To Reserve or Not to Reserve?
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| Save yourself the legwork later: Consider shopping for a room from home...or at least calling a few days ahead. |
By Rick Steves
I used to travel with absolutely no reservations. A daily chore was checking out several hotels or pensions and choosing one. Europe was ramshackle, things were cheap, and hotel listings were unreliable and unnecessary. Now, like hobos in a Jetsons world, budget travelers need to think one step ahead. Every Europe-bound traveler has to make a decision: Am I willing to sacrifice spontaneity for the peace of mind of knowing exactly where I'll sleep each night?
For maximum spontaneity, find rooms as you travel. There's nothing more liberating than choosing which town to visit only when you step onto the rail platform, or heading to a new destination just to get away from the clouds or crowds. But doing this also makes it less likely you'll find a room that matches your budget and priorities. And even those who generally skip reservations like to at least reserve their arrival night in Europe (jet-lagged room-finding can be stressful).
For a mix of predictability and flexibility, call ahead as you travel. If you don't want to book everything far in advance, but also don't want to simply show up without a room, calling a day or two ahead while on the road can be a good compromise. This works best when there's relatively little demand for rooms (in shoulder season or in less crowded places). In these situations, my standard room-finding tactic is to telephone in the morning to reserve my room for the night. I travel relaxed, knowing a good place is holding a room for me until late afternoon.
For maximum choice and peace of mind, book far in advance. Most travelers find that, to get into the most popular, best-value hotels, it's worth booking ahead. In fact, lately I've been getting aced out by my own readers. So when I want to be certain to get my first choice, I reserve several weeks (or even months) in advance. For peak-season travel and when visiting big, popular cities (such as London, Paris, Madrid, Venice, and so on), I make my reservations as soon as I can pin down a date.
A trusted guidebook remains the best place to start your search for a great hotel. Find and use a guidebook whose travel philosophy matches yours. (See Comparing Guidebooks for a run-down of various guidebooks.) Get the most current edition possible — but even with the newest editions, don't be surprised if rates have increased slightly since the book was published.
Updated for 2009. For lots more tips, check out our best-selling Europe Through the Back Door travel skills guidebook.