Top 10 Hostel Tips

Hostels are a haven for backpackers, budget travelers, youth travelers, and anyone who is just looking to see the world as cheaply as they can. Most of the time hostel guests are interested in socializing and partying while seeing a little bit of the culture. If you ever find yourself at a hostel, use these tips and tricks to make your stay as pleasant as it can be.

1. If you are lucky enough to stay at a hostel with a kitchen and refrigerator…take advantage. Go grocery shopping for local food and save some money by cooking it yourself. Just make sure the hostel has what you need to cook. I’ve been at 40 bed hostels with only one fork.

2. Ask other travelers who have been there longer what the best thing they did was. Often time’s travelers are the best guidebooks, they share common interests, have up to date information, and can give you precise advice and directions.

3. Take advantage of free Internet. More and more hostels are providing free Internet for their guests. It’s the perfect time to email family and friends, and book your next city hostel. But limit your time to useful activities, as it is frustrating waiting for a computer because someone is watching YouTube videos.

4. If you are checking out in the morning, pack the night before. It is tough enough to load up a pack full of everything you need for a month. It requires tight packing, which takes you more time, add the hostel environment, and you could miss your departing train.

5. If you are in a busy hostel, think about showering during the day or early evening. Many times, hostels run out of hot water (if they had any to begin with) when 50 hung-over travelers are fighting for morning showers.

6. If you are keeping anything in the hostel refrigerator, make sure you mark it with your name or a message that will turn others away. A skull and cross bones might not be a bad thing to mark your food with. Food items get taken from hostels, it’s going to happen, and if you are the one taking it, then make sure you don’t take it all, and leave the true owner enough to have that cup of cereal in the morning.

7. If you are coming in late night drunk and loud, at least attempt to find your bed quietly. This is more of an unwritten rule to follow, as everyone hates the loud mouth at 3 am. Don’t be hated.

8. I rarely carry a guidebook when I travel. A good hostel will have used guidebooks for the city you are in left from other travelers. Just don’t take them with you when you leave for good.

9. If you happen to meet someone and desire to hook up while in a hostel, book a double room. I’ve seen people hang a sheet around their bottom bunk, and it’s just not pleasant for anybody.

10. Hostel employees are usually travelers themselves. If you want to stay for a while, ask for a job. Many times the owners look for staff by the people staying there as hostel employees have a very high turnover rate. I’ve even managed to get a couple of free nights by setting up a Skype account and doing random computer work.

Bio:
Josh Mione

I own and operate a backpacker travel trends and culture blog. We are all about bringing travelers good information by providing them with new tools and articles about travel. I’ve been to 18 different countries and have stayed in numerous hostels, mainly in Europe, but other places such as the Dominican Republic as well. Feel free to email me at info@izunotravel.com