Hotel or Hostel recommendations? Antwerp, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam

[bergen]

Hello everyone. First off, great site, it's been very helpful...

Anyways, I'm going on a month long trip in june-july to the mainland of Europe... I'll be going to Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Antwerp and finish it off with the Roskilde music festival.

What I need to sort out now is places to stay in those areas. I'm up for anything, preferably something cheap though, I don't want to be spending too much per night because I'm abroad for quite some time. I'm following the "weekend in Antwerp" thread and the Rubenshof looks lika a good cheap place to stay over there, but what about the other cities? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

[faust]

There are really a ton of places in all those cities. The only good advice I can give is book NOW for Paris and Amsterdam, because you will not be able to find a place by just dropping in.

This is a good hostel organisation, http://www.hihostels.com/web/index.en.htm

Some hostels are pretty crappy, but if it's your first time backpacking, you'll be having so much fun that you won't even notice. I also recommend staying in hostels as opposed to hotels because you can easily make friends. Enjoy your trip.

[zimzima911]

flying pig downtown in amsterdam.

[soundune]

in berlin stay at the Circus Hostel...trust me, you won't be dissapointed. look them up on the web. have a great trip!

[Dick Danger]

friends are overrated

[Gabriel]

oh I might go to Roskilde too!

Antwerp: I booked a place on booking.com and it was nice but too far from the center. They always say "close to the center" but I guess it depends which center.

[Lucas]

The village hostel in Paris

Globetrotter Hostel in Berlin

The bulldog in Amsterdam the one downside is that its right in the red light district and you get tired of being in the red light district all the time its a about 25 to 30 euro a night but its pretty nice has an elevator and a good size bar/coffee shop on the first floor.

[Bighc]

in berlin stay at the Circus Hostel...trust me, you won't be dissapointed. look them up on the web. have a great trip!

This hostel is by far the best one I have ever visited in Europe.

http://www.circus-berlin.de/

[bergen]

Thanks for the absolutely BRILLIANT help guys! Now I'm booked at the flying pig in amsterdam and circus hostel in Berlin, as well as the rubenshof in Antwerp. There's a bit of a question about Paris, I have the option of staying with a friend but she lives in the suburbs, maybe I should try to find some cheap hostel downtown? I'm starting to dig this backpacking mood more and more as I think abot it...

If you know about anything cool in Paris I'd love the info.

[Charlie Delta]

For Paris: try the area around Bastille, quite some ok, affordable hotel's there.

For Amsterdam: please try to remember to stay the fuck off the roads and bicycle paths. Even when you're stoned out of your head.

Bike's rule in Amsterdam and will have no problem at all to hit you or atleast scare the shit out of you once you come on their territory.

Just saying...

[bergen]

For Paris: try the area around Bastille, quite some ok, affordable hotel's there.

For Amsterdam: please try to remember to stay the fuck off the roads and bicycle paths. Even when you're stoned out of your head.

Bike's rule in Amsterdam and will have no problem at all to hit you or atleast scare the shit out of you once you come on their territory.

Just saying...

I'll keep that in mind... although I won't be stoned there.. I don't even drink alcohol...

[Tisswat]

Amen on everything Cotton Duck mentioned.

For a cheap stay in Paris, check out the Campanile Hotel in Bastille. It's just around the corner from Place de la Bastille. The location is excellent - good neighborhood and walking distance from the ubercool Rue Oberkampf area where there's plenty of nice bars and restaurants.

[mwrenchd]

Would 2nd the Bastille area recommendation for Paris. A couple more stops out into Menilmontant, just before the Pere-Lachaise cemetery would work well too and is probably where I will look to stay next time. I really enjoyed a number of the bars out there, and it's a pretty young area.

If you're staying in Paris for more than a week, I'd strongly suggest you explore an apartment rental, especially if you can find 1-2 other people to crash with you and chip in. Not hostel cheap (unless you split it) but good bang for the buck.

In Amsterdam, I've stayed in the swisshotel by the Dam twice. Again, t's not dirt cheap (I think around 80 euro/night) but pretty nice and a very convenient location. Next time back, I will probably try to find a place to stay in the Haarlem neighborhood, just north of the Jordaan and west of Centraal Station.

Don't know a thing about Antwerp.

Good luck and have fun! I'm jealous.