Ruby in the Sky

To start off, I should disclose something: I don’t think the perfect hostel exists. Hostels are budget places to crash, and ultimately you get what you pay for – they’re not luxury hotels. That said, I don’t think differences in price necessarily tell all when it comes to the quality of a hostel. I have stayed at hostels that seemed too good to be true – cheap, central and with great facilities – and that totally came through on their promises. I’ve also stayed at hostels that I assumed would be good largely based on what I was paying – and that were a let down. Some hostels have great service but terrible beds – others can be super comfortable, but the most lonely places. Choosing the right hostel for you is a combination of research, knowing your own requirements, and good faith. To help you find the best option for you, here are some things to consider.

Dorm size

Different hostels offer different kinds of rooms. You are most likely to find places with big, 8+ bed dorms or places offering 4-6 bed dorms, occasionally with the additional option of women-only dorms versus universal dorms. When a hostel has both options, it could be that the price will be higher depending on the amount of people in your dorm.

Smaller dorms tend to make it easier to connect and communicate with your roomies, which can be nice if you’re feeling a little lonely, want to get some tips from people who have been there a while, or if you want to explore with a buddy. At the same time, I personally find myself more conscious of what I’m doing (how loud I am, if my light is too bright, you name it) and if you want a moment to yourself but also don’t want to be rude, a talkative roommate can rob you of that. When I was in Canberra (blog post to follow, one day! I swear!) I stayed in a 4-bed girls dorm, with only one other girl there – and it ended up being really nice doing some exploring together, having someone to talk to during dinner, and hearing each other’s stories about our travels so far.

Bigger dorms allow for more anonymity, which can also be very nice. There is less connection, meaning there might be someone in your dorm who decides to turn off the lights at 22, or you might end up having to sleep with a mask/ear plugs because you’re the first one calling it a night. People in big dorms can be unknowingly rude, someone might sleep through their very loud alarm… but most likely, no one will bother you if you don’t want to be bothered. Depending on the goal of your travel, this can be great: when I was in London for Summer in the City, I had my own plans for the day and came back tired each night. It was great not having to be “on” after interacting with people all day long, and just get the rest I needed.

As for mixed and same-sex dorms: I have been in both and mostly go with the cheapest option. If I feel less comfortable in the situation going into it (e.g. being in a completely new environment or even a different continent) I might opt for a female dorm, but especially in bigger dorms I find it doesn’t matter at all – but when I first started traveling I found I felt more comfortable being in a women-only dorm. This element is all about your own comfort levels, and you need to do what feels right for you.

Bathroom sharing

Another thing to consider here is bathroom sharing – although I would only take this into account when you’re down to the final count, as bathroom situations are often fairly similar. You either have a bathroom and/or toilet built into your dorm, or they will be somewhere down the hall. I personally take my clothes with me to the bathroom regardless of where I am, so this doesn’t matter much to me, but consider how much you need to take with you when you take a shower and what is your most practical option. If you have a bathroom in your room and you’re staying for multiple days, you can probably leave your toiletries in the bathroom – with hallway bathrooms you’ll have to carry everything with you each time. Then there’s also the question of the number of people to a bathroom: at peak hours, this might influence the possibility for showering. My first hostel in Melbourne had a huge number of bathrooms, but they were used by everyone in the building – meaning that at peak times, you could neither pee or shower without having to join the queue.

Facilities

Not every hostel has the same facilities, and not all hostels are organized in the same way. Prices might vary based on availability in this area, so it’s definitely something to consider: will you pay extra for the possibility to cook your own meals, or to have a pool? As a vegan, I prefer to stay at hostels that have a kitchen – and I would recommend this regardless of diet if you’re traveling for more than a few days, because it’s simply a lot cheaper to prepare at least some of your own meals, and it can often be healthier as well.

For most of my time in Australia I cooked my own meals, and it was a very interesting opportunity to try out some new things – when you have limited fridge and shelf space, you need to get a little creative with it! Of course this can also be remedied by bringing some tupperware and other tools, but you might not have the space in your pack for that.

Some other facilities and services that might be relevant for you are bike rental, a laundry room, an excursion office (maybe an airport shuttle!) or a nice communal area.

Location & public transport

Personally, I want to stay either in a hostel that is central in the town I’m visiting, or that offers a good connection to it: by bike or public transport. The big downside in public transport for me is that it can be stressful: making sure you’re on the right bus, going in the right direction, and stopping at the right stop… But if the city you’re in has a clear public transport system or if you’re going to be taking the same route throughout your stay, this can be easily overcome.

Another thing to account for is the price of bike rental or public transport: it can be useful to check beforehand how much you’d be spending on your transport versus the savings staying a little less central might get you. In this also consider the time it will take you to get from A to B! It might be tons cheaper to stay in the suburbs, but if it will take you 45 minutes each time to get to and from the centre, it might not be worth it. I personally love being able to phase out my day, dropping and picking stuff up as I go. Another thing that might be useful to consider is the season: this can influence both how pleasant transport might be (think: sweating on the subway, biking in the rain) as well as the availability of your chosen method of transport – when I traveled to Bologna I was hoping to rent a bike at my hostel,  but they turned out to only rent out bikes starting in the spring – leaving me to walk at least 15 minutes just to get to the right side of the central station – closer to 30 to get to the actual centre of town. In Florence, it took me 15 minutes to get to the Duomo, right in the centre. In London I was staying 45 minutes of public transport away from ExCel – but my surroundings were familiar and I find the London tube fairly easy to use. Depending on where you are, how much you enjoy walking and how ‘inspiring’ your surroundings are, the having or not having of public transport and/or bike rental may be more or less of a problem.

How to browse

So how do we find hostels with all these criteria in mind? I personally always use Booking.com. I prefer to mobile app, as I find it easier to adjust my preferences, and it saves my previous requirements for future use. I would advice you to have a margin of at least €10 above your target price, because if you select the exact number you might miss out on a much better option that would cost you just €1-2 more each night. Start with your bottom line criteria: the most important requirement your destination has to fulfill. Depending on how many option you are given, from this point keep adding criteria, preferably in order of importance – or try a lower margin and see how many hostels you are left with. I also like to select a minimum review rate to start with, which I can delete or lower depending on availability.

In conclusion

All of the elements mentioned about cannot be judged in a good or bad sense: what works for you in any given situation could be totally different from what works for me.

Things to consider:

• Dorms: big or small? Same-sex or mixed?
• Facilities: is there a kitchen? communal area? pool? bike-rental? excursion desk?
• Location: is it centrally located? does it have good connections to the centre? how much do I want to walk?

I hope these tips will help you find the best hostel possible for your situation, making your trip all the more fun!

Safe travels,

Love,

Ruby