After doing the necessary and priority steps, which is to choose the destination and book the flights, it's time to search for the place to stay put. For budget travellers to Europe, there are many online booking sites to choose from. They are more or less doing the same thing, which is to help us book a room in hotel and hostel, or bed in hostel. Though they work from different websites, all of them are linked up and they show the real-time status of the rooms availability. Sometimes you won't believe your luck that you can find a room, though only minutes earlier they showed full house. This is because there are others who's fighting with you to get those rooms at the same time, but they backed off later.
Do bear in mind they impose booking fee, and take a 10% deposit. The balance of the total amount are to be paid when you check in. With intensive research up-down, left-right, you may be able to find one that waive the booking fee and save E2, like what Hostelz.com offered me for my room in Rome. But to travel budget-wise in Europe, don't expect to find a room for around RM50 (~E10), a price that is more likely will get you a bed in a dorm instead. This is the only bad thing for a Malaysian travelling to Europe due to the unfavorable currency exchange rate.
For lodging, there are many options; some of them shown below:
1) Single room, with or without attached bath
2) Double room, with or without attached bath
3) Triple room, without attached bath
4) 4 person dorm, single-sex (usually female) or unisex
5) 8 person dorm, single-sex (usually female) or unisex
> Double room with Double decked bed (Paris)
> Double room with attached bath (Barcelona)
> Double room with 2 single beds (Rome)
If you are travelling as couples, it is better to opt for option 2. The room is usually double decked but sometimes they offer double bed too, and the attached bath gives convenience and privacy. Even the one without bath normally has a basin in the room, if you are lucky. I believe your other half will be grateful as she doesn't need to go to the washroom for simple chores such as washing hands and wearing contact lens. The price to pay for this convenience comes with a price tag of around E10~15.
Some of the hostel booking websites that I used:
> www.hostelworld.com
> www.hostelsclub.com
> www.hostels.com
> www.hostelz.com
You can also try to search through the hotel or hostel's website directly. I tried this when I booked a room with Auberge Internationale des Jeunes (www.aijparis.com) in Paris. I got to book a room for 2 for only E28 (~RM140), which was the lowest ever found for a private room. Do remember that since the rooms are advertised online and real-time, the price will vary from time to time, similar to the low cost carrier ticketing system. What you buy now could be more expensive than when you buy it later. So, be patient and luck will be at your side.
> AIJ Paris booking form
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