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How safe are hostels?

Most hostels are generally safe. Many have lockers and safe deposit boxes for you to store your valuables. It is advised that you lock your pack and take anything with you (plane tickets, extra money, etc., that you couldn’t lose.) Thefts do occur but not so often to deter people from staying in hostels.

How much do they cost?

Cost varies from hostel to hostel and country to country. The general range is $10-$20 per night for a dorm room. Doubles cost extra, as do singles. Sometimes breakfast is included, sometimes not. And the types of breakfasts vary from just bread, coffee and jam to cereals, meats, and eggs.

How do I find hostels?

Guidebooks. Word of mouth. Internet sites like this. Basically, do as much research as possible. Ask questions. Look for reviews. (The more current the better.) Sometimes guidebooks will have directions to the hostel. Often there’s a website.

Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?

If you plan to camp, yes. If not, it’s a judgment call. Many hostels do not allow you to use sleeping bags due to the spread of bedbugs. Those that do not allow bags often supply you with sheets or rent them out at a minimal fee. Most people recommend a sleepsheet. You can buy one or make it yourself from your own sheets.

Should I make reservations?

It depends on when you are going. If you are going in July or August, it’s wise to make some reservations ahead of time. At least call a few days before you know where you are going to be. That’s peak season and beds fill up very, very quickly. We advise that you also reserve for weekends in large cities (Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, etc.) If you travel during the winter (low season), you most likely won’t need reservations. Except around Christmas and New Year’s. Book way ahead for some cities that have large festivals. (Edinburgh’s Hogmany for example.) It is ALWAYS a good idea to reserve for the night you arrive. You don’t want to spend your first night sleeping in a train station.

Should I get an HI card?

Advice is mixed on this one. You can go ahead and buy one before you leave and use it at all HI hostels. But not all hostels you may stay at are HI affiliated and you may not get full use. (Usually pays for itself in about 6 visits.) You can also just show up at any HI hostel, sign up for a card, and collect Welcome Stamps until you are an official member. (I think it’s about 6 visits.) You pay a little more than HI members, but in the end it costs a little less than buying a card. Your membership is then valid for a year.

Is there an age limit for hostels?

Nope. (Well except in Bavaria. See below.) Just about anyone is welcome in hostels. Many welcome families and even have special family rooms. Often you’ll see school groups in hostels. I’ve met people of all ages in hostels. It just depends on what your comfort level is.

What is this age limit in Bavarian Hostels that I hear about?

HI-affiliated hostels in Bavaria limit guests to being 26 and under. They tend to be very strict about that. Non-HI hostels are left up to their discretion. Most non-HI hostels don’t have an age limit.

Are the dorms co-ed?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. HI hostels generally have single-sex rooms. But you can try to request mixed gender. Some hostels don’t separate at all. It’s best to ask. And if you have a preference, make it known before you are assigned a room.

Do I need to be a member?Usually anyone can stay in them, although the prices are marginally more expensive for non-members than members. I worked at a YHA hostel in Washington DC for a few months, and the rule at that time was that non-members could stay at any YHA hostel, and would be provided a card that would be stamped each evening that they stayed at the non-member rate. When they'd filled the card up with stamps (which would equal the cost of a membership) they could turn in the card and receive their membership in return. I bet most other hostel organizations have a similar setup. But theirs also lots of independent hostels around.