Youth Hostel Blog

Youth Hostels are a great way to travel on the cheap, and luckily for you, they are just about everywhere. There are many online resources for youth hostels that make it easier than ever to find a cheap place to stay, wherever you are (London hostels, Milan, Helsinki, etc.)

Most European youth hostels have regular amenities, and many offer bars on site, kitchens, and public spaces for meeting fellow backpackers. Of course, every hostel is different. Some offer private rooms, others have huge dorms. Some have bathrooms and showers in the room, others have public facilities.

If you’re the type to shy away from public showers, you can still find a youth hostel to fit your needs, you’ll just want to call ahead or check online for details.

More info on youth hostels can be found all over the web. Check out Student Traveler for more info.

Hitchhiking is a great way to get around from town to town. If you are traveling solo, you have the best chances to score a ride. If you have a woman in the group, your chances go up. If it’s all guys … the best bet is to find the next train or bus. This is because drivers take as much picking up hitchhikers as hitchhikers do trusting drivers. And since you may be the one holding the sign for a one way to Madrid, it’s obvious you are ready to take the risk. Drivers passing by may not be as open to the idea.

In Europe, I have never had many problems hitchhiking from city to city. And I’m a guy. In Asia, it’s much more difficult. And in the U.S. (despite how safe you think your college town is) it’s just not a good idea. Here are a few tricks, from Jeff Booth at Student Traveler Magazine.

Research and a smile pay off exponentially sometimes. In many cities where hitchers are common, there are classic waiting spots near highways and major roads, with long pull off areas. Ask around where the best corners to wait on are. Be nice, remember, people are taking a risk on you too.

Pay attention to local customs, since little differences can translate into wasted hours and lungfulls of inhaled exhaust as cars barrel by. I waited many long hours on a road in Indonesia, walking along the right side of the road, left hand jutting out, thumb pointing hopefully. Cars didn’t even slow. The public bus, which I would have gladly taken, swerved towards me blaring his horn, and left me in a cloud of dust. World Hitchhiking Lesson 1 - don’t use your left hand for anything in Indonesia, especially flagging down rides. The left hand is reserved only for bodily uses, NOT eating, changing money, shaking hands, or hitchhiking.

See the entire article on how to hitchhike.

Good youth hostels are almost as common as dirty backpackers in European cities, but a great youth hostel can be harder to come by. Great youth hostels are the stuff of legends. You’ve all heard the stories, passed down from adventurous Euro-trippers, coming back from a stay at the Flying Pig in Amsterdam or at the Pink Palace in Corfu. Stories of friendly backpacker co-eds intermingling in pre-club room parties and having wild nights at local clubs in exotic locales. Friendly staff, great location, delicious free breakfast, clean rooms, and relaxed rules.

There is a lot that goes into making a youth hostel great, and while it may not be an exact science, there are a few things that these hostels tend to have in common.

Location, Location, Hostel Location!

One of the most important factors in a youth hostel is the location. It has to be near a metro stop, close to all the interesting and fun things to do in the city (museums, bars, etc.) and it has to be in an area that wont kick up much fuss about having dirty, noisy backpackers trekking up and down the block at odd hours.

Common Area in the Hostel

Another important facet of a great youth hostel is that there needs to be a good common area. Think of a big living room with couches, beanbags, coffee tables, board games and loads of friendly twenty-somethings. A common area with a good vibe can make or break a hostel. It doesn’t have to be raucous and wild, but it has to be relaxed enough to allow you to meet new people, new friends, and new drinking buddies.

On-site Hostel Bar!

What the hostel lacks in a common area, it can easily make up for with a good onsite hostel bar. A hostel bar doesn’t have to be fancy, just a meager selection of local brews and spirits will keep most travelers happy. More than a place to get drunk, the hostel bar is a great starting point for wild nights. Solo travelers and groups of hooligans can band together for expeditions into the exciting world of the local booze-hound, visiting local dives and fancy clubs far off the beaten backpacker path.

