How far out should you book an Air B&B/Hostles?

Where are you going?

oh sorry!! Forgot to add that: Ireland, England and either Paris or Germany (still narrowing that down).

I book as soon as I am sure of my itinerary, Good places go fast and prices don't get any better. September is still very busy in Eurpe.

We just booked our Air BnB's for Sept this week. (Austria and venice). Good ones go fast.

We are getting an Air BNB in North Carolina and within 10 minutes of communicating with our travel companions, the place got booked so we had to start from square one.
If you find something you like, BOOK IT. Most places have a good cancellation policy if you find something better.

I book aboout 9 months out as soon as I get my plane tickets.

Ditto. As soon as I know my itinerary. Im traveling in June-July and many places were disappearing last month when I reserved...

best,
Jessica

For Paris book now , it's a super popular month , not off season for accommodation!

fwiw, I am in England and use airbnb and pretty much two weeks in advance is as far out as I book.
Granted ,I am not heading to the tourist honeypots but am travelling in the national parks.
By Sept the schools and Universities are back so a great time to travel

I don't use Airbnb or hostels, but I don't book my hotels very far, except for my first stop. However, there's quite a risk in doing that if you're headed to a popular destination (like Paris) which is a must-see for you. And folks have said that September is extremely busy in Paris.

Basically, the lower your budget, the more careful you need to be about being priced out of the cities you most want to visit.

If you're planning to stay in any Hostels, you might consider getting a membership in HI Hostels. They tend to have several properties in larger cities, which will increase your chances of getting a bed.

If you haven't stayed in Hostels before, you'll need to pack along a towel, flip-flops and a small but robust Padlock for the lockers (don't use one of the cheap TSA locks for this purpose).

If you're definitely going, book now. There is no advantage to waiting, as far as I know, and I have used AirBnB extensively. As others have said, the best accommodations get booked out well in advance, as do those that are the best value.

The only caveat is that the total charge for your stay(s) must be paid when you book. If you have any doubts about locking things in so early, bear in mind that the cancellation policies vary from host to host. I always try to book houses with a flexible cancellation policy, just to be prudent, but I will lock in some with strict cancellation policies if I really want that particular house. Given that my wife and I have a pretty extensive 'Must Have/Must Not' list with regards to accommodation, I regularly find myself doing the latter.

As soon as I know my dates and have purchased airline tickets, then I make all my lodging reservations. The longer you wait, the fewer choices you will have. Accommodations on Airbnb don't tend to fluctuate based on how far ahead you book...the prices are usually tied to the season/month in which you are traveling.

I book after we book flights and make sure they have a cancellation policy that I am comfortable with.

With Airbnb, you pay when you book. If you have your heart set on something, you should probably book. If not, I've had pretty good luck booking a couple of months out and using tripadvisor (I think better in Europe) to book really last minute lodging.

For hostels, it really depends on the hostel. Two hostels come to mind as being particularly busy. The MIJE in Paris will get booked up, so you are best off booking as soon as you know your dates. Burg Stahleck hostel, on the Rhein, is always booked up too. If you want to get in, you have to book early. I also really like Institute San Sebastian in Salzburg. It's not exactly a hostel but fills the same niche. When the good hostels are full, you can usually find another hostel available unless a major event is going on in town.