Booking Hostels in Advance

Travelers often ask if they should book their hostels in advance. The advantage of having a reservation is just that – you know you’re guaranteed a spot to lay your head (that isn’t a train station bench). However, you often have to pay deposit fees and are not assured of a refund if you can’t fulfill your reservation. This includes a missed train or flight, a change in opinion about where you want to stay or because you decided to spend an extra day hopping around all the cool sites.
There are some times when its better to be safe and sorry and plan to book in advance – just hope your plans don’t change!
Major holidays: Think holidays where people travel, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Independence Days and other location holidays. Looking for hostel Sydney Australia based around the New Year, for example, will leave you without a place to crash – or a very high credit card bill.
Events: Heading to a city for a cool convention or nifty event. Awesome! Just keep in mind, if you’re doing it, chances are a lot of other people are too….and they’re all going to need a place to sleep. Do yourself a favor and book far in advance if you plan on staying anywhere remotely close to the action.
Weekends in Major Cities in the Summer: Lots of people take extended weekend trips, especially when the weather is nice. Although it may seem that there are an unlimited number of Paris hostels during Tuesdays in January, you realize how they can all afford to stay in business on a Saturday evening in July.