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Old 02-12-2006, 12:14 PM   #1
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Now that I have my cities down...London, Amsterdam, Brugges, Paris, BArcelona, Rome, Interlakn, Munich....I now want to know where u guys have stayed??

Anyone who has been to these places, if u can remember the names, let me know what u experienced. I shoot for cheapest clean safe place in every city...as does everyone..

thanks...lilchappy
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Old 02-12-2006, 12:25 PM   #2
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I can help you out a bit! Here's where I stayed in the cities I visited:

London: The Generator - good location, clean, I think I paid 9 pounds beginning of May. Includes breakfest, had a bar in it. I'd go back!

Paris: I stayed in a shady budget hotel. Don't do that!

Barcelona: Sea Point Hostel - I partied hard for my birthday here! Literally right on the beach, about a 10-15 minute walk to Las Ramblas, friendly staff, clean rooms, maybe 20 euros or so a night. Don't really remember though!

Rome: I stayed at MEJ right by the train station, and really really disliked it! I heard Yellow Hostel was good though.

Munich: I cannot say enough good things about Euro Youth Hostel!! It's right by the train station, a short and nice walk to Marienplatz and the English Gardens, and the Hofbrauhaus. The staff is AMAZING, and the rooms held tons of people, but were clean and safe. It had a little bar, and I think breakfast was included.

Enjoy your trip, keep us posted, and I'm really jealous!
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Old 02-12-2006, 12:39 PM   #3
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Thanks for the reply. I have heard good and bad things about Yellow hostel. I have heard the atmosphere is awsome, but the actually facilities are sketchy. My GF had no hot water for 3 days there last month.

thanks...lilchappy
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Old 02-13-2006, 11:50 AM   #4
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The generator is kind of lame. Sure its cheap and you get breakfast but its as soulless as a frathouse.

I stayed at Yellow Hostel in Roma last march and would stay there again in a heartbeat. The staff are quite rude and sarcastic, but very very helpful and so nice after a bit. The breakfast is one of the best I've ever had at a hostel- boiled eggs, granola, toast, juice, milk, cereal. Also, they have a walking tour that IS NOT TO BE MISSED. Trust me, you want to go on the tour. Kind of turns into a pub crawl after a while. I stayed there in the low season, to be sure, but I thought it was pretty nice on the whole and had no hot water issues.

I hear three ducks in paris is to be avoided. never went, myself, but I heard it was shit from more than one person.

Also, I heard that the flying pig on the beach in amsterdam is a lot of fun. They have a shuttle that takes you back and forth to the city proper. My london roommates actually stayed in a hotel while they were in a-dam, wasnt much more expensive but it was nice and they were tired of meeting backpackers. wanted a break.

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Old 02-13-2006, 12:49 PM   #5
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My usual recommendations are as follows:

London: Astor Hyde Park. Why? Not the nicest place, but tons of people to meet/hang out with, nice location near Queensway and Bayswater Rd., on-site bar, good staff.

Paris: BVJ Louvre. Why? Lousy socially and kitchen-wise, but brilliant location, price, and no curfew/lockout! A bit hectic in the summer with tons of school groups, though.

Barcelona: Hôme Guest House. Why? Located in the suburbs, it's a 15-min. metro ride to all the action, which can be very nice. Fewer tourists (and pickpockets!), more of a "local" experience, and the house is super-nice, with an excellent staff.
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Old 02-13-2006, 07:36 PM   #6
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Home Guest house in Barcelona is now a must. I have a good friend who stayed there and said the same thing...

The flying pig was high on my list too.

Thanks for all the info...

Here is my help on a hostel..I was in Paris last summer as well, and stayed at Hotel Liberty. Kinda of a quiet place down an alleyway right off the train station and main metro. Decent room, toilet in room and sink and not too expensive. But...when I got my key, and headed up stairs, one of the workers was standing underneath the stairs, sweeping, with his cock hanging out, with a big smile on his face. Not sure if he was just letting it get some air or what. So....Hotel Liberty, for girls, if you like that kinda thing, hit that up...haha

cya...lilchappy
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Old 02-14-2006, 02:02 PM   #7
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BALMERS Herberge in Interlakn. Anyone heard of it or been there?

cya...lilchappy
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Old 03-03-2006, 01:48 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally posted by lilchappy@Feb 14 2006, 02:02 PM
BALMERS Herberge in Interlakn. Anyone heard of it or been there?

cya...lilchappy
[snapback]102721[/snapback]
I didn't stay there but I visited the bar. It seemed nice. Woah, I JUST now remembered I played ping pong there (oh! I'm remembering now! I went into one of the rooms, it was a cute little loft with nice looking duvets). There's lots of Koreans there. I stayed at the Funny Farm cuz my friend recommended it. It's in an old barn but also part of a nicer hotel. The showers were hot and had good pressure. It was like sleeping in a barn. We climbed up the fire ladder through the windows to get into our room...just cuz we could, not cuz we had to. Funny Farm is more hippy-ish (I think they sell weed if you ask for it) and Balmers is probably cleaner. Both places were fun though.

