tony8028

Hi there

I am travelling through Germany and Amsterdam in early Feb 2010.

Given that this is a quiet time of year ( non peak ? ) I was wondering if I would get better deals by booking at the last minute rather than booking ahead at the full rate.

I wouldnt risk this during the peak tourist seasons but I would guess that in early Feb, hotels would be open to a good deal?

many thanks

Tony

tod

I think you are absolutely right to hang on for a last minute deal. You may run the risk of not getting the hotel best suited to your needs and have to take something a little less appealing - I would still wait if going in Feb.

avalon

You could always book then cancel if you find a better deal later on.

annhig

hi tony,

no harm in looking at what you can find now, and taking advantage of any deals, so long as you can cancel without penalty.

we did this last year, and saved €30 a night by cancelling the booking with the website booking agency, and booking direct with the hotel.

it's also worth checking that there aren't any conferences happening where you want to go so that everywhere is unexpectedly booked.

kfusto

Booking ahead most certainly does not mean you will pay full rate. I always book ahead and am a value oriented traveler

I am headed to Germany tomorrow and booked my hotels months ago at excellent rates - they have not been lower since then and I have the hotels I want in the areas I prefer.

tony8028

kfusto , can i ask which site you prefer for hotel bookings ?

kfusto

I cross check them all but often book with hotelclub.net, otel.com, booking.com, even expedia where I have found fabulous prices for hotels in Italy that I know and enjoy. kayak.com will check a bunch of sites and find the best prices for you.

And I like to prepay in USD when I can to save more money. Many sites offer minimal cancellation fees if any to do this.

Gary_Mc

We change plans, sometimes in the last minute before we travel. We reserve well in advance and then modify if necessary. For that flexibility, I like Hotel Reservation Service.

http://www.hrs.com/web3/

We specifically pick hotels that do not require a credit card upfront. Then, there is no chance of a surprise bill. We save money by reserving modestly priced hotels early with good location and decent ratings (ratings available on HRS), rather than trying for bargains at up scale hotels.

If we need to change, it is a simple process on HRS.COM.

Regards, Gary

quokka

Depends when exactly in February, and where... The carnival week is peak of peak season in certain parts of the country. If you are, for example, planning to visit Cologne, Düsseldorf or Mainz around Feb 15 you'll be surprised. Ditto some places in and around the Black Forest.