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Remember when you could just show up at a hostel in Prague without a booking?
Back in 2012, I got off a train with no plan and found a bed for about $8 a night. The owner just pointed to an empty bunk. Last week, I tried the same thing in the same city and every place was full or wanted $40 for a dorm bed. I had to book a last-minute hotel for $90, which blew my budget. Has anyone found a good way to travel without booking everything months ahead these days?
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nora_wells582mo ago
My buddy got stuck in Lisbon last summer. He just walked into a smaller hostel that wasn't on the apps. The guy at the desk had a free bed from a no-show. Paid cash, way cheaper than online. Seems like skipping the big booking sites can still work sometimes.
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the_miles6d ago
Honestly, the real trick nobody talks about is hitting up hostels during their "cleaning hour" (usually 11am-1pm). That's when they find out about same-day cancellations and no-shows from the night before. I walked into a place in Prague right at noon once and the guy literally said "you're the first person to ask all day" and gave me a private room for dorm price. Timing is everything with this stuff, more than luck.
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I started checking hostelworld for last minute cancellations around 4pm. Snagged a bed in Berlin last month for 15 euros that way.
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