Hotel, apartment or hostel: which suits you
The type of accommodation changes the cost of a trip more than the destination does. Here are the real numbers for each, and when each one wins.
Hotel: when it wins
Best for short city trips of two or three nights where you'll barely be in the room. The real advantage is location and not having to handle anything. Included breakfast rarely pays off: if it costs more than 10 or 12 euros, you'll almost always eat better and cheaper at a café down the street.
Apartment: when it wins
Wins from four or five nights up, and whenever there are three or more of you or you're travelling with children. The kitchen is what changes the maths: breakfast and dinner at home can cut 25 or 30 euros a day per person in expensive countries. Watch two things: the cleaning fee, which can run 40 to 80 euros and wipes out the advantage on short stays, and the lack of a reception desk, which means arranging key handover.
Hostel: when it wins
Wins if you're travelling alone, on a tight budget, or want to meet people. A dorm bed runs 15 to 35 euros in Europe against 60 to 100 for a private room. Many also have private rooms cheaper than an equivalent hotel, which plenty of people don't realise. Always read the cleanliness and noise reviews before the atmosphere ones.
The quick maths
For a week in a European city for two people: a simple hotel, 500 to 800 euros; an apartment, 400 to 650 with cleaning included and eating in sometimes; a hostel private room, 300 to 450. The gap between the top and bottom is the price of a flight.
What isn't in the headline price
Before comparing, always add: tourist tax (paid separately, per night), cleaning fee, and transport from the accommodation to wherever you'll actually be. Somewhere 30 euros cheaper but half an hour away by metro costs you an hour a day plus the fares.
Location beats stars
A simple place in the centre usually beats a good one on the outskirts, especially on short trips. Open the map before booking and work out the real journey to where you'll spend your time, not the straight-line distance.
Cancellation
The gap between refundable and non-refundable is usually small. If your dates aren't fully certain, that difference is the cheapest insurance you'll buy on the whole trip.
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