Generation hostel

How can we travel worldwide without a lot of money for hotels? The new generation has the answer for that. Hostels!

Cheap
Every day a new portal is created with special offers for hostel accommodation. Spending a night at a hostel can be as much as eight times cheaper than at hotel - the average price in Europe is around 15 euro per night. The biggest difference between hostels and hotels is that at a hostel you rent just a bed not a room, and there are often 4, 8 or 12 bunk beds in a room.

I’ve been for 2 years in the army and now I have to chill out so I’m travelling in Europe – says Chen Winter (21) from Israel who next week will start her job as a librarian. Right now she is in Scotland, where she is staying in her seventh hostel this week. I don’t have enough money for the Ritz but I want to travel so I have just one option: hostel - laughs she.

Hostels offer more integration programmes than hotels. The Budget Backpackers hostel in Edinburgh, where Chen has spent 2 days, organises a daily free tour of the city for his customers and integration evenings at a traditional Scottish pub in the city centre.

Strangers
The biggest problem with hostels is that it may happen that you have to share a room with strangers – says a student, Ilaria (21) from Toscana, who has stayed at hostels in Italy, Norway and Portugal. She had just one bad experience at a hostel when she visited Rome - That was really horrible. I was in a room with Mexican boys who didn’t take a shower and they had left their socks on the floor. Ilaria stays in hostels when she wants to save money - the quality changes from country to country and from hostel to hostel but in general I was really happy with hostels.

Be careful!!!
Of course, there are sometimes problems with security. The Phd student Damiano (27) from Bologna has been staying at hostels for 7 years. He has been in Great Britain, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, US and in Portugal where he was a victim of theft - Somebody has stolen my camera, digital recorder, glasses and shaver. When the police came I was told to go to the police station but they said that there was nothing they could do.

Life style
A hostel is not just accommodation, it’s a life style – says Ania (24), a student from Poland. She was in many hostels in Europe and met a lot of open, friendly and “crazy” people who don’t worry about the hostel’s condition, and she has many great hostel stories. Her favourite hostel is located in Riga in Latvia – I met there a guy who is responsible just for the atmosphere at hostel. He is talking with everybody and making an atmosphere like at home.

Good to know!

The most famous hostels’ portal:
http://www.hostelsworld.com/
http://www.hostelsbookers.com/
http://www.hostels.com/
http://www.hostelz.com/
If you choose a hostel take notice of:
- Location - Safety
- Value -Facilities
- Staff -Atmosphere

Text: Marcin Antosiewicz

Photo: Filip Jurzyk