Used to book hostels the night before until I tried a bus station waiting room in Lisbon

I used to just crash at whatever random hostel I could grab on Hostelworld like a few hours before arriving, paying like 45 euros a night in some cramped bunk. Then last summer in Lisbon I missed my connection and ended up in a 24 hour bus station near Oriente, and I figured I'd just wait it out. Turns out the station was clean, quiet, pretty safe, and I slept in a corner for about 5 hours for free. Next morning I walked to a nearby park and used their bathroom, got a pastry for 2 euros, and saved so much money. Now I always scope out late night bus or train stations as a backup option instead of scrambling for pricey last minute lodgings. Has anyone else tried sleeping in a station or airport just to save cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim.wren2h ago

Yeah I feel you on that. Sleeping in a bus station is not glamorous but it works when you're in a pinch. I've done it a couple times and honestly it's way better than paying 50 bucks for a bed that smells like someone else's vacation.

uma_reed262h ago

Greyhound in Portland actually has these weird little armchairs bolted to the floor near the back, nobody ever sits there because they're all lumpy and weird. I always grab two of them and kinda straddle the gap with my backpack as a pillow, it's not comfortable but the security guard there is real nice about letting people sleep if you're not loud. But yeah @kim.wren you're totally right about the price thing, I'd rather wake up with a crick in my neck from a bus station bench than pay for some hostel with a mattress that's been through who knows what.