Goreme, Turkey, June 19-21

Kose Pension, Room 7, 18

Most of the pensions in Goreme charge a standard 50 YTL, sometimes including breakfast. Kose Pension charges 30 per person, which we unfortunately misread as 30 per room. So after 2 nights here we panicked and changed to a cheaper room with shared bathroom. So overall, not great value compared to some of the others in Goreme, although Dawn Kose is extremely helpful and has thought of every service the independent traveller needs. The pool is the perfect antidote to hot afternoons, there's a bookswap scheme and of course, there's wireless. Another thing we really liked: Breakfasts are fairly priced, as are snacks, dinners and alcohol. The first picture is of the en-suite room, the second of the rooftop hut.
Bathroom: Private (room 7), shared (room 18)
View: Streetscape (room 7), fairy chimneys (rooftop room 18)
Cost: 60 YTL (room 7), 40 YTL (room 18)
Recommended: Yes, particularly the cheaper rooftop room with shared bathroom.
Contact details: dawn@kosepension.com tel: (0304) 271 2294 Goreme village, Nevsehir.

Avanos, Turkey 16-18

Sofa Hotel, room Melburn Wow, we really got lucky with this one, a gorgeous atmospheric hotel created from several old houses. We got a lift from Konya with a couple of kind fellow travellers, Arian and Bep, and thought we'd copy their lead and stay in Avanos before heading to Goreme. There are two tiers of rooms here: one with fridges, baths and private tea/coffee making facilities; the others with more basic rooms. All are tastefully decorated with well-chosen carpets, kilims and local crafts, and connected via shady squares and terraces. We balked at the first suggested (discounted) price of 60 YTL for the more basic room, but then it came down to 50, which in hindsight was a genuine bargain. Two weeks after staying there, it remains the best place we've stayed in Turkey. There's wireless access in some areas, but there was none in our room. Note: At peak times, you might need to book in advance here.
Bathroom: private (which smelt a bit the first day, which is why we balked at the first price, then fine after that).
View: Courtyard and distant mountains
Cost: 50 YTL inc buffet breakast
Recommended: Yes, without a doubt.
Contact details: http://www.sofa-hotel.com/ tel: 0384 511 51 86

Egirdir, June 11-13

Ali's pension, 2nd floor room 5

A bit of a hike from the otogar, this pension was a drop in value for money from Pammukule, but pension prices on the island are not negotiable – here you take what you get. However, once again, it's the pension owners who lifted the stay from ordinary to excellent. Birsen and her family are very hospitable and friendly, and run their place with good humour. Tasty homemade dinners are offered at reasonable prices. We had a room with a small view of the lake; it was clean and simple, although felt a little cramped (triple room with awkward layout). There is wireless access.
View: Road and lake
Bathroom: Private, basically a wet room because the shower went everywhere. The toilet seat was padded for extra luxury (slightly disconcerting on the first 'sit-down').
Cost: 50 YTL inc breakfast
Recommended: Yes
Contact details: email: mailto:alispension@hotmail.comTel: 0246 311 2547

Pamukkule, June 8 – 10

Melrose Allgau Hotel/Pension, room 55
Booked into the pension here and got upgraded to the hotel, which is probably one reason we decided to hang around for 3 nights. For the price, this was exceptional value. Our room was big and spotless; we had a private bathroom with a bath, and a balcony too. Mehmet and Umma are incredibly friendly, and Umma is a great cook – we couldn't resist eating here every night. For those travelling with a laptop, you'll get wireless in some areas. Ask here about trips to Afrodisias, a very worthwhile day trip for 30 YTL pp.
Bathroom: private
View: Grounds
Cost: 22 YTL (this is the price for the pension room; breakfast was an extra 9 each). Or guarantee a hotel room inc breakfast for 44 YTL
Recommended: Yes, very highly

Selcuk, Turkey, June 7

Homeros Pension, room 8
Dervis, the owner of this pension, is a carpenter whose over-enthusiastic attitude to decoration has unfortunately left the rooms looking a little bit confused. Our room had all sorts of decorative elements clamouring for attention, however, it was very clean. (Might be worth viewing more than one room too as some rooms are better than others.) Dervis offers a free ride to Ephesus and is very helpful generally. The breakfast included plenty of fruit; other than that it was standard Turkish fare. There's wireless access in some areas.
Bathroom: Private (door was a curtain)
View: Rooftops
Cost:50 YTL including breakfast
Recommended? Yes, although we couldn't help feeling that we've had better value for money elsewhere.
Contact details: www.homerospension.com homeros_turkey@hotmail.com
Tel: 0090 (232) 892 3995

