Growing up the United States, hostels were a very taboo subject. They were never talked about, and if they were it was negative. It wasn’t until I traveled abroad that I realized hostels are a great resource for traveling and meeting new people.
**My knowledge is largely based on the hostels I have stayed at while traveling throughout Europe..
Below I will provide you some information of the following:
- What to Expect at a Hostel
- Bathrooms
- Sleeping with Strangers
- Keeping Belongings Safe
- How to Find Hostels
- Other Considerations
What to Expect
Every hostel I have stayed at has been in an old, renovated building. From the outside, the hostel might not be obvious and the rooms may be smaller, but this has nothing to do with the quality! Just don’t expect a stand-alone building with a huge sign out front.
Like hotels, Hostels will have a front desk, room keys, and a bed with clean sheets and pillows. They’ve also been very accommodating when I arrived early, often storing my luggage behind the counter.
Hostels are cheap because you are paying for the bed, not the room. Each hostel is different, but I have stayed in rooms with 4 people, and I have stayed in rooms with 18 people. Something in the middle is nice, because you’re guaranteed to meet new people, but won’t be overwhelmed.
Bathrooms
People always question me about the bathroom situation. Again, hostels are built in preexisting buildings, so each one is unique. I have been to hostels with old, outdated bathrooms, and I have been to hostels with newly renovated bathrooms.
However, I can say with confidence that I have never felt unsafe while using a hostel bathroom.
Sometimes the bathrooms are in the bedroom, and sometimes they are located somewhere on the floor. They can be communal or individual.
If you have the choice, I suggest staying away from bedrooms with a bathroom in them. If you’re poop shy, having strangers in the room can be quite uncomfortable.
Sleeping with Strangers
If you have never shared a bedroom with a stranger (college?) a hostel might be intimidating, but don’t let that scare you! My sister’s first time in a foreign country was spent at a hostel. She was nervous the first night but had no issues the rest of the week.
The obvious issues are people being loud or turning on the lights while trying to sleep. A sleep mask helps for lights, and earbuds for the noise. Playing white music can help a lot. I always do my best to be respectful when entering a room late, and most people do too, but I have had some experiences with clueless people. All part of the experience 😉
Keeping Belongings Safe
Every hostel I have been to has had a locker of some sort. Sometimes the lockers are cages that slide under the beds; sometimes they look like big metal dressers; sometimes they look like an average locker. Regardless, I always bring a lock with me. Sometimes the lockers are big enough to fit my 65L backpack comfortably, and other times they are way too small.
Regardless, I always lock my passport in the locker.
You may find that the people in your room are backpacking or just passing through and are respectful of other people and their belongings. Never have I have had an issue with people going through my belongings.
How to Find Hostels
There are many websites to find hostels, but I have always used booking.com. Compared to other sites, I find it easy to use and it has a great selection.
Some of my favorite hostels are SafeStays. I’m unsure if its a “chain” but I have stayed at a few in different countries and they have been my favorites. Also, read the reviews! Some of the most common complaints are noise levels due to young adults. However, if you plan on going out and having fun, these may be the hostels you should look for!
Other Considerations
There are so many things I could talk about, but I’m trying to keep it short for the sake of this post. Below I have some bullet points about kitchens, toiletries, activities and co-ed rooms.
- Some hostels have community kitchens that are stocked with essential equipment like pots, pans, and silverware. Other hostels do not have kitchens, so keep that in mind when searching. The image below is the community kitchen at Balmer’s Hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland. It is one of the best kitchens I’ve ever seen at a hostel.
- Some hostels are only there to provide you with a place to sleep, while others are there to connect you with people from around the world. If you are traveling solo, I highly recommend looking into a hostel that offers activities. Many hostels have weekly activities like sightseeing and barhopping.
- Many hostels have the option between co-ed rooms, all-female rooms, and all-male rooms. Personally, I prefer co-ed rooms, but a single-sex room is a great option if that is something you are nervous about.
- Hostels do NOT offer free towels in the bathroom when you shower. They often have towels for sale at the front desk, but they do not offer them for free. They also do NOT offer soaps in the shower–at most places.
- Even though rooms and bathrooms are cleaned daily (at least every place I have been to), things get dirty fast. You’ll find that flip flops are a great option for this.
- Unless the hostel has a restaurant associated with it, I would not pay for Breakfast. Often I find that it consists of cereal and toast, and I would rather make my own or go to a cafe.
Summary
If it is your first time staying at a hostel, I recommend paying a few extra dollars a day to stay at a nicer hostel with high reviews. Traveling can be a scary thing, but meeting other individuals who are also traveling can be reassuring and insightful. And remember, you can always book a hotel room if the hostel isn’t working for you.
If you do decide to proceed, I recommend reading my post about the 6 essentials you need to bring with on an international trip.
