Graffiti Wall: Best (and Worst) European Hostels

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Best (and Worst) European Hostels: 2006

Europe's cheapest beds are in hostels! There are more than 2,000 hostels all over Europe and many are destinations in themselves. You can sleep in a castle (Britain or Germany), on a cutter ship (Stockholm), or in an Alpine chalet (Switzerland). Except in Germany's Bavaria region, most hostels welcome travelers of all ages. English is widely spoken by staff and guests and it can be a great way to meet people from around the world.

Which are your favorite European hostels and why? And which were not so great and why?

Hostel Advice
Never staying in a hostel before, my friends and I thought it would be a fun place to meet other fellow travelers. What we did not realize is that the hostel experience is closer to prison than to a comfortable place to stay. This report is less a review of this hostel in particular than hostels in general. First, the locker system appeared to be a major pain. Unlocking your locker everytime you need toothpaste or clothes is a time consuming and frustrating experience. Having people come in and ot of the room (especially in a city where people are up so late) makes getting a good night sleep difficult if not impossible. Inevitably, some of your 25 roommates will suffer some extreme form of sleep apnea and snore well into the night. We slept with our wallets and passports on us--not trusting anyone else. It is definitely possible for some people to enjoy hostels, but for those of us used to privacy and budget hotels the hostel experience is not recommended. For marginally more we found a much better place hotel to stay at, where we felt much more comfortable.
M B
Bakersfield, CA USA Fri 12/29/2006

Stuttgart Hostel
The Hostel in Stuttgart is scenically perched on the side of a hill overlooking the city. The hostel is reached by a short but very steep walk from the train station. Persons with heavey luggage should consider taking the tram or taxi. The building itself has recently been remodeled and modernized. The view of the city at night from the commons area is awesome. Food service is excellent especially at dinner with an all you can eat buffet. There is also a laundramat on the premises. The overall atmosphere is quite friendly and nice. I highly recommend it.
Kurt <email>
Sheffield Lake, Ohio USA Wed 12/27/2006

My favorite hostels
I agree that hostelworld.com is the best site for locating hostels in Europe (and around the world). From my 3 months in European hostels here are the few that stick out to me:

Meininger City Hostel in Munich, Germany - this affordable location provides rooms in all sizes and all are ensuite. Oktoberfest grounds, train station and downtown are all easily accessible by foot. This hostel was very clean and offered a rather nice free breakfast every morning. Linens were included and the atmosphere was ideal for those hoping to meet friendly staff and fellow travelers.

Jetpack Original in Berlin, Germany - By far my favorite European hostel. It's in the woods so we got horribly lost trying to locate it the first time but after that we loved the peaceful out of the way atmosphere. You definitely need to metro in to downtown from here but the metro is easily accessible by foot as are several restaurants and convenience stores. The staff is AMAZING and always willing to help. Free internet, TV room, music, etc. Linens included. A great place to come home and unwind after running around Berlin.

YHA Hostel in Bath, England - Even if this is the only YHA hostel you stay in during your trip to Britain, this stay is worth the YHA sign up fee (you can join at the hostel). The hostel is a converted mansion that overlooks Bath from a high hill. From the hostel you can take a steep walking trail for a 10-15 minute walk into Bath which is very scenic and peaceful. Great TV room and bar/restaurant.

There are some really excellent B&Bs in Truro, Cornwall, England but I can't remember the names off hand. But Cornwall's always worth a visit!
Kristen <email>
Washington, D.C. USA Tue 12/26/2006

Best hostel website
Best place to find hostels:

www.hostelworld.com

There's reviews for every place, pictures, and good contacts information. I've found it is better than hostels.com. Always gives the necessary info: price, whether membership is necessary (usually not), and location + directions.
Chrissy <email>
Baltimore, MD USA Thu 12/07/2006

FEES IN HOSTELS IN EUROPE
As a frequent visitor to hostels in over 14 countries around the world, I know that the fees vary from one to another.

Some charge additional fees if you are not a member of the International and others waive the fee. I always check the webpage before I book or ask before I register at the desk.

My experience has been that most of the hostels I have used do not charge a fee.

