What Is A Hostel? The Ultimate Hostel Guide

What is a hostel? In this guide to hostels, I’m going to try my best to answer that for you!

A hostel can be so many things: a cheap bed for the night, a place to make new friends, the home of beer pong and pub crawls, the host of yoga classes and surf lessons. So, to help you get a hang of the basics, here is my ultimate hostel guide to hostels in Europe!

The Ultimate Guide to Hostels Contents

1. What Is A Hostel?

A social living environment for travellers

Ultimately, the most crucial aspect that separates hostels from other forms of accommodation (such as hotels or Airbnb) is the social environment.

[Tweet “Hostels are literally designed to help you make new friends from all over the world!”]

Whether it’s in the shared dorm, the common room, the bar, or the kitchen, the beauty about hostels in Europe lies in their ability to help you meet other travellers.

So yes, it might seem strange at first to share a room with strangers. But travelling is just as much about the people you meet as the things that you see!

1.1 Brief History of Hostels

It is widely believed that the idea of hostels, or Youth Hostels, was first conceived in Germany at the turn of the 20th Century. Richard Schirrmann, a German school teacher, was inspired to create a dormitory style youth hostel in Altena, Germany, after countless school trips in which he would provide makeshift dorms in schools for his students.

Little did Schirrmann know that by opening up the first dormitory style youth travel hostel (which is still a hostel today), he would inspire a movement that would eventually create the Youth Hostel Federation (YHF) in 1932, an organisation that held representatives from hostels all over Europe.

Of course, having a place to stay on the road was not uncommon centuries before this, when travellers would knock on inns or coach houses looking for a bed and rest. Hostels as they are now however have only been around for just over 100 years! This isn’t very surprising considering how difficult travel, especially international travel, was merely 50 years ago.

In the last few decades, air and rail advances have created a vibrant economy based around budget accommodation for travellers. So while hostels began springing up after Schirrmann first designed his own, it is only recently that they have become a common form of accommodation.

1.2 Hostels – Just For The Youth?

If you haven’t yet cottoned on, I’ve mentioned the term ‘youth hostels’ over ‘hostels’ a fair bit in the in the introduction to this guide to hostels.

At their conception, hostels were designed as out of city dormitories to provide school children on trips, and young people hiking or cycling in the countryside, a place to rest and clean up. It wasn’t until the 60s and 70s, when travel became more affordable and morals became slightly more liberated, that hostels started to move away from their tag as youth accommodation.

Travellers began to travel later in life, but still on a budget.

People began to become more concerned with quality of life and importance of travel. More and more we saw the change from the idea that travel was only for the rich.

Now, in the 21st century, you don’t have to be rich to travel, which is why budget accommodation such as hostels provide such an incredible service to travellers of all ages.

1.3 How old do you have to be to stay in a hostel?

Many hostels in Europe have an age-limit of 18 and over, especially if they are running a party hostel where there will be alcohol freely available to guests.

Ultimately, local laws will usually dictate whether someone aged less than 18 can stay alone in a shared dorm room. It’s also quite common for anyone under the age of 16 not to be allowed in a shared dorm, even if they are with a parent or other adult. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take your kids! It just means that you’ll have to book a private room rather than beds in a shared dormitory.

2. What is the hostel experience like?

It’s hard to really sum up the hostel experience. A few words that come to mind as I sit down to write this are: exhilarating, busy, fascinating, and fun!

To really get an idea of what the hostel experience can be like, read the posts below. But remember, it will always be different depending on the type of hostel, the other guests, and you!

• Revealed: 5 Of My Most Memorable Hostel Experiences
• Vegan Christmas Dinner With Clink Hostels: Every Turkey Has A Mum!
• Khayma: Generator Hostel’s Sexy New Rooftop Bar in Paris
• 1000 Little Instagram Photos Of My Hostel Life That Will Make You Want To Travel

2.1 What kind of people will you meet in hostels?

Many of the other guests that you meet in hostels will be just like you. Perhaps they are travelling solo, or with a few friends. Perhaps they are taking a break from their studies or their work back home.

But while it’s hard to generalise any group of people, I have mostly found hostel guests to be open, conversational, and really enthusiastic to try new things, see new places, and meet new people. It’s what draws them to share rooms with other travellers, and head out to explore the city with people they met at breakfast!

Although like any group, we have our stereotypes. I wrote this post for fun if you’re intrigued: 9 Types of People You’ll Meet in Hostels.

3. What is the difference between a hostel & a hotel?

I’m not sure who to quote for this next sentence. But the last person I heard it from was Eric van Dijk, the head of hotels operations at MEININGER Hotels. At one of the many STAY WYSE Conferences, he said:

[Tweet “”The ‘s’ in hostel stands for SOCIAL””]

And there’s really no better way to put it than that.

Hostels are designed specifically to encourage social interaction between guests, and in such a way that hotels aren’t. Hostel staff are hired to be a part of their community, not just on a professional basis but also on a social one. And events are arranged to help bring guests together in hostels – which is something I have rarely encountered in budget hotels.

3. 1 What are the different types of hostels?

Hostels come in all shapes and sizes! Which makes answering the question, ‘what is a hostel?’ pretty tricky!

And unfortunately, the reason that so many travellers have been put off staying in hostels in the past is because they have (or someone they know has) had a bad experience. But often, this comes down to them having chosen a hostel that wasn’t best suited to them.

It’s completely understandable. A more mature traveller is likely to feel out of place in a hardcore party hostel. While an 18 year old first time ‘euro-tripper’ will likely be very bored in a chill hostel.

