Hi,<BR><BR>I keep reading about this hotel or that bed and breakfast, but have any of you stayed at hostels for your entire vacation? Or is it just poor students staying in them? If you have, how did you like your experience? I'm a little wary, but I want to try the hostel experience. <BR><BR><BR>Karol<BR>(The Poor Student)

I've stayed in hostels in Florida, England and in several countries throughout Europe and found them all to be very similar in the experience.<BR>If you are traveling on your own, they are the way to go to meet people and maybe others to travel with. The T.V rooms and outside areas turn into beer gardens in the evenings and people can sit around sharing their travel experiences as well as find people to join up with for a while. You'll get good ideas of places to visit from others. You do need to be understanding as far as other people making noise during the night (some have flights leaving at all hours) and do try to join in and start a conversation with others as that is what hostels are all about. Shared rooms are fine, you may have to wait for the shower but it's no big deal besides, your only there to sleep and are out all day sight seeing. O find ear plugs are the best thing when hosteling.

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice!

I usually stay in hostels when I travel. Although you'll meet many poor students, there are people of all ages, even families. If you are travelling alone, hostelling is the by far the least expensive accomodation and the best way to meet other people. <BR><BR>I agree with Tracey, earplugs are an absolute must. Also, if you have the option, always take a room with fewer beds. 15-bed rooms are infinitely noiser and less comfortable than 4 bed rooms...<BR><BR>Cheers, syrin

i have stayed in hostels in vienna,<BR>prague,krakow,budapest,frankfurt,venice ,<BR>rome,florence and a few places in the states and i agree with everything tracey said.....it is too good of<BR>a deal for me to pass up<BR>xoxoxoxo<BR>-otis

We mix hostel rooms with other lodging choice. Check sites like eurotrip and rick steves for suggestions on hostel. Some are great, some are awful. I think the ones in the cities tend to be less cared for, and the ones in the countryside are better values.

I stayed in hostels about 30 yrs ago, so the advice might be somewhat dated. I found them to be full of little German kids. They had inadequate shower facilities with unusual rules restricting the hours of operation. Thing I liked list and find to be the biggest nuisance is the hours of operation. Most don't open until 5:00 PM, which results in alot of waiting around for them to open.<BR><BR>Depending on the country, they may be only a few dollars cheaper than a much nicer B&amp;B

Try to stay at the Balmers hostel in Interlaken Switzerland. It was very clean and had several great adventure groups nearby. Went there 4 years ago and it was the highlight of my European trek.