There are several associations around the world and each has its own rules.
USA Tue 12/05/2006

Addition to Bavarian Hostels
I did not mention that for any Hostelling International hostel you need to be a member. If you are a member in any of the HI countries (including the US) you are automatically in HI. If you are not a member the cost is 3 Euros per person per night for the "welcome stamp." After you have purchased 6 stamps, you are automatically a member.
Don <email>
Poynette, wi USA Mon 12/04/2006

Bavarian Hostels
Only "Die Deutsche Jugendherbergen" (DJH [www.djh.de], and part of the Hostelling International network) has a 26 year old age limit. Many of these hostels don't hold to the age limit anyway. Here is the age-limiting statement from their website, " Youth hostels are meant to appeal to the young in the first place. That is why the Bavarian youth hostels accept individuals of 27 years of age and older only subordinately. The age limit is of course not due for group leaders and families with at least one underage child." (If you are over 26 you will pay 3-4 Euros more pppn.) Also there are many independent hostels in Bavaria with no age limits. (Germany alone has over 600 hostels.)

Hostelling International is the largest hostel organization and is relatively strict about quality. These hostels are less likely to be "party" hostels and more inclined to have family and school groups. They are usually spotless and have good meals reasonably priced (about 6 Euros each for both lunch and dinner.) The HI (WWW.hihostels.com) link to German hostels Hostels is not as good as the German link (www.dhj.de). The German link tells you which hostels are age limited and has an email link to the hostel in case you are unclear. I pretend to be unclear and usually get a bed. Hint: when dealing with ANY European business, be very, very polite. Manners go a long way in Europe. By the way, I have never been in a DJH hostel that wasn't very clean. Hope this helps.
Don <email>
Madison, wi USA Mon 12/04/2006

HOSTELS
Try these web pages for hostel listings: hostels.com, hihostels.com and iyhf.org.
USA Mon 12/04/2006

BOOKING HOSTELS
Justin: it is impossible to walk into a hostel and get a room during peak travel period.

It will depend on where you are and how popular the hostel is.

I always reserve a room for two well in advance to be sure I get one.

The best and most popular hostels book their bunks and rooms completely.

However, if you don’t get a room, you can usually find a zimmer nearby at a reasonable cost.
USA Mon 12/04/2006

hostels
One other question: how difficult is it to walk in to a hostel and get a room/bunk? Should I book in advance or hope for the best when I get there?
justin
colorado springs, CO USA Sun 12/03/2006

hostels
I am going backpacking in Europe next summer and was wondering if anyone knew where I could find a comprehensive listing of hostels.
justin
colorado springs, CO USA Sun 12/03/2006

Trains
I have spent many nights and saved many dollars sleeping on trains while backpacking through Europe and Asia. I suggest buying the 2nd class ticket. The 6 bed compartments (3 beds on one side 3 on the other like a large bunk bed) is comfortable. There is not much room for luggage but if you pack the Rick Steves way you will be able to sleep with your back pack at the bottom of the bed along side your legs. Get the top bunks or you will have someone constantly sitting on your bed and if you leave your baggage on the floor make sure you lock it to something so it doesn't walk off in the middle of the night. The worst time I had sleeping on a train was in a "new" kind of seat which reclines to an uncomfortable 45 degree angle (think airplane seat but worst since it was made of an uncomfortable plastic covered with a very thin foam pad and canvas). There are also many train compartments where the seats pull together to form 1 large bed in the compartment big enough to sleep 3 people. Hope this helps and you enjoy a safe and fun trip!
Tara
Las Vegas, NV USA Thu 11/30/2006

Luxembourgh Hostel
Luxembourgh HI Hostel is a must, like no other. Chef Phillip kept me there with his incredible fresh salad bar 4 Euro all you can eat and gourmet entrees 7 euros. Don't eat anywhere else in the city. Clean rooms, great for single women, at least 10 young bankers and lawyers live there. Men in suits. Leather chairs, a nice change from the backpacker places.
Fearon Lintz <email>
Chicago, IL USA Wed 11/29/2006

London Hostel
London Hostel: As a young female travelling by myself I had a great time at the Generator Hostel. Is close to a tube station and loads of friendly people and a great bar. If you are quite sociable and want to stay up having a drink and fun time with other travellers this is the place for you. Quite a big hostel, but cheap and cheerful.
M Teirney
Bristol, UK Tue 11/21/2006

