Hostel vs Couchsurfing in Barcelona - I made the wrong call

I spent $40 a night on a hostel in Barcelona last month instead of hitting up Couchsurfing, and I ended up paying double for laundry and breakfast. The hostel had a curfew at midnight too, which killed my plans. Has anyone else had better luck just finding a free couch in Europe?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse7738d agoTop Commenter

Totally agree, you 100% made the wrong call. I did the same thing in Prague last year, dropped $45 a night on a hostel that had a 10pm curfew and charged me for using the lockers. Then I met this guy who was Couchsurfing and he was staying in this awesome flat with a balcony for free. Meanwhile I was eating instant noodles in my bunk bed trying to make my money last. Couchsurfing is definitely the way to go next time, just gotta be smart about vetting your hosts.

elliot_grant387d ago

Oh come on, is it really that serious? You're acting like a $45 hostel with a curfew is some kind of tragedy. I stayed in a $12 hostel in Bangkok that had cockroaches the size of my hand and no AC, and I didn't cry about it on the internet. Couchsurfing sounds great until you're sleeping on a lumpy couch in some stranger's living room with no privacy and having to make awkward small talk at 7am. Plus half those "awesome flats" are just people trying to get you to join their pyramid scheme or something. Sometimes paying a little extra for a locked door and no awkward conversations is worth it.