what is the hostel experience like?
 

My friend and I are headed to Europe and he says that staying at hostels are cheaper and a good way to meet up with other people. <BR>I like to know what everyone else thinks about the hostels and what is the approx rate per night? <BR>Thanks!

I haven't stayed in one and would not (even when I was younger) because I have a strong need for privacy and quiet, and get grossed out easily, but I do know they seem to cost about US$15-25 a night in a group room, depending on country. Ones in Paris, for example, cost about 100-125F per night, I believe, but they are cheaper in some other countries. They are definitely cheaper than hotels and you will meet more people, I'd agree. It really depends on your stomach and expectations, I think. My 20-yr old niece recently tried the hostel route in continental Europe and didn't have much fun, she ended up crying and sick and couldn't sleep and went home early (which was London at that time, at school) because she was having a bad time. I warned her what to expect but she didn't believe me because I'm older and therefore have gotten stupider with time, I guess. I also told her that if she took night train couchettes she would be in with a bunch of total strangers and perhaps could not sleep there, either, but she also was shocked when that turned out to actually be true. Anyway, in-between the hostels and couchettes she didn't get much sleep for quite a few days and maybe that's one reason she sort of got sick. If you are young and don't mind basic conditions in group quarters, give it a try. There are lots of good websites with info on hostels, including addresses, rates, reviews. I know mostly about France, so here are some URLs for france: www.gaf.tm.fr (best overall hostel site for hostels throughout France, including small towns), www.paris.org/Accueil/Foyers (somewhat outdated list for Parisian hostels), www.cheaphostel.com, www.fuaj.fr, www.mije.fr, www.villagehostel.fr, www.woodstock.fr, www.aijparis.com, www.hostelblueplanet.com. Here are some general hostel web sites which also have other countries: www.hostels.com, www.thebackpacker.net, www.backpackeurope.com, www.eurotrip.com <BR> <BR>Anyway, give it a try and if you don't like it, you can fall back on cheap hotels (which are sometimes not that much more expensive for two people together than a hostel--in Paris you can get very cheap hotel rooms for $60/double which is not much more than you'd both spend in group hostel rooms). One disadvantage of many hostels is that they are far from city center; not always, but you really have to know location or it's not worth it to stay real far out. Another disadvantage is some have curfews and lockouts in mid-day (ie, you cannot get into your room)--both of these things might not bother you so much or at all if you expect to be out all day sightseeing and don't want to roam the streets at 3 am as the curfews aren't that early. In Paris, I think the Young and Happy and Aloha hostels in the Latin Qtr are supposed to be okay, some like the AIJ near Bastille area, and I think I've heard of good experiences at the Blue Planet or Village hostels, also. Those other URLs like Eurotrip will have more folks with personal hostel experiences for you.

Traveller: Many of my friends stayed in hostels when they toured Europe. I didn't hear any complaints from them. Although I studied in Paris several years back and travelled a great deal throughout Europe in my 20s (only 30 now), I only stayed in one hostel. I'm not a particularly picky person, but I didn't get much sleep there worrying about bugs & thieves. I opted for "pensions" and pension-type places whenever possible. They only ran about $20/night (at the time hostels were $10/night). Pensions are cleaner & I didn't have to share a room with anyone I didn't know. In Paris there's the Auberge de Jeunesse on rue des Bernardins in the Latin Quarter (metro Maubert Mutualite) which not only has bedrooms sleeping 10 people, but rooms for 2. Each room has a shower, too - but toilette is down the hall. I'm sure there are similar places in the bigger cities. Hope this helps.