London Hostel Needed
The Albert Hotel is a very cute hostel with great character. Some friends and I stayed here in Sept. It is close to Kensignton Palace and gardens.
Mel
Salt Lake City, UT USA Mon 11/20/2006

The manager is a thief - Oasis Hostel Seville
I recently stayed at the Oasis Hostel in Seville. While i was there, my boyfriend was woken up at 3am by someone who said the bed he was in (and paid for) was hers. Obviously there had been a double booking (in fact there were double bookings every night we were there). However during this mixup, the manager had gone into his 'safe' (which is allocated to the bed) and taken out his mobile phone and a electric shaver - which we did not notice till the following day. My boyfriend went to ask for them back and the manager said he had lost them, but hoped they would turn up. This was pretty unaccpetable to say the least - but we thought they were sure to turn up. Unfortunatley they did not. At this stage he did not offer us any refund or apology. Eventually he said he would return the cost of the items once we could 'prove' how much they cost - i.e. after we had left to go home. This was over a month ago and he has not refunded any money to us, which he promised he would. I feel it is necassary to warn others that your personal items which you put in the so called secure safes in this establishment are not safe and the manager does not take trust or security seriously. We are only lucky that we could cancel the phone - and that it was not our passports or money. I would tell others to avoid this place. It's simply not acceptable to take things and not return them!
Eva Grey
San Fransico, CA USA Sun 11/12/2006

Hotel in Paris
I found this Paris hotel in Rick's Best of Europe book 2007. I emailed them asking for availability, for which they confirmed availability and quoted a price for the room. I tried to email them my credit card number but my email was returned, I realized there was something wrong with my email. So I went to their website, posted my credit card info again, pasted the confirmation email I received from them explaining what happened. I waited 3 days and sent them 2 more emails requesting confirmation with no result. So I sent another email to cancel my request. The hotel is Hotel Royal Phare. I have yet to hear from them. I was very frustrated and disappointed. M
Maricel <email>
Escondido, CA USA Sat 11/11/2006

re: Trains
I'm over 26 and required to use 1st class when I buy rail passes so I've never personally experience the 6 bed compartment. I can however tell you that there is luggage space below the lower beds and luggage space in front of the 2 top bunks; where is the luggage supposed to go for those in the middle bunks? Seems to me that you'd be pretty cramped if one or more people over-pack.
Jim
Milpitas, CA USA Sat 11/11/2006

Walter's Backpacking Heaven -- Interlaken
In Interlaken, Switzerland, try 'Walter's Backpacking Heaven'. Great rates. Close to the train station. A nicely stocked kitchen for you to use. And don't miss Walter's excellent breakfast.
Mark
Seattle, USA Fri 11/03/2006

London Hostel needed next month
I need a good cheap hostel next month in London. I want something centrally located and right off a tube stop. Any suggestions?? Thanks!
Lisa <email>
San Diego, CA USA Thu 11/02/2006

best and worst this past travel season
First the bad new....absolutely FORGET the Opera Hotel in Brussels...it is very run down and our room last month SMELLED...dirty carpet I suspect. The BEST for London (always expensive) is a NEW property connected to the London School of Economics. It is the GROSVENOR HOUSE STUDIOS at 141 Drury Lane which is a superb location! Take a look on line and if you know London, I think you will agree with me...but hurry it will book solid for travelers coming soonish!
mollie Bardue <email>
Camano Island, WA USA Wed 10/18/2006

Trains
Hi- I know that this is the hostel section, but I couldn't find a wall for train information...

I'm traveling for three months with three friends all over Europe. We want to save some money by sleeping on night trains. We are under 26, so we're able to buy 2nd class Eurorail passes, but I was wondering if it is worth it to spend the extra money on 1st class tickets? Will we be able to sleep comfortably in 2nd class? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
LFK
NY, NY USA Mon 10/16/2006

IS IT SAFE TO STAY IN A HOSTEL
I have stayed in over 20 hostels all over the world. As a rule they are just like a small family hotel and very safe.

I advise other girls to make friends as soon a possible and stay close to other young ladies. Be a part of a group if you can.

