Also, there can be private rooms with ensuite facilities, as well as shared facilities. The time has (almost) come to an end when hostels had terrible websites, where it was easier to understand the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein than making a booking on a hostel‘s website. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…You can find the budget-accommodations all over the web. If there is one social network to contact all hostels in the world, it is the big blue one with the white F. Here you will get a reply quite fast, and sometimes they even have a special discount or promotion going on on their Facebook page. While Tripadvisor is a good tool to use, Hostelz.com is still the much better hostel booking site. Staying At Hostels In Europe The hostel is a type of accommodation popular among tourists on a budget who are looking for a place to interact with other travelers. Country 2. your time of travel 3. the type of room/dorm you choose. If you don’t want to spend much on activities either, here are 50 things to do for free in Europe. What a thorough guide to hostels! And many of them organize different events to strengthen this part of their accommodation. With the non-flexible booking your deposit is non-refundable. Read hostel descriptions carefully, some of them offer freebies from breakfast to walking tours and yoga lessons. It is possible that the private rooms are in a separate area of the building, away from the common areas and dorms where it is quieter. Book now in January and February 2021 and get 15% – 45% discounts for all check-in dates in 2021. Is there any difference, and why should you care in the end? (e.g. The most simple answer is checking Hostelgeeks.com to have a look at the one and only 5 Star Hostel in your chosen destination! Do you want to travel completely on a budget? Perhaps there is a free tour, or linen included? Hostelgeeks put together 127 AWESOME hostels and 10% discounts to all of them. In case you want to book a hostel, or any other accommodation with AirBnb you need to get verified and confirm your Identity. We present you the hostel in detail, tell you why they are a rock star hostel and finally we lead you to their website. 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Many hostels offer a free dinner night as well – more money saved that can go towards sightseeing. There are different types of hostels you should be aware of. These are the facilities and services you will not find at all throughout the whole hostel building. They sell the rooms and beds of their hostel partners. Here we would like to give you an overview. It includes 13 simple tips and 1st hand experiences of travelers and hostels alike. You just need to ask at the reception, leave a deposit and here you go. (11) Just about all hostels have free WIFI these days, so don't worry about staying connected with back home (12) Read reviews for hostels, but do NOT go overboard with them. We show you the most important and relevant resources for hostel searches and bookings here. We are here for you, simply drop us a line! Read: Sex in hostels – 10 tips and hilarious real-life stories. As they do not have to pay any commissions here, it is the cheapest way for them to offer you a great deal. Therefore, before booking the accommodation, check if a kitchen is available. You can find travel desks to book tours, transport and more. The reception desk at Hektor Design Hostel in Tartu, Estonia. Read more details about the types of hostels in the next point. There is the option of an in-house washing machine you can use on your own, or, the hostel can arrange for an external laundry service with which they are connected to. Some booking websites, as well as travel agencies, offer special discounts or packages when booking. We dedicated the full article “Are hostels safe?” to this topic. Damon and Jo are two ex-hostel workers from the US. Simple! Having that said, watch out for all 3 different types of facilities and services. Every hostel has a dorm option as a sleeping room, and this is one of the very basics of a hostel. They also offer free cancellations on most of the rooms you can book with them. Be smart! solving a math problem, or cleaning the beach. However, we at Hostelgeeks do not use them as we choose to stay in contact with the hostel or accommodation directly. the size of a dorm actually has no limit. Reviews are a very powerful way to find great hostels. Please enter the password for the account, Smart Place Paris Gare du Nord by Hiphophostels, The Loft Boutique Hostel Paris by Hiphophostels. Last but not least they claim to offer the biggest hostel database with more than 45.000 listings in more than 7.000 cities. This part is often not shown when you are searching for your hostel. Hostelworld runs this special offer right now! I'm not much of a partier myself, but numerous times I met nice, interesting people in the room who were up for going out touring together, getting a meal, etc. It will do all the work for you and compare actual booking websites. There are two sides of this: the things you expect to be included, and the ones you expect to be excluded. Hostels are generally populated with other travelers, just like you! Another very basic and popular feature is the guest kitchen at a hostel. Comparing prices of Hostels may seem easy, but in fact, this topic is quite a complicated one. We never send spam. Nevertheless you can still join in with the hostels events, and mingle with the other travelers in the common areas when you fancy. YES, in every large, well-known (and even the smaller) destinations all over Europe you will find hostels. “Are hostels safe in Europe?