The hostel worker in Lisbon who saved me $200

I was in Lisbon last fall and about to book a guided tour of Sintra for $75. The guy at the front desk of my hostel literally grabbed my arm and said 'don't do it, just take the train for 5 euros.' He showed me on his phone how to get there and even marked a free walking route on a napkin. That one conversation saved me enough money to stay two extra nights. Has anyone else had a hostel employee give them advice that totally changed their trip?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.drew1mo ago

Man, that's awesome. I see what @riley43 means about local intel, but honestly, that guy probably isn't paid extra. He's just a good person who hates seeing tourists get ripped off. A lot of hostel workers are travelers themselves, or they just know the city super well and want to help. That free napkin map is worth more than any guidebook because it comes from someone who actually cares. Those small tips are what make budget travel work.

julia_anderson1mo ago

Totally agree with @murray.drew. My sense of direction is so bad I'd probably get lost using the napkin map. Still better than any app though.

riley431mo ago

Is that guy getting paid to save tourists from themselves? That's the kind of local intel you can't buy, and it always beats a fancy tour. Hostel heroes are the real MVPs.