bburesh
Full Travel Member
Posts: 10
|
Post by bburesh on Apr 17, 2007 12:59:50 GMT -5
We have finally finalized our itinerary for this upcoming summer! Now we are starting to get everything else planned! We have bought all the tickets for plane and train travels throughout Europe. So, accomodations are next on our list! This is the first time both of us have used hostels before so we know absolutely nothing about them. Here are a few of our questions! Any help will do!
Should we book the hostels before we leave or when we get there?
Is it best to get a private room for the two of us?
What can we do with our backpacks during the day. do hostels have lockers or anything to hold them?
And what are the best hostels in the cities were are visiting. Here is a list of cities we are going to:
London
Madrid
Rome
Lucerne
Zurich
Munich
Prague
Amsterdam
We are wanting to go cheap but also not have to stay in a dirty disgusting hostel. Something nice and fun but also non-expensive is what we are looking for! So if anyone has any ideas or advice I would greatly appreciate it! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by crystal on Apr 17, 2007 16:51:19 GMT -5
If you are travelling in the summer months june - sept I would recommend booking before you leave. This is a really busy time of the year and a lot of hostels will be booked up. Plus booking before will give you a chance to check out reviews so you don't end up in some skuzzy place.
A private room vs dorms I think is a matter of personal taste. I personally like a private room but am happy to share other facilities (shower rooms ect) but expect to pay more for it. Other people like getting to know other travellers in a dorm room. Not all hostels do private rooms so again booking in advance will help with this.
Most hostels will have some area where you can leave your backpacks but again different hostels vary. Some will have lockable storage lockers others just have a room near reception where everyone dumps there stuff on top of one another. Again this can be checked out if you pre-book before you leave.
Hope this helps
|
|
|
|
Post by crystal on Apr 17, 2007 17:04:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by herrbert on Apr 17, 2007 19:37:38 GMT -5
Most sites at which you can book hostels also display what other travelers experienced. Personaly I always read the reviews (the whole bunch of them), and have a good look at the ratings and comments about hygiene. Also check on comments about lockers, the kitchen etc. (esp. the points that are interesting for you)
I try to have a dorm in one town, and a privat room in the next, this way I have the best of both worlds, as for contact and privacy.
|
|
|
|
Post by pointofnoreturn on Apr 18, 2007 8:27:45 GMT -5
Unless you're really into meeting people, you could save money in London reasonably and book a private ensuite room at a Travelodge (a double, family, double + single... etc, all for the same price) online for only 15 or 26 pounds It's a great idea to save money, get a bit of privacy (no dorms!) and a good deal if you're travelling with another person! For Rome, I would book with the Beehive - either a dorm or a private room (that includes a shared bathroom and kitchen) at one of their apartments. That's what I did for my upcoming trip - booked at a Travelodge for the UK and Beehive's Acacia apartment for Rome. As for the others, they're not in my itinerary so I can't really offer any suggestions  |
|
|
|
Post by Eagle on Apr 18, 2007 21:58:13 GMT -5
bburesh, a few more comments on your questions:
If your Itinerary is fairly well "fixed", I'd recommend that you book your Hostels now, mostly due to the fact that you'll be travelling in summer (peak season!). If you leave this to chance, you find yourself in a "less than desirable" Hostel, located in a very inconvenient part of the city.
You can try to book a private room at the time you make your reservations, however I suspect you'll need to be a bit flexible in this regard as private rooms tend to get booked quickly. If the rooms are booked, you have two choices - either settle for a dorm room (depending on the Hostel, you might both be able to stay in the same room) OR book a room in a budget Hotel, which might not be that much more costly. Your choice......
Some Hostels have Lockers large enough to hold a Backpack, but you'll have to supply your own Padlock usually. DON'T go cheap on the Padlock though. I posted some information in the Packing section on what to look for in a travel Padlock, but I'd have to do a bit of searching to find the Post.
If no lockers are provided, make sure you don't leave any valuables in your Backpack (take these in your Daypack and Money Belt), and just lock the zippers (provided you're using a panel-load Pack?). You could also secure the Pack to the bed or whatever with a Cable and Lock if you're really worried about it. However, given the inherent weaknesses of Backpacks, these measure will only be a deterrent to "the honest people".
Most times you can leave valuables at the front desk also. If there's something you're really worried about, you could consider that. I wouldn't leave Cash there however.
Check some of the other Posts here on the Boards, as there are LOTS of suggestions listed. I liked the Alessandro Palace in Rome, but since I often use budget Hotels as well as Hostels, I don't have Hostel experience in all the cities you listed.
Good luck and happy travels!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by madamtrashheap on Apr 18, 2007 23:24:01 GMT -5
bburesh, a few suggestions to add to the others: Should we book the hostels before we leave or when we get there? yes, especially as you're travelling in Summer (busy time)Is it best to get a private room for the two of us? up to you in terms of budget and privacy requirements - perhaps if you're at a place that is a little more expensive for a private room, and it's only for 2 nights, you could try the dorm experience, then you'll know what you prefer.What can we do with our backpacks during the day. do hostels have lockers or anything to hold them? - some have lockers, some don't so I'd suggest not leaving anything valuable in your packs and locking them when you leave for the day.And what are the best hostels in the cities were are visiting. This is a tricky one as one person's idea of "the best" is another's idea of not so fab! Here are some names, but by all means check the reviews (on this site and others) before you decide.London - lots of recommendations for Travelodge (hotel, not hostel) and many around Hyde Park. The Generator has private rooms that aren't too expensive but it can be busy with school trips (France, Germany,etc) during Summer if that makes a difference to you.Madrid - check the boards as there have been a few recommendations of late.Rome - Alessandro Palace and The Beehive (appartments or hostel) are two favourites hereLucerne - there are a few "budget" accommodation options in Luzern, often just out of the centre but there are busses. Also try hotels like Hotel Luzernerhof ( www.luzernerhof.ch Located in the old town, near the Lion Monument, very pretty and very Swiss); Hotel Central ( www.hotel-central-lu.ch Located in the centre of town in the new town section, about 5min walk to the lake, 2min to train station);
Hotel Anker ( www.anker-luzern.ch Located just around the corner from the train station (about 30secs) in the centre of the new town district. Nice hotel, good prices for centre of town). Switzerland isn't cheap as a tourist so yo may have to up the budget here a bit.Zurich - there are hostels around the train station for convenience, not familiar with any of them personally, but do a quick search to see what suits you.Munich - Wombat's, Haus InternationalPrague - check Ray In Prague thread as he has written some great info about the cityAmsterdam - most popular are Flying Pig (Downtown for party, Uptown for more relaxed feel), Stayokay (near Vondel Park, Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum and Leidseplein) but have a look on the boards for others as they aren't the only ones.Happy booking! EDIT: that will teach me to sit too long in a post - Eagle has answered a lot of your queries too!
|
|
