Bed & Breakfast, tradition and an innovation at the same time

As many other motorcyclists I adore going for a ride with my motorbike. Motorbike rides are my favourite way to spend my weekends. I love get up early on Saturday morning ad leave for a couple of days to spend in one of the many beautiful shires of the United Kingdom. Being pragmatic and not loving organised trips, I always leave for my trips without planning where I will stay overnight. I strongly rely on one of the most traditional UK institutions, the bed & breakfasts.

Bed & breakfasts are undoubtly a tradition and an innovation at the same time.
Bed and Breakfast, usually indicated as B&B, is a term that has been first created in the United Kingdom and that now is used all over the world as well, for that typical accommodation that offers sleeping arrangements and breakfast. Most common forms of bed and breakfasts are simply private homes providing a number of rooms that is lower than 10 bedrooms.

In my opinion, a bed & breakfast can be more comfortable than a common hotel because it offers domestic environment and a quiet atmosphere. It is a tradition because bed & breakfasts already exist since many years ago and it is an innovation because, in the actual economical situation, bed & breakfast represents a convenient way to spend your holiday without overspending. Many people who were used to travel and to stay in a four stars hotel are actually facing economic difficulties, as most of us. Bed & breakfasts are therefore being more and more appreciated. They are young people's preferred way to travel, easy and cheap.

The rest of the world has discovered this form of tourist accommodation as well. Bed & breakfasts are getting increasingly widespread, not only in the largest cities but also in the country. I think that actually you can cross Europe from Portugal to Russia and you would not run the risk of sleeping open air. If a motorcyclist recommends this, you can be sure that it is true because motorcyclists must sleep under the sky if they do not find a place to stay overnight. The phenomenon of the bed & breakfasts has become so large that you can actually buy several bed & breakfast guides, for both United Kingdom and rest of Europe.

What a bed & breakfast exactly is? In few words, it can be considered a cheaper and simpler hotel. This means that a bed & breakfast does not provide all the different services an ordinary hotel does. In a bed & breakfast you can definitely have a bedroom and a breakfast available - as its name clearly suggests -, nothing more. As a result, you will be asked to pay a fee that is considerably lower than ordinary hotels fares. This is very much appreciated by people like me, who are pragmatic and not interested in extra services. A shower and a bed, this is all I need while travelling.

What is furthermore interesting is that cities' bed & breakfasts are usually located in old buildings near to the centre of the city, which is very helpful for those who want to visit the city walking, because it represents a convenient base camp for your walks. In addition, you would not need wide movements to feel the beating heart of the city.

On the other hand, traditional country bed & breakfasts are and ideal solution, in my opinion. I love country and I hate to see the mismatch between modern buildings and the relaxed equilibrium of the nature. Country bed & breakfasts are usually old buildings that have been restored for tourist use, maintaining the former style. What I find very interesting is that, in some cases, the natural products of the bed & breakfast farming will constitute your breakfast.

In conclusion, without any doubt my advice is to take a break from the city and go to one of the many country bed & breakfasts that are perfect for a couple of days break rather than as a base for your vacation plans.