At lease make the effort. Anyway I consider hostels safe and would not hesitate to stay in any of them.
USA Mon 10/16/2006

HOSTEL IN GDANSK POLAND
This page will list several hostels . You can read about them and choose the one you like.

hostelworld.com/countries/polandhostels
CHICAGO, IL USA Mon 10/09/2006

ISH= GREAT!
I also enjoy the International Student House in London--Make sure to make a reservation!
Amy
Tampa, FL USA Sat 10/07/2006

europe hostels and hotels
This summer I stayed in hostels in Italy, Greece, and Portugal. I'm 52yrs old. so also stayed in some reasonable hotels to relax in 'my own space' but had fun meeting other people at hostels and saving some money (people think i'm in my 40's). But my favorite hostel staff was a cross between the Brikette in Positano (great location too, for everything) and the Acropoli in Athens (great location for Athens, too) Both staff were young, super nice, hip, and helpful for information. The Acropoli had great little group jaunts outside of Athens, fun for a lone traveler, and for seeing out things I might have missed otherwise and at a fairly reasonable price. The hostel at Anacapri on Capri was clean also and nice staff at desk. If you fiqure out how to get there by going down main street a ways more without having to maze along with your bag the other way its easier, but less ineteresting. Your treated a bit like a second class citizen now that they added a little hotel room area, espeically by one staff this summer who looked Turkish. I did have some clothes stolen from my room that were drying while I having breakfast. I was in hotel area because it rained on our patio area. I know it wasnt from my roommates but a roque traveler on her way out. It's a bummer thave to lock up all clothes if out of my sight but unfortunatly thats the chance you take staying at hostels. I could have stayed longer on Capri just hanging at Marina Piccolo beach ( so lovely and relaxing)or Faro Beach or Blue Grotto swim spots for another day. In Lisbon the Poets Hostel was great and clean and a good area. I heard Lagos, Portugal which has thee fabulous beaches (swim through caves right off from beach!) had the great partying hostel ( for younger adults.) Lagos is charming,not too city busy for me like Faro and lots of partying and music. (loved Salena) My least liked hostel was the Student Traveler's Hostel in Athens, not far fron the Hostel Acropoli. The newly marble paneled entry looked nice , and the Indian reception guy was very outgoing but get off the stairway and hit the dim hallway and creaky old brown wood floor and kind of smelly small rooms that he charged three of us each of us 25Euro a night so that was 75 Euros. I was gone after one night. I wonder what he charged the guys who he let crash in the hallways at night? At least they had a place to clean up. The bathrooms (shared of coarse) were clean, but for 50 euro I got a cheerier room on a better little cobblestone street at base of Acropolis with tv, airconditoning, private bath and view of Acroplis out my little french style window! It's Byron Hotel. I hope their a chain because I'm think I saw Byron Hotel sign at another charming spot in a quaint town in the Pelopponise that I would have checked into if I had the time. I stayed at Adams hotel (from Lonely Planet) in Athens. Guy on phone was super nice. I got in late at night and was really tired. The room felt a little dingy and smelled funny, like urine? so wiped it down around bathroom (only time I had to use baggie of cleaning towlettes), lit some incense , turned on air conditoner and fell asleep. In the morning it still smelled and so did I! I smelled the bed and ewww gross! It was a peed on mattress that hadn't been changed! I told manager and said I wasn't paying for that night and needed it to be changed please. He said there wasn't any other rooms and acted like I was being rude so out I went. But it was a blessing in disguise because that's how I stumbled onto Byron Hotel. In Portugal I actually found (if you've ever been there you know what I mean)the Paris hotel in Porto. It's reasonable and clean and interesting in an old elegance style. Didn't see any old elegance ghosts at least. Even had a old elegance dining room with a little garden yard and pretty good spread on the buffet! So thanks Rick! Your guide books are a Godsend!
Nicci DeCamp <email>
Hawaii USA Fri 10/06/2006

Hostel Help
Hey y'all, I am travelling to Rome, Venice, Florence, and London. Can anyone recommend a place for 2 girls in Italy and a girl on her own in London?!?! Appreciate the help!
Alissa <email>
New Orleans, LA USA Wed 10/04/2006

Chateau de Bouceel
My husband and I just returned from a week in France and wanted to rave about the Chateau de Bouceel in Normandy. What a marvelous place! About a 20 minute drive from Mont St. Michel, this beautiful chateau was breathtaking and our hosts were marvelous. The restaraunts they recommended were the best food we have ever had, and the grounds were beyond compare. Our drive through Normndy brought further adventures. We can't wait to go back!
Maggie
Fayetteville, GA USA Sat 09/30/2006

