Many countries around the world have a wide variety of hostels that you can stay in.
Their budget friendly pricing structure is great for solo travelers looking to stay cheap and meet other like minded people or for those who are traveling in a group, who can rent a dorm for themselves to save money.
Now remember, you usually get what you pay for, but the point here is to save money. Shop wisely.
The dorm rooms offered typically range from 4-20 people, but it depends according to each location. These dorms can be co-ed, same sex, or female only, depending on the request of the guest and on the availability of the establishment.
Some hostels also offer the option of private rooms. They tend to be a bit more costly, but if you are traveling with your partner or just tired of snoring roommates, they can be well worth every penny for some privacy and a good nights rest.
I have heard of certain locations having age restrictions and forcing older travelers to order a private room, but have never witnessed it personally.
Just a heads up if you are in the 30+ crowd.
The bathrooms are typically shared per floor. However, some 4 bedroom accommodations and privates have bathrooms located in them. Depends on the place.
On that note, I personally don’t travel with anything worth stealing, but maybe you plan on bringing valuables. Research the security measures available in each location if you plan to do so.
Security lockers are also available in many hostels allowing you to store your valuables safely while you are asleep or touring around. Some are electronic and use your room key, most you will need to provide your own padlock.
Bring one along for good measure.
A great place for finding hostels around the world is the website Hostelworld. They provide pictures, prices, services, facilities, reviews, maps, as well as the rules and restrictions of the available locations.
This makes the search for a cheap nights rest much easier in my opinion.
Some of the descriptions and pictures are not always up to date or reminiscent of the current state of each establishment, but I have found it to be my favorite source of information when booking a hostel. Outside of word of mouth.
I usually opt to book a 4 person mixed dorm. It’s a few dollars more than a larger dorm room, but I prefer only having a few roommates and the possibility of a bathroom in the dorm room is always a pleasant surprise when you happen upon it.
You can learn dorm etiquette as you go, but here is the short version, be mindful of others and pick up after yourself.
Moving on.
Laundry service is something that I have deemed a must have in a potential hostel.
I made the mistake of overlooking this once while traveling through Europe and spent the next 3 days wearing smoke saturated, musty clothes until my next stop.
Not fun.
Unless you want to feel like Pigpen, remember to look for laundry facilities.
Another tip is to make sure wifi service is available in the hostel. Though many cafes around the world offer it with a purchase, having free wifi helps. Do I really need to explain why it’s cool?
When traveling on a tight budget, free is always better.
While there are pros and cons to hosteling, just as anything else in life. They are great for solo and budget travelers who just want a place to lay their head for the night.
I don’t see how I could have traveled like I have without them. Or a lot more money.
