No room for the night- What to do?

I'm trying to think of any areas within Europe that are safe to rest at overnight, when do you need the list by?

Hi JC,
Thanks for getting back to me. We're leaving Tuesday.

First- thank you for your service.

Rick has some tips for this situation.

Free at Train stations and airports

cheap options

Enjoy your trip!

I would say camping out should be an option (no joke) if your travel will be this fluid. I would pick a certain number of stops and make reservations ahead of time at a hostel, hotel, inn or B&B. If as you say it's "No room for the night", be prepared to camp out.
Camping in Europe:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating/camping

"Also, are there areas you recommend that can be safe to rest at?"
If your trip includes hiking in the countryside, rest or camp in a forest or stand of trees.
In a city, try all the hostels before you give up.
In a city, try churches who have shelters for the homeless to see if you can sleep on a cot or their floor for one night. (Make a donation if you sleep there.) Try a library, train station or an all night coffee shop with a quiet corner to nap for an hour or two.

Remember that taking an overnight train somewhere on your journey provides you not only with transportation but a place to spend the night. Be sure and wear your money belt to keep valuables safe while you nap.

Although not possible with a "fluid itinerary", this is one reason I always prefer to book all accommodations in advance. One solution would be to find a 24-hour restaurant. That wouldn't provide any place to sleep but would probably be "safe". You could also use a Hostel for a few hours as a bed in a dorm wouldn't cost too much.

You might also post this question on the Lonely Planet Thorntree forum, as that has a well travelled group of younger travellers who have probably faced this same situation.

I think a better option is, usually, to call ahead morning of to locate and reserve a room.

If you are in a situation where you arriving lat at night and departing in just a few hours, see if you can figure out a train option that will let you sleep on the train.

Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies. To give you an idea of what we're doing, we fly to Dublin where we are staying with a friend for two days. From there, we ferry to Wales and catch a bus to London. We'll be in London for around 24 hours before we catch our overnight ferry (with a cabin) to the Netherlands. From Amsterdam, we begin using our 15 day continuous rail pass. This is where my question comes into play as everything previously mentioned is reserved and we have accommodations set.
From Amsterdam, some of the places we would like to see include Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Munich, Nice, Paris and, finally, catching the ferry from the French coast back to Ireland where we'll spend any remaining days.
I've installed Air B and B, Hostel World, Lonely Planet, and many other apps for lodging, train schedules, etc. More than likely, we won't encounter this problem because once we've determined our next stop, we'll book our lodging ASAP.
Thanks again for the input, I haven't lived in Europe since 1999 and have only stopped there for layovers, so I'm sure a lot has probably changed.
Cheers, all.

The Norwegian mountains are great for backpackers. See DNT (Norwegian trekking association):
https://english.dnt.no/about-the-cabins/

Lodgings can not always be booked in advance. Everyone who comes to
a cabin will have a place to sleep, either in a bunk or on a mattress
on the floor if all bunks are taken. The staffed lodges serve meals,
but you shouldn't arrive past serving times. (Bold emphasis added).

" From Amsterdam, we begin using our 15 day continuous rail pass."

You may already be aware of this, but one point to keep in mind is that for travel in France using the high speed TGV trains, you MUST also buy compulsory seat reservations. This may not work too well with a "fluid itinerary" as passholder reservations are limited in France. Once the quota for a particular train is sold-out, you're out of luck even if there are seats available! Your two choices in that situation are to either take a later train which does have passholder reservations still available, or just buy a P-P ticket at full price.

Although your list doesn't include any stops in Italy, seat reservations are extremely important there, as you'll face hefty fines (collected on the spot) if you're found without them. Note that seat reservations are specific to train, date and departure time, and can only be used on the one train listed on the reservation

What if we arrive somewhere that a room isn't available for the
evening or renting a room doesn't make sense given our next departure
time?

Just go to the next town over.

A lot has changed in 18 years. For one thing the value of a Eurail pass ain't what it used to be but too late to change that. Another big change is the amount of information online, you can find a room before you get to a town so you wouldn't have to be like a couple of homeless men which you'd probably look like in the middle of the night.

