to book, or not to book

[mindwindow]

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of searching and booking hostels for my trip; and I have a good idea of how long I want to spend in the cities I'll be visiting. Considering I might decide to cut short my stay in say, Venice from 3 days to just 1 day after having reserved and paid for my room, would I receive a refund or anything from the hostel for the 2 days I won't be spending there? And if I decided to extend my stay, would that be too much of a hassle?

I'm sure my plans will change when I'm in Europe, so I'm not sure if its better to book rooms ahead of time anyway or not.

Thanks in advance for any replies :-)

[LiveFreeorDie]

Hostels that I have paid for on-line and then later changed the number of days, checked out early, showed up a day or too later (always calling or e-mailing to let them know) have always adjusted my bill. That's not to say there are not some slime balls out there - make sure you read the cancellation policies.

As far as booking ahead, I think that depends on what kind of person you are. I am a planner....I tend to do way too much research prior to a trip, I like to know the lay of the land ahead of time and like to book the places I am going to stay ahead of time. I do not like the idea of wandering aimlessly around a city looking for a place to stay. If I book ahead, and show up and the place is a pit, bad locations, etc., you can always change. However, its a personal thing....many people think its more adventurous/fun to be spontaneous and find a place to stay once you arrive in the city.

Good luck!