Two of the most common mistakes travelers make when picking a neighborhood are symmetrical. The first is booking far from the nightlife because 'it will be quieter' — and then spending 40 minutes and €25 in a taxi every time you want dinner. The second is booking in the middle of the nightlife district because 'we'll walk everywhere' — and then being kept awake until 4 AM by people throwing up in the street below your window.
The sweet spot is almost always adjacent. One neighborhood over from the loudest district, within walking distance of the action but out of earshot of the worst of it. Examples:
• In Berlin: stay in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain, not on Oranienburger Straße.
• In Lisbon: stay in Príncipe Real or Chiado, not in Bairro Alto itself.
• In Buenos Aires: stay in Palermo Chico or Villa Crespo, not in Palermo Soho's loudest blocks.
• In Bangkok: stay in Ari or Ekkamai, not on Sukhumvit Soi 11.
• In Madrid: stay in Chueca or Malasaña (but not on the main drag), not in Sol.
Our neighborhood pages note the nightlife character of each district explicitly — check the tagline before you book. 'Loud' districts have a tagline that tells you so.
