The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to
center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been
thinking you need to know more about it, here's your
opportunity.
Hostelling was once thought of as the exclusive province of
college kids traveling through Europe for the first time.
However, hostelling has grow to include all ages, and all types
of people. When traveling on a budget, staying at a hostel can
be a great experience for the traveler with a sense of adventure.
Of course, hostel travel is not for everyone, and some travelers
would rather spend extra money for solo accommodations. In
general, hostel traveling is best suited to solo travelers, or
to groups of young people traveling together. Hostel stays are
generally not recommended for families traveling with young
children, and many hostels do not accept children under a
certain age.
Most hostels are set up as dormitory style rooms, with a number
of bunk beds arranged throughout the room. The number of bunk
beds in a single room varies, with the average from four to ten
bunks per room. Each traveler is assigned a specific bunk upon
check-in.
Almost all hostels in the United States divide their
accommodations according to gender, with the female guests in
one block of rooms and the male guests in another. In
multi-floor hostels, each gender is often assigned a specific
floor or group of floors.
In many European locations and elsewhere around the world,
however, many hostel rooms have mixed genders sharing a room. If
this is a concern, be sure to ask about it. I, as a woman
traveling alone, have personally never encountered a problem
with these arrangements, and I have stayed in hostels throughout
Europe, including Rome, London and Amsterdam. Some visitors,
however, are surprised at these arrangements.
The best time to learn about hostelling is before you're in the
thick of things. Wise readers will keep reading to earn some
valuable hostelling experience while it's still free.
The bathroom accommodations at hostels vary as well, with some
rooms containing a shared bathroom and shower, while other
hostels will have shower and bathroom facilities located in the
hallway. If this is an important consideration, you should make
sure to ask about bathroom facilities when making the
reservation.
And reservations are becoming increasingly important at hostels,
especially during the summer months in popular locations. Where
once it was common for travelers simply to drop by the hostel
and get a bed, it is now not at all unusual for hostels in
popular tourist destinations to be booked solid for months.
The main appeal of staying at hostels, of course, is the price.
The nightly rate for a hostel rarely rises above $25 or $30 per
night, with most hostel accommodations costing far less. With
the average hotel room hovering around $100 to $150 in many
locations, it is easy to see why hostels are becoming so popular.
In addition, the staff at most hostels are extremely
accommodating and knowledgeable about the local area. Unlike
many staff members of some luxury hotels, who travel in from the
suburbs and rarely see the city in which the live, hostel staff
tend to live in their city, and they have an intimate knowledge
of the local attractions, including which attractions are can't
miss and which ones are a waste of money.
In addition, hostels often have access to discounts and coupons
for local area attractions and restaurants, and they can provide
valuable information on the best, lowest priced restaurants in
the area.
While staying at a hostel is not for everyone, and the local
hostel will never be mistaken for a Ritz Carlton, hostels can be
wonderful budget accommodations for the budget minded traveler.
After all, the goal of travel is to get out and see the world,
and hostel travel lets you spend your limited travel dollars
doing just that.
Now you can be a confident expert on hostelling. OK, maybe not
an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table
next time you join a discussion on hostelling.
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About the author:
James Mahony is the founder of
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