Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and kitchen facilities are usually provided. Hostels are also a tre-
mendous source of local and budget travel information. Expect
crowds in the summer, snoring, and lots of youth groups giggling
and making rude noises while you try to sleep.
If you're serious about traveling cheaply, get a membership
card (www.hihostels.com), carry your own sheets, and cook in the
members' kitchens. Travelers without a hostel card can generally
spend the night for a small, extra “one-night membership” fee. In
official IYHF-member hostels, family rooms are sometimes avail-
able on request, but it's basically boys' dorms and girls' dorms.
You usually can't check in before 17:00 and must be out by 10:00.
There's often a 23:00 curfew. Official hostels are marked with a
triangular sign that shows a house and a tree.
The Low Countries also have plenty of private hostels, where
you'll find no midday lockout, no curfew, no membership require-
ment, co-ed dorms, simple double rooms, a more easygoing staff,
and a rowdy atmosphere.
Making Reservations
Given the quality of the places I've found for this topic, I'd rec-
ommend that you reserve your rooms in advance, particularly if
you'll be traveling during peak season. Book several weeks ahead,
or as soon as you've pinned down your travel dates. Note that some
holidays merit your making reservations far in advance (see “Major
Holidays and Weekends” sidebar on page 4).
To make a reservation, contact hotels directly by email, phone,
or fax. Email is the clearest and most economical way to make a
reservation. In addition, many hotel websites now have online res-
ervation forms. If phoning from the US, be mindful of time zones
(see page 7). Most hotels listed are accustomed to English-only
speakers. To ensure you have all the information you need for your
reservation, use the form in this topic's appendix (also at www
.ricksteves.com/reservation). If you don't get a response within a
few days, call to follow up.
When you request a room for a certain time period, use
the European style for writing dates: day/month/year. Hoteliers
need to know your arrival and departure dates. For example, for a
two-night stay in July, I would request: “2 nights, arrive 16/07/10,
depart 18/07/10.” Consider carefully how long you'll stay; don't just
assume you can extend your reservation for extra days once you
arrive.
If the response from the hotel tells you its room availability
and rates, it's not a confirmation. You must tell them that you want
that room at the given rate.
For more spontaneity, you can make reservations as you travel,
calling hotels or B&Bs a few days to a week before your visit. If
