How To Choose a Hostel

If traveling is your dream but finances hold you back, hostels are one of the most affordable ways to explore new countries while remaining on a tight budget. (If you need totally free accommodations, check out “WWOOF” where you exchange services such as babysitting, tutoring, farm hand, etc. for free room and board). The hostels I stayed at were pleasantly different from the horror movies, but there are a few ways to ensure a comfortable, stress-free experience. With a little planning and research ahead of time you can have a clean bed, warm breakfast and safe stay at a fraction of the cost of hotels and other lodging facilities.

Shared below is the process I use for choosing hostels. As a newbie traveler, and a solo one, safety was always my top priority. If you are traveling with a friend or partner you may be able to split a private room for the same price that I would share a room with 3-5 strangers. While a private room may be the preferred option for people traveling in groups, I would encourage you to get out of your comfort zone while lodging at hostels. I have met some amazing people from around the world and was able to easily make new friends to explore the area with by bunking with strangers. Alternatively, you can be as interactive as you want. There were some hostels I chose to keep to myself and barely interacted with other guests for some much-needed self reflection time. Whatever you desire, keep reading for an in-depth description on the following criteria you should consider before you book your first trip:

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Bedsheets
Price
Wifi
Curfew
Check-in/Checkout Time
Cancellation Policy
Room Size
Showers
Lockers
Breakfast

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Read them. If you’ve only been scrolling the review page for a minute and five reviews in the past 6 months are screaming “Bed bugs!” or “Awful service!”, listen. Read both the positive and negative. If you read enough reviews, you can get a feel for which negative reviews are true, and which ones are just people complaining about trivial things. I do not let one bad review exclude a hostel automatically, but if there is a pattern then I take them into serious consideration.
- Cleanliness - Is the kitchen clean? Are the beds clean? Dirty kitchens = insects and rodents.
- Security - Will the bedroom have a lock on it? Can anyone enter the building or do they make sure only hostel guests are roaming the halls?
- Environment and Staff - are they friendly and outgoing? Will they give me directions if I ask or are they likely to ignore my requests for assistance? Did other people feel welcomed?

Bed Sheets

If you are trying to travel light, you are not going to want to carry around bed sheets. I excluded any place that did not provide clean sheets.

Price

Hostels are supposed to be affordable travel accommodations. However, in some areas of different countries you can find a private AirBNB at the same exact price. I stayed in 4 different hostels throughout Ireland, and for the one night I was in Kilkenny I rented a single-room AirBNB for 30euros, about the same price as the hostels. It was a tiny, quaint room above a local bar with a TV, twin bed and its own private bathroom (check it out here). Sometimes a hostel is not always the way to go.

Wifi

I did not have cell service abroad, so I relied on Wifi and apps like facebook and whatsapp to stay connected, post updates, and check-in. I used offline maps (CityMaps2Go) on my phone when roaming the cities and disconnected from the grid a bit. Wifi was a necessity so I could relax and chat with family and friends back home after a long day of exploring.

Check-in/Checkout Time

This is something to be very mindful of. Let’s say your flight arrives at 9am and you arrive at a place that does not allow check-in until 4pm. If you are only in the area for a short amount of time you will end up spending half of your first day carrying around your luggage with no ability to sleep or shower. When I arrived back in Iceland from Spain, I originally planned on using that time waiting to check-in to explore. However, the exhaustion I felt was more than anticipated and I spent 3 hours in the lounge area desperately waiting to check in so I could sleep and recharge. For this reason during my planning I will look for places that offer an earlier check-in time, especially if I know I will need to shower and sleep sooner than 4pm.

Curfew

If you like to go out at night, look for hostels with no curfews. Having a midnight curfew at a hostel in Ireland did not fare well for me when I stumbled in drunk at 3am after making some new friends and going to the club. The front desk staff was not pleased and I was not used to such restrictions. I honestly forgot there was even a curfew and had to argue with the staff to let me in that night because they almost didn't.

Cancellation Policy

Plans change, and you may end up wanting to stay an extra night somewhere before you venture off to a new hostel. I prefer to choose hostels with flexible cancellation policies, ideally ones with 24-hour cancellation policies that will give partial refunds. Extra points for full refunds. Try to book in advance to get the best deal and your choice of room.

Room Size

On my first trip abroad I made it a point to stay in all different types of hostel rooms. I rented a bed in 4-person female dorms, 20-person mixed dorms, and everything in-between. I made friends quicker and easier in the 4-person suites, and I definitely slept better in the smaller rooms without so many random strangers. Pick what you think you will be most comfortable in, but also don’t be scared to venture out of your comfort zone at least once.

Lockers

These are a deal breaker for me. If I cannot lock up my valuables while out for the day or at night while sleeping, I do not feel like my personal belongings are safe and I am no longer having as much fun. Look for hostels that offer (preferably free) security lockers for your belongings. The last thing you want is to be a victim of theft 3,000 miles away from home.

Showers

While communal showers and restrooms are not a bad thing, it is a nice comfort to have the option of a private bathroom when you stay in 4-6 person suites. Don’t forget your flip flops!

Breakfast

Some places offer it free, some not at all, and some for a price. I love to get a taste of local cafes and I knew most days I would rather try something new and spend $5-7 dollars on a coffee and pastry that I really wanted instead of the typical cereal and toast offered at most places. I set aside money in my budget for it, and being able to forego free breakfast definitely opened up my lodging options more. However, if your budget is extremely tight, free breakfast should be high on your priority list.

Where Do I Start?

Lonely Planet Books
Aside from internet reviews, the Lonely Planet series was extremely helpful when researching hostels in the area of whichever country I was going to. Their reviews include contact information, location, price, wifi availability and an overall review of the hostel summed up into one small paragraph for quick researching. They place a star next to hostels they consider “must-visit recommendations”, and I can say from personal experience that the hostels they highly recommended did not disappoint. Of course there were other great hostels not listed in this book, but if you are unsure of where to start in your search - start here.

More Than the Moolah

Starting your own international adventure can be difficult, especially if you are like me and your family does not travel and most of them have never left the United States, or even own a passport for that matter. Unfortunately for the entire duration of my planning, my family also made remarks about how dangerous it was to travel alone and how hostels are where people go to get murdered. Planning a trip outside of the country was difficult and intimidating at times, and the fear other people tried to instill in me was not helpful.

When I started planning, I knew hostels were one of the only ways to make my traveling dreams become a reality. I also knew that a lot of Americans have a skeptical view of other countries that are based more on stereotypes than facts. Once I got to Europe, I learned it is extremely common for young people in their late teens and early twenties to go explore on their own, sometimes called a “gap year”.

I found that not only are hostels an affordable accommodation, but they are social hubs that connect travelers from all over the world with similar interests and mindsets. With money aside, hostels offer an experience and a chance to meet new friends and travelers that other accommodations just do not offer. I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and choose a reputable hostel for your next trip if you have not done so already!