Doubles

[magnav0x]

When we goto Europe next summer we plan on utilizing Hostels as much as possible. However, there is one thing I'm not exactly sure about. When reading through "guide books" and prices on the net regarding prices of doubles I'm a bit confused.

I checked out HostelWorld and just did search for a hostel sometime next June. It seems pretty clear all their prices are per person. However in a book like Let's Go Europe it lists a price for a double, but it makes it seem as if doubles have a flat cost and the only requirement is you have two people.

I'm just curious, because the hostels on HostelWorld seem a bit pricey. The cheapest in Amsterdam is $45 per night (for dorm style). I thought most hostels in Europe were about $20/night. We will probably be staying in doubles/privates as much as possible, but hell we may do the dorm thing a few times just for the social aspects.

[WillTravel]

Amsterdam is one of the most expensive places in Europe for dorms, so that doesn't surprise me. But you should be thinking in terms of 25-35 Euros per night for hostels in major European cities, rather than $20 USD (which is only about 14 Euros). There are 14 Euro per night hostels available in some places, but not something you can count on everywhere.

Hostelworld does list almost all the double rooms on a per-person basis. Most hotel booking sites do not, and a budget hotel might be a better deal in many cases.

[Eagle]

magnav0x, Hostels normally charge "per person" (ie: per bed) for dorm rooms, with the pricing less expensive for rooms with a large number of beds. However, some Hostels have private rooms and these will be priced on a "doubles" basis.

I usually mix my lodgings and use a combination of Hostels and budget Hotels, but in my experience WT is spot-on with the pricing - allowing for €25-35 is a good figure to plan for.

I just checked the website for HI Hostels in Amsterdam and there appears to be three Hostels in the Amsterdam area (I don't have any information on which location is best proximity to the city centre - hopefully one of the others can provide the details). Prices at the Stadsdoelen location range from €22.50 for a dorm bed to €55.00 for a double room, at the Vondelpark from €22.25 to €64.50 and at the Zeeburg location from €21.00 to €56.00 for a double room.

Good luck with your planning! Cheers!!!

[magnav0x]

Thanks Eagle and WillTravel! I'm mostly concerned with doubles since I'm traveling with my wife. I think in some locations we may just do the dorm thing for fun, but for the most part I think we'll do doubles. I just want to make sure I understand their pricing before I start trying to figure out a budget (even though we're doing $100/day for each of us). I'm not sure I'd be too keen on paying €50+ for a double unless that was the price for both of us. No sense in spending 3/4 of our daily budgets for lodging.

[madamtrashheap]

Just a little tip for you to facilitate obtaining double rooms - particularly in hotels, but might work in some hostels too. The word for asking for a double bed room (ie one big bed) that is recognised across Europe is "matrimonial", otherwise you may end up with what we call a twin room (ie two single beds) which is fine if one of you steals the covers! Interestingly enough, in places like Austria, some parts of Germany and Switzerland, you'll find a double bed is two singles pushed together - so a twin or a double depending on who is in the room...convenient!

Also, in most hotels (again, budget hotels, very few hostels) you'll find that the price is per room and not per person, but always check to be on the safe side.

[WillTravel]

$100 USD per day (currently about 72 Euros) for each of you is a reasonable backpacker budget, but I'm not sure that it will be really possible to get double rooms and follow this budget. Depending on how far you plan ahead, and what else is happening in the city, and what city it is, I think budget hotel rooms are basically in the 60-100 Euro range for a double. This is especially true for major tourist cities. Yes, there are some 50-Euro deals here and there, and maybe you can even find some 40-Euro deals, but that probably means southern and central Europe and more rural, small-town areas.

I can note things like the following for my upcoming August trip - the hotel I booked in Amsterdam for 79 Euros per night for a twin room is now available for 120 Euros (for the same dates), the hotel I booked in Copenhagen for 88 Euros per night w/breakfast is now unavailable, the hotel I booked in Berlin for 66 Euros per night w/breakfast is now 89 Euros w/out breakfast, etc. In other words, good deals pop up for hotels, but then they get booked, just like airfares.

[magnav0x]

willtravel said:

$100 USD per day (currently about 72 Euros) for each of you is a reasonable backpacker budget, but I'm not sure that it will be really possible to get double rooms and follow this budget. Depending on how far you plan ahead, and what else is happening in the city, and what city it is, I think budget hotel rooms are basically in the 60-100 Euro range for a double. This is especially true for major tourist cities. Yes, there are some 50-Euro deals here and there, and maybe you can even find some 40-Euro deals, but that probably means southern and central Europe and more rural, small-town areas.

That's interesting. Reading Rick Steve's book he says you actually save a little money by staying in doubles. I presume things have changed since the 2007 printing of his book or maybe his book is aimed more at off season travel. That's what gave me the impression that maybe most doubles were on a per room basis.

Sounds like we need to look more at budget hotels and not hostels or plan on staying in dorm hostels. Seems that lodging in Europe has being going up a bit & yes it doesn't help the US dollar is becoming so weak. These books need to be updated if $100/day is a reasonable budget. Everything I've read here, books, etc all indicate $100 day is a pretty high budget for backpackers.

[WillTravel]

If you're careful, it can work, but 2007 guidebooks are already out of date on this. Europe is increasingly crowded with tourists and there is ever more demand on budget accommodations. That, combined with the fact the USD has dropped in the last year, will make it tougher for people in low budget ranges. More and more people from all over the world are getting prosperous enough to travel. For example, tourist visits to the Vatican are nearly double what they are 10 years ago. What used to be low season is now low only relatively speaking.
www.theage.com.au/news/italy/crowded-out-on-the-roads-that-lead-to-rome/2007/03/08/1173166888595.html