| You might think of hosteling as something that | | | | would prefer not to share a bathroom with |
| college students do while traveling through Europe for | | | | strangers, make sure you ask about the hostels |
| the summer. However, hosteling is not just for the | | | | policy ahead of time. |
| college crowd anymore, and now includes people of | | | | More often now, reservations are becoming |
| all ages and backgrounds. If you are a traveler on a | | | | increasingly vital at hostels, especially during the |
| budget, staying at a hostel can be an adventure that | | | | summer months in popular cities. It is now not at all |
| will add to your travel experience. | | | | unusual for hostels in popular tourist cities to be |
| Staying in a hostel will not be everyones cup of tea, | | | | booked solid for months, where once it was common |
| and many travelers would prefer to spend the | | | | for travelers to be able drop by the hostel and |
| money on a traditional hotel. Hostel traveling is best | | | | expect to get a bed. |
| suited to those traveling alone, or to young people | | | | Price is by far the biggest appeal of staying at |
| traveling in groups. Hostels are not really | | | | hostels. The nightly rate for a hostel is usually no |
| recommended for families traveling with young | | | | higher than $25 or $30 per night, with most costing |
| children. In fact, many hostels do not accept children | | | | even less. With the average hotel room cost |
| under a certain age. | | | | somewhere around $100 to $150 in many cities, it is |
| Most hostels are set up like dormitory rooms, with | | | | easy to see why hostels are becoming such a |
| several bunk beds arranged in the room, with | | | | popular alternative. |
| anywhere from four to ten bunks per room. Each | | | | Another benefit of staying in a hostel is that the |
| traveler is assigned a specific bed upon check-in. | | | | staff is extremely accommodating and |
| Nearly all of the hostels in the United States group | | | | knowledgeable about the local area. Unlike many staff |
| their accommodations according to gender, with the | | | | members of some luxury hotels, who travel in from |
| female guests in one section of rooms and the male | | | | the outlying areas and rarely see the city in which |
| guests in another. In multi-level hostels, males and | | | | they work, hostel staff tend to live in the city, and |
| females are often separated by floor. | | | | have an personal knowledge of the local sites, |
| It is not uncommon, however for European hostels | | | | including which attractions are cannot miss and which |
| (and those elsewhere around the world) to allow | | | | ones are not worth the trip. |
| mixed genders to share a room. Make sure to ask | | | | Hostels also usually have access to discounts and |
| about the policy of the hostel before you check in. I, | | | | coupons for local area attractions and restaurants, |
| as a woman traveling solo, have never encountered | | | | and they can provide information on the best |
| a problem with these arrangements, and I have | | | | restaurants and hangouts around. |
| stayed in hostels throughout Europe, including Rome, | | | | While not everyone will find a hostel appealing, and |
| London and Amsterdam. Some visitors might be | | | | the accommodation of a local hostel are simple at |
| surprised or offended by these sleeping | | | | best, they can be wonderful options for lodging for |
| arrangements. | | | | the budget minded traveler. After all, the goal of |
| The bathroom accommodations at hostels differ also, | | | | travel is to get out and see the world, and hostel |
| with some rooms containing a shared bathroom and | | | | travel lets you save money on lodging so that you |
| shower, while other hostels will have shower and | | | | can do just that. |
| bathroom facilities located in the hallway. If you | | | | |