Please recommend hostels in:

[j33pguy]

Rome
Venice
Prague
Paris

any ideas about specific hostels in each of those 4 cities?

how much would you say a night for 2 people would cost (in may)?

Safe?

any other safety/common knowledge ideas/recommendations welcome.

[me]

in Rome, i stayed at The Beehive. <www.the-beehive.com> but, ave heard that the kitchen is now closed to guests. a hostel without a guest kitchen is not so good, especially if you plan to spend more than one night there. as such, i'd suggest you look for another place. there are several in that same neighborhood.
rate: €25 per person, per night if not a holiday rate

in Venice, i stayed at Santa Fosca. <www.santafosca.com/statiche/ostello/servizi.asp> which is a cheap place to stay, but it's commensurately hard to get a bed there. rate: €20per person, per night in a dorm. €25 per person, per night in a single/double.

don't really remember the name of the place i stayed in Prague. it wasn't a luxurious place. very utilitarian. and, i've never been to Paris.

j33pguy said:

Rome
Venice
Prague
Paris

any ideas about specific hostels in each of those 4 cities?

how much would you say a night for 2 people would cost (in may)?

Safe?

any other safety/common knowledge ideas/recommendations welcome.

[pointofnoreturn]

Reposting my original reply from the other thread;


Rome - The Beehive (www.the-beehive.com) - Aside from dorms, they also have private rooms and apartments available. Regarding apartments, you can book a room in one of them (usually about 70-75 euros a room per night but there's free internet, a HUGE bathroom and well-stocked kitchen). Would totally recommend this place.

Paris - I stayed at Appihotel in 2e arrondissement. Somewhat in the middle of a red light district but the rooms are bright and immaculately clean. For a twin ensuite room/balcony, it cost $35 CAD per person for that room.

[Eagle]

j33pguy, For lodgings in Rome, you might have a look at Alessandro Palace Hostel. It's within easy walking distance from Termini, has Internet facilities on site, and I believe all the rooms now have bathrooms. There's also a Bar next to the Reception desk, which is convenient.

It's difficult to provide information on prices, as you didn't indicate whether you'd prefer a Dorm room or private room? A 4-bed Dorm room is listed on their website at €35.00 per night (per person), however these are 2007 prices. I stayed in a 4-Bed Dorm and didn't mind that at all.

I can't provide suggestions for the other locations, as I tend to "mix" my accomodations a bit and stay in budget Hotels.

any other safety/common knowledge ideas/recommendations welcome.

Could you be a bit more specific on what sort of "recommendations" you're interested in? For example, train travel, languages, or other travel info? If this is your first trip, I'd highly recommend that you read the Rick Steves book Europe Through The Back Door, as it answers a lot of the "general travel" questions.

Cheers!

[j33pguy]

thanks folks.
my mom and sister went to paris and they stayed at a hotel for 80 USD a night (for both of them)....which makes me question wheather it's worth spending 70 bucks (35 bucks a night a person for me and my gf) to stay at a hostel!!!! why not pay the additional 10 bucks and stay at a decent hotel? i initially thought that hostels are really cheap...as in 20 bucks a night for two people...but i'm getting the sense that it's definitely not that cheap....

i'm torn between which route to take..."to hostel or not to hostel....that is the question!!! :-)

[WillTravel]

You don't have to decide it's all one way or the other. In a lot of cases, hostels are not a great bargain, particularly if you are two of you, and you do some bargain-hunting in advance. Particularly if you are traveling with a girlfriend, I'm sure you'd appreciate privacy!

But sometimes the cost differential is so great that hostels are the way to go - like in Edinburgh during the festivals, and probably Oktoberfest in Munich, etc.

[j33pguy]

i see. if we were to try to find cheap "hotels", what sites would you all recommend? what's average for venice, paris, and prague?

[Eagle]

j33pguy, I'm not sure about "the average" cost in each of the cities you mentioned, but have a look at these examples:

> Venice - I found Venice to be more expensive than other locations in Italy for rooms which were equivalent. Venice is a somewhat "unique" location, so that might have some bearing on the cost? Have a look at www.albergodoni.it/ to see whether that might fit your price range (note that breakfast is included).

> Paris - Have a look at www.hotel-leveque.com/en/index.php for one example of a "budget" Hotel in Paris. This is a two-star property, so is in the "low range" for prices. I believe the Continental Breakfast is slight additional cost, but check the web site. This Hotel is in the Rue Cler area, which is quite popular and that might have a bearing on the price. It's easy walking distance to the Ecole Militaire Metro stop, Eiffel Tower, etc.

> Prague - you might post a note to Ray about Prague, as I'm sure he'd have the best suggestions. Have a look at www.arcadiaresidence.com/?lang=en or www.hostelboathouse.com/index2en.htm or www.ibishotel.com/ibis/fichehotel/gb/ibi/1958/fiche_hotel.shtml or www.lidabb.eu/en/0.html to see if any of these might work for you.

Good luck!

[WillTravel]

One thing to watch out for is a cheap, nice hotel in a terrible location.

Another thing that can be a pleasant surprise is that a hotel may have an expensive price on its web site, but then you can find it cheaper somewhere else.

Try all of these:
www.hotelscombined.com
www.booking.com
www.gtahotels.com
www.venere.com
www.hostelworld.com (this has budget hotels and guesthouses, and even not so budget hotels).
www.hotelbooking.com
www.hotelclub.net

For Paris particularly: en.federal-hotel.com/hotels_paris_42074.htm

Some of the best bargains require you pay in advance, so you have to decide if you're willing to do that.

For Rome and Venice, convents can also be cheap options. If you're interested in more details on those, write back.

The season can also make a huge difference. For example, this Venice hotel I stayed at has a really low rate for January, but it is quite expensive most of the rest of the year.

A few options to get you started:
Pension Panda in Rome
Hotel Boccaccio in Rome
Locanda San Samuele in Venice
Hotel Tiquetonne in Paris

I haven't been to Prague, but Miss Sophie's has cheap double rooms, as well as a hostel.

[alesol]

VISIT www.romerentalapartments.com CHEAPS ACCOMMODATION, APARTMENTS FOR RENT IN ROME PREICE VERY CONVENIENCE, FRUNISH EQUIPED APARTMENTS - INSTANT BOOKING!

[stylescriber]

I stayed in Paris 6 months ago. Stayed at a hotel called Hotel Sezz, it's just right along the Right Bank neighborhood. When I was there with my sister, the rate was $2129.00, which is for 4 night-stay stay for two. But I'm eyeing Milan now.