BED & BREAKFASTS
What should I know about when staying at a bed and breakfast in a foreign country?
1)When staying at a bed and breakfast in a foreign country, you must remember that you are visiting another culture.
2)What is defined as breakfast in one country is not the definition of breakfast in another country.
3)Cultural differences are the most important thing you need to remember when travelling in a foreign country. In some locations, someone may say "meet you at 7 pm" which might actually mean "I am only saying 7 pm but I really mean 8 pm".
Understanding the difference in culture is your biggest challenge. The way a bed and breakfast works in one country is not the way a bed and breakfast will work in another country.
The progression of bed and breakfasts to mainstream travel...
Going way back in history to the medieval times, a bed and breakfast was a place you would stay at while going from one town to another. You were given a bed to sleep in and a meal to start your day. After breakfast, you were on your way out the door.
More recently, until about the early 1990's, bed and breakfasts were often a small one or two bedroom home in which you would stay at while travelling by car. While travelling by car, you would see a sign on the street mentioning that a bed a breakfast was nearby. You then drive to the home, knock on the door and ask if a room is available. This was convenient because bed and breakfasts can be found almost everywhere throughout Canada and the United States, including in small town or isolated areas. At this time, bed and breakfasts didn't really take reservations. Most bed and breakfasts literally survived on drive by business.
As more people began to travel by air from one city to another and then renting a car, people began travelling to areas that were really unknown to them. Not wanting to be lost in a somewhat unknown place without accommodation, people began making advanced reservations for bed and breakfasts. The ability to make advanced reservations was first aided by bed and breakfast guidebooks you would buy from a book store. With the increase of the Internet, the ability to find a bed and breakfast has gone online and with the help of email, you can send reservation requests quickly and easily.
Bed and breakfasts slowly but surely got more and more popular. People who had never stayed at bed and breakfasts were beginning to choose them over a hotel. With the increased popularity, there also came the demand for more than just a bed and a breakfast. Guests began demanding more luxurious amenities and features. While some bed and breakfasts now provide such amenities and luxuries, they are still many bed and breakfasts that simply provide a nice place to stay for a night or two.
There are two types of people who choose to stay at a bed and breakfast. The purist who stays at a bed and breakfast because they simply like the idea of being with "friends" and because staying at a bed and breakfast adds an interesting twist to your trip when you meet other travellers from around the world. The other type of people who stay at a bed and breakfast are those who are not so much interested in meeting new people, but rather, instead these people prefer the pampering and luxury of staying in a house that is often historic in nature.
Whichever type of traveller you are, there is always a bed and breakfast for you!
CUBAN BED & BREAKFASTS
http://www.mycubarent.com
http://cubamigos.webcindario.com
Rates;
walking tour in old Havana(aprox. 3 hours) 30 US dollar /30 € per person.
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