PRT's Guide to Hosteling

Let's face it, with the current economic state of the world most of us are struggling right now and travel is a luxury. Staying at a hostel, rather than a traditional hotel or B&B can significantly cut costs for travelers.

Hosteling isn't what it used to be, either. The new face of hosteling is that of upgraded facilities, more amenities and even so-called “boutique hostels” with high end facilities at lower prices. One can now commonly find private rooms as an alternative to the dorm setting that most travelers expect. A common misconception is that hosteling is for the gap year backpacking youth. This is no longer the case either. On my own stays in hostels, I have encountered people of all ages, from very diverse backgrounds. There is no over abundance of youth, on the contrary, there's a pretty good generational mix these days.

The culture of hosteling seems to vary from city to city, even from hostel to hostel so it's best to be prepared for anything. While some hostels' common areas are boisterous and even serve alcohol to those of drinking age (something that also varies from country to country), others are quiet and reserved. Some hostels are bare bones as far as amenities go while others, such as the one I stayed at in Oslo (Haraldsheim location) offer pool tables, flat screen televisions, free wifi, gorgeous lounges, fully equipped kitchen, a fantastic breakfast spread and sled rental included in the price of the room.

Luckily there are several websites available now to help navigate the hostel world and find the hostel that suits your needs. Hosteling International pretty much set the bar early on for hosteling, linking together a serious of hostels that meet their requirements to be accepted into their organization. Hostels can be booked online via their website for a small down payment. The rest is paid on arrival. However, if you cancel or rebook, the initial small fee is non-refundable. Membership is required in some countries like France, but not required in others. However, if you do have an Hosteling International membership, you will get a discount on the price, so if you intend to do a bit of hosteling over the course of the year, a membership can result in significant savings. I've stayed in their hostels in cities ranging from San Francisco to Prague and I've always found them clean, welcoming and safe overall.

Both Hostels.com and Hosteling.com offer a selection of hostels and other cheap accommodation plus other vacation package booking services. This can also be a good place to start. As with any site, I recommend checking out hosteler's reviews when possible and making sure that the hostel's amenities and location fit your needs. You'll also hopefully avoid booking a room in a dive. You'll want to pick a hostel close to where you plan to do most of your visiting, unless transportation services are so speedy that you won't end up spending most of your day on a bus, train or tram. In other words, what might work in Oslo where the public transportation is phenomenal will not in Los Angeles, where public transit is, ahem, downright crap.

When hosteling there are several things that you should be aware of in advance. First of all, be prepared to share a room with about 3-5 strangers if you're not renting a private room. Most dorms are segregated by sex. You'll want to come equipped with a sleep mask and ear plugs (or a good set of noise canceling headphones in my case). Be prepared for the occasional snoring roommate or the guest that needs to leave at 4 am for a morning flight. I myself have been guilty of entering the room slightly inebriated at an ungodly hour but the key is to enter discretely as possible and don a key chain flashlight so that you can navigate silently in the dark without disturbing your fellow travelers. Bedding is typically provided these days in the cost of the room, but bring your own towel and be prepared for shared shower facilities.

You may want to explore other options if you sleep ultra-light, have a huge sleep apnea issue or have other health issues. I once had a woman tell me that she didn't want me to use my cell phone or computer in our shared room because the radiation was making her ill. She proceeded to talk in her sleep and snore all night long to top things off. I was left wondering why on earth she thought staying in a dorm room in a hostel was going to work for her.

Hosteling can be a good value and if you don't know anyone in the locale you're visiting, a great way to meet new friends, thanks to the overall social atmosphere. If you're concerned about your valuables, most will offer lockers to lock up the laptop and whatever other items you want to keep from the claws of thievery. Lastly, given the current bed bug dilemma which is especially bad on the east coast of the US, check the Bed Bug Registry just to be safe no matter where you stay, hostel or otherwise!

(pictured above right: Oslo Haraldsheim hostel, January 2011. Hands down the best hostel I have ever visited!)

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