How To Choose Your Hostel
While most of the travel I’ve done since creating Bohemian Trails has either been sponsored or personal, I have stayed in countless hostels on my own dime and understand that choosing one is not always the easiest decision. Here are three things to consider before picking where to stay.
1) Do you want to make friends?
Making friends through travel is almost synonymous with hostels. Most hostel-goers are young and on a budget, meaning that they are generally more open to meeting other international travelers. To make friends before your trip even starts, WeHostels is a good option. Unlike other booking sites, you are able to see who is staying at each hostel and connect with them before the trip starts. I find this especially useful for solo travelers looking to find potential travel buddies before arriving in a particular city.
2) Is location important to you?
If you are simply looking for the cheapest hostel in town, you can easily compare prices on HostelWorld or other similar sites. However, if your goal is to be in the city center, it’s worth paying extra money and doing a bit of research. Centrally located hostels might be pricier but they will also be much closer to museums, popular restaurants and city attractions. Keep in mind that most cities have public transportation so even if you are farther than you would like, it may just require a few minutes on a bus or train.
3) Do you care about environment?
For me, atmosphere is the most important element of hostel booking. My goal is to feel comfortable where I’m staying, even if that means I’m sharing a room with five other girls. Hostels that have nice outdoor patios, bars or free daily tours are things that I find useful. Some of the best hotels I’ve stayed at were not the most social or the cheapest option, but I felt at home. More and more, hostels are taking this cue from travelers by upgrading their common spaces and creating local activity programs.
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20 Comments
Good tips. Meeting new people is definitely high on my list as there always ways to get to locations especially if they are pretty popular. Great post!
Alexa Meisler recently posted..Texas Hospitality: Massages, BBQ, Wine Tasting and the Kimber Modern
Thanks Alexa! Having just stayed at a hostel after about a year sans-hostel, it made be realize what matters to me when it comes to picking one.
Megan recently posted..How To Choose Your Hostel
The only place you’ll run into problems with last-minute lndgiog from the mid-September to mid-October time frame is Munich. Oktoberfest is in late September and it’s simply impossible to just walk up to any hotel and get a room. Other than THAT, September/October is a great time of year to go to Europe and you won’t have problems winging it.If you need to stay extra days in a hostel, you just ask. They might move you around to another room, but if they can accomodate you they’ll certainly take your money
Booking stuff in Europe is easy; either call or use an internet cafe to make reservations. It’s a cakewalk.In terms of flight reservations for your Oct. 6th return to London, LOADS of cheapie airlines fly to & from London, so you really shouldn’t have a huge problem. Unless you’re certain you know where you’ll be on October 5th, don’t book a thing. Who knows you may be somewhere where you can take the train back.The fees for using debit cards vary- check with your bank. The conventional wisdom is to take out big chunks of money at a time, rather than smaller amounts every day or two (thus having the int’l ATM fees be a smaller percentage of the whole amount). I wouldn’t recommend cash advances on credit cards unless you’re really stuck; the interest on cash advances is usually outrageously high, and you should only go that route if you’ve lost your debit/ATM card and are waiting for your bank to send you a new one there in Europe.
Great tips Kay!
Megan recently posted..A Day in Palestine
Cool tips! Choosing a hostel can be difficult, especially for new travelers
Brock – Backpack With Brock recently posted..At a Glance: New Hampshire Road Trip – Day Four
Thanks Brock! It definitely can – had some trouble picking one in Jerusalem just last week.
Megan recently posted..How To Choose Your Hostel
a lot of hostels have ketnhics. it’s nice to be able to cook sometimes, esp. if you’re travelling for a long while. and you meet so many lovely people in hostels from all over the world, they can also tell you things about other destinations that you wouldn’t find in a guide book. if money weren’t an option, i’d still stay in hostels more than not. i’m not super social and into going out and all that but i just ended up meeting the most interesting, amazing people travelling. i’ve stayed with a couple i met in a hostel when i visited their country, i dated a boy i met in a hostel whom i’m still very close to.
Great to hear Blake. I also like when hostels have kitchens where you can cook and socialize with other travelers.
Megan recently posted..Boho Guide to Jerusalem
Nice tips. I’ve only stayed in hostels a few times, but we usually have two criteria: Is it safe? And is it cheap?
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..Lima’s El Parque del Amor: A Photo Essay
Those are two very important ones! – I’m usually looking for a budget as well but I’d have to make sure the place felt safe.
Megan recently posted..How To Choose Your Hostel
Beyond the cost, its more social. You meet ppeloe you wouldn’t meet otherwise. So it depends on what kind of experience you want. Also, say a hostel in a city costs €20 and the cheapest hotel costs €25. The hostel might very well be nicer, because that’s on the higher end of what a hostel costs (depending of course on where you are) versus a very cheap price for a hotel. The hostel might be cleaner, have a freindlier staff and be more pleasant than a hotel that costs so little. Also, private rooms in hostels are like having the privacy of a hotel but without the cost, if you don’t want anything incredibly special but just want a place to lay your head at night and spend a little downtime. In hotels, you often pay for lots of services (gym, concierge, pretty lobby, swimming pool) that you may or may not need or want.
That’s a great point. It’s important to decide what is your top priority and narrow your hostel list accordingly.
Megan recently posted..A Day in Palestine
I usually try to avoid hostels that describe themselves as party hostels… I do ALOT of walking and sightseeing in the day and the last thing I want is drunk people coming in the room at 4 am and switching on the lights… lol… so basically i stay at the grumpy old woman hostels
Jade Johnston – OurOyster.com recently posted..The Best Way To Discover The Pinnacles
I’m actually the same – I’m not too much of a party animal when I travel, partly because I’m so tired from sightseeing
Megan recently posted..Boho Guide to Tel Aviv
I specifically avoid hostels these days unless absolutely necessary because of the annoying drunk/party type that sort of ruined the whole hostel experience for me in the late 90s/early 2000s.
That being said, I’m not totally adverse to them. I’ve had a couple of great stays in recent years, including the Colombian Highlands Hostel in Villa de Leyva, Colombia.
Doing your due diligence is key. Much prefer the eco-lodges/reserve types these days, as they are usually quieter and with the respectful traveler type rather than the coke-snorting, drink-all-night-and-frak-like-bunnies type of hostels.
T.W. Anderson @ Marginal Boundaries recently posted..Comment on Cancun, Mexico – Beyond The Hotel Zone by T.W. Anderson
Thanks for your insight! I also find the drunk hostel-goers to be a bit annoying as well. I’d be interested in staying at some eco-lodges you mention. That sounds very relaxing and laid-back.
Megan recently posted..Meet my New Friends from Germany
Thanks for sharing your experience Megan, it’s always good to learn from others histories.
In my opinion, when it comes to choosing an hostel the most important point is the host! The place can look nice but if the host is scary you can have a really bad time…
Keep on with the good articles!
Geoff H. recently posted..TVtrip Secret Paris pt.1
That’s a great point Geoff! I’ve met some strage hosts before and it does negatively alter the overall hostel experience.
Megan Eileen McDonough recently posted..Boho Guide to Helsinki
I don’t stay in hostels as much anymore as I used to and what I miss most about it is #1. I used to always meet so many great people in hostels and shared great stories and travel ideas. The social aspect is definitely one of my favorite parts of hostels and one thing I look for when choosing one.
Gina recently posted..Couple Travel: Camping for Closeness
I agree Gina! I think that one of the best things about staying at a hostel as opposed to a hotel is having the chance to socialize with other travelers from around the world.
Megan Eileen McDonough recently posted..Neighborhood Guide to Berlin