If you have a question about hostels or hostelling you will find it answered below. Please also note that while we have carried out extensive research for this FAQ, no two hostels are the same. Therefore, we ask that you do not rely solely on our answers for information when deciding on accommodation.
| WHAT ARE HOSTELS?
The answer to this question is becoming more and more difficult to define as hostels are changing all the time. Up until a decade ago hostels offered a unique form of accommodation where rooms were dormitory style with bunk beds, where you may well have had the pleasure of sharing bathroom facilities with up to 30 fellow guests, where you had to be in by midnight or face the prospect of sleeping in the street and where the noise of fellow room mates almost guaranteed many sleepless nights - you probably get the picture. The good news for any of you who might have reservations about taking a shower in the company of strangers or sharing a bunk with someone whose personal hygiene leaves quite a bit to be desired is that hostels have changed a great deal for the better. Today, many hostels are not unlike budget hotels where the only significant difference is the price. For example, many of the hostels listed on this site offer private rooms with en suite facilities, smaller dorms for groups of between two and eight or larger dorms where you could share with up to twenty others. As well as the rooms themselves, they offer bars and restaurants, 24-hour opening, self-catering kitchens, Internet cafes and many more added facilities. Despite this, many hostels have remained old school and you do need to maintain an open mind when choosing this form of accommodation. Don't expect luxury because in all but a few cases, you won't get it.
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WHAT IS HOSTELLING?
Hostelling is, in part, the act of traveling and staying in hostels. Referred to as "backpacking" in many parts of the world, it's perhaps best described as traveling cheaply with an adventurous spirit. The terms hosteller and backpacker are basically synonymous. Backpackers tend to travel for longer periods than the typical tourist. In many countries, especially Australia and New Zealand, it's customary for students and recent graduates to take trips of up to a year or more! While hostelling, you see the world from a perspective that the average tourist will never see. You meet local people, learn customs, eat local food and often have opportunities to do things you never imagined. Trips are usually only roughly planned without itineraries to allow for last minute changes when something unexpected and exciting presents itself. Basically, backpackers stay longer, see more, and do more for less money!
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WHO STAYS AT HOSTELS?
People from all walks of life and every corner of the world stay in hostels. Many are misled into thinking that this form of accommodation only appeals to the younger generation of travelers but here at Hostels.com we have booked people as old as 80 and as young as 6 months into hostel accommodation. Hostels provide a great way to meet new people and experience new things which is why they appeal to such a diverse range.
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DO YOU HAVE TO BE BELOW A CERTAIN AGE TO STAY IN HOSTELS?
While most hostels do not impose an age restriction, this is not always the case, particularly in establishments which have a bar on the premises. Again, it is recommended that you check the hostel's details to find out whether or not there is an age restriction.
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DO YOU NEED TO A HOSTEL MEMBERSHIP CARD TO STAY IN HOSTELS?
There are no membership requirements for any hostels listed on Hostels.com. Some hostels do offer discounts for various card-holding members but even if you are not a member, you will receive a guest membership card so you should not experience any difficulties.
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WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO STAY IN A HOSTEL?
You'll probably need identification of some sort. Because some hostels are dormitory style more information is needed about guests than is needed in the private room arrangement of hotels. This is for your protection so that if something happens the hostel is aware of who was staying in the room with you. Common identification used to stay in hostels includes passports, photo driver's licenses and state or country identity cards.
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CAN I STAY IN HOSTELS IN MY OWN COUNTRY?
Yes but you should have proof that you, like the other guests, are traveling. Hostels will generally not let you stay if you are a local resident of the area. The logic behind this rule is that if hostels allowed local residents to stay it would not have space to provide accommodation for budget travelers visiting the area. Some hostels require guests be an international traveler and have a passport. If you plan to travel in your home country and stay in hostels you might want to invest in a passport to prove you are indeed an international traveler.
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HOW DID HOSTELS GET STARTED?
