A (bunk) bed, sheets, and a few roommates. Sometimes there will be a complimentary breakfast general

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Though I’m by no means an advanced traveller, I’ve travelled by myself cheap last minute vacation packages a fair bit (in England, Spain, Australia, and the United States). I’ve heard from many people, especially women, that they don t think they d ever be able to do such a thing because they believe cheap last minute vacation packages travelling alone is unsafe, not fun, or too expensive. I’m here to let you know that’s bullshit and share my experiences. First up, I’d like to tell you a little about (youth) hostels.
A hostel (more commonly referred to as youth hostel in America) is a place that accommodates budget travellers. They are businesses that provide dorm-style (male-only, female-only, and mixed) sleeping arrangements and shared bathroom facilities. That is basically it.
A (bunk) bed, sheets, and a few roommates. Sometimes there will be a complimentary breakfast generally including toast, butter, muffins, horrible coffee, and watered down juice. Sometimes there will be towels. Generally there’s a place to lock up your belongings, but only if you bring your own padlock.
For staff to cater to your specific cheap last minute vacation packages needs. Small to mid-sized hostels cheap last minute vacation packages generally have only one or two receptionists and two cleaning staff on duty. As a result, check-in and check-out at popular cheap last minute vacation packages hours will take a while. cheap last minute vacation packages They might forget cheap last minute vacation packages to give you your sheets. Sometimes cheap last minute vacation packages the bathrooms won’t be the cleanest ones you’ve ever seen.
Additionally, you won’t get much peace and quiet. Your roommates lead lives of their own, much like you. They might get back late and wake you from your slumber. They might rise at the crack of dawn because they have a plane or train to catch. They return from a bar a little intoxicated. They might snore. If you are looking for eight hours of undisturbed sleep, a hostel is not for you.
Despite the horror stories that make the rounds (and that I, up to a point, perpetuate here), staying at a hostel isn’t as bad as it may seem. Though the facilities cheap last minute vacation packages aren’t always sparkling, they’re more than usable. Hostel-goers are generally civil about their late night/early hours creeping about the room.
It’s important to remember that you’re probably paying no more than $30 per night. Depending on where you stay, this will obviously vary quite a bit. If you feel like the hostel you’re looking at is too expensive, check the going rates for budget hotels. Also remember that hostels are usually situated in the most popular locations, close to sightseeing spots, bars, metro/subway/tube stops, whereas cheap hotels are usually cheap last minute vacation packages found on the outskirts of a city.
Location is important. Make sure your hostel is in a place that makes you comfortable (one, for example, where it would be reasonably safe for a woman alone to walk a block or two from the subway or bus stop to the hostel). Depending on your priorities, you might have to give up proximity to bars, shopping centers, the beach, etc. Figure out what is important to you and go from there.
Then hit up the reviews. Remember that people cheap last minute vacation packages who review are often people who have a beef with the product. Content cheap last minute vacation packages customers cheap last minute vacation packages are less likely to review. cheap last minute vacation packages Then check the nationality of the reviewer. Are they American? Their review is likely to be reasonably negative. Americans tend to complain about the staff’s attitude, the fact that they weren t carried around on silk pillows cheap last minute vacation packages for their entire stay, the cleanliness of the room and facilities, the roommates well, basically cheap last minute vacation packages everything. Are they Australian? Then they’re also quite likely to leave negative reviews, unless they’re writing about a hostel in Australia. Much of the Australian tourism economy is driven by backpackers and as such their hostels have a high standard. If an Australian cheap last minute vacation packages hostel has many negative reviews from Australians, don’t book there.
Also check if the hostel is part of an organisation such as the Youth Hostelling cheap last minute vacation packages Association in England or Hostelling International USA . Their hostels generally deliver high quality. However, they often require paid membership to get the cheapest rates. If you’re not a member, you may pay up to $5 extra per night.
