Hostels

Many people I talk to are hesitant to stay in a hostel. They may have had a bad experience in a hostel or they may have learned all they know about hostels from horror movies. I have stayed in a variety of different hostels, and I have had some great experiences. Hostels can be a great resource to use when traveling for a number of different reasons, such as:

Saving Money-
Hostels are a great way to save money while traveling. If you are willing to share a room with others you can stay for a fraction of the price you would pay for a comparable hotel.

Community-
Good hostels have a great, communal feel. I have met all kinds of interesting people from all kinds of different places in hostels. While I love seeing new places, one of my favorite parts of traveling is the people I meet in the hostels I stay at.

Recommendations-
In my experience, hotels tend to recommend "touristy" restaurants and activities, while hostels tend to recommend more "local" places. When I travel, I prefer to see the real place and avoid most of the tourist area. Also, hostel staff realize that people staying in hostels tend to be on a tighter budget, so they will recommend things that are more inexpensive (but still awesome).

Location-
Many hostels are located in amazing places. They might be on beach front property or right in the middle of a city. There are locations I couldn't afford if staying in a hotel, but with a hostel they are well within my reach.


Although there are many benefits to staying in hostels, there are also many bad hostels out there. Prior to booking a hostel, you should do your research. Sites such as Hostelworld.com and Booking.com have ratings and reviews of various hostels. You can use these to find a hostel that would be a good fit for you.