Hostel Community Kitchen

A community kitchen is another great way to meet people in a hostel, and a great way to save money on the road. Go to the market, get some pasta, some sauce, and a baguette, and you’ve got a meal for yourself and 3 or 4 new friends!

Clean Accommodation

This is an important one. A great hostel will make you feel comfortable, and in order to feel comfortable, most people require a certain level of cleanliness. I’m no stranger to cockroaches, bedbugs, rats, or flies, but a good hostel will do its best to keep these critters at bay. Clean and comfortable mattresses, fresh linens, clean and functional bathrooms – these are all important fixtures of a great youth hostel.

This list of things that make a youth hostel great is far from complete. There are many factors that contribute to an awesome hostel experience, ranging from safety to cleanliness to fun. So let us know what you think and tell us what great hostels you’ve stayed in, and what made them great for you!

not in to hostels? check out Student Traveler’s list of discount and budget hotel websites!

If you have been to a hostel, you know there is usually a common area for backpackers to hang out, eat, and drink. Most of the time, there is a pool table, a bookshelf with books that travelers give and take, and a TV. But other hostels promote their roof tops, sunbathing and hanging out is the norm by day. And checking out the lights and partying is the norm by night.

Alice Lodge Backpacker Hostel in the Northern Territory of Australia promotes their view of the city of Alice Springs, gateway to the Uluru rock. And the Baluch Backpacker’s Hostel in Cordoba, Argentina boasts of events on their roof top, including BBQ’s and salsa lessons. Sometimes, it’s just better to sleep on the roof top also. Check out this article from Deborah Walter about sleeping on roof tops in Mali at Student Traveler Magazine.

It may sound like an unusual choice, but it’s not. It’s possible to sleep inside, but most visitors choose the roof, as the Dogon people do in warm weather. It may be quite cold through the night, and a bit of a hard surface, but going to sleep under the stars, and waking to the sunrise over the rock cliffs, is more than worth it.

And of course, many hostels put the bar on their. What a better way to maximize on space for all those thirsty travelers? Athens Studio is a new hostels and apartment complex near the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. And what could be better than sipping ouzo and staring at the city lights from above?

It’s easy to “kick it on your couch” when you are traveling around and see friends around the U.S. But what about if you are overseas? Luckily, there are a number of sites that connect travelers around the world to sleep on each other’s couches.

The first site we know that did this was Couchsurfing.com. Casey Fenton stayed on a couch in Iceland of some students. Now the site has well over 5,000 members who vouch for each other. For instance, Aurora says of Adrienne,

“I can verify that she’s not a psycho couch surfer killer! She cooks and roams around and leads an action-packed life of fun like nobody’s business”

But the site gives information on each city, including guides, and a network of friends connecting from all over the world. Everything is free (staying on the people’s couches, the site, etc). According to staff at StudentTraveler.com they have had only good experiences and prefer to stay on couches rather than bunk it in a hostel or hotel. Here are some reviews on other couchsurfing sites found at Student Traveler Magazine.

GlobalFreeloaders.com
With a heavy Aussie membership, as well as sizable Canadian and UK contingents, GlobalFreeloaders.com might the be perfect Commonwealth connection for American students looking to save a few bucks by skipping hostels on their next trip. A very grassroots site and a little rough around the edges, but with a very indie traveler ethic.

Hospitalityclub.org
The name’s not the coolest, but Hospitalityclub.org has every other site beat on sheer numbers: nearly 30,000 members, pretty heavily European (especially Germans, which makes sense since it was started by a German college student in 2000). Aurelie Nollet, a 23-year-old Belgian girl living in the Netherlands, is a typical member. She’s stayed free in England, Bulgaria, and Turkey, and has hosted six other travelers at her pad. “You have every kind of person,” she says. “Some bring a gift from their country, some pay for the food, including my food, some don’t pay anything. But that’s okay because it’s about helping each other out.”