Hi traveller, <BR> <BR> <BR>I’ve stayed in quite a few hostels many years ago. They vary from country to country. In Germany and Austria they’re bound to be clean and well run. I avoided hostels in large cities and chose pensions there for safety reasons. Let’s Go guide books have a good hostel listing and they give recommendations as to cleanliness and quietness and directions on how to get to the hostels. You must be a member to stay in most hostels. <BR> <BR>Hostels can accommodate 2 or more people in a room but a dorm-type accommodation is the norm. Usually there is a locker for your possessions (bring your own lock). You’re required to bring a sleeping bag or sheet sleeping bag or you can rent one at the hostel. Some hostels sell these sheet sleeping bags or you can make your own by sewing up the end and side of a regular flat sheet. <BR> <BR>There’s often a “lock-out” time during the day where you must leave and in high season there’s a maximum stay. Sometimes there’s a curfew, 11pm or midnight. In the UK you’re required to do some small chore in the morning before you leave (about 10 minutes worth of light cleaning). Some hostels offer dinner and most have kitchen facilities so you can make your own dinner. You should arrive early, as soon as they open for the evening, to ensure you have a bed. One of the more interesting hostels I stayed at was a deconsecrated church in Belgium. <BR> <BR>If you’re short on money and don’t mind communal living it’s an interesting experience. If you’re traveling on your own it’s a way to meet people to travel with and share travel information. Hosteling enabled me to travel at a time when I had very little money and I’m glad I had that experience. <BR> <BR>Adrienne <BR> <BR>

I have travelled vastly in europe, and by far prefer hostels to hotels, not because of the price but because of the experience. I would much rather live in a hostel than a hotel. <BR> <BR>Having said that, I must add that with hostels, you either love them (more likely if you are outgoing or socialist) or hate them (more likely if you are a spoilt ass).

Last year my daughter was overseas studying in Montpellier, France. She reported to me that the French hostels were as bad as I remembered from--well, a long time ago. She did stay in the ones in Spain and said they were great. <BR> <BR>I know from personal experience (that same ancient trip) that the Jugenguesthaus in Vienna is spotless. (I did hear that it still was, by the way.) <BR> <BR>I do agree that the Let's Go series of guides is the series to consult if you are into hosteling. <BR> <BR>Hostels are subject to all kinds of rules, so read up and know before you go.

I went the hostel route when I toured Europe in 1994. They vary greatly from country to country, city to city. I was travelling on my own and met some wonderful people; I was also sometimes driven crazy by not-so-wonderful roommates. It's quite an experience that requires you to leave behind the need for privacy, though I booked a hotel room every ten days or so to have some "alone time". I'm glad I did it, but I don't think I'd do it now. I'd second the tip offered by some of the above posts: Always research a hostel before staying there -- some are party central, others are very regimented. The daytime lock-out can be a hassle, but I did find that having nowhere to lounge or sleep in forced me to see and experience more of the countries I was visiting, for which I'm grateful.

You should find a lot of infos about hostels on the discussion board of www.eurotrip.com

Quite a few hostels also offer single or double rooms too at competitive prices compared to hotels, especially in really expensive places like London and Scandanavia. I'm 31 and I don't stay in the dorms anymore but if they have private rooms I like to stay at them because it is still more fun to me to be around younger people than overly self-conscious middle-aged Americans (sorry guys, but that was the clientele at a 3-star hotel I stayed at in Rome and I actually missed the hostel ambience.

My hostel experience is dated - 1974 - but here are my opinions. <BR> <BR>Hostels were set up for youth travelling under their own power. That was a thing of the past even in 74 - I just loved biking 60 mountainous miles to find the hostel full of kids who walked from the train station. <BR> <BR>In Germany, they are often full of little kids who are on some kind of school field trip or summer camp. <BR> <BR>They are closed during the day and often have an early 'lights out'. <BR> <BR>They are inexpensive, but not much more than a small B&B or Zimmer Frei. <BR> <BR>The different methods of showering was (maybe still is) amusing. In Winchester, England you would fill a bucket with warm water, then go downstairs (out by the stream) and use a hose from the bucket to shower. <BR> <BR>In Bacharach, Germany you needed to get a token to activate the shower. Tokens were only available for about 1/2 hour per night -too bad if you missed out. <BR> <BR>In another German hostel, guys only got to shower after the dishes were washed and the girls had taken theirs. <BR> <BR>I only recall meeting a couple of kids my age (23). In the cities, there are more, but also more crime (was warned several times about the one in Amsterdam)