If all else fails try booking.com for last minute accommodations...they have a wide variety of listings, some of which are very cheap and can be had at the last minute. It's been a life saver a couple of times...two summers ago I ended up not being able to get back to the town where I was staying, it was late, and I was a little desperate...booking.com saved me with a small guest house that would take me late at night.

I also suggest booking.com or something similar. Even the day of arrival, you will find places available.

we ferry to Wales and catch a bus to London

The train is much faster and just as scenic. With the Sail/Rail promotion it is often also cheaper.

Hi Nigel,
We used the Sail and Rail combo from London to the Netherlands. We're hoping to stop to see Stonehenge on our way into London. If I remember correctly, we saw an article about a bus from Holyhead to London that stops there.
Are you familiar with this?
Cheers!

The only time I ever thought I might be homeless was on opening day at Oktoberfest. I called my list and they were all full. Then I tried the TI, which looked like the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile - so I didn't stick around. I went back to a phone booth and started calling a longer list from a guidebook (maybe lonely planet or rough guide?) and ultimately found something decent - at a good price. In general I'd say unless you are bumping into a major festival, you will always find something. Worst case, get on a train and go thirty minutes to the next town and try there.

I normally call my list around 10 the morning before I get to the town I plan to stay in. This is usually a good time to beat drop ins but late enough so the place knows if they will have any last minute vacancies. When I call I ask if they have a room for x number of people for x number of nights (with kids, I'd also tell them two adults and three kids). I let them suggest what they have. If it sounds good I ask the price (rather than say I'll take it). If the price is good, I'll book it and tell them when I expect to arrive. If I'm running late, I call to let them know I'm still coming.

Thanks, Brad. I don't anticipate running into this problem, but just running through the scenario. I've downloaded plenty of apps and shouldn't have an issue finding lodging. I appreciate the input.

If you don't find something in your chosen city, you can extend your search to the nearest suburb or town where the trains stop. Your continuous rail pass means that you can take an extra train ride back into the city in the morning without any extra accounting of ticket cost or days used, but a bit of your own time used.

If I got stuck in that type of situation (came close a couple of times) having no room or it was not worth it to get a room or the hostel was full, go to the Bahnhofsmission in Germany at the Hbf. If not that, then sit in the Waiting Room at the train station...no problem there, I travel solo so you two need not be concerned with security.

Train stations. We went from Frankfurt to Berlin on the night train - note, I'm not sure we will repeat this experiment - and were stuck in Hannover from 12 PM to 2:45 AM. There was an all-night bakery open. Some people were crashing in the corners. But most places you can find a room if you look, and hostels are probably the place to go for that.

I see that your itinerary is not fluid, it is non-existant. I would spend today and early tomorrow doing a little planning. Not a lot. My wife and I like to be a little fluid in our traveling, but we have a basic plan. You have a 15 day continuous pass. That's dangerous. You may consider more travel than is sensible. Pick 4 cities. Stay 3-4 nights in each. Use the continuous pass only 4 times, although you may have day trips in the middle. You may look into getting a couchette although this may add a small cost - lying down overnight on a train saves the hotel cost.

Paul,
It is fluid and not "nonexistent". We have a few definitive places to see, but are not committed to a strict schedule. Our travel may not be your preferred method, but we're quite happy with it.
Cheers.

Getting to Berlin on a night train is best done from Munich. I have done that a few times. Hannover Hbf is a pretty good station if you are stuck for a couple of hours...lots of outlets.

I should have mentioned, my French girlfriend uses tripadviser as her primary source for many things, especially for finding a last minute hotel. They're app seems to be good at sorting out where there are vacancies. If you spot something that works, you can book it right then.

Good that your itinerary is " fluid," better than the alternative, There were times when I wished I had had more flexibility factored in instead of being locked in to a set departure time. That was in Vienna going to Germany. Now i time the departure from Vienna by using the night train option.