I am going to be backpacking europe for approx 8 weeks (middle of july to beg. sept). i still have not booked any hostels because i really want to be free to stay and go as i please and decide day to day. I know that some of the places, cities I plan to go are going to be crowded during these times. do you think if i wait and do it along the way it will be too late?

Since you're going during peak travel time you should book hostels ahead, at least in cities. You don't want to get to a city and spend half a day wandering around from hostel to hostel, or spend time at an internet cafe looking for a bed, and finding them full. Also the better rated hostels will fill up fast.

I understand wanting the luxury of staying or leaving as you wish. You could have done this 15 years ago but travel is different today with so many people traveling and the ease the internet affords. You don't want to be sleeping rough because of not planning ahead.

You haven't said where you are going. You may be able to wing it in Romania or Croatia; places that are less touristy than Britain, France, or Italy.

Check on the Thorn Bird site where there are many other backpackers and ask for advice there about where you should book ahead and where you can plan day to day. Fodors is more geared to the mature traveler, rather than backpackers.

Maybe you could strike a compromise-- rather than choosing between not planning for accommodations until you arrive in a city and planning all of your accommodations before you leave town you could plan your first few and then arrange for accommodations in the busier places a few days or a week in advance. It really isn't fun to spend four hours wandering around a city looking for a hostel that has room for you, sleeping in a train station because all of the budget accommodations are booked or sleeping in a park.... Take my word for it! I just wouldn't wait until you get to a city, particularly in Western Europe and the more popular destinations in Eastern Europs, to arrange accommodations. By planning a little bit ahead you may not get the exact place you want but would have more flexibility to change your plans if you can't find a place to stay in your initial destination of choice. And when you do have accommodations you won't have to take buses all over town or spend hours at the TI looking for a place to rest your weary head.

Roselind, I understand your wanting to maintain a flexible schedule - but summer is a big time for hordes of tourists and festivals which can make rooms scarce (especially in larger cities).

You may want to consider booking your hostels online in advance through a site like Hostelworld.com - you will pay a minimal deposit of 10% of the total cost of your stay to secure your room, and you can even insure that deposit by paying a very small fee for Cancellation Protection. This way, you can have your 10% deposit credited to a future booking if you decide to change your plans at any point during your trip.

At the very least, if you decide not to book any hostels ahead, at least compile a really good list of hostels (including phone numbers & addresses) by looking online and through guidebooks (Rough Guide, Let's Go, Lonely Planet, etc.) in advance of your trip and you can spend your time between cities calling to try and secure a room.

FYI: Adrienne was trying to send you over to Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree website for backpacking advice. It's not called "Thorn Bird".

Thanks Ceidleh! I thought the name looked weird as I typed it. Guess I was thinking of the novel "Thorn Birds."

Are you gong by yourself or with a friend? Are you doing AYH (YHA) hostels or commercial hostels?

A problem with AYH hostels (at least 35 years ago when I used them) is the hours they are open. You don't want to get to a town at noon and find yourself waiting around until 5 pm to see if the hostel has space for you.

I was unable to find space in hostels in Innsburck and AMsterdam. I travelled in June.

In Germany, you might consider staying in small B&B's. You can often find them for a price comparable to the hostel. See Bavaria Ben's latest trip report (he has a short version here on Fodor's and a longer one on his website www.bensbauernhof.com)