Being on a budget (a really strict budget) requires some skilled research when looking for accommodations. Thanks to great resources and my amazing research skill (if I do say so myself), I stumbled upon Hostel Merlin in Cesky Krumlov. Seeing that we were literally going to sleep for a few hours before heading out to Salzburg the following morning, we knew we could keep the cost down by staying in a hostel; that and during our 17 day trip we wanted to try every variation of accommodation. For 250 CZK ($15 USD) per person per night, this was easily a no brainer. It was also within walking distance from the bus stop (at least if you're not lugging around a 50 lb small wheeled luggage).

Upon finding Hostel Merlin, a 3 floor yellow brick quaint house, we were shown around the 1st floor to the kitchen, sitting area, and bathroom. Turns out, each floor had its own kitchen and bathroom (with the exception of the attic floor). We were then shown to our room, which couldn't have been any bigger than a broom closet. The room was simple and bare, which I was expecting, but this gave "bare" a whole new meaning. It had two single beds, a side table in between the two, a chair right by the heater at the foot one of one of the beds and two one panel shelves, one above each bed with a night lamp. Honestly, the room had the minimum that was needed for one night: beds to sleep on, a table to put our immediate belongings on and a chair to keep our clothes on. Our luggage barely fit in the room, so we had to keep it in the space between the beds. I'm a very flexible person when it comes to living space (especially if its for a super short stay) -- all I really need is clean, and I think I would've been fine if I was staying in the room by myself. Since the bathroom was outside, down the hall, through the kitchen, it was a bit of an inconvenience if you needed to use it in the middle of the night (I didn't, but dad definitely did). It was hard on him. In retrospect, I should've booked two single rooms, since the price was per person anyway. Mental note for next time!

For anyone looking for a uber cheap, good location, short stay place in Cesky Krumlov, I definitely would recommend Hostel Merlin - they have bigger rooms so you can always choose one of those. They also have a pension, which is a bit pricier and thus assumed to be nicer, but we actually walked around and found it, and it was much further from the entrance into the town, so I'm really glad we chose to stay at the hostel and not the pension. Just the thought of dragging luggage up that way would've been a nightmare.

Regardless of where you stay, Cesky Krumlov is a beauty (more on that in an upcoming post). Go, have a great stay & Happy Travels!