5 Tips for Making Your Hostel Stay More Enjoyable

You’ve got your backpack, and your Eurail pass and you’re ready to set off on a great adventure. You plan to explore as much of Europe as you can over the next few weeks (or months) and stay in hostels along the way.

The thing is, you’re used to hotels and checking in to your private room with a private bath, where you can come and go as you please, leaving your belongings locked in the room until you return. While staying in a hostel has some similarities, if you’ve never stayed in one before, you might be in for a shock.

Before you have a disastrous night in a hostel and run screaming for the closest hotel (and blowing your budget in the process,) check out these tips for the first-time hosteler and ensure that you have the best experience possible.

Plan Ahead

One reason hostels are so popular with travelers (besides the price) is the flexibility. When you’re ready to call it a day, you can usually walk in to a nearby hostel and grab a bunk for the night without a reservation. However, when you take that approach, you might be disappointed. For example, say you’re traveling through England and plan to stop in Liverpool. Once arrived, you may find there are plenty of hostels, but the first one you find with an open spot might not be in your desired neighborhood or the crowd might be rowdier (or quieter) than you’d like. It would have been easier if you had looked up Liverpool hostels on Venere beforehand in this case.

Before you leave home, spend time researching hostels in the city you’ll be visiting to get an idea of where you may want to stay. Pay attention to the location, the amenities offered and the reviews from other travelers. Add the addresses of your preferred hostels into your smartphone so you can easily locate them after at the end of the day.

Make a Reservation

Popular hostels in busy areas fill up quickly, so a reservation ensures you won’t be wandering the city in search of a place to rest your weary head. If you want a private room or a room with an ensuite bath, make a reservation ahead of time, as they tend to be snatched up quickly.Making a reservation also means you can lock in a good rate and ensure you have a place to stay during high season.

Pack Accordingly

If you’re planning to stay in hostels, there’s one rule of packing: pack light. Not all hostels offer luggage storage, and even those that do generally have limitations on how long you can leave your gear behind. That being said, there are certain items you will want to bring along. Not all hostels offer linens, so pack along a sleep sheet, which is basically two sheets sewn together like a sleeping bag. You’ll need to provide your own toiletries as well and bring along a pair of flip-flops to wear in the shower. Leave the valuables at home; while most hostels are safe, you may not always be able to lock up your valuables and could end up the victim of theft while you sleep or shower.

Understand the Rules — Written and Unwritten

While hostels are more laid-back than hotels, there are usually some rules to prevent the place from collapsing into chaos. Individual hostel policies vary, but most have rules regarding quiet hours, use of the kitchen or other facilities, and check-in and check-out times. Some also enforce curfews (although they tend to be reasonable — you won’t be stuck hanging out at the hostel at 8 p.m.).

Almost as important are the unwritten rules of hosteling. Essentially, if you are polite and considerate of others, you’ll be fine. For example, if you know that you snore like a freight train, consider reserving a private room so you don’t keep everyone else awake.

Enjoy the Communal Spirit

While the cost of a hostel appeals to many travelers, the idea of getting to know other travelers is another big draw. Staying in a hotel, you might not get to meet other travelers from around the world. Many people report making lifelong friends at hostels, so you never know: That girl you meet at the hostel in Madrid who clued you in the amazing wine bar could end up being your best friend. So don’t be shy; introduce yourself and chat with your fellow travelers. Even if you don’t find a new BFF, you could get valuable tips on exploring the city or ideas for your next stop.

Staying in a hostel for the first time can be intimidating, but once you break the ice, you may find that you never want to travel any other way. So relax, expect the unexpected and enjoy the adventure of a lifetime!

About the Author: Louise Vinciguerra is a fantastic joke teller, has a million and one hobbies, and enjoys matching her fonts with her moods. This Brooklyn native dirties her hands in content on weekdays and as a devout nature lover, dirties them in soil on the weekends. When she’s not on Facebook, WordPress or Twitter, she’s traveling in search of fun food, dabbling in urban farming or planning nature trips from her resident city of Rome. When she’s not doing any of the above, she sleeps.