Hostels have probably been around for over a thousand years as a low cost place for a traveler to stay for the night. The hostel movement as most people know it, however, was started by a German school teacher named Richard Schirrmann back in the Summer of 1907. It was at this time that Nette School began providing overnight accommodation to young travelers. Each night the classrooms were cleared of desks and chairs and thin straw sacks were placed on the floor for the travelers. As was the custom, each hosteller in the morning helped to put the school back together and sweep the straw from the floor. The philosophy as stated by Mr. Schirrmann was this: "Suppose that the thoughtful young people of all countries could be provided with suitable meeting places where they could get to know each other! That could and must be the role of our youth hostels, not only in Germany, but throughout the world, building a bridge of peace from nation to nation!" (From American Youth Hostels' "First Fifty Years: Young at Any Age")
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WHAT DO HOSTELS LOOK LIKE?
They come in all shapes and sizes. There are hostels in castles, in teepees and in railroad carriages. They are in sleepy towns, sprawling metropolises and everything in between. Some hostels are huge, providing beds for hundreds; others consist of a single room in a friendly family home. Some are mountain huts that require extensive hiking to get to while others are in urban jungles of towering skyscrapers. And this is what makes the entire experience so appealing to backpackers, you really don't know what you're going to get from one hostel to the next.
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WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE IN HOSTELS LIKE?
There are as many different atmospheres as there are hostels. Each one has a different scene. Part of the adventure of hostelling is experiencing the variety. Sometimes you will find yourself in bed by 9 pm and up at 6 am with the chickens gathering eggs. In others you may party until all hours in a world-class cosmopolitan city and sleep until three the next afternoon.
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WHAT IS A TYPICAL DORMITORY LIKE?
Dormitories are often, but not always, separated by sex. There will be between 2 and 10 people sharing a room with bunk beds. Sometimes, particularly during peak seasons, large rooms sleeping as many as 30 people are made available but are not commonplace. As well as this, quite a lot of hostels now offer private rooms. For example a hostel will have smaller dorms (4-6 beds) which can be booked by an entire group so that you have the room to yourself. And, as mentioned in the first answer on this page, many are not unlike hotels offering private single, twin and double rooms with en suite facilities.
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ARE HOSTELS AND/OR DORMITORIES NOISY?
In all hostels, although the custom is to remain as quiet as possible at night, you should expect a small amount of noise from your fellow hostel occupants. A lot depends on the location of the hostel. If you are visiting a major city you should expect noise in the form of traffic, street cleaning trucks, and people - all the usual stuff. Many hostels in the country, however, are so quiet you can hear your heart beat. As always, if you are concerned about such things it's best to ask other travelers that have been there.
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ARE HOSTELS CLEAN?
By and large, hostels are fairly clean places. With the numbers of people coming through them they pretty much have to be. Now this doesn't mean the floors are waxed and the silverware is polished, but the basics have been done. Cleaning is a constant process at most hostels but every once in a while you may find a hostel that has mildly or severely failed in the cleaning department. The hostel custom, however, is that all guests clean up after themselves. You will make things a lot more pleasant for other guests if you simply wash your own dishes, pick up your rubbish and generally leave things like you found them.
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DO HOSTELS HAVE KITCHENS?
Yes, most do. Self-catering kitchens are another way that hostels can save you money. They are usually equipped with basic cooking utensils including pots, pans, and dishes. Hostel kitchens also serve another really popular purpose however. They are a great meeting place where you can sit around and talk with fellow guests for hours on end comparing tavel notes.
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WHERE DO I KEEP MY BELONGINGS?
Backpacks containing non-valuable items such as clothes and toiletries are usually left in the dormitory. Valuables such as cameras, passports and money should always be safeguarded. All hostels will have a safe storage area and many larger city hostels will have lockers in the rooms for your backpack. Theft is relatively uncommon in hostels but it would be nice to keep it that way. Either keep valuables with you or place them in the hostel's safekeeping facilities. If you do have something stolen, report it to the management! While hostels are not responsible for lost or stolen items, you will be helping in the effort to catch thieves.
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DO HOSTELS HAVE A LOT OF RULES?
