VP.

So I have a trip coming up at the end of August where I'm going to be visiting several different cities over several days; Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam.

Right now, the only booking I've made is for the first two nights when I'm in Stockholm. My theory was that I would avoid booking for the rest of the days so that I would be free to depart each city whenever I felt like it (I have a Eurail pass, so the travel days are completely flexible). I have an idea how long I'd like to spend in each place, but I don't want to be forced to leave if I'm having a good time just to make it to my next hostel booking.

However, now I'm starting to get worried I won't be able to get a place to stay. Especially worrying is Amsterdam, which is obviously a very popular place and I am planning to spend about 7 days there. I really don't want to come into Amsterdam Sunday night and have no place to stay, that would suck.

I guess another option would be just to book the END of the week in Amsterdam, like the last 4 days. Then I could be flexible on when I needed to arrive in Amsterdam, and then just call a day ahead and try to squeeze in someplace for a couple nights. I read on some places, like Bob's youth hostel, that they save most of their beds for walkins...any idea how early i need to arrive to set that up?

So, any advice? Should I sacrifice flexibility on travel dates in exchange for the security of knowing I have a place to sleep arranged?

Here is my tentative schedule for reference:

Nights of Tue. Aug. 22 & Wed. Aug. 23 in Stockholm
Nights of Thur. Aug. 24 - Sat. Aug. 26 in Copenhagen
Nights of Sun. Aug. 27 - Sat. Sep. 2 in Amsterdam

Maineartist

Either way you'll be fine.

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"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world."
~Freya Stark

MeTurk

Yes that does suck. Thank God for camp Zeeburg they always have space.

Get the phone numbers of the hostels before you leave the last city. Amsterdam was the only place that I couldn't find anywhere other than a campsite to stay, I couldn't even get a posh over priced room. Every other city had spaces but I was traveling August/september.

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"It's nice to have a nun around. Gives the place a bit of glamour." Fr Ted
Couchsurfer (:_irritainment_

tumblezweedz

It's probably not a bad idea to book at least the last couple of days in Amsterdam, since you know you have to get there in time for your flight home at any rate. Then you have the flexibility of showing up later, and if you have to stay somewhere rougher than you'd like, you know you've got something better at the end of it.

I stayed in an absolute dive on my last night in Amsterdam - I have blotted the name out of my memory. The only good thing about it was I made a great friend there, with whom I still keep in touch - we slept on horrible, mangy cots in a dark crowded room - it was disgusting. It was kind of a disappointing way to end my trip, although I was so psyched about going home that I didn't care too much.