Pro tip: the $18 hostel dorm in Lisbon was way better than the $95 hotel I booked for the same trip

Riley Wood · 2026-09-23T04:55:04.789356+00:00

I did a split stay in Lisbon 5 months ago and I'm still annoyed at myself. First 3 nights I paid $95 a night for a private room near Baixa because I figured I'm in my 30s and I deserve quiet. It was fine. Thin walls, a shower that went cold after 4 minutes, and a front desk guy who shrugged at everything. Last 4 nights I moved to an 8 bed dorm in Alfama for $18 a night, mostly to save money, and it was honestly a better time. The dorm had a shared kitchen so I cooked breakfast instead of paying $14 at a cafe, and two guys there told me about a $2.50 ferry to Cacilhas that ended up being the best afternoon of the trip. The bed was just a bed, but the place had a rooftop and people actually talked to each other. Total difference was around $250 saved, and I spent maybe $60 of it on food and the ferry, so I came home with real cash left over. I keep telling people the dorm thing scared me for no reason. Does anyone else have a city where the cheap option actually beat the expensive one?

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Pro tip: the $18 hostel dorm in Lisbon was way better than the $95 hotel I booked for the same trip | Budget Travel Hacks - Thought Shares