Cheap Hostels in Europe

1. Make a list of all the cities you will be staying in.

2. You have two options to find cheap hostels in Europe: book early and reserve on the internet or be spontaneous and search for you hostel upon arrival. (Check out Resources for links to popular hostel booking websites, below the article.)

3. When searching for cheap hostels in Europe make sure you book early on the internet.  Timing is everything especially if you want a good and popular hostel at a good price.

4. The further out the hostel is located from the city center and sites, the cheaper it is.  But make sure that you will be able to get to all the sites you want to visit comfortably (depending on if you want to walk the city, take buses or rent a car).

5. For cheap rates, choose a hostel room that has the most beds (6-10, depending on the hostel).  Rooms with the most beds in the hostel have the cheapest per bed rate.  Rooms with 2 to 4 beds will cost you more.

6. If your dates are flexible and you are patient and adventurous you can also find hostels upon your arrival.

7. In Europe, when you arrive at the central train station or airport you can go to the information booth where they can provide you with a list of hostels in the city.  Sometimes they may call them for you but most of the time they will show you on the map where they are located.

8. If you search for a hostel upon arrival you will probably not get the best or most popular hostel in town, but it will surely get you a bed at a low price.  Yes, even during the high season in the summer it is possible.

Tips
-Hostels book up early in the summer and during long holiday weekends, especially popular hostels.
-Smaller destinations/cities may not even have hostels, so check on the internet.  
-Be cautious and read hostel rules careful, some have curfews and some may even have age limits.  Hostels were created for students but even today families and even people above their 40s can stay in them, just make sure to email the hostel to verify.

Resources
http://www.hosteleurope.com/
http://www.hostelworld.com/
http://www.hostelseurope.com/
http://www.europeanhostels.com/
http://www.gomio.com/
http://www.famoushostels.com/
http://www.eurotrip.com/