I learnt a couple of valuable lessons today.
I am making this RTE a bit of a holiday so I have been meandering around northern Spain for a few days just visiting places that took my fancy and checking that the sun would be shining there.
Last night I decided to visit San Sebastian Wednesday, so went on to booking.co to find a cheap hotel. I found one at the right price in the centre of the old city, perfect.
Wrong!! The sat nav kept telling me to drive down pedestrian precincts, turn right or left where there were no left or right turns or down one way streets the wrong way. I rode round the city trying to find a way to my destination four times without any luck. In the end I parked up in a Moto parking bay and waited for a fellow motorcyclist to return to his bike to see if he would be willing to show me the way, with an offer of 10 euros.
I did not have to wait long. He spoke very little English but understood and agreed to lead me, declining my offer of 10 Euros.
Off we set up the road, turned left then a right turn in a pedestrian precinct where the road sign said no right turn. In fact most of the way was through pedestrian areas but no one seemed to care. We eventually got to a road that had a no entry sign. I could see that the hotel was only about 300meters down the road and turn right, but it was a no entry sign? I pointed this out to my Spanish good Samaritan. But he just shrugged his shoulders and said your hotel is down there. So off I set by now I did not care, only to get to the destination on the sat nav but no hotel.
I did eventually find the hotel about 200meters from the coordinates given on their web site in a completly different road, after a lot of walking down narrow cobbled streets and some help from locals.
Lesson 1
Don’t book hotels in old city centres. I may look handy to find a good restaurant or bar but could be a nightmare to get to.
Lesson 2
You only get what you pay for. If it’s cheap its probably crap.
This hotel was cheap, but it looked like a shit hole and when someone did eventually answer after pressing the door entry buzzer several times and phoning them once I spoke english they hung up. I did eventually get to speak to someone when a local called them. I was getting very pissed off by now. I was informed that they would not be there until 5pm. I told them that I would not be there at 5pm as I was canceling my booking. (the web site said checking was from noon till midnight).
I have complained to booking.com but I am not holding my breath.
That's 50 euros well spent as I asked for parking and they charge nearly 20 euros for that.
Now I have had a little rant I feel better
I am making this RTE a bit of a holiday so I have been meandering around northern Spain for a few days just visiting places that took my fancy and checking that the sun would be shining there.
Last night I decided to visit San Sebastian Wednesday, so went on to booking.co to find a cheap hotel. I found one at the right price in the centre of the old city, perfect.
Wrong!! The sat nav kept telling me to drive down pedestrian precincts, turn right or left where there were no left or right turns or down one way streets the wrong way. I rode round the city trying to find a way to my destination four times without any luck. In the end I parked up in a Moto parking bay and waited for a fellow motorcyclist to return to his bike to see if he would be willing to show me the way, with an offer of 10 euros.
I did not have to wait long. He spoke very little English but understood and agreed to lead me, declining my offer of 10 Euros.
Off we set up the road, turned left then a right turn in a pedestrian precinct where the road sign said no right turn. In fact most of the way was through pedestrian areas but no one seemed to care. We eventually got to a road that had a no entry sign. I could see that the hotel was only about 300meters down the road and turn right, but it was a no entry sign? I pointed this out to my Spanish good Samaritan. But he just shrugged his shoulders and said your hotel is down there. So off I set by now I did not care, only to get to the destination on the sat nav but no hotel.
I did eventually find the hotel about 200meters from the coordinates given on their web site in a completly different road, after a lot of walking down narrow cobbled streets and some help from locals.
Lesson 1
Don’t book hotels in old city centres. I may look handy to find a good restaurant or bar but could be a nightmare to get to.
Lesson 2
You only get what you pay for. If it’s cheap its probably crap.
This hotel was cheap, but it looked like a shit hole and when someone did eventually answer after pressing the door entry buzzer several times and phoning them once I spoke english they hung up. I did eventually get to speak to someone when a local called them. I was getting very pissed off by now. I was informed that they would not be there until 5pm. I told them that I would not be there at 5pm as I was canceling my booking. (the web site said checking was from noon till midnight).
I have complained to booking.com but I am not holding my breath.
That's 50 euros well spent as I asked for parking and they charge nearly 20 euros for that.
Now I have had a little rant I feel better
