someone posted about one and ive been hearing about these for a while. how are they? how safe are they? do you have to be a student?

5/29/2006 10:12:06 PM

I've had great luck with the ones in Costa Rica, never had anything stolen but I was with 3 other guys and we were all pretty careful

5/29/2006 10:16:21 PM

i've only stayed at the ones in europe. they were all fine. some were nicer than others but i never felt unsafe. also, most of the time we were able to get private rooms (shared bath or sometimes private bath as well) for only like $5 more a night

5/29/2006 10:16:41 PM

Positives: cheap, meeting people

Negatives: lack of privacy/security, unpredictable quality, possibly sketch

Most are relaxed on student/age requirements.

Really up to what you are most comfortable with...

5/29/2006 10:17:41 PM

I stayed in them throughout my six months in Australia and New Zealand and for the most part, they were excellent. Each one is different obviously, but I never felt unsafe or grossed out by the messiness. Lots of people in my rooms would leave their iPods and cell phones out charging overnight and they were always still there in the morning.

I got better deals by joining YHA (hostel program in Australia) and my membership lasted a year. The price made up the difference I would have paid otherwise. They have an international program.

http://www.hihostels.com/

In Australia/New Zealand, nearly every hostel had a website with pictures, maps, features, etc, so that you could get a feel for it. Each hostel had its own special feel and it is hard to think of a favorite.

So definitely give it a go. I met some amazing people from all over the world just by sitting down to breakfast.


edit- And several of the ones I stayed in did not have an age requirement. I saw several families and took my own family to an amazing hostel up by the Great Barrier Reef. So each one differs.

[Edited on May 29, 2006 at 10:22 PM. Reason : ]

5/29/2006 10:21:05 PM

just dont get hooked up with the hot girls at the bar and then let them take you to the slaughter house.

5/29/2006 11:58:19 PM

^ no shit, after getting my nipple sliced off with a bandsaw i decided against further trips.

5/30/2006 12:01:10 AM

Hostels are good if you're traveling by yourself or with 5 friends. Otherwise, it's normally cheaper and a lot nicer to get a hotel room.

5/30/2006 12:48:12 AM

They killed Marissa!

5/30/2006 12:49:09 AM

Quote :

"Hostels are good if you're traveling by yourself or with 5 friends."

5/30/2006 2:18:27 AM

the ones in the US are great, stick to the HIUSA hostels to be safe though, there are a couple of sketchy ass places in San Fran and LA.

5/30/2006 9:41:27 AM

NEVER, EVER STAY AT A HOSTEL! Me and my buddy stayed at one in Slovakia, and I barely made it back alive. Unfortunetly for my friend he didn't, bless his soul, they had girls drug us and then take us to a torture warehouse where rich guys paid to torture people, especially Americans!!

I STILL HAVE THE SCARS TO PROVE IT, TWO OF MY FINGERS WHERE SAWED OFF WITH A CHAINSAW!!!

5/30/2006 9:52:50 AM

I stayed in hostels in amsterdam, and germany. All in all it was a good experience, except i got some shit stolen the first night. you should be ok, you just have to keep you valuables practically up your ass. I met far more people than i would have if i didn't stay in the hostels, and i even met a russian girl that lives in cary while i was in frankfurt. Also the beers are much cheaper in the hostel bars than they are in the other bars.

5/30/2006 10:39:15 AM

if you have the money, stay in a hotel.

it's not that much more expensive and its a helluva lot better

5/30/2006 10:41:39 AM

if you go to paris, you can find hotels for about the same price as hostels, but i liked the hostels for the most part. when i stayed @ the flying pig in amsterdam, they had a harry pothead party one night....that was interesting to say the least.

5/30/2006 10:44:31 AM

ive been to hostels all around western europe and just got back from SE Asia. Hostels are great, as long as you arent too high maintenence. They are cheap and you meet a bunch of travelers like yourself along the way. We stayed in a couple of hotels in SE Asia, just because we had no other choice and you are just so secluded. As long as you are outgoing and friendly hostels are the place to be. I never had a bad experience really at one.

5/30/2006 11:28:36 AM

stayed mostly in hostels in Spain & Portugal. met tons of people. we were 4 guys and never felt unsafe, and nothing got stolen. i would definitely do it again. only negative experience was one in Barcelona that felt like 8 beds were crammed in a Metcalf room.

bpagraba has been to every part of Europe except Scandanaiva and the Baltics, and stays mostly at hostels. he should be returning from the Croatian coast this week. he said some of the German hostels are getting strict about age.

do a search and you'll find some threads about hostels.

