Time Out editors’ favourite Airbnbs in Europe

Best for an extended city break for couples

There’s no denying it: Trastevere is still Rome’s coolest neighborhood. If you’re planning a visit to the Italian capital, it’s the perfect place to stay. And this flat perfectly mirrors the neighbourhood’s charm – full of life, colour, and character, but with a much more laid-back feel than the rest of the city. The decor is bright and playful and the space is airy. But the best part? The rooftop. We visited in the summer and had many opportunities to enjoy it. Every morning, we would pick up pastries from nearby bakeries, make coffee, and have breakfast up there while the city woke up. 

Time Out tip: Just around the corner, Ai Marmi serves pizza until 2am. Forget everything you know about the classic Neapolitan and embrace its lesser-known thin crust Roman sister. 

➡️ Discover more of the best Airbnbs in Rome

Best for escaping the city

If you’ve ever come close to falling in love with a building, then tread very carefully when it comes to the Craftsman's Cabin. This small but perfectly formed two bedroom getaway in Somerset (a county in south west England) is a real heartbreaker. With a wraparound deck, outdoor bathtub and lush views of the Somerset Levels, it’s an off-the-grid nirvana where you can live out a Little House of the Prairie fantasy. Find it in a blissfully green orchard, a handmade house with Douglas fir cladding, hand-woven hazel panels, an oak and maple kitchen and a locally-fabricated fire pit. 

Time Out tip: Stock up on drinks at the nearby Burrow Hill Cider Farm before arrival, as you might not want to leave when you get there.

➡️ Discover more of the best cabins in the UK

Best for a week-long beach holiday 

Not to be mistaken by the much more touristy Paros, Poros island is a quiet, sleepy option which is only an hour out of Athens if you pay for the high-speed ferry. It was, in every sense, a perfect holiday – and I’m putting that largely down to this utterly perfect Airbnb. Up on a hill in Askeli, you get 360-degree views of the surrounding sea on the terrace, and excellent aircon indoors. You’re a five-minute walk from the nearest small beach, as well as the local supermarket and bakery, meaning every single morning can start with a freddo cappucino, a spanakopita and a bougatsa (a traditional, and delicious, vanilla custard and cinnamon pastry).

Time Out tip: When you’re ready to venture out to the further-away beaches, wander down to Moto Stelios to rent bikes and scooters for the day. Otherwise, cabs are easy too. 

➡️ Next, check out our favourite hotels in Greece

Best for an epic group trip

If The Traitors were filmed in Tuscany, it would probably take place here. This Airbnb is right in the little town of Monticchiello (you can walk the entire thing in 15 minutes), so for the seven of us there it was all about the villa. The interiors are rustic and charming with a few nice modern touches, while the three floor layout makes it easy to step away from some downtime before rejoining the group in the armchair-filled living room. The highlight, however, is by far the garden. It’s huge, peaceful, and perfect for lazy late-morning breakfasts or a sunset aperitivo with a stunning view of the Val d’Orcia hills. Just remember bug spray – they like to feast out here. 

Time Out tip: Twilight fans, don’t skip Montepulciano. It’s where Bella ran through that piazza in New Moon (if you know, you know). 

➡️ Our ultimate guide to staying in Italy

Best for: getting out into nature

Elmore Wild’s treehouses are something very special indeed, built entirely into the trees so as to feel completely private (you can’t see your treehouse neighbours even if you try). I stayed in ‘Wildcat’, which fitted three, but there are a number of stays to choose from – from couple’s havens to cabins with two-bedrooms. But all of them have the same special details; an outdoor bath, an open fire, aesthetic pink cookware, spare phone chargers, binoculars for spotting wild birds – and a set up that’s half indoors, half outdoors, and feels utterly immersed in nature. 

Time Out tip: Don’t even think about lugging Sainsbury’s bags over from London – order from Elmore’s menu of hampers and meal kits, which will be waiting for you when you arrive. 

Best for a well-placed stay for three pals

I stayed at this modern apartment with two friends on a girls trip to Porto last summer – up in the mezzanine is a decent-sized double bed, with a sofa bed downstairs. Personally I am a sucker for a mezzanine, and loved the abundance of natural light that came in via the skylights and tall french windows every morning. It’s got a cute patio – perfect for pre-dinner white port and tonics – but mostly, it backs onto the epic Fernandina wall. Unfortunately the garden doesn’t get any sunlight, but walk two minutes up the steep hill and you get to the Parque das Virtudes, which is packed with locals some sunset every night of the week. 

Time Out tip: Ice-cream spot Gelatopia is five minutes from the Airbnb, and I went there for dessert every night I was here. Order the pistachio and thank me later. 

➡️ Discover more of the best Airbnbs in Porto

Best for a warm and cosy base in an unpredictable city

Sometimes you stumble across the perfect Airbnb – and this basement flat in Reykjavík was that for me. Cosy, quirky and intensely Icelandic, Randver’s place is lined with old books, a record player and a very extensive vinyl collection. The kitchen was equipped with tea, coffee, olive oil and other basics, sweet treats in the freezer and a few boxes of Hraun (Icelandic chocolate ‘lava bites’) kindly left for us by the hosts. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the heating is on – when the weather became truly mental outside (and trust me, it will), we simply stayed in, put records on and played cards all evening in our lovely little home. 

Time Out tip: Check behind the kitchen curtain before you buy anything. We found pasta, sauce and more in there we could use for cooking after buying some ourselves. And make sure to peek in the freezer – there should be a sack of mini Icelandic macaroons. 

➡️ Discover more of the best Airbnbs in Iceland

Best for hen dos, girls’ trips and couple-cations 

I’m calling this a cabin, but it’s more like a tardis – it’s so expertly designed that it appears compact, but inside manages to comfortably fit a kitchen, dining table, sofas and four (yes four) double bedrooms, cleverly stacked on top of each other like a doll’s house. Pamella’s Place shares a field with three other lovely properties, but still feels completely private – and there’s a lovely little shed space outside with seating and a hot tub. Most of all, we loved that you could book a spot at the Film House, a very cute (and very pink) private cinema on the grounds with comfy sofas and little bags of popcorn waiting for you.

Time Out tip: Take a scenic 40-minute walk to Sutton Bonington town, stop for a coffee at Gallery 119 (which doubles up as an antique shop), and end with a pint at the Anchor Inn.

➡️ Discover more of the best Airbnbs in the UK

Best for a city break with plenty of green space

I stayed at this flat with my partner and our kid (we brought our own travel cot), and the three of us hung out in the stylish, Bauhaus-influenced living room and made scrambled eggs in the smart galley kitchen. All the rooms are in a row on the ground floor, with huge windows opening on to a quiet courtyard. You can tell this is someone’s home, and we felt lucky to stay in it – but the best bit was the location. You’re in Neukölln, the trendiest bit of Berlin – but tucked away from the rush and roar in the cosy little mini-neighbourhood of Schillerkiez, which is leafy, full of cafés and has an excellent market, Schillermarkt. 

Time Out tip: If you can’t be bothered to cook breakfast, join the queue at Gorilla Bakery on Hermanstrasse for sublime sourdough and pastries both savoury and sweet.

➡️ Discover more of the best Airbnbs in Berlin