c/budget-travel-hacks

Hostel bunks are a gamble but this one changed my strategy

I always went for the cheapest dorm bed I could find, usually 12 person rooms. Last trip to Portland I splurged an extra 8 bucks a night for a 4 person room and the difference was wild. No snoring, no one packing at 5am, and I actually slept through the night. Has anyone else found that paying a little more upfront saves you in the long run?

2 comments

paigem45•14d ago

My cousin laughed at my hostel booking strategy until I saved 200 bucks

My cousin Mike always insisted on booking hostels through the big name sites. He said my method of going direct through the hostel's own website was too risky. Last month I booked a 4 night stay at a hostel in Portland for $120 total through their site. Mike paid $180 for the same dates through a third party site and got stuck in a room with no window. Has anyone else had better luck booking direct instead of using the big booking platforms?

2 comments

julia_miller24•15d ago

Warning: Don't fall for those cheap flight alert sites that charge a subscription fee right away

I signed up for one of those flight deal sites that promised crazy cheap flights to Europe. Paid $49 for a year subscription after seeing an ad for $200 round trips to Paris. Turned out all the "deals" were from random budget airlines with 12 hour layovers in places like Reykjavik. I spent 3 months checking the alerts and never booked a single trip because the dates were always in late February or midweek. The real cheap flights I found just came from following airline Twitter accounts and using Google Flights explore feature. Has anyone else had better luck with a specific site or am I just doing this wrong?

c/budget-travel-hacks

Hostel bunks are a gamble but this one changed my strategy

My cousin laughed at my hostel booking strategy until I saved 200 bucks

Warning: Don't fall for those cheap flight alert sites that charge a subscription fee right away

Hostel loyalty programs vs skipping them entirely

Hit 10 countries in 3 weeks on $800 and felt like I cheated the system

Saved $60 on a hostel in Lisbon by booking direct after finding them on Hostelworld

Booking a hostel through a third party site cost me 3 hours of my trip

Overheard a flight attendant in Miami say something that changed how I book tickets

Hot take: I dropped $50 on a travel rewards credit card that was supposed to save me hundreds

Warning: backpacker hostels in Prague are not as cheap as everyone says

I laughed at the guy sleeping in airport terminals until I tried it myself

Warning: that guy who bragged about $5 hostels in Bangkok cost me $200

I finally stopped paying for overpriced airport water

Rebooked a flight 3 times because I ignored the 24 hour rule

Changed my mind about hostels after a stay in Porto

Remember when you could get a hostel room for $10 in Paris?

My hotel bill in Lisbon went from 80 euros a night to 45...

I finally chose a 12-hour bus ride over a $300 flight to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Rant: My old trick for cheap airport food is basically dead now

Met a guy in Lisbon who thinks hostels are a waste of money, and I couldn't disagree more

Update: I thought booking flights on Tuesday was the best deal, but my sister proved me wrong

My cheap travel pillow popped on a flight to Denver

Overheard a couple at the airport talking about their 'flight credit' system

Finally got a free night in Lisbon using credit card points

Had to pick between a direct flight or a 12 hour layover to save $180