It could be that hostels just aren t for you. However, there is more to hostels than I’ve let on so far. Though cheap last minute vacation packages some hostels do provide merely a place to stay, many hostels will have amenities designed cheap last minute vacation packages to make your stay more pleasant. cheap last minute vacation packages Among some of the more common ones are: free wifi; TV room; nightly activities, such as movie night, pizza night, or games night; sightseeing tours/walks; pub crawls; or cheap laundry facilities. Some even have their own bars and restaurants where you can eat and drink on the cheap and those that don’t often have kitchen facilities, which is a great option to have when you’re travelling for a longer period and don’t want to eat out every night.
cheap last minute vacation packages Hostels are designed to allow you to meet people, and people who stay at hostels are generally friendly and open-minded. In a hostel, you can find someone to give you insider travel advice, cheap last minute vacation packages someone to have dinner or a drink with, or someone to go sightseeing with.
It’s true that there are a lot of hostels in Europe. There are also many in Australia and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam). They pop up basically anywhere that’s popular with young people/backpackers. But there are also hostels in the United States. I ve stayed at several, in Boston, New York, and Charleston; the latter is notorious for its pricey accommodation. They re not as thick on the ground as in some other places in the world, but they re definitely an option if you want to do a city trip on a budget.
The most popular website today is Hostelworld . They have a great selection of hostels and list all the amenities on offer (kitchens, lockers, laundry, etc.). However, they also charge a small booking fee. Hostelbookers doesn’t charge a fee, but is, according to some, less reliable. However, cheap last minute vacation packages they also offer some hostels that Hostelworld doesn’t, so definitely check them out.
If you expect you’ll be arriving in the evening, send an email to the hostel after booking with them and let them know your estimated time of arrival. Ask them to confirm that they’ll hold your bed for you. Most hostels have small profit margins and will give your bed to someone else if they think you’re a no-show. Related, make sure you carry the hostel’s phone number with you so that you can call them in case of any delays.
Posted on February 14, 2011 January 12, 2012 Author Nanna Freeman Categories Travel Tags bathroom facilities , bed sheets , budget travel guide , budget travellers , bunk bed , but what about the bedbugs? , complimentary breakfast , hostelling , hostels , receptionists , sleeping arrangements , travel , youth hostel , youth hostels
I m holding out for a guide to couch surfing. obviously more limited than hostels, range wise, and dependant on knowing people well enough to be okay crashing, but couch surfing can be pretty fun way of doing the travel thing if you are visiting places where people you know live.
Yes, do dive in! Summer is approaching fast (hallelujah!) and now you ll still have a lot of options to choose from. In a month or two, only the crappier hostels will have beds in the smaller dorms (the huge ones with 16 or so bed almost always have availability, but yeah. 15 roommates?).
This is not necessarily about hostels, but I d recommend looking for deals through STA Travel. Even if you re not a student, they have great deals. I just booked a 4 night stay in Madrid at a reasonable hotel for a trip with my mom. Their agents are super helpful over the phone.
I was happily surprised that a lot of hostels in Europe have smaller rooms while yes, the 28-bed dormitories cheap last minute vacation packages definitely existed cheap last minute vacation packages (which is what I picture when I think hostel ), you could find 2 or 3-person rooms as well. These were a few dollars more, but I found them well worth it.
If you re going somewhere for a major sporting event or cultural festival, you might be able to fly under the hostel s radar on that if you book early enough. Once they realize something big is going on (and the good ones will have that marked on their calendars before you can even make a booking), they ll up their prices.
And ditto on the cuddling everything. If you re really nice, I ll tell you about that time I had my everything stolen in Madrid (but not in the hostel, which was actually really helpful with keeping a roof over my head and food in my belly until my parents could MoneyGram me some money).
Oh, Madrid is great! They just have spectacularly talented pickpockets. I had the misfortune of having everything (passport, bankcards, phone, money, camera) in a single bag, which was stolen without me noticing even though it was right next to me while I was sitting in a park. A few hours before someone had attempted to lift my wallet out of my bag. This was my first day. But if you re aware of the talent of Madrilene pickpockets then I m sure you ll be just great. Keep your passport in the hotel safe, make sure you bag is attached to some part of your body at all times. cheap last minute vacation packages And enjoy the marvellous museums (Thyssen is vastly superior to Reina Sofia, IMHO).
What s your backpack essential for hosteling? I always carry a silky sleeping bag liner with me just on the off-chance sheets aren t provided or are thin/scratchy. It packs down small and it s my cheap, lightweight piece of luxury.
Oh yes, I have one of those too! Most hostels don t al