Saturday February 4, 2012

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Where to Stay in Spain on a Budget

Samay Hostel (Sevilla)

With cool and cultured cities, beautiful beaches, dramatic natural scenery and some of the best food in Europe, Spain is the ultimate holiday destination.

Unless you want to stay in a high-rise hotel on the Costa del Sol, it can seem difficult to find stylish but affordable accommodation in Spain. But with these handy hints, you can find the best place to stay for your budget:

Types of Room

If you're looking for the best value rooms, there are several alternatives to hotels: hostels, B&Bs, guesthouses, and self-catering apartments.

B&Bs and guesthouses are usually a lot more low key than hotels; they are often family-run, with only a few rooms and a homely atmosphere. Whilst you might not get high class hotel facilities, you'll get friendly owners, who are often more than happy to offer travel tips and advice on the local area, a quiet, relaxing atmosphere, and maybe some delicious home cooked food thrown into the bargain! Small, private and charming places to stay, these types of room suit a couple on a romantic break.

Centric Point Hostel (Barcelona)

Self-catering apartments are ideal for families and groups of friends who want to do their own thing on holiday. Found in destinations like the Canary Islands and the coast, and increasingly in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, these apartments are a lot cheaper than hotels, and have facilities for rustling up cheap meals of your own.

Mention the word hostel, and most people will wrinkle up their nose in disgust, haunted by memories of school trips in dingy dorms, hard bunk beds, shared bathrooms and lacklustre facilities. But hostels have come a long way in recent years, and are no longer just for cash-strapped backpackers.

Spain is blessed with some of the best hostels in Europe, with private and ensuite rooms, cool extras like a bar on site, and social calendars packed with events.

If you fancy staying in the new type of boutique hostel, there is plenty to be found. Many of Barcelona's cheap accommodation is located really close to the best nightlife, have stylish interiors, and budget-friendly free breakfasts.

Las Musas Residence (Madrid)

And why not a Hotel?. This is not to say that Spain has no cheap hotels, it's just that hostels are often unfairly overlooked by travellers. It's also becoming increasingly different to distinguish between the two, as more hostels introduce private rooms and better facilities.

In general, hostels are the cheapest option, because they still offer shared rooms, and have basic facilities. They also have a different atmosphere -hostels tend to have a more laid-back and social feel, geared towards meeting other travellers.

For example, many of Madrid's hostels have large social spaces to mingle with other travellers, communal kitchens and events organised by the hostel, such as sightseeing trips or bar crawls, so make sure your consider staying in budget accommodation in Madrid for your next trip.

Hostels are also aimed at budget travellers, so they may throw in freebies or discounts on local attractions.

Budget Friendly Destinations

In general, Spain is a great value destination - food and sightseeing is cheap, and there are plenty of free things to do, from exploring Churches to relaxing on the beach.

If you're looking for a youth hostel Granada, Seville, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia are all popular destinations with a wide range of hostels to choose from. But not all destinations in Spain are packed with hostels, so it's worth looking online before you travel and checking what's available.

Most hostel booking sites online now have a whole range of budget accommodation as well as hostels, and you can check out user reviews, photos and room descriptions before you travel. Here some of our Top Rated hostels in Spain:

Madrid

Hostel One Puerta del Sol - Familiar youth hostel in the heart of the city
Las Musas Residence - Just 10 minutes walk from Puerta del Sol