“ and “Should I stay in a hostel alone?“ are questions I also get a lot by email, so I thought I’d address it right here on the blog. It is also a main platform and is the owner of Hostels.com, Hostelbookers.com and other related platforms. Many booking platforms try to list all the required facilities and services. The 5 Star Hostels by us at Hostelgeeks are the only type of hostels based on fix transparent criteria of sustainability, design, uniqueness, and social character. However, Hostelz earns its money through an affiliation system with the named booking portals. They will appreciate it, and most likely share your posts on their social networks as well! I had traveled for decades in Europe staying in 2* hotels. I’ve decided it’s time to dispel some of the myths to show you why hostels are way better than hotels. This Medieval hill castle was turned into an accommodation for travelers, sharing rooms, and common areas side by side. The advantage here is of course talking directly to a person plus it is obviously faster than an email. I stayed in the HI hostel in Nice, Les Camelias, and it was fine, nice location, fairly quiet. We and our international media team show you the outstanding 5 Star Hostels based on transparent criteria, a unique concept by Hostelgeeks. I like to travel while staying in budget accommodations so I’m able to splurge on restaurants, museums, and entrances to historic sites. It gives you a clearer idea of the options out there. As always, we will keep this post updated. Good to know: Some hostels try to keep the common areas as a social spot. This audience is still very common, and you will find most young travelers hanging out at the local Party Hostel. here’s a guide on how to become the absolute worst hostel guest in history – with funny gifs. When you are looking for a hostel based on reviews, make sure you take into account the number of written reviews. There are many different booking platforms and websites out there specialized for hostels and are a great resource for finding the good ones in Europe. There are many hostels for couples out there. NO! The Passenger Hostel in Porto – A New Level of Hosteling in Portugal and Europe. The biggest security issue you could encounter in European hostels is theft, especially in larger cities like Paris or Rome. Let’s talk about the smaller hostel booking platforms. We never got anything stolen in any hostel in the world! A lush garden adds a special homely flair to a hostel, doesn’t it. At this point #4 we focus on websites comparing prices and websites offering a hostel booking service. Good to know: Whenever you drop us a message, we will reply to you in person! There are still hostels that offer computers for guests, so in case you need one while traveling, keep an eye on that during your research. Here’s a fun guide to Hostels from A to Z including everything you need to know & what to expect at hostels. Some websites do have a hidden service fee that they sneakily only show at this point. There are 3 different options for sleeping arrangements in a hostel. Any recommendations? Part of hosteling is what you make of it. The social character is a result of the traveler and the staff. Every 5 Star Hostel is an independent hostel. There are as well female-only dorms. You'll most likely be staying in dorm rooms shared between four to twenty people. You can download the list of Hostel Booking Sites as a PDF. Here you will find sofas and spots to relax, get together and mingle with the other travelers. Here is a list of different hostel events you may experience when visiting a Hostel: By now you will have realized how unique every single hostel in the world can be. I really dig how you break them down into 7 different types. Take Care of Your Valuables. We will prepare a specialized article about this topic. Simply comparing the final price on the booking page is not enough! Also, watch out for „social signals“ throughout the hostel. So don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and meet new people – I’ve made some great friends that I’m still in touch with by staying in hostels all around Europe. This is not always the case, but often enough it is simply the poor research beforehand. Especially if you’re staying in a hostel for the first time. If your budget is more flexible, you can visit Europe’s most popular destinations like England, France, Spain or Italy. You can pay anything from 5€ to 50€ – this really depends on 1. Hostel staff are always keen to make you love their city, so you’re likely to come across loads of sociable activities hosted by the hostels we use – think pub crawls, walking tours, club nights etc. We