| You might think of hostelling as something that college | | | | bathroom facilities located in the hallway. If you would |
| students do while traveling through Europe for the | | | | prefer not to share a bathroom with strangers, make |
| summer. However, hostelling is not just for the college | | | | sure you ask about the hostel's policy ahead of time. |
| crowd anymore, and now includes people of all ages | | | | More often now, reservations are becoming |
| and backgrounds. If you are a traveler on a budget, | | | | increasingly vital at hostels, especially during the |
| staying at a hostel can be an adventure that will add | | | | summer months in popular cities. It is now not at all |
| to your travel experience. | | | | unusual for hostels in popular tourist cities to be booked |
| Staying in a hostel will not be everyone's cup of tea, | | | | solid for months, where once it was common for |
| and many travelers would prefer to spend the money | | | | travelers to be able drop by the hostel and expect to |
| on a traditional hotel. Hostel traveling is best suited to | | | | get a bed. |
| those traveling alone, or to young people traveling in | | | | Price is by far the biggest appeal of staying at hostels. |
| groups. Hostels are not really recommended for | | | | The nightly rate for a hostel is usually no higher than |
| families traveling with young children. In fact, many | | | | $25 or $30 per night, with most costing even less. With |
| hostels do not accept children under a certain age. | | | | the average hotel room costing somewhere around |
| Most hostels are set up like dormitory rooms, with | | | | $100 to $150 in many cities, it is easy to see why |
| several bunk beds arranged in the room, with | | | | hostels are becoming such a popular alternative. |
| anywhere from four to ten bunks per room. Each | | | | Another benefit of staying in a hostel is that the staff |
| traveler is assigned a specific bed upon check-in. | | | | is extremely accommodating and knowledgeable |
| Nearly all of the hostels in the United States group their | | | | about the local area. Unlike many staff members of |
| accommodations according to gender, with the female | | | | some luxury hotels, who travel in from the outlying |
| guests in one section of rooms and the male guests in | | | | areas and rarely see the city in which they work, |
| another. In multi-level hostels, males and females are | | | | hostel staff tend to live in the city, and have an |
| often separated by floor. | | | | personal knowledge of the local sites, including which |
| It is not uncommon, however for European hostels | | | | attractions are can't miss and which ones aren't worth |
| (and those elsewhere around the world) to allow | | | | the trip. |
| mixed genders to share a room. Make sure to ask | | | | Hostels also usually have access to discounts and |
| about the policy of the hostel before you check in. I, as | | | | coupons for local area attractions and restaurants, and |
| a woman traveling solo, have never encountered a | | | | they can provide information on the best restaurants |
| problem with these arrangements, and I have stayed in | | | | and hangouts around. |
| hostels throughout Europe, including Rome, London and | | | | While not everyone will find a hostel appealing, and the |
| Amsterdam. Some visitors might be surprised or | | | | accommodation of a local hostel are simple at best, |
| offended by these sleeping arrangements. | | | | they can be wonderful options for lodging for the |
| The bathroom accommodations at hostels differ also, | | | | budget minded traveler. After all, the goal of travel is to |
| with some rooms containing a shared bathroom and | | | | get out and see the world, and hostel travel lets you |
| shower, while other hostels will have shower and | | | | save money on lodging so that you can do just that. |