Stayokay Haarlem: nice surroundings too

There are two stayokays in Amsterdam, but a very nice one is in Haarlem, 10 minutes from Amsterdam by train>

quick check says stayokay Amsterdam in Vondel Park and Haarlem both advertise beds from e 17.50 - stay in Haarlem and you pay for return train fare to Amsterdam, making it more expensive. I have stayed several times in Haarlem because I found b&Bs a lot cheaper than anything in Amsterdam and after umpteen trips to Amsterdam wanted a more normal non-touristed town. But if I were in my 20s and first-time traveler I'd stay right in Amsterdam and be within walking distance of so many neat places - you can come back to your hostel or hotel during day - not possible by staying in Haarlem.

Price for a bed is the same, but a private room in the Amsterdam Stayokay is more expensive than one in the Haarlem Stayokay.

Plus return rail fare? For the average 20s type Amsterdam will make a far more exciting stay than in Haarlem - Amsterdam nightlife starts late and goes thru wee hours - schlepping back to remote Haarlem a pain. IMO.

>>schlepping back to remote Haarlem a pain<<

Guess your idea of 'pain' is different than mine. It is a very short train ride . . . and Haarlem is neat place in and of itself.

Funny when folks say about London say they are thinking of staying a 20-minute train ride away you always say they should be more in the center of London - always - but here you think the opposite?

Why the discrepancy?

Same reasons you always recommend a central London stay apply to Amsterdam IMO.

Because . . . London is larger by many times than Amsterdam and even staying in the very center of the city, one will spend a lot of time in transit just hitting the major sites.

One thing to know about this part of Europe is that bus travel has pretty much "exploded" over the last three years, and the fares are much lower than the train fares. Of course, naturally bus travel takes longer, so you have to think about the "time is money" factor.

Specifically regarding Paris, one-star hotels are very often cheaper than staying in a hostel (unless you love rooms with 8 beds). I do understand that one of the attractions of hostels is meeting other people and sharing information, but there are also times when you would just like to be alone. In my own neighborhood, there is the extremely popular Yves Robert hostel, modern and spotless. There is a park in back and various trendy cafés and other establishments in front. If you walk there from the Marx Dormoy metro station (which is the closest), you will pass about 3 one-star hotels with rooms for about 40 euros. Unfortunately, one-star hotels rarely appear on the internet and are not bookable online in most cases. But then again, April is not a busy month for such places and it is highly unlikely that any of them would be sold out.

It's a gamble, but one of the good things about being young is that you can be more daring. Things always work out in the end.

hotels can be isolating for sinle travelers - first time I went to Paris centuries ago I stayed in a hotel and felt so alone - I moved to a hostel and enjoyed mixing with others my age from all over the world - Paris has many neat hostels and youth hotels - now offering private rooms - great places to meet other folks to go out with at night, etc. Take a look at Let's Go Europe guidebook for great critiques of dozens of hostels. Amsterdam and Brussels also lots of hostels and youth hotels - so I'd seriously consider staying in them rather than a cheap hotel unless of course you like privacy then avoid hostels at all costs.

Schlepping? A 10 minute train ride? That would be a ride IN Central London. There's the #280 Night Bus: Leaves from Leidseplein, goes to Haarlem.

I just mentioned it, not only because of the price difference, but also because Haarlem is so much more sane than Amsterdam these days. But then, you haven't been there since 2011, have you?

Tu t'en sortiras merveilleusement bien. Pas la peine de te faire des soucis.

Oui!

Haven't stayed in that many hostels but I would have to recommend generatorhostels.com. Good value, they tend to have really interesting well designed buildings, great atmosphere and very sociable. They have sites in Paris and Amsterdam I believe. Only downside would be the food was pretty average and not cheap, but who want's to eat in the hostel anyway!

www.hostelworld.com has info on zillions of hostels in Paris and Amsterdam and chose one to fit your style.

As for my trip, I think that I'll do Paris (5 days), Amsterdam (3 days), Brussels (3 days).

I'd suggest taking a day away from Brussels and adding to Amsterdam and doing a day trip to some neat Dutch regional town or rent a bike and experience Holland from a bike like many locals do- there are some easy but nice country putzes -if interested say so as menachem and others can advise so well - really riding a bike in Holland is a unique experience- rent at one train station like Haarlem and riding thru the famous flower fields to the Keukenhof - the famous Dutch flower extravaganza only open in parts of April and May and then end up in Leiden - and take bike on train back to Haarlem.

If in Brussels 3 days do a day trip to Bruges maybe.

Personally, I would stay in Ghent and do day trips to Bruges and Brussels. The cafes along the river in Ghent are so vibrant and were filled with young people when I was there.

Maybe hit Brussels first and stay there one night and got to Gent for two - lovely, lively university town and day trip to Bruges - from Gent you can then go via Antwerp (great place for few hour look - stick bags in station locker) and bop around lovely town center - and take Thalys train to Amsterdam - booking ABS fare - All-Belgian Stations Fare that in conjunction with any Thalys train lets you go for a few euros from Gent (or Bruges) on any train for 24 hours to join your Thalys train.

Bruges is a great old town but also one that attracts hoards of bus tour groups turning it center into a kind of Disneyland - Gent is more an ordinary town with albeit some neat sights such as the Castle of the Counts of Flanders and its notorious torture chamber.

Instead of Thalys from Antwerp to Amsterdam, save yourself money and book the regular IC/D to Amsterdam. It's slightly slower, but the fare's often much less. For Thalys discounts you need to book well in advance (months). So you can't decide on a whim to go to Amsterdam on Thalys. But with the regular IC trains you can: just turn up on the day and buy a ticket. The "new" IC uses the same high speed route the Thalys does and is not much slower.

But if staying in Bruges or Gent and going to Amsterdam Thalys tickets cover connecting trains for just a few euros - and if book far in advance as should you can get price as low as IC and come out ahead by the Thalys ABC fare that lets you go from any Belgian sation to Antwerp within 24 hours of your Thalys ticket - that may be the cheapest way and you get there faster. But if wanting flexibility to chose trains once there then ICs are good for that- but I think even booking them a bit in advance can get cheaper fares?

I book a lot on thalys and on the Intl ICD to Brussels, also quite a bit in advance. Invariably IC is cheaper, even if you take into account ABS.