Saturday, November 9, 2013

Where to Stay?

When it comes to holiday, the first thing that comes into your mind is a plush luxurious resort with a swimming pool and bar. Well, if that is what you are looking for why spend so much to see Europe? You can have it in your country. When you are on a budget, keep your objective very simple - to explore Europe as much as you can. So just look for basics as far as accommodation is concerned as you should be using it just to retire after a day long city tour or travel.

Thankfully, Europe has a whole range of accommodations - from budget hotels, hostels, bed & breakfast, inns, luxury hotels, etc. I would recommend Hostels. There is a misconception that if you are travelling with spouse then it is not safe to stay at hostel. There are various categories of rooms available even in a hostel. You can get a private room with a private bathroom in most hostels. Also, most hostels provide you with complimentary breakfast which is quite filling - Milk, cereals, eggs, tea/coffee, ham, breads, fruits, etc.

The tariff varies from city to city. In east European countries, you can get a bed in dormitory for as low as 7 euros while in Scandinavia you can get it for as high as 30 euros. Private rooms will cost you on an average 35 euros per head per night. You can check out the rooms and book easily at sites like Hostelworld and Hostelbookers. You need to pay just 10% of the tariff upfront and the rest you need to pay at the time of checking in.
Alert: Read the terms & conditions of each hostel carefully including the check-in and check-out times.


Hostels are normally occupied by young tourists and therefore you will have vibrant company during your stay. Besides, most hostels have community kitchen so you can get your stuff from supermarket and cook on your own. The common area or lounge of the hostels is an area buzzing with activity. Most hostels have Free WIFI so you can catch up with your mails or facebook updates or post your pictures in realtime. Moreover, there is a lot of information in terms of maps, bus and flight schedules, city events, pub crawl packages, etc available at hostels.There are locker facilities available at most hostels so that you can store your luggage while you are out for an excursion.

For those who prefer to travel alone, there is another concept that is catching up fast which is called Couchsurfing. You need to register on this site and create your profile. Then you can look for someone who is ready to host you at his/her house at the location where you are travelling. All this for FREE!! It can be a great convenience and save you some bucks. If your host is kind enough then he/she can also show you around with his/her group of friends.

If you are ready to trade off a little luxury then Europe can be really budget-friendly place to travel.

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