Okay, folks, let’s dive into how I figured out this whole hostel-booking thing using those search engines. It wasn’t rocket science, but it definitely took a bit of trial and error.
My Little Adventure with Hostel Search Engines
So, I planned this backpacking trip, right? And I’m not exactly rolling in dough, so hostels were the obvious choice. Hotels? Forget about it! I needed to find a way to snag the best deals, and that’s where these accommodation search engines came in.
First, I just started Googling. You know, “best hostel search engine,” “cheap hostels,” that kind of stuff. A bunch of names popped up: Hostelworld, Booking, Hostelbookers, all that jazz. I figured, “Okay, let’s give these a whirl.”
I started with Hostelworld, probably because it was the first one I saw. The interface was pretty straightforward. I typed in my destination – let’s say, “Bangkok” for this example – and my travel dates. Bam! A whole list of hostels appeared.
But here’s the thing: it wasn’t just a list. There were filters! And oh boy, did I play with those filters. I could sort by:
- Price: Obviously, this was my main concern. I wanted the cheapest of the cheap.
- Rating: I didn’t want to end up in a total dump, so I usually set it to 7 or higher.
- Facilities: Free breakfast? Yes, please! Wi-Fi? Absolutely essential!
- Hostel Type: Party hostel? Relaxed vibe? I had options!
- Location:Near to Train station, or bus station.
I messed around with these filters, comparing different hostels, reading reviews (super important!), and looking at photos. It took some time, clicking back and forth, opening new tabs, the whole shebang.
Then, I did the same thing with Booking. Their website works kind of like a same way. Typed in the city, dates, and fiddled with the filters. They had a few different options, like showing places with free cancellation, which was a nice touch.
Then I repeat the same process on other * find the best one I need.
After comparing prices and reading a TON of reviews, I finally settled on a hostel. It was cheap, had decent reviews, free breakfast, and was close to the stuff I wanted to see. Score!
The booking process itself was pretty easy. I just clicked through, entered my details, and paid with my credit card. Boom, confirmation email. Done!
It is * I really booked a nice hostel for my trip!
