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Booking Hostels in Advance?
She
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Hello!

My travel partner and I are a bit lost on whether or not we should book our hostels (we’re also okay with pensions and cheap hotels) in advance. Is it necessary that some cities (listed below!) be reserved in advance while others it doesn’t matter as much? We want to keep our schedule open for spontaneity, but we also don’t want to be caught spending the day worrying about where we’re going to stay that night. I’ve seen a fair bit about tourist booths that will help travellers find a place to stay. Are such places available in all countries and where are they generally located or does it differ by country? Near train stations etc.

Here are the cities:

London
Dublin
Malaga
Barcelona
Venice
Rome
Zurich
Munich
Vienna
Budapest
Prague
Berlin
Amsterdam

Any information you can give would be amazing and absolutely welcomed! Also, if you’ve been to any of the cities we’re planning on visiting, we would love to hear places you liked (or didn’t like) to stay

Thank You!!!!

I am leaving from Norfolk, Virginia, United States with $3300 for 33 days
London, Dublin, Málaga, Barcelona, Rome, Zürich, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, London
Requesting help with Transport, Hostels, Budget, Itinerary, Nightlife, Food, Sights
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Hey,

First off, when are you leaving – depending on any major events, holidays or celebrations, some hostels could be booked already!

HostelBookers.com is recommended if you want to book without paying a booking fee (just a 10% deposit in Euro). Some tourist booths will help find accommodations, but might be pretty much the same as calling around and finding what’s available that night.

In Zurich, the Hostelling International facility is a decent place. A little far from downtown, but it’s affordable – tough to say in Switzerland. Wink

For Budapest, it’s a MUST to go to Corvin Point Hostel. A few stops on the metro away from the nightlife, but such a great place to stay. Zoltan, the host, is awesome, really helpful and knows how to make you feel welcome!

And in Dublin, The Bunkhouse (it should be back in business now) is a decent place off O’Connell Street and a block away from the airport shuttle bus (and 3-4 from the buses to Galway/Cork/Shannon).

Have fun!

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She
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Hello!

Thank you so much for your help— we are leaving the 26th of May until the 28th of June, 2010. Smile Cutting it a bit short for the beginning of our trip, I suppose.

Thanks again for the recommendations on places to stay! I am looking them up right now…

I am leaving from Norfolk, Virginia, United States with $3300 for 33 days
London, Dublin, Málaga, Barcelona, Rome, Zürich, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, London
Requesting help with Transport, Hostels, Budget, Itinerary, Nightlife, Food, Sights
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Don’t necessarily be too concerned if it’s “booked”.

Nearly all hostels allocate a set number of rooms for online sales only, so they can leave several available for walk-ins/phone-ins or last-minute changes. Sometimes it’s just a matter of sending them an e-mail or giving them a call if it looks like a really good spot that would work for both of you.

Almost forgot.. it’s concert and World Cup season. You might need to do some extra hunting for some spots, depending who’s playing (or still in the tournament).

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Will it be busy in the big cities for the World Cup since it’s in South Africa? I’m actually pretty excited to be over in Europe for the games, but I’m a bit dumb as far as fandom knowledge goes… I suppose it’ll be nuts. Good reminder!

I am leaving from Norfolk, Virginia, United States with $3300 for 33 days
London, Dublin, Málaga, Barcelona, Rome, Zürich, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, London
Requesting help with Transport, Hostels, Budget, Itinerary, Nightlife, Food, Sights
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Well, don’t mention it in Ireland if France is playing that day.. they’re still pretty miffed!

Here’s the map of the teams involved: http://www.fifa.com/…

If you’re in Italy on the 14th, 20th or 24th, then prepare to just sit back, order some wine, relax and enjoy the game – you’re probably not going anywhere! Wink

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TandT123
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Question My boyfriend and I are going on a European trip and were wondering if it is necessary to book hostels per bed or per person? Do we have to pay double because we have two people or can we get away with just paying for one bed and have two people sleep in it? Any thoughts?

I am leaving from London with $2000 for 16 days
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I am traveling for 17 days
Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt, Vienna, Český Krumlov, Prague, Munich
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Those bed are (usually) tiny, you’ll almost certainly want a bed to yourself even if you can technically sleep two people in 1… which may or may not be possible, anyway. Typically the hostels want to account for all the people in their building (fire codes, etc). I’ve only seen maybe 2 hostels where they have (double) beds where you can book 1 bed for 2 ppl. And anyway, if you are wanting to share a bed… you might want to do it not in a dormitory room with 18 other people watching. Get a private hostel room or a cheap budget hotel instead.

I am leaving from Atlanta, GA with $1200 for 14 days
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Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bangkok

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