Hostels: It's Not Just Where You Lay Your Head

I know that for many Americans, hostels seem like dirty and dangerous boarding. Before I went abroad, I had never really thought about them past knowing that the movie Hostel had turned my friends into believing that I'd be killed as soon as I set foot in one. But obviously I wasn't killed, and actually my hostel staying experience was a pleasant one. Here's where I stayed and what I've learned along the way.

First of all, I'd just like to point out that to me nothing was better than coming "home" after my time away. Travelling was fun and fulfilling, but the comfort of my temporary home was far better. The culture shock you experience in each new place make the simple things in your "home" city that much more welcoming. I can remember the feeling of relief washing over me as I watched Dublin Port come into view after a particularly long trip.

My first hostel experience was in Edinburgh, Scotland at the High Street Hostel. Located right off of the Royal Mile, the building that houses the hostel looked like something out of Harry Potter (fittingly as HP holds its beginnings in that very city). Our location was ideal and aside from the bus we took to get to and from the airport, we were in walking distance of everything Edinburgh had to offer. And since our response to "what did you do in Edinburgh?' is always "eat", walking was essential to us not coming home ten pounds heavier.

When choosing a hostel, location is key. Although you may find a very cheap, very nice hostel outside of city limits, unless you'll be there for a lengthy amount of time, it's probably not worth it. Saving on time and money for transportation costs is key to getting the most out of a weekend away.

Walking to Arthur's Seat at the top of Mount Holyrood 

High Street was not the most glamorous of places to stay, but hey, you're in a hostel, and at £19 for two nights stay, it was a bargain. What I love about Europe is the ease and price of travel, RyanAir flights were often the cheapest part of my trip and an experience all in themselves. While High Street's bunks were not fitted with the most modern of linens, they were clean, offered lockers to keep our things safe and were for the most part quiet, making sleeping there enjoyable.

Pay attention to ratings when you book a hostel. Other traveler's opinions on a place are helpful and mostly accurate. If the comments continue to mention something over a period of time, it's probably true. And note why they're receiving the scores they are; is it because breakfast is £5?Are the employees rude? Did they feel unsafe or have things stolen? High Street currently holds a 78% rating on HostelWorld, they offer clean accommodation, a great location, and friendly staff; breakfast was not free and it was not the most updated place. Decide what matters to you and use ratings as a guide.

After Edinburgh I didn't travel anywhere outside of Ireland for a month in a half. In that time, I had researched a lot of places to go for my revisions week trip I would be taking. I think that overplanning can be the death of a trip, overloading yourself with things to do in a short period of time always leave me tired and I look back and realize that I didn't live in the moment while I was there.

Such was not the case for me during this trip. We started off in Brussels, Belgium, which in case you were unaware, is a very gray city. Although the Grand Place is beautiful, you'll find interesting architecture throughout the city and the smell of chocolate will waft through the streets. The Atomium and Little Europe lay on the outskirts of the city but I had little interest in a touristy attraction. I had chosen Brussels because of my Belgian heritage, and not knowing about anything more to do there other than seeing Mannekin Pis.

We arrived to our hostel, 2GO4 Quality, hungry, tired and rain soaked. This was my most expensive hostel at €20 a night and was decorated like what I imagine an Urban Outfitters hostel would look like, you get what I'm saying? The room we stayed in had an ornately carved wooden beam overhead and the most comfortable, delightfully white bed, it was like a hotel, except that we were bunking down with 12 strangers. Aside from the bed heaven, the hostel offered free use of three computers which is helpful if you're backpacking and want to make a social media check in every once in a while.

Take advantage of the staff that's employed by the hostel as well as the tourist maps they supply. You might feel stupid walking around with a map but they're full of useful information as well as directions. And they're a free keepsake from your trip.

The best thing that ever happened thanks to staying in a hostel was the discovery of the amazing Belgian waffle. I know what you're thinking, "how did you not know about Belgian waffles, we have them in the States?" Unless you've been to Belgium or know a Belgian who is an amazing cook, you don't know Belgian waffles. Thankfully we asked the man working reception at 2GO4 Quality where to find the best Belgian waffle. "Vitalgaufre" he said, "it's here." He circled it on our map and drew a path to it from the hostel. I will forever be indebted to that man. We ate there twice in twelve hours. Just give me a minute to reminisce...

Okay, back to the post. But first, you didn't think I'd leave it without a waffle picture, did you?

"Tourist" waffle

My apple waffle

My last hostel was in London, now called Hostel Fresh @ The White Ferry, Victoria, London. This is a hostel above a pub, surprisingly quiet and very safe and secure. Hostel rooms have keypads with different codes as well as the door at the top of the steps, allowing no pub goers to enter any sleeping quarters. This was an interesting experience for the three of us staying there as the beds were triple bunked, yet we were split up two to the top of one set and one on the bottom of the neighboring set. (I chose the bottom, it seemed safest).

What I learned from this stay is that in a large city, place yourself in the center of the things you want to do while you're there. I happened to be with my friend who practically lives in London, so getting lost wasn't going to happen, but if you're iffy about public transport, use the tools available to you when booking a hostel to see what will be the best fit. 

Also, if you're offered a free breakfast with your stay, take it. At the White Ferry the breakfast was simple and early: toast and peanut butter, cereals and tea between 7 & 9 AM. But eating there for free allowed me to save some money for the numerous Pizza Express trips we made during the three days. I also found it nice to be up and ready that early and to be able to plan the excursions for the day while having a little quiet as the sun shone through the pub windows.

Overall, I had a pretty fantastic experience with hostels. Sure they weren't as nice as the four star hotel I stayed at in Paris (courtesy of a friend's parents), but looking back, what was the trip really about? It's about the experience, the things that I saw and the cultures that I got to be in for a few days. You don't go to these cities just to sit in a hotel room, you go to sight see, to eat, to learn, to indulge in life.

So when you go, remember that it's not about where you were when your eyes were closed, its about what you got to see in the world while they were open.

-J