Strasbourg Christmas Market 2024: youth hostels, a really good plan for accommodation?

As every year, the large number of visitors to the Strasbourg Christmas market have to face exorbitant prices for accommodation in the Alsatian capital. To sleep during the holidays, youth hostels are still a more expensive solution, under certain conditions.

Accommodation in Strasbourg during Christmas market (from November 27 to December 27) often includes the Stations of the Cross. Between the availability of hotels that melt like snow in the sun and prices that reach their peak, spending a night this Christmas month can put visitors off. As an alternative, there are youth hostels.

With the great demand that floods into Strasbourg hotels every year, establishments do not hesitate to increase the price of the overnight stay. In 2023, the price of a standard room was around €234compared to €93 for the same room in January 2024.

And if youth hostels are still cheaper than a classic hotel, they are not exempt from high prices. Expect between €75 and €95 for a night in the Strasbourg center for the lowest price, which is a bed in a dormitory. The rest of the year, this one night costs between €25 and €35.

In Strasbourg, the Ciarus youth hostel still has around forty rooms available during the Christmas market. “We work on the model of airlines or SNCFexplains center director Nelly Perrin-Jund. This means we would rather stay three nights than one or two.”

With this method of increasing occupancy, called “production management”, the structure voluntarily blocks some rooms, less than three weeks before the start of the festival. But the number of beds available will increase if a three-night stay is not reserved. “We will open two nights, then one night, a few at the last minute. The bedrooms will be open to fill up at the last minute, not all are open yet for booking. They will be sold at the Christmas market. “following the leader.

Same job at People, another youth hostel in Strasbourg. “At the moment, our occupancy rate for the month of December is around 60%. And we only take reservations for at least two nights, especially on weekends, so we don’t have free days.”appoints a director in place of Jennifer Bonfadini.

As for many years, the trend is an increase in prices. If in 2023, a bed with breakfast was offered at €70, you will have to pay five euros more​​​​​​this year for the same service at Ciarus. “Everything is increasing! Energy, personnel costs, expenses…”justification of Nelly Perrin-Jund.

So it is a good plan to book several nights to get a place in a hostel in advance. But the director of Ciarus also advises to focus on specific days of the week. “Ideally, people want to arrive on Saturday, sleep one night and leave on Sunday. But if they want to have a better chance of getting a bed, I would advise them to arrive on Friday. Or better: Sunday night sleep! the hardest night to sell, and therefore the cheapest.”conseille Nelly Perrin-Jund.

Coming to a youth hostel during the week or at the end of the weekend, and booking more than one night, this is how you can get relief on your credit card during the Christmas market.