Hostelworld

One of the biggest misconceptions about traveling is that it’s expensive. While it’s not necessarily “cheap,” it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. One of my favorite ways to save when I travel is by staying in hostels!

Wait, aren’t hostels kind of gross?

Trust me, I had my hesitations initially. But then I discovered the wonderful site that is hostelworld.com. And believe me when I say that this site has been an absolute game changer for me.

All you have to do is search for where and when you’re traveling and you’ll be met with thousands of hostels reviewed by people all over the world. You can even filter by rating to make sure you’re staying in the top hostels, but they’ll naturally be filtered by rating and relevance to your location. Once you see a hostel that catches your eye, you can click on it and you’ll get to see

• Photos of the hostel. Inside, outside, rooms, bathrooms, bar, etc!
• Room types. Male dorms, female dorms, or mixed dorms.
• Room sizes. 2 bed, 4 bed, 6 bed, etc. I’ve seen some that go up to 24 beds!
• Price per night. Depending on how nice your hostel is and which room you choose, I’ve seen anywhere from $30 USD a night for an 8-bed female dorm to to $100 a night for a private room.
• Amenities. Most hostels offer Wifi and laundry services. Many also offer free breakfast or discounts at a bar or restaurant.
• Distance to city center and major train stations, bus stops, and airports. This can be helpful if you have a certain location you’d like to hang around in.
• Directions from major train stations, bus stops, and airports. Sometimes hostels can be a little difficult to find, especially if you’re in a foreign country, so the added directions can be very helpful.
• Reviews! Customers will rate their hostels based on location, safety, cleanliness, atmosphere, and more. If you’re a little on the fence about a hostel, read a few of the thousands of reviews to help you make a decision.

Of course saving money is the major pro here, but I can honestly say that from my stays in various hostels, I feel as though I’ve gotten some totally unique experiences that I wouldn’t have gotten if I stayed at a hotel or even at an Air BnB. Most hostels have some sort of community or common area, and it can be really fun after a long day of traveling the world to come back and meet new people and make connections.

For example, in Switzerland I played one of the weirdest card games I’ve ever played with people from about 10 different countries. In Germany I met someone who actually lived only a few hours from me in the States. In Japan I met one of the friendliest girls while we were straightening our hair in the morning.

Of course, you don’t have to be a social butterfly, and many times, I wasn’t. But the environment of a hostel is overall friendly and welcoming, which can be really refreshing when you’re in a foreign place.

Now, if you’re anything like me, there are probably a few con’s you can think of when it comes to staying in a hostel.

• Communal bathrooms.
• Other guests up late or early. Basically, making noise when you’re trying to sleep.
• No space for your luggage. Is it safe?
• Uncomfortable beds.

For each of these things, this is where checking the accommodations and reviews on Hostelworld are very valuable. I have stayed in hostels with communal bathrooms, and I’ve also stayed in hostels with private bathrooms and showers. Do your research to find a place that fits your needs!

As far as other guests being noisy, I honestly haven’t had too much trouble with it. I will say, I’m a heavy sleeper, but the general trend of hostels are people who are out and about all day and just need a place to crash at night. In addition, many hostels have a quiet hours policy starting around midnight.

The beds have been a hit or miss for me. Again, the reviews on Hostelworld are helpful, but I generally haven’t been anywhere that it was just unbearable. It’s not going to be a huge fluffy hotel bed, but it’s also not going to be a piece of cardboard on springs. I should probably also mention that most hostels use bunkbeds, so if you’re not a fan of those, make sure you’ve got a bottom bunk!

And lastly, most hostels have some sort of locker or storage for your luggage in the room. There have been times where I’ve received a key, and other times when my storage was just directly beside or below my bed. Either way, most guests are pretty respectful of each other and everyones belongings. If you want to play it safe, just make sure to carry important documents or money with you when you leave the room.

OKAY! Now that I have talked your ear off about Hostelworld, feel free to give it a try! I truly can’t recommend this resource enough, and I guarantee that you’ll find it just as useful as I did. At the very least, you’re going to save yourself a lot of money by staying in hostels, and who doesn’t like that?