Amsterdam has it all as far as hostels are concerned

It sounds like a spoof: "The towels are rarely cleaned, the light bulbs are replaced irregularly, the hotel water runs cold earlier than the guest would wish for . . . even the hotel sign saves energy by only having one letter lit up at night."

But the publicity blurb isn't for a Fawlty Towers-style retreat, it's Amsterdam's Hans Brinker Budget Hotel's brutally honest statement of its eco credentials. The managers say they have only just realised the hotel - which opened in 1970 - has been "accidentally eco-friendly" all along, and are now targeting green travellers.

It's an ultra-basic hostel near the Van Gogh museum with 500 beds in dorm rooms but it's hugely popular and super cheap (from €21 a night).

An alternative stay is St Christopher's, Amsterdam, Ideally located between Dam Square and the Red Light District, this hostel has funky dorms for six or eight, all with their own bathroom. There's a chill-out room, private beer garden, the slick Belushi bar serving good value food and booze, and a buzzing nightclub, 'The Winston Kingdom'.