I stayed somewhere in Paris. I wish I knew what the place was called so I could tell you NOT to go there. My friend and I had a private room (which was kind of disgusting) and someone came into our room in the middle of the night. It freaked me out. A lot. He was just trying to fix something in the bathroom...I think... oh God, help! It was kinda near Gare de Lyon...?

and Rome, I stayed in a TINY place called Guy's Paradise. It was fun because it was so small. They served dinner (pasta and salad and that sort of thing), breakfast (good pastries, cereal, milk) plus all the cheap beer and wine you could drink. It's a block from Termini. Nice location. Good place to stay if everywhere else is booked.
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Old 03-03-2006, 02:02 AM   #9
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Quote:
I hear three ducks in paris is to be avoided. never went, myself, but I heard it was shit from more than one person.
Am I the only person that had a great time at the 3 ducks??? Sure it's a bit run down but I thought it had personality and cheep drink.

I stayed at the flying pig in Amsterdam, it was a fairly trendy place ok atmosphere.

In Barcelona I stay at the Kabul hostel I think it was, has a preaty crumby bar that shuts down fairly early.
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Old 03-24-2006, 09:17 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by lilchappy@Feb 14 2006, 05:02 PM
BALMERS Herberge in Interlakn. Anyone heard of it or been there?

cya...lilchappy
[snapback]102721[/snapback]
I stayed at Balmers during the summer of 04. We had to stay out in their "Tent City" which wasn't that good, but I heard the place itself wasn't to bad. They did have a good bar of course its just right down the street from the Funny Farm.
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Old 03-24-2006, 10:02 AM   #11
 
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Horray for Bruges! a friend and i went there out of the blue, because we realized we wouldn't have enough time to go to Rome from Amsterdam via train. It was the most random place that we'd both never heard of, but we loved every minute of it. It's a really cool town with a Medieval city center. we stayed at the st. christopher's Bauhaus which was right in the center. it had a great bar/ resturant that was inexpensive. you should befriend the bar regulars and ask them how to play a flemish card game or two!
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Old 04-24-2006, 11:32 AM   #12
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the generator in london is pretty fun, cheap bar, and good crowd most of the time looking to have fun.

i stayed at the flying pig and the shelter jordan in amsterdam. the flying pig is a lot more fun. the shelter hostels are christian affiliated and while they are nice and probably one of, if not the cheapest places to stay in amsterdam, they dont have mixed dorm rooms, and they have a strict no drugs policy. not a huge deal, but i like the mixed dorm rooms to get a change of flavor and i like the laid back attitude in amsterdam about drugs so the no-drug policy was a turn off even if i wasnt planning on bringing anything back to the hostel.
I'm heading to amsterdam soon and will be at the Hans-Brinker hostel, so i'll let you know about that place when i get back.

I've never been to Brugge but i hear its beautiful. I have been to Brussells and think its really an overlooked place to go and see. i thought it was a really pretty city and a good place to spend 2 or 3 days. I stayed at the Centre Vincent Van Gogh (CHAB) when i was there are it was nice. cheap dorm rooms in sort of loft style buildings. the only probably was if u were in the loft u had to climb a ladder to get to your bed and going up or down late at night or early in the AM was a little hard to do quietly.

Paris, i stayed at the Young and Happy hostel. not a bad place, and from what ive heard in general about hostels in paris its pretty good. strange that most hostels in paris seem to be really crappy. there was a 2am curfew which sucks but stuff closes generally there around then anyway. not the best hostel in the world but not bad either. and from what i hear its way better than 3 ducks.

Barcelona- ive stayed at a number of places. generally i just stay at one of the hostels on the streets that are more or less pensions than traditional hostels. but they can be decent, although you have to at least speak some spanish and occasionally pretty good spanish in order to talk to the owners. luckily i studied spanish in college and have done 2 years of study abroad so its not a problem for me, but if your spanish is lacking Kabul might be a safer bet. its more of a traditional hostel and it seems nice. ive never been. i definately wouldnt get a hostel in barcelona or anywhere in spain that had a curfew. spain has notoriously good nightlife and the parties dont start kickin til 2 or 3am, so you dont want to miss out thanks to a curfew.

i cant say ive been overly impressed with any of the hostels ive been at in italy. mostly they seem a little overpriced and not memorable. i did stay at the worst hostel ever in milan once, so i guess that was memorable. i cant be of too much help here, but i wouldnt expect a great place, so i would just search for cheap.

munich - euro youth hostel is just about the nicest place ive been at. the people are nice and the beds are reasonably cheap. the bar is cool, and its in a good location. the people there helped making phone calls for me to book another hostel in prague which ended up being pretty sweet cause u got lots of free beer at the hostel. all in all, i would definately reccomend the euro youth hostel. i cant say for sure if there is another better place in munich cause i never want to stay anywhere else when i go there. they also provide you with plenty of info on things to do in and around munich. it definately has the feel of a youth 'hotel' more than a hostel.
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