on this adventure. They also offered underground parking (a big plus in Turin), but it was a very tight turn to get out in our rented Peugeot station wagon. Good thing it was fully insured.
81. Hofbalzers. Balzers, Liechtenstein.
A clean room in a quiet hotel in the bucolic town of Balzers. It was here that we first experienced a German Daunendecke (a duvet sized for one person). Life changing. (This location is possible closed.)
82. Marriott Freising. Freising, Germany.
A one-night stay that served as jumping-off point for trips to Dachau and Weinhenstephanen, the oldest (continually operating) brewery in the world.
83. Blobeger Hof. Salzburg, Austria.
A one-night stay in Salzburg the night before our memorable Sound of Music Tour. It provided a comfortable room and a hearty meal, so it felt very much like what a medieval inn might have been like.
84. Sir Toby's. Prague, Czechia.
It's always fun staying at an active hostel, and Sir Toby's was quite active. They also offered possibly the craziest parking situation we experienced, where the Puegeot descended into the ground on an elevator. It was a tight fit.
85. Apartment in Regensburg, Germany.
An overnight stay in Airbnb number 14 while we experienced Regensburg's twice-annual Dult. We were also trapped here the next day because it was on a road that was closed due to the Regensburg Marathon.
86. Best Western Euro Hotel, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Turns out a Best Western in Europe isn't all that different from a Best Western in the United States. two nights.
87. Apartment in Paris, France.
We spent a week living in Airbnb number 15 — a Parisian family's home. It served as an excellent home base from which to explore one of the world's oldest cities. And there was parking, so we didn't have to worry about driving.
88. Apartment in Brussels, Belgium.
A three-night stay in Airbnb number 16 while we experienced Brussels.
89. Hotel Matamba. Phantasialand, Germany.
An African-themed hotel that's part of Phantasialand, a German Disneyland analog where you can drink beer, smoke, and bring your dog. One night stay with two days in Phantasialand.
90. Apartment in Berlin, Germany.
This small Airbnb (number 17) really felt like a WWII-era East German home like they show in the movies.
91. Duck House. Copenhagen, Denmark.
A nice, if odd, Airbnb (number 18). To get to our room, we had to go through the host's living quarters. It felt like we were intruding. But it had a cabinet-style video console loaded with a ton of arcade games. So it all evened out.
92. Novotel Suites Berlin City Potsdamer Platz. Berlin, Germany.
Two nights in Berlin. The city was packed because of the UEFA Champions Playoffs between Real Madrid and Juventus. But that didn't keep us from visiting Fassbender-Rausch and Ritter Sport. And seeing a movie in a theater, something we hadn't done since Vietnam.
93. 25Hours Hotel. Hamburg, Germany.
This is now the Superbude Altona Paradise. We stayed here because it was host to Burgerville, a burger restaurant in an Airstream, making it very convenient for our quest to have a hamburger in Hamburg.
94. Boathouse in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
For our 19th Airbnb, we stayed on a boat floating in an Amsterdam canal. The kids playing soccer at the nearby school kept sending the ball into the canal and we were called on often to retrieve these errant shots.
95. Hotel Malleburg. Bruges, Belgium.
A two-night stay at a nice hotel in Bruges, where we met up with some friends from back home.
96. Family Residence. Brighton, England.
Turns out a family we'd met way back in Bali had come home to Brighton and offered us a place to stay. We had a great time hanging out there for a few days.
97. Hensleigh House. Charmouth, England.
A one-night stop at a classic B&B along the Jurassic Coast.
98. Cressida Pod at YHA Hostel. Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Our youngest was slightly obsessed with Shakespeare, so we had to visit Stratford-upon-Avon. We met up with some friends from back in Los Angeles here for two nights.
99. London Flat. London, England.
The generosity of family kept our budget on track while we spent two weeks roaming about London.
100. Lamorna B&B. Olney, England.
We spent one night in this old-style B&B as we made our way north through England toward Scotland. We picked this place because of its proximity to Bletchely Park.
101. Bush Nook. Brampton, England.
Another B&B, this one on the border to Scotland and a great place to stay to visit the remains of Hadrian's Wall in Gilsland and the Roman Army Museum. (It's now open to group accomodations only.)
102. Benthead. Dunoon, Scotland.
An old friend insisted we stay with him and his wife in his ancestral home. They also insisted on cooking for us. We could not refuse. A wonderful time was had.
103. Glaswegian Apartment. Glasgow, Scotland.
After leaving Dunoon, we were drove back to London, making strategic stops along the way. One of those was an overnight stay in a Glaswegian Airbnb, the 20th of the trip.
104. Holiday Inn Express. Newcastle, England.
A one-night stop so we could hit the Game On 2.0 exhibit at New castle's Life Science Center. Much like Best Western, a Holiday Inn is pretty much the same in the U.K. as in the U.S.
105. Hotel Belmont. Leicester, England.
Just a place to spend the night on the drive from Newcastle back to London.
106. London Apartment. London, England.
Old friends from Los Angeles were kind enough to put us up for our last two nights in London. We also got to experience the NSA after our oldest kid broke a wrist (skateboarding) on our last day in Europe.
107. Apartment in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Our penultimate (number 21) Airbnb experience on the trip. We stayed three nights in this roomy apartment just outside of the bustling center of Reykjavik. This made it a nice place to rest (setting aside the ever-present sunlight) and explore the city at a leisurely pace. And, of course, the hot water was always hot.
108. Springhill Suites. Montreal, Canada.
Our last official hotel of the adventure. We spent two nights in these pleasant, if a bit standard accomodations. We were preoccupied with thoughts about the trip coming to an end, so Montreal didn't really get a fair shake. (This location is now closed.)
109. Palm Springs Apartment.
We decided to spend a week in a Palm Springs Airbnb (number 22) to slowly acclimate ourselves to the U.S. before diving back into life at the speed of Los Angeles. It was as hot as July in Palm Springs — often too hot to enjoy the pool — and we spent most of the time indoors.
The Final Tally
So, after 333 days of continuous travel, here's the final count on the different types of accommodations we enjoyed along the way:
- Hotels: 47
- Airbnb: 22
- Camp sites: 11
- Hostels: 8
- Bed & Breakfasts: 8
- Free stays with friends: 6
- Trains: 3
- Planes: 1
- Buses: 1
- Boats: 1
- Farm stays: 1
If you want to know what went into making some of the decisions for where we stayed, check out our comprehensive guide to A World Traveler's Guide to Picking a Place to Lay Your Head.
Header Image: The Soria Moria in Siem Reap, Cambodia.