Hostels
 

Has anyone ever stayed in a hostel? If so, where at and what did you think of it?

I stayed in hostels in Galway, Ireland and Killarney (no I didn't find any DZ Killarney Roses ;)) Ireland.

I went traveling with a friend of mine studying abroad and 2 of her friends. The hostels we stayed in were both just your average room - nothing special about it. but it was a big room, the beds were comfortable and we didn't need the extras a hotel provides - we were only in the room to sleep and the rest of the time we were out in the city.

We opted for a private room with bath - it had 2 bunk beds and slept 4. It was around $60 a night - which isn't bad for 4 people.

When traveling through Europe, I heard its the only way to go. I would definitely do it again.

Yeah, like IowaHawkeye said, they vary significantly. In Dublin I stayed in one called the Globetrotter that was fantastic. Great rooms, amazing continental breakfast, etc. The downside is that it was kind of expensive at 15 irish pounds per night. I then switched to the Marlborough Hostel that was half that price. It was truly ghetto with bunk bed rooms that were co-ed and literally had bed bugs, lukewarm showers in a bank that meant you had to pass by other people to get in and out and a breakfast that consisted of warming up your own toast. The flip side is that I met some really great people in the second one and ended up staying there a while til a few of us moved on to a flat.

Hostels in London and Amsterdam were pretty much the same, ran the gamut. Ones in Prague were amazingly cheap for what I would consider a higher end hostel. Basically, they're all over the place in terms of quality and you usually get what you pay for.

I've stayed in hostels here and abroad.

US--Hostels International has one in Boston, we stayed there because the average hotel room in Boston proper was about $350 for the weekend we wanted to go. It was abour $28, which is a lot, but it was pretty nice. It was right where we wanted to be (Back Bay).

Abroad--I've had more experience on this end. I stayed for two nights in a hostel in Naples (took the train from Rome). This setup was pretty decent--on a hill overlooking the city. We got a continental breakfast, and the room had a bathroom (NOT ALWAYS GUARANTEED!). I was traveling with people, which made this a blast. The equivalent of about $15 a night.

The other hostel which comes to memory is one in Paris. This one was pretty nice, but way out of the central area. It was fun, I have to admit, to take the Metro across the city. I stayed there for 4 nights--continental breakfast buffet (not great, but enough to fuel the first few hours of museum hopping and shopping), a lounge, and lots of amenities like that. The worst thing I can say about it was that it looked as if it had popped straight out of the 80s. About 20 dollars a night, which is actually cheap for Paris. The more central hostels were about 28-30 a night. I traveled alone, and I didn't feel nervous at all walking around Paris (keep in mind, the only French I know is, "I do not speak French. I am an American student.") at night.

Others' hostel experiences seemed about the same as mine. A lot of people got private rooms and enjoyed them, I had no problem with the dormitory-like arrangements. Some hostels, in tourist-heavy areas, are more expensive. Still others require a Hostel International Membership (I think it's like 2-3 dollars).

Where are you going?

I think hostels can be a great bargain but you should check them out before you commit. Get a "Let's Go" guide or equivalent if you're going abroad, and I'm sure there's probably rating services online for hostels in the United States.