A warning about booking sites: direct with the hostel saved me $12 a night in Lisbon
I just got back from Portugal and I need to tell you about a big mistake I almost made. For my stay in Lisbon, I checked a big booking site first and found a bed in a good hostel for $28 a night. It looked like a solid deal. On a whim, I googled the hostel's actual name and went to their own website. The same exact bed, for the same exact dates, was only $16 if I booked directly with them. That's $12 less every single night! The booking site was adding a huge fee I didn't even see at first. I booked direct, got a confirmation email right away, and had zero problems checking in. It took me five extra minutes and saved me over $50 on my trip. Has anyone else found that going straight to the source is almost always cheaper for hostels or small hotels?