I booked Airbnbs in small towns while backpacking Europe and found 2 hidden-gem destinations I'd never heard of

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A composite image of the author in a cap and blue polo standing in front of a tub-shaped brown building with trees and grass in the background and a sunlit field in front of houses with mountains in the background

When I planned my two-week backpacking trip through six European cities, the last thing I expected was to be blown away by the suburbs.

In October 2022, I traveled to Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Milan, and Zurich. In most of these destinations, I booked accommodations within city limits, from an airstream trailer in Vienna to an artsy stay in Rome. But to save some money, I stayed in Airbnbs about an hour outside Berlin and Zurich by train.

A gray train with a red strip parked at an outdoor platform

Berlin was the first stop on my two-week trip. I spent two nights in a tiny-home hotel in Neustrelitz, Germany, for $140. The hotel was a 20-minute walk from the train station.

Slube, a tiny home hotel in Neustrelitz, Germany.

Sure, it would have been easier to wake up in Berlin. But to my surprise, I enjoyed starting and ending each day with a relaxing walk through this place I'd never heard of, where I spotted the occasional backpacker among mostly locals.

A 3D map of Neustrelitz, Germany found in the town square in October 2022.

I found the town charming, with its quiet cobblestone streets — a stark contrast to the fast-paced city vibe that dominated much of my days in Berlin. I was grateful for an unexpected experience. If I hadn't been traveling on a budget, I probably never would have set foot in Neustrelitz.

A composite image of two cobblestone street scenes in Neustrelitz with signs in the foreground and buildings across the streets behind them.

When I left Germany, with stays in Vienna and three Italian cities ahead of me, I was already looking forward to my final accommodation in Switzerland.

Zurich was the last stop of the trip. For $400, I spent two nights in a tiny barrel home in a village called Roggwil.

A cyclindrical tiny home next to another small building with two deck chairs in front of it, at night.

Roggwil rests in the rolling hills of Switzerland. I thought it had the most striking scenes of the entire trip.

On my final night in Europe, I took an unplanned hike in the area and caught a gorgeous sunset over the village. The grass was so green it almost looked fake. The hills behind the homes changed colors as the sun lowered. Experiencing this with no other tourists in sight made it feel even more special.

It was an epic ending to my two-week adventure, and like in Neustrelitz, I couldn't help thinking that if I hadn't booked that specific Airbnb, I would never have seen it.

I expected nothing more than a place to sleep in these towns, so I was pleasantly surprised that they felt like hidden gems. Neustrelitz and Roggwil were relaxing counterparts to my travels in Berlin and Zurich.

Fire pits and logs next to a house in Switzerland at night with stars in the sky

Next time I backpack through Europe, I'll find more accommodations in small towns to experience the slower pace of suburban life — and save some money along the way.

Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining BI in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, from day trips to overnight rides as long as 30 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. She spends her free time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval. You can follow Joey on Instagram or send her an email at [email protected].Popular ArticlesI spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.I booked basic economy flights with Delta and United. They felt like 2 completely different classes.I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised meI spent 2 nights in a 2-story, 100-square-foot tiny home in Germany that was smaller than any I've seen in the USStep inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates