Hostel Europe
Affordable Option for Exploration
By D.W.

If you want to travel through Europe on a tight budget and you are not afraid of some discomfort, hostelling is the way to go. Despite common perceptions, teenagers and single twenty something’s are not the only ones who can benefit and enjoy hostelling.

All you really need is a sense of adventure and a good plan.

Hostels are very common throughout Europe so finding one shouldn’t be a problem. However, hostelling is not for everybody, especially those who have young children or need privacy and quiet personal time although some hostels offer hotel style accommodations at a discount.

So what exactly is a hostel?

Well, a hostel is a form of communal accommodations that offers reasonably priced shelter to travelers in either private or dormitory rooms. Most hostels are independently owned and many of them have bars and restaurants. The size of a room can vary from a cozy four person room in a Victorian mansion to a homeless shelter arrangement housing dozens in a warehouse style building. There is no formula to determine what a hostel offers because they are all different. However, they are generally located in desirable tourist areas or close to public transportation that will get you to nice places to visit.

I have stayed in numerous hostels throughout my three years of wanderlust in Europe. And I have stayed in very bad hostels as well as exceptional ones. Overall, hostels have saved me a lot of money that I subsequently squandered on beer so I can recommend the experience.

But the best thing a would-be hosteller can do is research a hostel and only book the ones with a good reputation.

Perhaps one of the worst hostels I have been to was one that I didn’t reserve ahead of time but got in that day. Surprisingly it was recommended by a few travel guides. It was called the Flying Pig or something like that in downtown Amsterdam. When I initially checked in at 7:00 AM, the place reeked of pot but we needed a cheap room so we didn’t complain. There were about 15 pot heads hanging out in the lounge smoking joints. We had to come back at 1:00 PM to get our beds that day and the same 15 dope heads were still there chilling out. When we finished the night around 4:00 AM, the same 15 junkies were still in the lounge, some asleep and some still smoking away.

There are a few services that I have used to book hostel beds in advance and I recommend doing this. Booking ahead of time with a reputable service guarantees you a room without the fear of nasty surprises. You have to pay with a credit card but this too helps protect you from extortion and covers you if all of your cash is spent.

The only online service I have used is Hostel World. Every hostel I booked through this service was exactly what they said it would be and I never had a problem checking in. There are other sites out there that provide similar services like Hostels.com and Hostelling International but I cannot vouch for them.

You could also get a hostel space the old fashioned way. That is, just show up and hope they have a room. I have tried this method a number of times with both success and failure. Most hostels will have room unless it is during the peak travel season like the summer or if some special event is going on. Any other time you should be able to find accommodations somewhere.

Most hostels offer private rooms that are usually singles, twins, or doubles and sometimes triples. These accommodations are usually less expensive than getting a hotel room, but not always. Getting a big private room is best if you are traveling with a group that wants to stay together. Most hostels offer some rooms with private bathrooms. This will generally consist of a toilet, wash-hand basin and shower, but then again there are European hotels that have common showers and bathrooms as well. Standard rooms involve sharing communal shower facilities which are usually located not too far away on the same corridor and are generally kept pretty clean.

For those veterans out there, sharing facilities with minimal privacy is commonplace which is why my friends and I never minded the inconveniences of hostelling.

And for those of you who are really on a tight budget, most hostels have self-service kitchens where you can cook your own meals. I have done this a time or two but I was also used to shopping in European grocery stores. Almost all hostels offer free or inexpensive lockers for storage but some have attended luggage storage areas to secure valuables. The best bet is not to carry any valuables at all other than documents and money and it is advisable to keep those on your person. I always wore cargo pants and kept my valuables in the side pockets.

Some hostels have curfews or lock-outs but this is becoming less common. But just to be safe, check the rules before you book your room. Furthermore, most hostels provide clean linen either for free or for a nominal charge although they may not provide blankets and it does get pretty cold in Europe. Therefore, always bring a good blanket or a sleeping bag just in case; it also helps during train rides.

Part of the adventure of hostelling is that you never know who you are going to meet. Likewise, part of the risk of hostelling is that you never know who you are going to meet. More often than not, other hostellers are just young adults out to have a good time and they do not present a threat to you. Unfortunately, thieves are also out there and I have stayed with less cautious hostellers who had a lot of stuff stolen from them.

Another risk (depending on your political viewpoint) is that European hostels are also havens for anti-globalization protesters. Contrary to popular belief that these people are good natured modern day hippies out to make a change, most of them are actually serious drug abusers, thieves, and all around losers. I personally know this from plenty of interaction with them. Of course I am also a pretty big guy and I lift weights so they weren’t inclined to harass me as I could probably break their necks in two seconds.

However, on occasion I have seen them making signs suggesting the assassination of our President while smoking dope and discussing conspiracy theories. Most of them don’t inherently have a problem with individual Americans, but you never know (especially when they are high).

Hostelling through Europe is not your ordinary method of vacationing but it can be a very good adventure if you are open to new experiences and don’t require a lot of comfort. You should always plan your trips in advance, especially if you are going to travel during peak seasons. And for the not so adventurous, I suggest trying a more conventional and expensive approach.

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