Originally Posted by
jefnvk
For those that have used the tourist centres, what sort of benefit do you see with them over using something like Google, Kayak or Hostelworld, other than the local language booking services mentioned above? I've been to Europe a dozen times since 2007, never once used one. Just curious if they are a wealth of information I am missing out on, or just an alternative to the internet.
Often the small, private B&Bs will not be on travel or hotel sites, and may only be found through TI offices (either on their websites or through the office itself). If you are just booking hostels, hotels, pensions, and the like, then you'll probably be able to find them pretty readily via booking.com (which seems to be pretty popular for European lodgings), hotels.com, etc. Personally, we usually try to stay in B&Bs due to the lower cost and local vibe. We've found them as low as 15 euros/person, including breakfast. Often they can be cheaper, or comparable to, a hostel.