Pre-booking hostels in Europe in April
 

I'm fantasizing about a solo trip to Europe in April 2012. I'm nearing 70 and 2012 may be about the last chance I get, but that's a different thread. For now, my dream is to do it without doing the usual anal, obsessive, compulsive over--planning I usually do! If I do this, I'd buy a one-month Eurailpass, take the cheapest flight I could find to wherever in Europe from whence I could use my pass, and just bop around!

So my question: In April, how important would it be to book hostels ahead of time (as opposed to more traditional hotels)? I'd be in a mix of major cities (Berlin, Paris, etc.) and mid sized ones like Dresden, Leipzig, Oslo, Bergen, etc.

I don't know the answer (though I think it depends a lot on how much time you're willing to spend looking for somewhere to stay once you get there), but I do know that several of the hostels I've stayed in have age restrictions. I mention that because the pool of hostels you could choose from is a little more limited at age 70 than at, say, 23. So if you do wait till you get there to book, I'd at least have researched each city you're thinking about going to and know which places would be good possibilities.

(You might also check with individual hostels who do have age restrictions to see how strict they are about it. I once stayed in a youth hostel in London that usually required guests to be under 28 or something, but one of our roommates was in her fifties, I think. She said she'd called at the last minute and asked and, since the hostel wasn't full, they didn't stick to it.)

www.backpackeurope.com hostelbookers.com

Hostels never booked in April

Train pass an expensive rip off when you cost it out

Hop on train like a local or www.eurolines.com goes

everywhere 1/3 of train pass cost.

Stay flexible for best experience www.airtech.com

transaat.com cheap flights across the pond...

I think you'll be fine with no advance reservations in April, but I agree you should do research ahead of time on age limits and have a list of possible places in each location. I'd also call ahead the day before or morning of your intended arrival.

A rail pass is NOT an expensive ripoff in every case. It sounds perfect for the type of trip you are planning.

Thx for the replies! I just thought of a wrinkle for traveling in April. Easter week would be a high travel period almost anywhere in Europe, I would imagine. And also, what about school vacations? Large school groups filling up an otherwise mostly empty, uncrowded, sedate, quiet hostel? Maybe I'll book ahead on those days and in those cities where I may arrive late in the day and not want to spend hours wandering around looking for Zimmer Frei or the equivalent!