I’ve been planning my interrail trip through Europe for years and I was so excited when I found a two-month ticket for 50 percent off last year. I assumed that since I was traveling in April, prices would be much lower than the busy summer season. But I was wrong. I was completely shocked when I started looking for hostels and saw the sky-high prices. A bed in a dorm for 8 people without breakfast for 65 euros? Even hostels that normally cost about 20 euros were now costing 140 euros per night. Even hostels in Eastern Europe were now costing 50 euros per night. I was desperate. I didn’t want to try couchsurfing or book a private room on airbnb as I’m traveling alone as a woman.
I decided to look into why the prices were so high and I realized that it might have to do with Milan Design Week, which was taking place at the same time I was visiting. I looked up prices for other cities like Barcelona, Stockholm, and Vienna and found similar prices. This made me realize that high prices were not isolated to Milan, but were happening all over Europe.
I was starting to panic and was seriously considering cancelling my trip. I was so disappointed to think that all my planning would be for nothing. But then I started researching cheaper alternatives, from finding hostels with lower prices to taking advantage of discounts and promotions. I found that there were still some hostels that were offering low prices and I was able to find other places to stay for cheaper than the original prices I had seen.
I’m still disappointed that I won’t be able to stay in the hostels I wanted, but I’m glad that I’m still able to go on my interrail trip. With a little bit of research, I was able to find the best deals and make sure I still have an amazing trip.