Hostels are great. They offer inexpensive places to stay and that lets many people travel long term without having to use up the majority of their budget on a place to sleep at night, but they’re not for everyone. In this article we’ll explore the benefits of staying in a hostel.

Location

Hostels are available in a variety of locations from in the heart of a city to a beach house on the coast and even in the mountains by a hiking trail.

Price

Hostels are well known for being the cheaper option, but some rooms can go for 100$ a night or more, depending on the time of year, location and the type of room. Hostels usually off things like free Wi-Fi and a faster paid Wi-Fi, you can also rent towels at some locations and buy things like soap and toothbrushes, but this varies by location and they can run out, so don’t always rely on hostels for this!

Room Sharing

As most people experience at some point whether it be at home with a sibling, on a school trip or even in a relationship sharing a space, especially a sleeping environment can be a blessing and a curse. The room sharing option to share a room with anywhere from 6 to 16 beds (some have more, others less it depends on location and what you’ve chosen usually) can be a bunch of fun when everyone in the room get on well and all follow the rules of staying in a hostel, a headache when certain people are loud at stupid hours, don’t turn off their alarm or when they are just plain rude. Hostels (like EVERY other place) can also be dangerous, which is why just about every hostel offers women only rooms, which makes women way more comfortable for a multitude of reasons.

Other Things to consider

Hostels are a shared environment, so everything from the common areas to the kitchen and bathrooms are usually shared to a certain extent. That means you’re almost NEVER alone, so if you’re looking to make friends it’s great, but if you need personal space or alone time or if you like to sleep in late every day, a hostel might not be your best option, unless you manage to get a private room, that is! Another thing to know is that you won’t always have access to free or reliable parking spaces if you’re driving around.

Final Verdict

For the most part, my experience at hostels has been positive. Though I’ve had to deal with some not so pleasant situations and people, I’ve also made great friends and memories because of them. Would I recommend everyone at least try a hostel? Yes, I would. Will a hostel be a great fit for everyone? No, Hostels are not for everyone, so if you know that you do not ever want to stay in a hostel you don’t have to.