Budget Hotel in Amsterdam

Q: Five friends and I (all students) are booked on the Melody from Genoa to Cape Town in December. We plan to go via Amsterdam for two nights and then to Genoa. Could you please advise us on budget accommodation in Amsterdam and the most economical way to get from Amsterdam to Genoa? - Murray Baxter

A: One of the best value hostels in Amsterdam is Inner Amsterdam at 1 Wanning street, where you can get shared rooms from 19 Euros per night. An even cheaper option is the Flying Pig Uptown Hostel at 47-48 Vossiuss Street, where a shared room costs around 15 Euros. Both hostels can be booked through www.hostelbookers.com. As far as I could tell, the cheapest way to get to Genoa would be to fly on easyjet from Amsterdam to Milan's Malpensa Airport and then take a coach from the airport to Genoa. The airfare on easyjet fluctuates according to date and demand and is currently around 28 Euros. The bus fare on Volpi from the airport to Genoa is 24 Euros. (21 June 2010)