Where to stay

Amsterdam charges Europe's highest tourist tax at 12.5% of the room price, and its canal houses have staircases you would not believe. The areas that work.

Koukaki for value, Monastiraki for connections, Plaka for the postcard. Plus the Greek accommodation fee, charged per room rather than per person.

Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, Sanur or Seminyak. The areas ranked by who they suit, the real drive times between them, and the levy you pay on arrival.

One rule beats every hotel review in Bangkok: stay within a ten-minute walk of a BTS or MRT station. The areas that pass it, the famous one that fails, and why.

Barcelona's tourist tax rose on 1 April 2026 and an apartment now costs more per night than a four-star hotel. The areas that work, and the one with no metro.

Berlin has no single centre because of where the Wall ran, so you pick a neighbourhood instead. The five that work, and the 7.5% tax with no cap on nights.

Buda is what you look at and Pest is where you stay. The districts by number, the 4% tax, and the one street you should not book a room above.

The blue dollar advice every guide still gives is out of date since April 2025. Five neighbourhoods, what changed about paying, and where not to book.

Old City, Nimman, Santitham or the river. The areas ranked by who they suit, plus the burning season that made 2026 the worst air year on record.

Florence's historic centre crosses in twenty minutes, so location matters less than people think. What matters instead is the river, the ZTL and the noise.

The Old Quarter is loud in a way photographs cannot convey. Five areas, who each suits, what the noise actually costs you, and the street to avoid.

The metro opened in December 2024 and it changes where it makes sense to sleep. Five areas, what each costs you in traffic, and the strip to avoid.

KL is a rail city with unwalkable gaps between the rail. Five areas, the RM10 tourist tax nobody quotes, and why the view room is usually a mistake.

London has no centre, so the question is which side of the West End you sleep on. The areas, the Zone 2 arithmetic, and the tax London does not charge.

Madrid charges no tourist tax while Barcelona now takes up to €12 a person a night. The barrios around Sol, which one suits you, and what that saving buys.

The riad is the reason to come and it is not right for everyone. What a riad actually is, which medina quarter, and when Gueliz is the better answer.

Roma and Condesa are the default answer and there is a real argument against them. Six areas, what the altitude does to day one, and where not to book.

Porta Romana for value, Brera for the walk, Navigli for the evening. Plus Milan's Olympic tourist tax, which was rewritten twice inside 2026.

The tax adds about 15 per cent plus a nightly fee, and the Airbnb option mostly ended in 2023. Six areas, the subway rule, and where not to book.

Prague's castle is across the river from everything else, and Old Town Square is the most inflated address in central Europe. The areas, and the flat fee.

Central Queenstown is walkable and priced for it, and Frankton is ten minutes cheaper. Five areas, the levy you pay before arriving, and the season trap.

Seoul is enormous and the subway line matters more than the district. Six areas, what each is actually near, and why Gangnam is usually the wrong answer.

Santa Cruz for the postcard, Alfalfa for the food, Triana for value. Plus the tourist tax Seville still does not charge, and what that is worth.

Kampong Glam, Chinatown, Tiong Bahru or Marina Bay. The areas ranked, plus the service charge and GST that add 19.9 per cent to a quoted rate.

Sydney is a harbour, not a grid, so the transport you use decides the area. Six areas, why the ferry beats the train, and the strip most people over-book.

Taipei is small, and the MRT makes most areas viable. Five districts, which night market each one owns, and why the transport pass rarely pays for itself.

Penestanan, Nyuh Kuning, Sayan or central Ubud. Which streets stay quiet, which gridlock from 10am, and the entry fees that went up in 2026.

Vienna's accommodation tax went to 5% in July 2026 and is scheduled to reach 8% in 2027. The districts, the Ring that organises them, and where the value is.

Which Paris arrondissement suits your trip, what a night costs in each, and the tourist tax that adds €125 to a week for two and appears in no guide.

The real Dubai question is beach or metro, because you rarely get both. Which area suits your trip, and the 25–30% in fees that is not in your room rate.

Sultanahmet is not the trap everyone claims for a short trip. Which Istanbul area suits your stay, the new airport metro, and where there is no rail.

Kyoto has two subway lines and neither reaches the temples. Which neighbourhood to book, what a night actually costs by month, and the new tax.

Which Lisbon neighbourhood suits your trip, what the tourist tax adds, and why the hills matter more in 2026 than any guide written before them says.

Ribeira looks like the answer and mostly is not. The Porto neighbourhoods worth booking, what each costs a night, and the funicular that fixes the hill.

Which Rome neighbourhood suits your trip, the city tax nobody quotes you, and why the metro map changed in December 2025 in a way that matters.

Which Tokyo neighbourhood suits your trip, what each one actually costs a night, and the station detail that matters more than the district name.