Casaswap.com
Though it’s smaller than other sites, Casaswap.com thinks big - literally. Not only do students swap spring-break flats on this Danish-run community, but many are looking to trade houses for an entire academic session. If you’re off to study in Spain for a semester, there might be a Barcelonan looking for an apartment like yours near your campus - so why not help each other out? Casaswap.com has support from some of the biggest study-abroad organizations, like the Erasmus Student Network and ESIB, which represents more than 10 million students in Europe.

It’s possible to take free road trips. Leave your Tercel at home and hop into a roomy Tahoe or save gas with a hybrid and go see the country.

First, use someone else’s car. Auto Driveaway is a service where you drive other people’s vehicles to them all over the country at no cost. The franchise has offices nationwide, and a weekly update with available cars.

Second, consider sleeping in your car. While you may want to park in the farthest parking spot in the lot, it may be better to park next to other cars. Better yet, park next to the larger vehicles towing things.

Third, if sleeping in your car is not your thing, consider renting an RV at a super discount. Cruise America has a great deal to get RV’s out of the headquarters in Mesa, AZ to certain places around the country. They only charge $24 per night for full use of the RV for a one way rental.Student Traveler Magazine has more articles like this for road trips

Backpackers seem to have a way to always find a good deal. And low cost airlines in Europe have become a great way for these backpackers to see the continent: Some of these airlines are Ryanair, Germanwings, and EasyJet.

Backpackers have also found the terminals for these airlines to be way outside the city limits (think Stamstead instead of London-Heathrow for Ryanair. And with a 5 am departure, it has become the norm to grab a late night train to the airport, and sleep there for the night. It’s a free night stay, if you look at it, and there are a lot backpackers that do it. So if you plan to bunk it up in Terminal 1 this summer, here are some helpful hints, from Kate Dorrell at Student Traveler Magazine:

RULE 1: If you want to be at the top of the hierarchy of sleepers, arrive early to reserve prime space.
RULE 2: Save space for others at your own risk of passer-by’s muttering in your direction.
RULE 3: Be aware that trolleys are in fact incredibly noisy and for essential use only.
RULE 4: Talking is to be avoided, but in emergencies you many speak in a hushed whisper.
RULE 5: Do not approach anyone. It is like entering their home.
RULE 6: Switch your cell phone to silent.
RULE 7: Do not at any time, breach basic human rights by placing any part of your body over the imaginary half way mark between you and your neighbour.
RULE 8: If your neighbour is in breach of Rule 7, promptly assert your authoritare with a sharp elbow movement.
RULE 9: If you have read The Da Vinci Code, do not discuss the plot ruining it for everyone else.
RULE 10: Do not set an alarm. It has already been arranged that you will be woken by the sounds of airport staff arriving.

So as you can see, you won’t be the only one bunking it up in Terminal One, waiting for your low cost flight in Europe. But these tips will hopefully help you get a better place to catch some sleep for the night

A friend and I were trying to get back to work in a tiny chateau just north of Geneva, Switzerland. Unfortunately, in Bern we missed our connecting train at 11 pm and were left to wait it out until the next train at 7 am. We weren’t about to splurge on a hotel for 8 hours of sleep, we didn’t know of any hostels. So we decided to sleep on a park bench. For us, sleeping on a bench was a last resort.

For others, like a friend of mine who played drums in Ibiza and slept on the beach at night, it was a lifestyle. Either way, here are some tips if you ever need to sleep under the stars.

In his article in Student Traveler Magazine, Jeff Booth talks about tips for safety when sleeping in parks and on beaches

You are far less likely to be bothered if you have a partner, or if you can get a big group together. In Italy, for example, a single person in a park at night is unusual, but a party of six is well, a party. Before you hit the park, stash your bags in a train station locker. Bring your sleeping bag, one form of I.D. (but not your passport), a little cash, and a flashlight.

It is also important respect the poice, or at least keep away from them. Western Europe or Scandinavia accept vagrants-for-a-night. Most of Asia, the Americas, and Africa will boot you out the first sign you set up camp in Central Park. So it’s best to do research on the country , like Switzerland, where a 50 Swiss franc ticket is not worth the 10 swiss franc hostel you could have stayed in. But in most cases, if you admit you are a cheap bastard or that you got stuck for the night, the police will let you off with a warning.

