My big change on finding cheap places to stay in Europe

I used to just book the cheapest hostel I could find on the main booking sites, but I got stuck in some real dives, like a place in Prague with 12 beds in a room and no lockers. That changed about two years ago after a trip to Budapest. Now, I spend an hour looking at local Facebook groups for the city I'm visiting, like 'Digital Nomads Budapest' or 'Expats in Krakow'. People there often post about subletting their apartments for a week or two at way lower prices, or they know about guesthouses that don't list online. Last month, I got a whole studio apartment in Lisbon for 30 euros a night because a guy was traveling for work. It's a bit more work upfront, but the quality and space for the price is so much better. Has anyone else had luck with this method, or found other spots besides Facebook to find these local deals?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthew_west13d ago

My old method was just sorting by price on Hostelworld, which is how I ended up in a Vienna basement with one flickering lightbulb. Your Facebook group idea is way smarter for getting real local prices. I need to try that before my next trip instead of trusting the booking sites.

the_eric13d ago

Used to believe booking sites were the only way to go. Got stuck in a Barcelona place that looked nothing like the photos, just a mattress on a floor. After a friend told me about local rental groups, I found a whole apartment for less than that dump. Completely changed how I look for a place now.

lilyt2313d ago

It's like that with everything now (food, car repairs, you name it). The official-looking sites just polish up a bad deal, while the real info is in some messy group chat.