Thinking of staying in a hostel on your next solo trip, but not sure what to look for to find a good hostel? I wanted to share my top 6 tips that I’ve learned from my experience traveling and staying in hostels all around the world!
These tips will help you narrow down your options and find a good hostel to stay at, regardless of what you’re looking for.
Hostels are a great option to save money when traveling solo, but I also love them for when I’m traveling with other people since you can make so many friends by staying in a hostel!
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One of the first things I do when trying to find a good hostel is check to see if I have any friends or trusted travel bloggers that have visited the place I want to visit. And if so, checking to see where they stayed and if they liked it.
This way you can get an honest review of the hostel vibe and decide if it would be a good fit for you!
When finding a travel blogger you trust, I recommend looking for someone who has a similar travel style to you. For example, you like the locations they visit, the types of activities they do, or their overall vacation vibe.
2. Read hostel reviews
I always make sure to read the hostel reviews on Hostelworld and Google to get a sense of other people’s experiences and mostly what the negative reviews are complaining about.
You’ll want to keep a specific eye out for things like cleanliness issues, bed bugs, noise, quiet hours, atmosphere, air-conditioning, security and safety concerns – both in terms of location and personal belongings.
I usually try to find a good hostel that has at least 200 reviews and is rated at least an 8, ideally a 9, out of 10 on Hostelworld.
Keep in mind that every place is going to have at least one negative review – the goal isn’t to find a hostel with only positive reviews. The goal is to find a good hostel that you have reasonable assurance is doing the best job they can and will take responsibility to fix any issues that may arise.
3. Look at photos
Look at the photos provided by the hostel, as well as the ones posted in reviews. This can give you a sense of the hostel’s cleanliness and sleeping arrangements.
I highly recommend checking to see if you’ll have a curtain for sleeping. Even if you’re not sensitive to light when you sleep, it’s nice for privacy reasons.
4. Prioritize location
Above anything else, I would prioritize location of the hostel. Even if something is slightly more expensive, you want to make sure of the following:
1. Neighborhood safety: The hostel is located in a good, safe area that meets your safety standards.
2. Proximity: The hostel is close to the attractions you want to visit.
3. Public transit: The hostel is easily accessible or close to public transit like the bus/metro.
The location can really make or break your trip; the first time I visited Paris I didn’t like the arrondissement I was staying in. Which honestly caused me to dislike the entire city – since I’ve been back I’ve had way better experiences staying in nicer locations!
5. Pick a hostel that has the vibe you're looking for
Different hostels have really different atmospheres and vibes, which can totally alter your experience depending on what you’re looking for.
If you want a social hostel, look to see if they host events like trivia or bar crawls. Also, if they have a bar in the hostel, this is a pretty good indicator that the hostel will be more social.
This is great if you’re wanting to make friends and party in the city you’re visiting! I stayed in more social hostels in my 20’s and loved them; there was also something going on and I met so many people this way.
If you want a quieter hostel, avoid hostels with these types of things.
6. Look for free breakfast
While free breakfast is not a necessity, this is a really nice perk and another great way to meet people staying in your hostel. Also, who doesn’t love free food?!
When I visited Portugal, I stayed in a hostel that had unlimited crêpes for breakfast every morning and OMG. They were amazing, I still think about those crêpes!!
Remember to check reviews to see if the food is actually good or not.
7. Make sure there's stable wifi
When you’re trying to find a good hostel, especially if you’re a digital nomad or using an eSIM, make sure that the hostel will have a good wifi connection. You don’t want to burn through all of your data or run into issues trying to work.
Also, think about whether or not you’ll need a VPN for security, especially if you’re using a public Wi-Fi network.
8. Most hostels have private rooms
One thing I didn’t realize when I first stayed in a hostel is that a lot of them actually have private rooms if you have a more flexible budget or aren’t totally comfortable sleeping in a room with strangers!
This is also a great option if you are traveling with someone else. With your own room, you will have privacy, but still get that social aspect with hostel activities or common areas.
Have you ever stayed in a hostel? Let me know if you have any other questions on how to find a good hostel in the comments!
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mariss