My attempt to save $20 on a hostel in Prague backfired hard

I found this place on a budget app that claimed it was 15 minutes from the city center. Turns out that was by tram, but only if you caught it at exactly the right time. I got off the night train at 6am, dragged my bag up this cobblestone hill for 40 minutes, and the front door was locked with a note saying checkin was at 2pm. So I just sat on my backpack outside in the cold eating a sad pastry from a gas station. When I finally got in, the room had 12 bunks crammed in and the guy next to me snored like a chainsaw. I ended up spending $30 on coffee just to stay warm in cafes all day. Anyone else ever get burned by those misleading hostel distance claims?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona3301mo ago

i see it a bit different honestly. paying $30 for coffee and exploring cafes sounds like a pretty solid way to spend a day in prague. maybe not the ideal start but you got to see the city while staying warm and the hostel was probably way cheaper than anything near the center.

joel_young1mo ago

Fiona330, you're completely wrong here. Thirty bucks for three coffees in a city where a beer costs $1.50 is just bad planning. That's a whole lunch or a nice dinner blown on caffeine. The whole point of visiting a place like Prague is immersion in the local scene, not just staying warm in some chain cafe that could be anywhere. Hostels near the center are pretty cheap if you look past the tourist traps. Wandering around Old Town Square in the cold is part of the experience, not something to hide from.