I'll be spending around six weeks in western Europe this May/June. Anyone have any experience with the many hostel reservations web pages? I'd like to handle the bulk of my reservations through a single service for the sake of simiplicity.
Also - How accurate are the listed prices? Exchange rate fluctuations are expected, but are "hidden" fees added to the room tab commonplace?
Thanks in advance
I'd go with the main ones: hostelworld.com and hostelbookers.com
I like hostelworld better (personally). I find it has more user's comments. It's always good to compare the ratings each hostel gets on the different websites and read the comments people leave. I try not to take much consideration in the comments left more than 2 years ago since things can change pretty fast.
I also like to check on hostelz.com since they usually have more complete reviews but I wouldn't use it to look for a hostel.
Don't be shy to email the hostel if you have any question. Some will make you feel really comfortable right away. It can help you make a decision.
Make sure linen is included of course but that is really not a problem (usually) in Western Europe.
If you want to choose one service, I would probably say hostelworld.com
Try www.venere.com. They cover most of Europe. We used them to get a reservation in La Spezia when most areas of the CT were booked. Once the reservation is made, they get out of the way. You pay the hotel and not Venere. Our experience worked well for us.
I've used Hostelworld and Hostelbookers - you don't pay a booking fee with hostelbookers, but hostelworld does charge a $2.00 booking fee. You pay a 10% downpayment, and then the rest is paid on arrival. I always print out the booking site's confirmation, and e-mail the actual hostel a week or two before to confirm they received the reservation. Never had a problem with either one - no extra fees or charges, and room rate was what I reserved on the site.
Thanks for the responses, I'll check out those sites. I've been saving for this trip for nearly twelve years (something expensive always comes up, dosen't it?) so I guess I've just got the pre-trip jitters after being in the planning stage for so long. It barely seems real yet.
I like hostelworld.com, there is a booking fee, but after 2 or 3 bookings, you don't have to pay anymore, as your considered a member.
The prices are very accurate, I was just in Madrid and paid the exact amount listed. No problems whatsoever.
The best for Europe is www.hrs.com!
Adding to Vanessa's comments. The consensus seems to be that hostelz.com has the most objective hostel reviews.