This depends on where you stay and what you think a lot of rules is. Almost all hostels ask guests to respect the rights of the other guests staying there and there are some basic hostel customs that are a largely unwritten etiquette. As for rules, you should ask each hostel upon check-in what is expected of the guests but most hostels will let you know whether you ask or not.
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WHAT IS A HOSTEL CURFEW?
A curfew is a time by which all hostellers must be inside the hostel and usually in bed. Many hostels no longer have curfews. If you find yourself staying at a hostel with a curfew, however, and you return after the stated time you will find yourself sleeping outside.
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WHAT IS A LOCKOUT?
A lockout is a time during the day when the hostel is closed. Usually this occurs so the hostel can be properly cleaned. In small home hostels this is the only time the owners can leave their home to get out and do errands. Most urban hostels, however, do not have lockouts.
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DO I NEED TO MAKE A RESERVATION TO STAY AT A HOSTEL?
We would always advise that you book your hostel in advance. Most of the hostels listed on Hostels.com can be booked online so that your bed is guaranteed before you get to your destination. If it is not possible for you to book in advance, it's best to call ahead to see if reservations are required or accepted - particularly during peak holiday or festival season. It's also best to plan to arrive in the morning. This gives you the best opportunity to get a bed and leaves you with options if the hostel is full or does not meet your expectations. This is particularly true if you are traveling to a popular city destination. At some hostels you can reserve for other hostels in advance. Inquire at the hostel you are staying at to see if they can make reservations at any other hostels for you. Then do your research and see if the hostel they recommend is somewhere that you would like to stay.
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WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO GO HOSTELLING?
Basically you will need a very small amount of the same stuff you would normally travel with plus a couple of extra items. Then you will need something comfortable and practical to carry it all in. Pack Lightly! While hostelling you won't find baggage porters, suitcase racks or hanging closet space. You will likely be traveling on public transportation and walking from place to place. Because hostels are in unique locations they are often not the most convenient places to get to. Traveling light is fundamental if you are going to have an enjoyable time. Most first time hostellers don't believe this advice and almost always set out with too much stuff. Within the first couple of weeks they send most of it home. Hostellers don't bring a different item of clothing for each day of the week. Some clothes are often worn more than once before being washed in the local laundromat. In some cases the hostel may have clothes washing facilities. The easiest way to carry your stuff from place to place is with a backpack. This is the single most important piece of equipment for the long term hosteller. For this reason, when buying a backpack, don't skimp. Find a store that will patiently let you try on lots of different packs. They are all sized and shaped differently so make sure it's comfortable. Good backpack stores will have beanbags or other weights so you can try packs on with something inside. As already mentioned, you will probably want to bring a few items you might not bring when staying in hotels. The main ones are soap, a towel and a sleep-sheet.
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WHAT IS A SLEEP-SHEET?
Basically a sleep-sheet is two sheets sewn together to form a sack. When you go to bed you get inside the sleep-sheet so the bed always stays clean. Many hostels will rent sleep-sheets to you for an additional cost. Sleep-sheets are being used less and less frequently, however, as more hostels provide regular bed linen. This is changed every one to three days depending on where you stay and more often than not the cost is included in the price. Every hostel we have seen also provides blankets.
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CAN'T I JUST USE A SLEEPING BAG?
Probably not. Many hostels do not allow sleeping bags. Because sleeping bags have lots of tufts and seams, it's easy for bugs like ticks to get inside the sleeping bag while you are camping and later come out when you unroll the bag in the hostel. Sleeping bags are also much heavier than a simple sleep-sheet and much harder to wash. So unless to plan to go camping you may want to leave the sleeping bag at home.
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WHAT DOES 'ENSUITE' MEAN?
Ensuite means there is a private bathroom in the room. If this is not indicated in the room type description, then it means the bathroom facilities are shared with other rooms.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TWIN ROOM AND A DOUBLE ROOM?
A twin room is a private room with 2 single beds in it accommodating 2 people. A double room is a private room with one large bed accommodating 2 people.
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What are hostels?