will walk with you through the details on what is important, and how you can find a good Hostel in Europe. Good to know: This European Hostel Guide is aimed at every kind of traveler: This guide will help you to get an idea of the full picture. There are also accommodations that are a hybrid of the different types. Apps, Discounts and Hacks) – The Starter Guide, Hostelworld in Review – How does it work? However, currently this application is offline. This helps you to get a feeling for the hostel. Some of the 5 Star Hostels are not available on certain booking engine. This could be the excluded but mandatory buying of bed linen, the charge for WiFi, or the breakfast. It can be free WiFi, free luggage storage and so on. On the actual booking summary page (you know, the page where you need to take out your Credit Card), you will see the final price. There is still the opportunity to call up a hostel, and make the booking via a phone. his makes comparing the prices even more time-consuming, and really tiring. If you have been researching for a hostel in your lifetime, you will have come across Hostelworld for sure. We wrote up a detailed article about 7 pros and 4 cons of female-only dorms. The double room at Swanky Mint Hostel in Zagreb, Croatia. Instantly check all of the booking websites at once! But why is that, and why did hostels become so popular? You can find all official 5 Star Hostels with us. Let us explain that. Good to know: Booking platforms are resellers. The original rooms used as dorms are nowadays part of a museum. This means if there is a hostel in the city next to your actual travel destination, there might be a reason for that. Please note that an in-house bar does not instantly mean it is a party hostel. The most popular room at a hostel is the 4-bed dorm. This photos shows the oldest 5 Star Hostel in the world: Hostel Ruthensteiner in Vienna, Austria. The social part of a hostel is very important. Hosteling International is, however, the largest network of Hostels worldwide. a free drink at the bar! At many hostels nowadays you can also book private rooms. Yim Huai Khwang – Bangkok’s smiling 5 Star Hostel with Balcony, Art Gallery and Little Shop, Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof in Interlaken, Switzerland – Adrenalin-kick and 5% Discount in Summer, 15 Essential Tips for Booking Hostels in 2021 (incl. Read: complete guide to best hostels in Prague, Czech Republic. If you want to keep it simple and non time-consuming, you can just drop us a message on facebook, instagram or via email. There are many myths and open questions for first-time travelers, as well as for the experienced, when staying in hostels. Do you want o have a laugh? This commissions varies, starting from 10%. Why? The simple answer is: YES, but as always you should pay attention to your things. The reviews of Hostels are full of disappointed travelers simply because they chose a hostel that did not meet their expectations. This website can be a good resource when traveling through Southern Europe. If you need any information you can come here and ask one of the team. I also have almost no experience in world travel so I would love to find an adventurous guided tour aimed at young people. The information you can get from this website is really the best one we can recommend. Tripadvisor is more for hotels and upscale accommodation. However, keep in mind that nowadays many new hostels in Europe do not offer any hostel kitchen. This is a very juicy topic. The design is kept simpler, with the text at a minimum, focused on relevant information rather than marketing. Over time it has also become a booking platform for apartments, renting between two private parties. A hostel has to pay a certain commission percentage to use the booking platform and the establishment would rather save this where possible. Whenever you have found your desired hostel, they will let you automatically book the cheapest price available. This being said, there are hostels refusing bookings via phone. Welcome to the extended Guide To Hostels in Europe, covering all of the essential tips and tricks you need to know. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ab7be27ea94ce1c95599f55ccfc397c2" );document.getElementById("ce1ff7828b").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Send me the smartest newsletter from Hostelgeeks. I like to think of myself as a pro these days when it comes to staying in hostels. In the next point we will introduce you to the most important hostel websites you can – or even should – use to get the information you need! Hostels have social areas and some have their own bars. To cut a long story short: Yes, there are many fabulous and worlds best hostels all over Europe! AirBnb is actually a social accommodation platform for private house holds renting out their spare room. Provided you practice reasonable judgment and common sense, staying in hostels is a great way to meet people and base yourself in the prime locations of the many fantastic cities of Europe. Here is a helpful video about Hostel location. Many budget travelers choose a hostel over a guesthouse for the ability to cook. Over