If you were like myself looking for cheap ways to travel across the European continent, then I’m sure the option of staying in a hostel has presented itself to you. If you are also like me, this prospect seemed like a daunting one. Sharing a dorm room with one other person when you’re a freshman in college can seem like a lot, let alone sharing a suite with up to ten strangers in a foreign country. I was hesitant to commit to the hostel lifestyle, but my need to travel and save as much money as possible won out over any concerns I had, so I decided to go for it. While I’ve only stayed in three hostels so far, I feel obligated to share some tips I’ve learned for any of you considering joining the hostel lifestyle.
The most important part of having a good hostel experience is research. I’ve researched and booked all of my hostels using Hostelworld.com. It’s a very user-friendly website that has filters for your hostel preferences and lets you look at the hostels on a map to see what location works best for you. There are also plenty of reviews for you to read, so you won’t have any trouble deciding which hostel works best for you. When it comes to booking a hostel, the more research you do, the better.
When choosing a hostel, there are several factors I would recommend considering. First, consider your budget. The whole point of hostels is budget-friendly travel, but within that there is a price range. Is being able to afford a single room something important to you? Do you want to pay the extra couple of dollars for the free cancellation or included breakfast? These are options you should weigh before booking.
Additionally, while you should book within your budget, it’s best to avoid any accommodations that seem suspiciously cheap. If all of the other hostels in the area are about thirty euros a night and you find one that’s fifteen euros a night…that’s probably one you want to avoid.
The second thing to factor in is your location. This is an issue I ran into with the hostel I booked in Paris. I booked a hostel in Montmartre, which is a beautiful location ….however it was at least a thirty minute metro to all the attractions I wanted to see. This wasn’t the end of the world, but it did make me manage my time differently while I was in the city. While the hostel was lovely, a more central location might’ve worked better for me considering what I had on my itinerary.
You should also look into which amenities are included with what you’re paying for when you book. For example, my hostel in Paris had breakfast included with the booking fee, something that was a pleasant surprise upon me checking in. For my other two hostels in Austria, breakfast was an additional 7-8 euros per day, which was ultimately fine but not as pleasant of a surprise. Other amenities, like lounge areas, free washing and drying for your clothes, and free walking tours offered by the hostel are important to look into – not only can they improve your stay, but they can also potentially save you some extra cash! One of the best ways to ensure you have a positive hostel experience is to do as much research as you possibly can. The more informed you are about where you’re staying, the better experience you’ll have.
Now, here’s a list of things you should buy for your first stay in a hostel. If you already have these things – great! If not, I recommend you make a quick shopping trip before you leave for your plane or train.
I touched on this earlier, but I like to think of hostels as really weird freshman dorms, and one of the most important things to buy before your freshman year of college are shower shoes. You don’t know how many different feet have been in those dorm showers, and you definitely don’t know how many different feet have been in those hostel showers. Buy shower shoes. Your feet and personal wellbeing will thank you later.
The other big recommendations I have are ear plugs and a sleeping mask. You’re not going to have the same routine as everyone you’re living with, and you’re definitely not all going to go to sleep at the same time. Having ear plugs and a sleeping mask will dull your senses enough that you’ll (hopefully) be able to sleep well enough.
You should also buy a lock for your valuables, just in case. Not all hostels will have lockers, or lockers that lock properly, and it’s incredibly important to keep valuables like your wallet and passport safe. Regardless of how nice everyone in the hostel is, you truly never know, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. I didn’t buy a specific lock for my hostel stay – I just used a luggage lock and my carry-on as a pseudo-locker for my things. Most hostels do have lockers though, and you can always read reviews to see what the locker situation is like before you book. Once again, research is incredibly important.
My final piece of advice is this: don’t be that person. Don’t make too much noise super late at night, or too early in the morning. Especially don’t be that person who turns on the overhead light when everyone else is trying to sleep! Some other big things you shouldn’t do are talk on the phone using speaker phone and, please, please, please don’t hog the bathroom. Chances are you’re going to be sharing a room with people you don’t know, and while you probably won’t end up being best friends (and that’s okay!), you don’t want them to hate you either, so don’t be that person.
Also, if you use an alarm in the morning, turn it off after it goes off the first time. You really don’t want to be that person.
The bottom line is that you want to respect the shared space and the people you’re sharing the space with. This is the best way to ensure you and everyone else has the best hostel experience possible.
Related: 7 Hacks You Need When Staying in a Hostel
As intimidating as they may seem, hostels are really not that bad. They are a great way to travel on a budget and potentially make some international friendships. I’ve met a lot of really kind people at all the hostels I’ve stayed at, and I feel like it really adds to the richness of international travel. If you’re looking into hostels for your next international trip, I say go for it!