Someone once asked me for recommendations for reasonably priced places to stay in London. I asked if they would consider a hostel, to which they replied no as they were going to be alone. Subsequently, this made me realise that a lot of people seem hostels to be ‘unsafe’ and would never consider staying in one. When I’m planning a solo, hostels are usually my first choice of accommodation. However, I don’t see a lot of blog posts about hostels, but a lot on hotels. I thought I’d share the places I’ve stayed and why I think you should give hostels a go.

Price – hostel vs hotel

Firstly, the main difference between a hotel and a hostel is the price. You wouldn’t be surprised to learn that hostels cost a lot less than a hotel room and that may have put you off before. Have you ever looked for a last minute room in London before? For example, I was once in a situation where my best friend and I needed somewhere to crash after a gig. Unfortunately, our original plans fell through two days before, so hotel prices were extortionate. We were talking £200+ for a room between us. Meanwhile, we had a look at hostels and got a bed each in a mixed dorm at St Christopher’s Shepherds Bush for £15 each. Bargain!

Meeting people in a hostel

Secondly, if you travel solo a lot like I do, then hostels can be a great way to meet people and make friends. For example, when I first went to Amsterdam in 2015, I stayed in Hostelle which is a female only hostel. I went for an 8 bed dorm room and stayed there for 3 nights. On my first night, I got talking to a couple of girls in my room. One was from New Zealand and the other was from New York, so they were people I never would have met normally. We were all on our own and we decided to go and get some space cake and visit the Reijksmuseum together the following day. Although, I didn’t keep in touch with them, I have great memories of our adventures in Amsterdam.

Location

Hostels are usually conveniently placed near the popular attractions. For instance, the hostel I stayed in when I was in Luxembourg was right next to Casemates Du Bock which is a really beautiful area. Likewise, one of the hostels I’ve stayed in in Paris was opposite Gare du Nord which was very convenient for catching the Eurostar. Above all, I believe that it’s better to stay in a hostel near the places you want to go to rather than find a cheaper hotel that’s further out.

Where I’ve stayed

As you can see, I’ve stayed in a great range of hostels across Europe. I would definitely stay in all but two of them again (the ones in Leeds and Bratislava) and I have had a lot of great experiences. I usually book all of my hostels through Booking.com which is ideal for me, as you get free cancellation and you don’t have to pay until you get to the property.

Hostels vs Hotels

In conclusion, although I do really like the luxury of staying in a hotel every now and then, a hostel is usually much more convenient. Most importantly, the fact that they are a lot cheaper than a hotel means that I have way more money in my travel budget.  More money to spend on food or sightseeing is always a bonus.

As a result, I managed to do three cities in three countries (Krakow, Budapest and Bratislava) over a week for around £250 including flights and other travel expenses. During this trip, I managed to get in a lot of activities! It really is worth staying in a hostel if you are looking to travel on a budget. It doesn’t make the experience any less exciting or unsafe. Moreover, I think that it can make it a lot better as you’re put together with other people who are doing the same thing.

What were your opinions on hostels before you read this post? Would you consider staying in one?