BootsnAll Travel Community

I've had little problem with hostels, even staying in them with my son.

I would actually advise the in the HI ones, though. The standards of cleanliness are much higher than many independent hostels, and they're less tolerant of people staying up drinking and making noise all night.

Where are you headed?

I've been in hostels in Copenhagen, London, Reykjavik, NY, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit. They can be noisy, but have overall been a good experience.

Thanks!

I will be staying at HI hostles for most of my trip. A few independants in the Highlands of Scotland and one in the north of England, but for the most part it will be HI. I think that's the best way to go for my first time out.

I've already booked (and paid!) at the hostel in York. I've also made reservations for London and got a super deal of 15 Pounds a night at the YHA City of London. That's 10 pounds cheaper than their advertised price for a 5 bed room.

Overall..I'm feeling much better having made these hostel choices.

Hey Libby,

With the exception of one hostel, every hostel I've stayed in let me move rooms if I wasn't happy with the one I was in.

And, don't limit yourself to YHA/HI hostels. I stayed in a fantastic independent hostel called Le Centre de Vincent Van Goh (or something like that) in this room with three beds over two levels that faced onto a small patch of grass. I stayed at the YHA in Cambridge and it was pretty average overall.

You can always book one night to see if you like it and then change it once you get there.

Annie,
I will be staying at hostels that aren't YHA, but it's just that some of the ones that most interested me were YHA.

Libby,

I've never stayed in the YHA City of London (I live in london anyway) but the location is superb. You are literally five minutes walk from St. Paul's Cathedral, and two mminutes walk from one of the major bus routes in the city.

You oculd walk to the Tower of London / Tower Bridge in 20 minutes, or be in the West End by bus in about the same time.

It's also convenient for tube stations.

The City of London was recommended to me by someone who stays there pretty regularly. The lack of a kitchen isn't great, but there are cheap options in London so I'll be fine. I'm not looking for a party place and the hostel is supposed to supply a good nights sleep.

You can't beat the location can you???

i have an old people magazine and i just came across something that barely seems worth sharing. nonetheless, it is rainy out and i have nothing to do until 6:15pm therefore...

(and i wont even mention the pseudo-celeb cuz she dont even deserve this ink. puncutation is mine)

X's backpack backtrack
when it comes to x's vacation choices, boyfriend y may know best. according to an israeli news report, y cut short their recent trip to israel after violence in the region flared. and he also but the kibosh on x's misguided hostel hopping plans. "my friends backpacked europe after high school and stayed at hostels and i kept telling y that we should try it. x, 22, told people before her trip to the middle east. hes like you dont want to stay in hostels-you wont like it. im like, im ont a princess, ill be fine....y showed me pictures on the internet. i was like share a room with how many people? share a bathroom? how woulid i wash my hair? the new plan: we are going to backpack between four seasons.



imagine me...putting my pointer finger and thumb in the shape of an "L" on my forehead for...LOSER!!!!!!

Another suggestion would be to look at hostel reviews not just for "good" vs. "bad", but for what people are saying they like/don't like about the hostel. That will give you a great idea on what kind of hostel it is, and/or what your experience is likely to be like. If the all the "postive" reviews say it's great with lines like "right next to the clubs", "close to all the bars", "right in the middle of all the great night spots," "the hostel bar was great"---those are the places you'll likely want to avoid based on what you've said.


BTW, if you're travelling thru Oxford during your trip thru the UK, the YHA place there is awesome. Incredibly clean, great staff, great people, great location, and one HUGE all-you-can-eat HOT breakfast buffet. Might cost a LITTLE more than the dumps down the street, but that buffet is enough food for a day's worth of eating .

There is a great site- hostelz.com which gives information about hostels all around the world. You can read what other travellers have to say about the ones they have stayed in. There is also a star rating system.

Good Luck.


Have a nice day, Whistler.

quote:

Originally posted by Whistler:
There is a great site- hostelz.com which gives information about hostels all around the world. You can read what other travellers have to say about the ones they have stayed in. There is also a star rating system.Good Luck.Have a nice day, Whistler.

That's one of the sites I was referring to. And, as Whistler notes, there's also a "comments" section, so you can see what it is that others like/don't like about it..that will give you a good idea of what kind of hostel it is.
And, yeah, I'd totally agree with other posts here about looking at the 3-4 bed room option instead of the "dorms."

Or, you may want to check out www.couchsurfing.com. Sure, most of the couchsurfers are in their 20's, but you can filter your search for ones closer to the "Still Going..." crowd.