I backpacked across Europe for 2 weeks. Booking Airbnbs in small towns to save money was the most unexpected highlight of my trip.

Berlin, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Milan, and Zurich were the destinations on my itinerary. For most of these stops, I booked accommodations within city limits. But to save some money, I stayed in two Airbnbs about an hour outside Berlin and Zurich by train. 

My hotel was a 20-minute walk from the train station.

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 a place I’d never heard of, where I spotted the occasional backpacker among mostly locals.

I thought it was a peaceful town with charming cobblestone streets. And if I hadn’t been traveling on a budget, I probably never would have visited it. 

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

My last stop in Europe was Zurich, and I slept in a tiny wine-barrel home in a small village named Roggwil for two nights for $400.

Roggwil rests in the rolling hills of Switzerland, and to me, 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. It was an epic ending to my two-week adventure, and like in Neustrelitz, I couldn’t help thinking if I hadn’t booked that specific Airbnb, I never would 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.

Next time I backpack through Europe, I’ll find more accommodations in small towns to experience the quiet, slower pace of suburban life while photographing landscapes in less-visited areas of the continent — and save some money.