Explore with Amie

Hostels have a reputation for being for young people who are backpacking around the world. People think they are poor quality accommodation with loud people, night clubs and partying all night long. However, today I’m going to debunk some hostelling myths and let you know why staying in a hostel could save you lots of money in the long run.

Where to find hostels?

The best place to find hostels is a website called Hostel World. Here you will find many different options across the globe. However, you can also use booking.com as oftentimes hostels are on here too.

Hostelworld is a very easy website to navigate. Simply add your destination, the dates you would like to travel and the number of people you are traveling with and all available hostels will appear. You can also download an app to your phone so that you have handy access to your bookings whilst you’re away.

How to pick the best Hostel for your needs

The first thing you want to look for when picking your hostel is the average rating. Personally, I would look for a hostel that is rated ‘very good’ or above. This means that the star rating is above 7/10. Of course, this does not guarantee a great hostel but, your odds are much higher in that case. As well as the average rating, it is best to look at the reviews. I should point out that there are always going to be negative reviews and complaints. Nothing is going to be perfect. You simply have to prioritise what you want out of a hostel. However, at the end of the day, your hostel is your base for sleeping. Cleanliness and safety should always be the main priority when selecting a hostel.

Next, you want to look at the location of all the hostels that have the highest reviews. Location is very important when you’re travelling. Have a look at the cost of transport to see if it is worth staying outside of the city centre. For example, Venice is a very expensive place to stay if you are on the island itself however, it can be cheaper to stay on the mainland and get the train across – especially if you’re only there for a couple of days.

There are some other important considerations to make based on your needs. Some hostels, for example, have clubs. If you’re not into that kind of thing, are looking for a more relaxing holiday or are booking for a family you’ll want to avoid these. Hostelworld has lists of the facilities included with each hostel and these are extensive. Looking at reviews will also help with this. Some hostels have cafe facilities and restaurants which may appeal to those who are used to resort destinations. Or, if you’re backpacking, you might want self catering options too.

Another important thing to look out for are things that are going to help your security and privacy. Curtains on beds aren’t essential for me personally but some people may like that extra layer of privacy whilst you are sleeping. I would say however, a locker is an essential. A locker can either be a small one for important documents and electronics or some are large enough to fit your entire bags in. Remember to take a lock if you’re wanting to use these as you usually have to provide this for yourself. Despite being in a shared room, your belongings are safely stored away.

Finally, if you’re backpacking for a long time, laundry facilities would be an important one to look out for. You will need to wash your clothes so it is a lot easier to do so in your hostel rather than using laundrette services.

Room Options: Shared vs Private

After selecting your hostel, it is time to select the kind of room you would like. For me, I would consider the prices and what exactly you are travelling for. For example, whilst backpacking Australia, my friend and I were looking for socialising with others so a shared room was the best option. However within that, we didn’t want to be sharing with loads and loads of people. On average, we probably shared a room with 4 others (6 including ourselves) and this worked well for us. You should also decide whether or not you would mind staying in mixed gender accommodation. This wasn’t an issue for us and there is always the bathrooms to get changed in etc.

Shared accommodation has such a stigma and I can say I’ve never had a problem with it. People are generally all there for the same reason: to travel, make friends and have a good time. People can keep themselves to themselves if they desire and privacy can be maintained through curtains on beds. These are the other considerations you can make when choosing your hostel.

On the other hand, whilst travelling with my boyfriend we opted for more of a mixture. In Florence, we stayed in a private room. This is just the same as any other hotel, albeit a basic version. You can also get private rooms that have ensuite bathrooms. Here is the main area in which people are missing out: you can use a hostel even if you’re not going for the backpacker lifestyle. If you’re looking for budget friendly accommodation as a couple or as a family, there are options within hostels. Selecting the hostel to meet your needs would be the most important part. In some cases, the price of a private room was substantially more so we stayed in a shared room.

Other considerations

There are some other considerations to make when choosing your hostel. Added extras can be the final positive of a hostel that may sway your decision. Does the hostel have bike hire? surfboard hire? What social events does it put on? Does it have wifi? Parking? A pool?

At the end of the day, each traveller will prioritise different things but I do believe that hostels are the best budget friendly option for everyone. If you’re looking for luxury, perhaps try elsewhere but, as a place to sleep, you can’t go wrong with a hostel. I can’t guarantee you’ll never come across a bad hostel and have a not so great experience but, the same can be said for any form of accommodation. Try and pick wisely.

I hope this has been helpful and debunked some hostel myths.

Amie x