This is why it’s so important to read the descriptions of a hostels (and reviews of hostels) to understand exactly what type of hostel you’ll be staying in before you book it.

3.2 The Advantages & Disadvantages of Staying in Hostels

Like any form of accommodation, and despite my not-so-secret fangirl love of them, there are pros and cons to staying in a hostel. In this section of the hostel guide, I go over the main advantages and disadvantages so you can be prepared!

4. Are Hostels Safe?

For those who are particularly worried, I have written a whole blog post on how to stay safe in hostels.

Ultimately, I believe that hostels are just as safe as other forms of accommodation, like hotels and rentals. That being said, it’s important to read reviews on booking sites, and be aware of your personal safety.

4.1 How can I keep my belongings safe in a shared room?

Almost all hostels now provide lockers for each bed in their shared dorms, or at the very least in the communal areas of the property. We all travel with far more valuables know than we used to. But if you book a hostel that has lockers, then all you will need is a padlock. You can find out which padlocks I travel with in this post.

If your backpack or suitcase doesn’t fit in the lockers, then take your valuables out and place them separately in a locker. If you’re still nervous about someone taking your bag, then a padlock with an attachable lock cable will help you secure it to your bunkbed.

5. What should I pack to stay in hostels?

A good hostel should provide all the basics you need for an overnight stay! However, a few items can help your comfort when staying in hostels abroad and I’ve listed them below!

• Earplugs – see the above note on noise in the disadvantages of hostels in Europe section!
• Headphones – for the same reason as above!
• Travel towel – a light travel towel can save you from rental costs and/or no towel rental facility at all.
• Padlock – whilst most hostels offer lockers, sometimes you have to rent padlocks. So it’s best to carry your own to save on costs.
• Laundry bag – I suggest a brightly coloured one. Getting laundry service in a 100-bed hostel is much easier when you know exactly what your bag looks like. You can even get mesh laundry bags that can be thrown in as a whole – which can help heaps in preventing lost socks!
• Flip Flops – added comfort to throw on after a day traipsing around town on a guided tour. Also definitely recommended for communal showering.

6. What facilities will I find in hostels?

Every hostel is different. But the good news is that they are getting even better! However, not all hostels will have all of the following facilities. So make sure to check the details on their websites and other booking channels before you book.

7. How do I book hostels?

There are two main ways to book hostels:

1. Either you book directly with the hostel (via their own website, on the phone, or by email)

2. Or you book through a third party booking site, like Hostelworld or Booking.com.

To truly get a good idea of the description of a hostel, and to see relevant reviews from travellers just like you, then I recommend Hostelworld.

However, each bed that a hostel sells on a booking site today is subject to commission fees from 10% to as high as 25%. Hostels don’t want to pay this fee. In fact, a lot of hostels would rather give the money back to you, the traveller, in the form of lower prices per-bed if you book on their own website than through an booking site.

Which means that more hostels are choosing to list fewer bed or room options online than they do on their own website, to avoid paying large sums to the booking sites.

So actually booking directly through a hostel’s website or by email may not only be cheaper. But you’re also likely to be offered a wider range of availability and options.

7.1 What To Look For When You Book Hostels

7.2 How much do hostels cost?

I have gone into this question in much more detail in this post, where I highlight the different room types and hostel types.

So generally speaking, the average bed price in top European cities ranges from around €10 to €45. You can find much cheaper than this in cheaper cities, and much more expensive when there are events on in a city. But without special events, you’re looking at spending an average of €25 a night on a hostel bed in West Europe, and €15 on average in Eastern Europe.

7.3 Should you book a private room or a dorm room?

I love treating myself to a private room in a hostel every once in a while. They can be just as expensive as a hotel room for the night. But usually I want to treat myself to some privacy, and not leave the hostel experience altogether.

Things to know before booking a hostel dorm room

๏ Privacy is limited. Some hostels provide curtains on each bunk, whilst others are completely open.

๏ A relaxed attitude is often required. Sharing a room with people who don’t share your travel plans means some will wake earlier than others, some will go to bed later, and some might want to party all night.  For a heads up, check out these 9 types of people you’ll meet in a hostel.

๏ Mixed dorms are the norm in backpacker hostels, whilst same-sex dorms are the norm in youth hostels. However, almost all hostels now offer female-only dorms. If you’re not sure if you’d be comfortable sharing a room with the opposite sex, I wrote an article for you on whether mixed dorms are suitable for solo female travellers.

Things to know before booking a hostel private room

๏ En-suite bathrooms aren’t always part of the private room package. When I stayed at The Beehive Hostel in Rome, the (sparkling clean) bathroom was just down the hall, whereas my private room at Room007 Chueca Hostel in Madrid had an en-suite toilet and shower.

๏ Taking a break in a private room, if you’ve been hopping between dorm rooms for months, is something I highly recommend to get some much needed rest.

๏ Kids are allowed to stay in hostel private rooms as long as they are accompanied by an adult over 18. Often, the case is that no one under 18 is allowed to stay in a hostel dorm room. If you are travelling with children and want to stay in dorm rooms vs. private rooms it’s best to get in touch with each hostel to understand their individual policies on this.

7.4 Female-only dorm or female-only hostel?

Did you know that there are female-only hostels?!

Female-only hostels are few and far between. But they are great if you really want to be extra cautious and feel extra comfortable in your dorm room.

But just because there aren’t many female-only hostels, that doesn’t mean you always have to share a mixed-sex dorm. Almost all youth hostels (like the YHA UK) still have separate sex dorm rooms. And more and more hostels modern hostels are building female-only dorms for their guests to feel safe.

If there’s anything you think I’ve missed in this hostel guide, let me know in the comments below!

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