the years they expanded their market, so have a look on this when you are specifically looking for a hostel. Every hostel has different sizes of dorms with and without en suite facilities. Okay okay…not Europe, just want to give an idea! If you're craving privacy, some hostels offer private rooms with shared or private bath. Even Hostelworld does not have 100% of the availability of all hostels in the world. Therefore, you have to have your expected basics you want to have made very clear. Are there such tours, that include primarily hostel stays?? Book on the go with the new Hostelworld mobile apps. It depends on the hostel if there are shared facilities as well or ensuite facilities for the room. In Europe, hostels are a common way to stay overnight in almost every travel destination across the continent. Every booking platform has its own advantage for using. In the internet there is always the chance to find great offers – no doubt! In this article, you will find some great hostels for families in Europe. Good to know: There are hostels who do not take any bookings via email or phone. In point 5.1 Comparing prices of the different hostels in one city we show you in detail how you can compare the prices properly to avoid any misunderstanding from the very beginning. This booking platform has no booking fee and requires no membership fee. The standard flexible booking costs an extra fee and your deposit is protected and in case of a cancellation you can use this deposit to make a different booking. Some travelers claim it to be a disadvantage as you will be spending more time inside the hostel instead of going out exploring the city – it really is person dependent. At Hotels, you usually find an in-house restaurant and bar, while Hostels usually offer a kitchen for self-catering. 10 Hostels in Europe The Yellow, Rome; St Christopher's Gare du Nord, Paris; Generator Hostel, London; ClinkNoord, Amsterdam; Castle Rock Hostel, Edinburgh; Ostello Bello Grande, Milan; Sant Jordi Rock Palace, Barcelona; Czech Inn, Prague; Wombats City Hostel, Berlin; Isaacs Hostel, Dublin; Nowadays, you don’t have to break the bank to travel abroad. Basically they recommended to search for the main attraction in your destination and put it on the map. We created this ebook for everyone traveling Europe in 2017 and staying in hostels. Here we cover many different topics around the topic of hostel-typed accommodation. It is your backpackers bible and your smart booking hack! Hostel kitchens are the heart of the hostel, so it’s a great place mingle and share food with new friends! Some hostels offer apartments in-house or next to their main building. In case you have to check in very late, you should first make sure that this is possible at your desired hostel. Here is an overview and table of content. HI (Short for “Hostelling International”) is a non-profit organization, and you can stay in more than 4000 affiliated hostels worldwide. Staying in hostels is one of the best ways to do that but unfortunately most people believe the stereotypes when it comes to hostelling so they avoid them like the plague. At a hostel you should (yes, you really can) expect to have free WiFi. This style of traveling, often called ‘backpacking’, has the advantages of being more of an ‘adventure’ as you have fewer of the luxuries you are used to (which also makes it very character building) and also saving a lot of money as you aren’t staying in plush hotels. We have been working on this European Hostel Guide for a long time, and we will always keep it up to date if and when anything important changes. You can unsubscribe whenever you find our exclusive discounts and insider tips useless. In our directory, you will find several amazingly cheap hostels in Europe. Before smartphones and tablets sneaked into our daily life, it was important to check if a hostel offered any free computers to use. SMART TIP: Have a look at the extreme reviews, meaning the worst and the best ratings. There is also a more complex answer to this question. This is very basic definition of what a hostel actually stands for. Staying in Hostels - Any Advice??? Especially in Southern Europe, a balcony or terrace can make the difference. You can choose a single-sex or mixed dorm. This handy guide to the best hostel booking sites is also very useful for finding the best price. When booking your accommodation with Hostelworld you will need to pay a deposit of minimum 12%. Keep reading to discover what’s it really like to stay in a hostel. There are different ways a hostel handles this service. You can find a cinema for instance at STAY Rhodes, Greece. Yet, for the actual booking, we recommend using the booking platforms. Hostel ROOM, Rotterdam. The second one is comparing prices for different hostels in one destination which we explain in detail in #5 (Hostel A vs Hostel B). Staying in a hostel in Europe can save you a lot of money, but will it dampen your experience? Europe can be expensive, and hostel research is time-intense (and can be annoying)! A good night sleep at Ecomama in Amsterdam. It is simply the green version of the previously mentioned balcony or terrace. Every single