The Hostel Life

 

When I was doing research for my trip to Europe I found a lot of great advice about staying in hostels scattered around the internet, hiding in articles about backpacking in general. When you head out on a budget trip anywhere, but especially in Europe, hostels are going to become a huge component of your trip, and they will ultimately play a huge part in determining your happiness. With this in mind I wanted to put together a little overview of life in hostels: the different types, what to expect, and how to find the good ones, among other things. Hopefully some of this advice can help you be happy and comfortable while traveling on a budget.

Hostel Basics

Getting started, here are the basic things you can expect from just about any hostel in Europe:

• Basic beds with, at most, one pillow. Hostels generally provide you with the bare minimum needed to sleep decently. Generally you will have a mattress, small pillow, and blanket- and that's it. It is important to keep in mind that although many hostels provide linens, many do not, so if you want to ensure you have clean sheets either bring some with you or check and be sure they are provided by the hostel.
• Showers and toilets. All hostels will have bathroom facilities and showers, however the quality and cleanliness vary greatly. Also, although some hostels will have facilities that are separate for men and women, this is by no means standard. Showers and toilets will come in any combination, sometimes they sore in the same area, sometimes they are separate. If you book an "ensuite" room the bathroom will be directly connected to your room!
• Bunk beds! Unless you get a private room, more than likely you will be sleeping on bunk beds. These vary in quality from very sturdy to wobbly and squeaky, and I've seen them go three high. Sometimes you pick your bunk, sometimes that is decided for you.
• Electrical outlets. There will be, somewhere in the hostel, a place for you to plug things in and charge them. Some hostels have outlets for each bunk, some have one per room. There are usually outlets available in common areas as well.

 

Some other amenities are pretty universally available at hostels, but it's best to check first before booking:

• Lockers. Most hostels will have a place where you can secure either your valuables or your entire backpack. Some places will have a safe at reception for valuable, some will have lockers in the rooms. Also, although some places provide locks, this is not standard and I would advise bringing a small travel lock or padlock with you just in case.
• WiFi/ internet. Almost every hostel I have come across has had free wifi for guests, and many have computers with either free or pay as you go internet, but this is not grantees!
• Towels for hire. Hostels do not generally provide towels! Some do, which is awesome, and some will let you rent them for a small fee, but to be safe always bring your own.
• Free earplugs. Inevitably you will end up sharing a room with someone who sounds like they are possessed when they sleep, and earplugs come in handy. Most nicer hostels will have these sitting in reception for free which is amazing because it is really easy to lose earplugs.
• Touristy info. In general hostel staff will be familiar with the area and be able to tell you about things to do or give you directions, some will even have free maps, walking tours, and be able to book other tours for you.
• Breakfast. A lot of hostels provide a basic free breakfast to guests, although some places charge a small fee if you want breakfast. It's rare but there are places that don't have breakfast available- I don't stay at those places.
• Kitchens. A large portion of hostels have basic kitchens for backpackers to use to store and cook food. Generally they will have the basic tools necessary to prepare a meal, but this can vary greatly and I have come across a few places that do not have kitchens and do not allow outside food.  
• 24 hour reception. Since backpackers are generally working with weird schedules based on buses/trains/planes, most hostels make themselves available to help you at all hours. This does not mean you can check in whenever you want, generally you have to wait until the afternoon, but along with 24 hour reception most places will have a way for you to store your bags until you are able to check in fully.

Not as common features you should look out for:

• Bars/restaurants. Some of my favorite hostels have been the ones with bars or restaurants attached because they generally have decent priced drinks and are great places to meet fellow travelers or locals!
• Laundry facilities. These are nice when literally everything you have is dirty and you are tired of washing things in the sink. Some places have really good rates as well.
• PRIVACY CURTAINS. These are amazing. Some places actually have the bunks rigged with little curtains you can close so nobody can watch you sleep.
• Personal shelves/charging stations. I mentioned this briefly before, but some places have shelves in each bunk with places to plug in all of your electronics- including USB plugins.

Hostel Types
The types of hostel you chose can have a really big impact on your trip so it's important to pick one that suits your purposes:

• Youth hostels. These generally have an age restriction limiting the guests to young people which makes it easier to meet fellow travelers your own age.
• Party hostels. Generally these are also youth hostels, but they emphasis a party atmosphere with organized events and drinking, if you are looking for a quiet place avoid these.
• No age limits. Anyone can stay there, including kids. Be wary of these ones, you can run into school groups and that many kids gets annoying.
• Cheap hostels. You can generally tell based on price and amenities which hostels are really cheap, and although they may be a good deal you will also run into people who actually live in the hostel dorms, which can be awkward or uncomfortable.
• Hotel like hostels. These usually have smaller rooms and emphasize a quieter atmosphere, and they welcome guests of all types. If you need a good nights rest these are usually the places to go.

There are really so many different types of hostels you can chose from, so this is by no means a definitive list, but hopefully it helps you avoid any places that really do not fit your plans.

What to Bring
Besides the basic things you would normally bring on a trip, here are some things you should remember if you are staying in hostels:

• Towel
• Small lock
• Power converter/adapter
• Flashlight- for when you get to a hostel at night and people are sleep, you don't want to be the one waking everyone up
• Alarm clock of some kind- I have yet to see a hostel that provides these
• Shower shoes- if you don't like germs you will want these in hostel bathrooms

Basic Hostel Etiquette
Don't be the person making everyone else miserable:

• If the lights are off in the room and people are sleeping, be respectful. Don't turn the lights on if you can help it, and be as quiet and quick as possible
• Keep a clean space. You can leave your bunk however you want, but don't leave a giant pile of your stuff on the floor or in other common areas
• With that in mind, clean up after yourself in the kitchen as well, it's nobody's job to do your dishes for you
• Respect other people's things and their privacy
• Be friendly! Smile at people and help them out of/when you can

Finding the Right Hostel
There is no really great way to find the best hostel in any one place because each one is so different, and a lot of the hostel experience depends as much on the people you're staying with as the hostel itself, but my best advice is to read reviews from other travelers and make your best judgment. I have had a lot of great luck with reviews, but you have to take each of them with a grain of salt. Don't write a place off because of one bad review and don't pick a place because of one good review. Look at the overall consensus. Also, keep in mind location when choosing a hostel. If you don't mind walking or taking public transport, a place further away may be perfectly fine, but if you are alone and the hostel is in a shady area you may want to think twice. It can be really easy to be swayed by the price, but paying a few extra dollars for a place more centrally located or with nicer staff is almost always worth it. A good starting point for finding hostels is www.hostelworld.com, there is an incredible amount of selection and the reviews cannot be beat.

This article turned out to be a bit longer than anticipated, so I will stop there, but please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions or want to know about any of the specific hostels where I have stayed!