Had to pick between a hostel near the beach or one near the train station in Barcelona

I was booking for 4 nights in Barcelona last fall and the beach hostel was $28 a night but the train station one was $18. Decided to save the $40 and go with the station one. Big mistake because my cheapest route to the beach was a 45 minute bus ride each way. Ended up spending $6 a day on transport so I barely saved anything. Anyone else pick the wrong spot based on price alone?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_murphy2126d ago

Wait, did you account for the time cost too? I actually did almost the opposite - I picked a hostel near the beach in Barcelona (it was $32 a night, ouch) but I walked everywhere or took the metro for like $2.50. I'd rather pay a bit more upfront and be able to stumble back to my bed after a late night, you know? Plus the beach area had way more free stuff to do at night like live music on the sand. Saving $40 sounds good on paper but those bus rides really eat into your actual vacation time.

anthony_campbell8824d ago

Haven't you found that being close to the action just makes the whole trip better? I did the same thing in Lisbon last year, paid a bit extra to stay near the waterfront and it was worth every penny for being able to walk to dinner and shows. Those long bus rides to save cash end up feeling like a second job instead of a vacation.

ellis.susan26d ago

@mila_murphy21 has a point about the time cost too. Those bus rides really add up and eat into your actual days, especially when you're only there for a few nights. I've found that paying a little more for location saves you both money on transport and gives you more flexibility to enjoy the area.