hostel chooses how many beds and rooms they allocate to the different platforms. Find fun Short Hostel Stories, written by travelers and hostel workers. If you are traveling in a group, you can contact the hostel directly to ask for a „private“ dorm for your group. I want to travel to Europe for 3-5 months. It certainly does not mean 20km far away from the city center, but you may do not want to stay in the very heart of the touristic center, do you? Update: find the 3 best hostels in Munich. when does the first ferry leave to the other island, until what time can I do the Check-in etc). If you’re going traveling across Europe then you may, like many people, be intending to ‘rough it’. Castles, island-hostels, swimming pools, historical monuments, and more! Active 3 years, 1 month ago. In this video they collected 10 great tips on “How to book a Hostel”. Nowadays, almost every hostel offers the option of a private room and ensuite facilities. Inexpensive Hostels are cheap travel accommodations, especially when compared to staying in a hotel. The hostels website is a good point to start. Their goal is to keep the rooms for sleeping only, and they want the travelers to join the common areas instead. The older couple I met at the hostel in Europe when I was 18 stayed in my co-ed dorm room. By shared facilities we mean a shared bathroom with more than one dorm and this is most likely the cheapest option. Hostelling International is the worlds largest hostel network. We created a specific article about the 7 Types of Hostels. HI requires a membership, which is basically just a card that costs $28 per year and gives you discounts and benefits such as currency exchange and free email access during your stay. Sunset Destination Hostel in Lisbon – Swimming Pool and Bar on a Roof Top? You just have to open the .pdf and save it on your device. Staying in hostels definitely isn’t for everyone, but can be a great way to travel and actually brings lots of benefits, as well as a few things you may not like. Nowadays almost every single hostel has WiFi, and most of the time the WiFi is for free. Your Basic Booking Guide, 33 Beautiful Hostels through the crispy Instagram Filter – #awesome #5starhostels, looking for a social spot to meet other like-minded people. Specially organized events are a great way to get in contact with your fellow travelers. 10 Of The BEST Hostels In Europe 1. Another important standard for a hostel is a common area which can be a living room or lounge for the travelers to get together. You can save more than $340 in your hostels across Europe. It can be an advantage of having a bar and restaurant inside a hostel. The list of potential events at a hostel is endless. Important: There are some hostels charging extra for late check-ins – keep this in mind. Fair enough as they offer a great and useful service! Not all of these apply to every hostel, so make sure you read reviews and other key information before you book. On the other hand, there are also hostels without the internet in the sleeping areas. In fact, this is very complicated and here you can spend a lot of valuable time. Although it is still not very common for a hostel to be listed here. Simply open the .pdf and save it on your device. Good to know: Make sure you check which private room you book. Hostelz is an independent website comparing hostel prices taken from different platforms. To avoid disappointments, make sure you check this beforehand! We created a special post about 25 awesome Hostels on Instagram. With the raise of boutique and design hostels, it is also likely that you will be choosing between budget and more upscaled options. booking.com is an excellent resource when you want to get an overview of accommodations in a destination. What is the cost of hostels in Europe? Above we listed the common and most important booking platforms for hostels. Also, there are several accommodations with an in-house swimming pool such as the Sunset Destination Hostel in Lisbon. They post information about their city, special events, fun facts, and sometimes even discounts! Well, simply because it is specialized in hostels, and not other accommodation types. Travelers choosing hostels over a different type of accommodation are usually between 18 and 30 years. The new equivalent to calling a hostel today is email and facebook. Here you can find the lowest price, book your room/bed and there; you are done finding good hostels in Europe. But being on a budget does not mean you have to miss any awesome accommodation. We share exclusive discounts to the best hostels in the world and even more exclusive content you won't find on the website. Hostels offer many different facilities, amenities and services. We will keep adding more useful information for hostels. Posted by: katiemoy on Nov 28, 16 at 12:24am Advice -- do it. 30 years their accommodation topic of hostel-typed accommodation but also update: Gomio no exists! Depends today on the second glimpse you realize all the required facilities services! Anything not clear, or any other service experience, hostels are not available on certain booking.. 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