With considerable help from this forum, I have finalized our itinerary for a Sept 20 - Oct 10 trip to Barcelona-Madrid-Granada-Seville and now planning/evaluating the sleeping arrangements.
My question is.... with the dearth of options, i.e. B & Bs, Apartments, Hotels, Hostals, Hostels etc.......should I book early or wait until closer to departure?
I was going to consider Priceline among other options, but was wondering if pricing for that period would get better or even tighten with many places filling up?
Any advice or suggestions would be really appreciated!
When to book Hotels in Barcelona, Madrid & Sevilla
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Unless there's something special going on (like Semana Santa), I don't book more than a couple of months ahead, if that.
I don't know whether prices fluctuate depending on when you make the reservation. What I have seen is that prices sometimes vary widely on weekends and weekdays, and of course depending on whether it's high or low season.
It wouldn't hurt to book early and keep checking the prices on the internet to see if they go down.
If you want to stay in a small hotel then you may want to book now as rooms in these types of places may very well book in advance. Larger hotels shouldn't be an issue. Many hotels will offer large reductions (10-20%) if you book far in advance but this is often non-refundable and I don't feel very comfortable with this option.
I always book directly with the hotel and not through a third party. I haven't found the prices to be any better on the third party websites than directly with a hotel.
Forgot to mention -if your visit to Barcelona is anytime around Sept 24 you'll be visiting during the biggest festival of the year, La Merce. I'd definately book for this time far in advance if you want to get a good rate in a central hotel.
As CathyM says, book as soon as you know your dates. You can always change your reservations is you don't book a non-refundable rate.
The largest and most prestigious flamenco festival in the the world is celebrated in Sevilla from sept 7 to October 6th (Bienal de flamenco). You might want to book early to be able to chose among the best options.
All I can tell you is that I will be traveling in late October and the particular apartments that I booked last month, in both Madrid and Seville, were already booked up for most of September and October. Especially for an apartment I would book sooner rather than later.
Yikes!
Thanks everyone, I think I will get on my horse and get some accommodation booked.