Summer’s ALMOST here! I love summer because I’m from the UK and it’s the only time we have a chance of seeing the sun and because it’s the season for summer holidays and for many, their very first experience of hostel life!

So if you are travelling in hostels for the first time this summer I’ve compiled a list (and video!) of the 9 types of people you’ll meet in hostels. And if it’s not your first time, let me know if I’ve missed any in the comments!

P.s. If 2016 is the first time you will be experiencing hostels then make sure to also check my post: What is a hostel? The Ultimate Hostel Guide.

Photo by Lechon Kirb

9 Types of People You’ll Meet in Hostels

1. Wonderwaller (a.k.a. the guitarist)

Travellers who travel with their own guitar often know the best songs to get a crowd going on the beach or in the hostel common room. Travellers who only pick up the guitar when they see one in a hostel play Wonderwall by Oasis.

I get it. Everyone knows the words, and it’s only got four chords so you don’t even need to be that good to impress that guy you fancy with your husky-voiced cover. Know what other songs only have four chords? Well here are 73 and feel free to share this with your friends so I never have to hear Wonderwall again in my life.

You are in a new city. With new friends. In a new country. With new music. So go watch some live local music instead of boring everyone with Oasis again.

P.s. I have been the wonderwaller after a few beers…

2. Suitcase Travellers

Watching ‘travellers’ try to navigate the skinny staircases of old European buildings to get to the fourth flour with their two large suitcases is quite amusing when you’re staying in a hostel.

It’s not so amusing when you’re working in hostels and they ask you for help with bags that contain two travel pillows, what seems like fifty outfits and 5 pairs of shoes, a hairdryer, and souvenirs from every city on their 15 country Euro trip.

3. Stags & Hens

I don’t know what other countries do for their stag and hen nights but the English go to Europe (read: Amsterdam). It’s close, it’s often cheap if booked in advance, and you won’t bump in to relatives shocked to witness you downing jagerbombs in a gimp mask.

In fact, stag and hen groups have taken such a liking to hostel life (read: cheap accommodation and beer in capital cities across Europe) that many hostels now ban them. But trust me, they still find a way of sneaking in and trying to hit on naive first-time backpackers before passing out in the hallway.

Photo by Benjamin Combs

4. The Sleeper

The Euro trip can often be nothing more than a way to tick items of your bucket list. Eiffel Tower? Tick! Checkpoint Charlie? Tick! Which is why you have travellers changing cities every 2-3 days and getting up at the crack of dawn to get their selfies around the city before happy-hour starts in the hostel bar.

But the sleeper couldn’t give a flying f*ck. I’m sure you seen them snoring on the old sofas in the common room, having only moved from their bed because the cleaner was making too much noise with the hoover.

I don’t know why the sleeper travels.

5. The Creeper

I chose the word creeper as it fit well after sleeper but other names that fit could be: sleezeball, shameless flirt, loud and proud (in bed), the screamer.

Whatever name you have for this person, it is the one who has no problem hitting on anything with a pulse and when they do finally score they make sure every knows about it either during the act (in which case it sucks to be their roommate!) or over the free breakfast.

6. The Long Termer

They’re not staff, although they’ve been at the hostel longer than most of the staff members. They also don’t have a job (that anyone can tell) but that’s fine because they always manage to know when guests have checked out and left food behind in the kitchen.

Its easy to mistake the long termer for the sleeper because they’ve already seen and done everything in the city and yet they’re quite happy to stay and act as a free tour guide or group chef. They also always seem to know where the cheapest beer is in town.

Spotted blogging in Equity Point Marrakech

7. The Blogger

They might have a blog, they might not. Nobody really knows but what is obvious is that they always seem to be on their laptop or smartphone.

They’ll be the ones stood on chairs in the café to get the perfect flat-lay of brunch, and they’re alway accompanied by a spare portable charger in case their phone dies whist they’re trying to Snapchat their group outing to the local market.

Sorry guys this is me…

8. The Best

Took an epic hike yesterday? They did it too, and quicker. Invited to dinner by a local? They’ve done it and got on so well with the hosts that the family invited them to stay. Had to replace your passport because you filled it with stamps? They’re on their fourth passport.

Try not to strangle them. Best case scenario is to act like you’ve never done anything, ever.

9. The Lost

Either they’ve just graduated and don’t want to get sucked in to a 9-5 or they’ve spent years in the rate race and are trying to get out. Either way, they have no idea how.

Some of them will be trying to ‘find their true purpose’ and others will be looking for ‘inspiration’ to kick start their creative minds. The irony is that the lost ones often seem to find themselves in the hostel bar swallowing their fear with a strong dose of tequila.

Have I missed anyone?!

Let me know in the comments of other types of people you’ll meet in hostels!