Spring may be quickly approaching. But check out ways to ski and snowboard for cheap in Canada. Ski in hostels are located right on the mountain slope, where you can snowboard right up to your dorm room.

Craig Kelley founded Same Sun Hostels in the Cascade Mountains two hours east of Vancouver. He wanted young boarders, skiers and families to have a place to huddle up dorm style and pay $20 each instead of the high rates the local lodges and hotels charged.

Even though it’s not the Hilton, Kelley quips “We offer champagne style on a beer budget, eh.”

“We offer champagne style on a beer budget, eh.”

The 70 bunks are jammed mainly with season pass holders, and mornings start out with free pancakes.

Eric Tiettmeyer of Student Traveler Magazine said this in his article on Same Sun Youth Hostels

In the land of mounties and hip-deep powder, they know a good idea when they see one; ski-in hostels are on nearly every slope. What else do you expect? Any self-respecting snowboarder, skier, and traveler would rather spend money on lift tickets than four-poster beds. Give me a dorm cot and deep powder any day.

Same Sun Hostels is in six locations, and there is room to grow. The Big White location and others are open seasonally and usually sold out so go to www.Canadianskihostels.com in advance. Same Sun hostels are also located in Silver Star, Kimberley and Fernie, all in British Columbia .

When you travel, your backpack is your home. So just like apartment hunting, you don’t want to take the first place you find and hate it a month later. So choose wisely. Here is our take on what to look for when searching for a backpack that you will love.

Here is what Eric Tiettmeyer from Student Traveler Magazine had to say about choosing a backpack wisely:

” Probably the most important step in choosing a backpack is considering your own needs and interests. Sure, the “zipporific 5.0″ model may have enough room for your hairdryer and collection of Stevenson novels to take, but is that necessary? The given rule is to take half of what you want abroad. Don’t believe me? Halfway into your trip as you climb another flight of stairs to that hostel room “with a view” you will thank me.”

First, focus on how the pack fits well on your hips. Most adventure travel backpacks have waist straps. Some are thin, some thicker, some wider, etc. So you really can’t buy something off the internet. You need to go into an adventure store try on a few and see which ones feel comfortable on your hips. Because this waist strap shifts most of the weight from your shoulders when your bag is full, this is the most important element.

Second, less is better. But bigger can be better. This is up to your type of trip. Don’t buy the biggest bag you see, unless you will be on the road for a long time, in cold weather, and survival depends on certain poofy, warm items to be squished in the bag.

Third, do not. We repeat, do not take a roller bag to Europe. It may sound like the most logical thing in the world to save your back and tote as much as weight as you want. But trust us on this one. After a walk down a cobblestone street, down a flight of stairs at the subway, and up stairs at the hostel you will be beat, your wheels will be broken, and you will be dishing out more money for a backpack.

And lastly, find a backpack that has a side entry way on the backpack. Most backpacks have a way to get to your clothes from the top. But this becomes cumbersome when your only clean pair of tighty whities are way at the bottom and you are digging all around to find them from the top. A backpack with some kind of side entry zipper is very useful.

Here are some brands of backpacks we like.

Eagle Creek Ultimate Explorer LT

We’ve always had good luck with Eagle Creek backpacks we took on trips. What makes the Ultimate Explorer LT great is the day pack you can easily attach and detach. It’s a tough bag that will last you a while.

Jansport Klamath 85

Jansport has always been useful for having many, many compartments. You can see on this backpack a zipper for easy access on the front, and a few compartments on the sides. These bags run taller than most other backpacks to give extra space, to add an extra sweater or jacket for frosty weather.

Osprey Kestrel 28

This is the smaller of the three bags, but for the lightweight traveler there is no better bag. These bags are designed for the outdoorsman, but are just as useful (and comfortable) navigating the London Tube.