Hostels - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

SweetAmmonia66 · 07-03-2006, 03:21 AM

How anal are hostels that you make reservations in advance? Do you think I wouldn’t be able to get in if I just showed up the day of?

**travelpunk** · 07-04-2006, 01:18 AM

It depends on how busy they are. In the summer months mannnnny hostels are booked to capacity because it's the busy time of year where students are all out of school and traveling overseas alone or with their families.

If hostels do have a few openings left on whatever random day you walk in there, you can bet your ass that they'll try to get a pretty penny for the "last of the Mohicans."

Treat it as if you were traveling to Disneyland or NYC or Dallas or Miami. If you took a vacation to these cities, would you just book your flight and wander the city to find a reasonable rate?

Or, would you save time by shopping for the best accommodations to fit your needs and book ahead of time so that you're all prepared when you arrive at your destination?

This goes for any time of the year, but especially during the summer months.

Good luck

!

**MeTurk** · 07-04-2006, 03:57 AM

I was never able to book hostels because I don't have a credit card so I was preaty much a walk in where ever I went and I only got caught out once in Amsterdam. There was nothing at all when I arived there (big converence on) not even an expensive hotel room, luckely I found a camp site out of town and eventually got into the flying pig a few days later.

I used to try and find the phone numbers of hostels in the city I was going to the day before (it can be difficult due to the online booking systems restricting phone numbers so you have to book with them but the numbers are out there somewhere) then ring them on the train. It usually worked out I found that many hostels have beds set aside for walk-ins but I was traveling later in the year.

At least ring ahead if you can that will at least save you the walk if there full.

thekid · 07-04-2006, 08:59 AM

i always seem to end up in town without a bed. if the hostels are fully booked (happens quite often) then the campsites are your best bet. nice and cheap to.

SweetAmmonia66 · 07-04-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MeTurk@Jul 4 2006, 02:57 AM
I was never able to book hostels because I don't have a credit card so I was preaty much a walk in where ever I went and I only got caught out once in Amsterdam. There was nothing at all when I arived there (big converence on) not even an expensive hotel room, luckely I found a camp site out of town and eventually got into the flying pig a few days later.

I used to try and find the phone numbers of hostels in the city I was going to the day before (it can be difficult due to the online booking systems restricting phone numbers so you have to book with them but the numbers are out there somewhere) then ring them on the train. It usually worked out I found that many hostels have beds set aside for walk-ins but I was traveling later in the year.

At least ring ahead if you can that will at least save you the walk if there full.

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I'm flying into Amsterdam and I was looking at staying at the Flying Pig. The only problem with that is my plane ticket is on stand by, so I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to get there.

SweetAmmonia66 · 07-04-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thekid@Jul 4 2006, 07:59 AM
i always seem to end up in town without a bed. if the hostels are fully booked (happens quite often) then the campsites are your best bet. nice and cheap to.

[snapback]129445[/snapback]

Will campsites have a tent that I can rent? If not do you know of any small light weight tents that would fit into a backpack?

SweetAmmonia66 · 07-04-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by travelpunk@Jul 4 2006, 12:18 AM
It depends on how busy they are. In the summer months mannnnny hostels are booked to capacity because* it's the busy time of year where students are all out of school and traveling overseas alone or with their families.

If hostels do have a few openings left on whatever random day you walk in there, you can bet your ass that they'll try to get a pretty penny for the "last of the Mohicans."
Treat it as if you were traveling to Disneyland or NYC or Dallas or Miami. If you took a vacation to these cities, would you just book your flight and wander the city to find a reasonable rate?

Or, would you save time by shopping for the best accommodations to fit your needs and book ahead of time so that you're all prepared when you arrive at your destination?

This goes for any time of the year, but especially during the summer months.

Good luck !

[snapback]129393[/snapback]

Thanks for your help

**LostFarmboy** · 07-04-2006, 03:04 PM

You will be right in most places if you don't book. However, it is a good idea to book atleast a few hours or a day in advance, just to ensure you get into the hostel you want. The only place i had trouble with was Amsterdam, i had to wait 5 days before i could get a bed, so i went to Austria, it was a blessing in disguise.

Quote:

Will campsites have a tent that I can rent? If not do you know of any small light weight tents that would fit into a backpack?

The campsites will either have little 1 or 2 bed cabins you can rent for cheap or they will have dorms. Europe is really well set up for backpackers.

**MeTurk** · 07-05-2006, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SweetAmmonia66@Jul 4 2006, 01:51 PM
I'm flying into Amsterdam and I was looking at staying at the Flying Pig. The only problem with that is my plane ticket is on stand by, so I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to get there.

[snapback]129486[/snapback]

Booking one or two days in advance may be enough.

SweetAmmonia66 · 07-06-2006, 02:54 PM

^ I'm bringing a tent if that fails.

**omisan** · 07-06-2006, 04:09 PM

If you get to Amsterdam really early in the morning or late at night, you can line up for the Flying Pig in the AM. They always save a number of beds to give to people who line up in the morning.

ImChino · 07-20-2006, 01:24 PM

speaking of reserving rooms at hostels, im traveling with my girlfriend

so i was curious to know if i could book a private room and have both of us stay in it. will we able to share the room since technically we're sleeping on the same bed?!?!?

PLUSCREW · 08-09-2006, 08:25 AM

sorry dude,
most hostels don't see it that way. If you want to go private you will have to book a double or twin and the price is usually per room not per person. Most places frown on 2 people in a single bed, (unless you're hooking up with a roomy) . The only place that has a shared bed thing happening is the Flying Pig in Amsterdam, but you're also sharing the room with about 4 others. They even offer hammocks if you're feeling flexible.

**tumblezweedz** · 08-09-2006, 12:37 PM

Ditto that, even traveling with an infant who slept in my bed, the hostels had us pay for all the beds in the room. Sometimes it's as cheap for two people to book a small hotel room as it is a private room in a hostel, so don't rule out mom and pop type hotels, either.

ImChino · 08-09-2006, 01:45 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tumblezweedz @ Aug 9 2006, 12:37 PM) [snapback]134354[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Ditto that, even traveling with an infant who slept in my bed, the hostels had us pay for all the beds in the room. Sometimes it's as cheap for two people to book a small hotel room as it is a private room in a hostel, so don't rule out mom and pop type hotels, either.

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you make a good point about the hotel thing. the more research i do, the more i begin to realize that i should just get a hotel room instead of a hostel in some of the smaller cities. i just dont want to loose the conversation with fellow travellers or hopefully fellow T-Punkers!

did anybody have a problem with people snorring or stinking in hostels? just curious cause im a light sleeper and i dont want to look like a wuss with my sleep mask and ear plugs!

i guess we can do the hostel thing for a while then when we want to get busy we can get a sleeper cab on the train.

does anyone know if there is such a thing as "The Mile Low Club"?!??!?!