This is the third of a series of blogs written by Hayley Babineau, a HC UConn blogger studying abroad in Florence. Check back for more of her adventures!
If you choose to travel on weekends while you study abroad you will most likely find yourself booking a hostel to stay in. Staying in a hostel may not be your ideal option, but it is a great opportunity to save money on accommodation. Here are some tips to prepare you for your stay.
1. Flip Flops
A hostel is very similar to staying in a dorm room with multiple people in one room using a communal bathroom. Make sure you pack a spare pair of flip flops for walking around your room or especially to use while taking a shower. Buy a cheap pair so that it is okay if they get wrecked or lost.
2. A Towel
Some hostels will provide you with towels, but if you don’t bring your own you will most likely have to pay to rent a towel from the hostel and then give it back at the end. If you want to save even a couple of dollars, Euros, etc., make room in your bag to bring your own.
3. Free walking tours
Traveling to a new city that you know nothing about can be intimidating. Most hostels will offer free walking tours of the city so that you can find your bearings before wandering around by yourself.
4. Bed bugs
When booking a hostel make sure you do your research and read all of the reviews to make sure you are staying in a clean, sanitary place. Unfortunately, bed bugs can appear even in the most reputable hostels. Before you get into the bed or put your bags down on top of it, lift the covers and scope out the sheets to make sure that there are no bed bugs. That is one situation you do not want to have to deal with.
5. Private rooms
If staying in a 10-person mixed dorm room is not for you, there are other options to pick from. Most hostels will offer female-only rooms or even private rooms with a private bathroom. Choosing this option will cost a bit more, but is still affordable. Also, it is definitely worth it if it makes you feel more comfortable.
6. Stock up on breakfast
If you are staying in a hostel, that usually means you are either trying to meet new people from around the world or want to travel on a budget. If it’s the latter, then you may want to consider stocking up on the hostel breakfast. Hostels will offer you free breakfast (if not free then usually for very cheap) usually between 7 and 10 am. If you stock up on the breakfast foods, you will not have to spend as much money on food later in the day.
7. Bring a lock
Make sure you bring a luggage lock to lock up your bags while you are out of the room. If you are not comfortable leaving your bags in your room while you are out and about, then the hostel can provide you with a locker for a small fee.
Hopefully these hostel hacks make your stay a little bit easier!