Chios Town - May 27-29, June 1-2

Chios Rooms, room 5

Lonely Planet writes that Don, the ex-pat Kiwi who owns this pension, is always ready for a beer and a chat. So don't be surprised if, when you turn up, someone has already cornered him in the kitchen to pick his brains about everything from Chios restaurants to politics. We did, many times. The rooms are in a lovely old neoclassical building right on the harbourfront, some with views out to the water (these tend to be noisier, however). We originally checked in for one night, but stayed for 5. If you hire a scooter, here makes a good base for discovering many beaches north and south, as well as sightseeing inland.
Bathroom: Outside the room across the corridor, quite clean, although rather public in that the doors don't go all the way to the floor. (People walking past will be able to hear you weeing.)
View: Chios harbour
Cost: 30 euros
Special note: The ceilings in this place are incredibly high – we guesstimated them to be 3 JBs high (the JB unit of measurement being how many JBs could stand on top of each other in the room, naturally).
Recommended? Highly
Contact details: 110 Leof. Aigaiou, Chios Town tel: 22710 20198, email: chiosrooms@hotmail.com

Verona, May 15-17

Casa Catullo, room 25


This hotel has a great location with large rooms in a big old building. The management are friendly, although have a policy which make it awkward for travellers without a car – you can't leave bags in the hotel after checking out; they suggest you leave them at the locked luggage area at the train station (approx 1.5km away). Our room was ginormous, with lovely parquet floors.
Bathroom: Shared, but clean.
View: streetscape
Cost: 55 euros
Recommended? Yes
Contact details: Address: Via Catullo 1, Verona

San Sebastian, May 7 - 8

Pension Easo, room 6


We checked into this pension after the train ride from hell, and it was like entering heaven. The room was quite new, with minimal furnishing, crisp white bed linen and a comfy bed. The owner is helpful and there's a resident cat who shows his face occasionally, if you're lucky. The only detraction was that our room looked out onto an internal courtyard, so there wasn't a lot of fresh air. Oh, and there was a fire exit sign in the room that was too bright at night. However, for the price, this represents great value in expensive San Sebastian.

View: Covered internal courtyard
Bathroom: Shared, but spotless.
Cost: 35 euros
Recommended: Definitely

Porto, May 4-5

Hotel Peninsular, room 212


Another day where we'd already tried a different establishment only to find that it was full, then decided to stay here because it has LOTS of rooms and we couldn't face carrying our backpacks any further. Rooms vary greatly, as do prices. Our room was smallish, clean, with poorly-laid laminate flooring. There was a telly.However, in real life, it looked much worse than this photo.
Bathroom: Private, reasonably clean, with a midget bath.
View: Light well, with air-conditioning extraction duct
Cost: Quoted cost 42 euros per night, actual cost after receptionist miscalculation 38
Recommended? Yes, but ask to see a number of rooms first

Tomar, May 2

Residencial Uniao, room 14


We turned up to this residencial without booking and asked for a room. There was much shuffling of papers and heavy sighing. However, luckily, they had a room available, as this turned out to be a really good deal. The room was clean, with antique furniture and a reasonably comfy bed. But the clincher was the free wireless.
Cost: 33, breakfast included (and the crusty bread rolls are delicious)
View: Side street
Bathroom: Private
Recommended? Highly.
Contact details: www.residencialuniao.verportugal.com residencialuniao@sapo.pt Address: 94 Rua Serpa Pinto, Tomar. Telephone: + 351 249 323 161

Evora, April 24 - 25

Private rooms, room 2
These are private rooms run by a family, only a few minutes from the main square in Evora. There's free wireless available in the park down the road. Not much English spoken though, so practice your Portuguese to book this one.
View: Street
Bathroom: Shared, but very clean
Cost: 30 euros
Recommended? Yes

Taveira, April 17 and 18

Residencial Taveira, room 101

We arrived in Taveira at 6pm and found this place on arrival. Our room was super-clean, with rustic decor. It featured a basin and also, strangely, a bidet. Extremely friendly owner.
View: Side street
Special features: Roof terrace ideal for supping beverages and playing card games
Bathroom: Shared, but very clean.
Cost: 30 euros
Recommended? Yes