5/30/2006 11:47:43 AM

I've stayed in lots of hostel across the usa and canada. Most of them were very similar to a dorm. You share a room with anywhere from 1 to maybe 8 people and there's usually a common bathroom that everyone shares, just like a dorm. The nicest one i've stayed in was Quebec City. It was ranked third best in north america. The place was almost like a hotel, it was great.

I've never had a bad experience, but I'm also a very patient person and can tolerate noise, etc. I definitely prefer hostels to hotels. A hotel is boring. You're usually alone and only meet people when you go out. Every time i've stayed in a hostel I usually hung out with my roommates and explored the city with them. It always feels similar to my freshman year of college when I first met my roommates. You can't beat the price. Most hostels are around 20-27$ per night. I've stayed in several that were around 15-17$ per night. My best experience was in seattle. My roommates were from chicago, ireland, and england. We went on a pub crawl together and by the end of the night I knew i'd made some great new friends. Hostels are all about meeting people from all over the world and having an open mind. If you're an adventurous person you'll like hostels, but if you don't like being bothered and don't care about other cultures, stick to a hotel. But you'll really be missing out.

This is all coming from someone who has always been a little anti-social and shy. Staying in hostels has really helped me overcome my shyness and really get out and explore the world. I don't even consider hotels anymore. Of course you need to use common sense and do research before staying at a hostel. Just go online to the many websites with reviews and pick the best hostel in a particular city. Don't just call up a random hostel and assume it's going to be perfect. It's all about having fun. Learning how to meet strangers and talk to locals really makes traveling fun.

5/30/2006 2:22:01 PM

i stayed in two hostels while in italy...one i loved b/c i had a private room and so i was able to veg/relax and not worry about someone walking in on me. the other i loved b/c there were SO many people staying there you met so many people from around the world--coming in an out and all hours, someone was always awake and wanting to talk or go see this site or if you wanted to just stay in.

however, i have my reservations about both--the one in florence (private room) b/c it was so small and everyone really kept to themselves i met no one except the people that worked there...i also hated florence so i left a day early. but the people that worked there were VERY friendly and helpful and recommended the best art exhibit i saw while in Italy and a pizzeria for lunch.

the one in rome had some pretty fucking rude ass people working there--Yellow Hostel. You might find the people at yellow hostel to be different, but the last thing I wanted to deal with after carrying my pack and art supplies up a flight of stairs was some English wanker copping an attitude with me. they had air conditioner but it was broken...which i had adjusted to not having the first three weeks while i was there, but i wasn't in a monastery anymore (the cold stone you didn't need any if you kept your windows shut during the day--monks were smart) i was on the 5th floor in a big city, in a co-ed room with 10 people, and it was fucking hot. so don't count on the air conditioner to be working

otherwise, really good prices...they are safe but have a locker for your valuables (most offer them), and you don't have to be a student.

but--despite my good and bad experiences with both, i will stay in a hostel again if i was to go to another country that i didn't know anything about...if i go back to italy i would rather stay somewhere else since i've been there before...and hopefully next time i go back i won't be travelling alone, so that would also make a difference if i was to stay in one again.



and i had made a thread on hostels b4 i went and a couple of people suggested some good websites with reviews of hostels...but it's been trashed and so i can't find it

[Edited on May 30, 2006 at 3:32 PM. Reason : ]

5/30/2006 3:22:39 PM

hostels in india are sweet

especially the swamp coolers

5/30/2006 4:00:23 PM

stayed in them across western and eastern europe for few months, never had a real problem.

cheap prices, meet tons of people, good times


though do diligent research at places like hostelz.com hostebookers.com hostels.com frommers letsgo google etc to get to know some good hostels. they can be hit or miss, and if you dont do your reasearch you can really end up in a bad situation (real noisy, real dirty, unsafe etc). But like i said, 3 months total staying in them and i never had a single problem as i did my research.

5/30/2006 4:05:26 PM

also, as far as research goes, if you're traveling to different destinations, ask around your first hostel about hostels in other cities. chances are someone you talk to will have been there before.

5/30/2006 4:08:31 PM

Yea, I've never had a bad hostel Experience in the US or Europe. Stayed in about 20 here in the US, and we stayed in 10 different ones in Europe. Definitely check it out online ahead of time if you can, or go there right when you get to the town to make sure it's not going to be super sketchy.

Staying in hotels on a trip is really gay, you meet so many more people in hostels, have a lot more fun, and see things you never would otherwise. Not to mention most hostels do daily free trips to different places and events, which can be great to see things you wouldnt find on a tourist map, or might have overlooked on your own

5/30/2006 4:14:54 PM

i remember the name of the one in florence, Il ghiro guesthouse

5/30/2006 4:22:58 PM

what are the usual age requirements?

5/30/2006 4:47:12 PM

i've heard of age requirements, but none of the ones i stayed in had any

5/30/2006 4:48:36 PM