Hostel in Gdansk, Poland
Can someone suggest a great hostel in Gdansk, Poland to me? I would prefer a private room for two people, any thoughts are appreciated.
Ginerva
MN USA Thu 09/28/2006

Hostels
I really like the International Students House in London. It's right across from the Great Portland Tube stop and a Tesco, has an inexpensive cafeteria and a nice lounge with internet access. They have single sex rooms with 4-6 beds.
Kadie <email>
Seattle, WA USA Wed 09/20/2006

It IS safe to stay in hostel solo
DON'T listen to the person "Michael Vinson" or anyone else who says don't stay in hostels alone. I travel in Europe all the time and I do. The trick-- if there is one--is to stay in rooms that are single sex. There are many hostels in Europe that have single sex rooms. Italy is famous for them. I just stayed in Venice for a week in female-only room. It was totally clean and safe. The other girls were very friendly and a few of them were also traveling solo. the hostel was called Alloggi Gerotto Calderan. It was 23 euros per night. My only problem is they don't serve breakfast and they don't have a common area where you can meet other travelers. But you can always befriend people staying in your room. They spoke English and there were six beds to a nice size room. And luckily, they weren't bunk beds, which was a nice change from some other places I've been.
CD
London, USA Tue 09/19/2006

Paris hostel
I am planning on staying at Le Village hostel in Paris this weekend. A few people mentioned that they had stayed there and liked it. Thanks for the reviews by the way! Two questions: 1. How is it to arrive there late at night? Is it an okay area to walk to? 2. Being it is late at night, if the metro does not run to Monmartre that late are taxis easily available or is there another, better way to get there?

Also, if you are looking for a hostel in Copenhagen, Danhostel was great! Very clean and nice, though breakfast was not inclued, it was good if you paid for it. It is a bit out of the city, but an easy bus ride and on some cute little streets with a nice view of some Danish houses.
Kristina
PA USA Sat 09/16/2006

All over the map
My friend and I did a European trek in March of 2006....

London, UK: Brent X Hotel -- Small, cozy, family owned and operated, free breakfast. Very clean, friendly helpful staff. Quite affordable. Less than 10 minute walk to a Tube Station.

Krakow, Poland: Hotel Demel -- nice, affordable. Great restaurant. 10 minute cab ride to bus station.

Prague, Czech Republic: David's Guest House -- Wonderful! Apartment style with kitchenette and fridge, close to grocery store, walking distance to underground station and bus stop, beautiful view, elevator, clean, friendly, very affordable.

Venice, Italy: Villa Dori -- located on the mainland. Walking distance to bus that takes you to Venice. Friendly staff. Nice rooms (ask for something away from the nightclub, or else you'll be kept awake by the music all night), somewhat affordable depending on time of year/day of the week

Barcelona, Spain: Soho Apartments. Close to Las Ramblas and walking distance to lots of great things. Clean, not too easy to find. It was nice to have an elevator for our luggage. Very comfortable beds!
Celeste
Regina, Sask., Canada Mon 09/11/2006

Lotsa hostels in Europe...
Spent a month in Europe, covered 12 countries: here's the hostels we stayed at....

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Stayokay Vondelpark. Good hostel, nice area. Lots of people, and no air conditioning. Lack of plug-ins in room - only one, in bathroom area.

Paris, France: Hotel Champ du Mars. Not a hostel, but it's at close to hostel prices (around 40 euro per person for a double room). Very cute hotel very very close to Eiffel Tower in Rue Cler district. Mentioned in Rick Steves France book. Worth the money.

Zurich, Switzerland: City Backpackers-Hotel Biber. Ok hostel, reception has weird hours, some receptionists are a little snippy. Has cheapest vending machines in the city (Zurich is EXPENSIVE!) - so you can get a cheap coke/water there before you head out. Long trek up stairs to get to reception (its on the 3rd floor), and sometimes even more to the room.

Basel, Switzerland: Jugendherberge Basel City. Great location, directly behind rail station. Only about a 15-20 minute walk to city center. Hostel is very nice, very much like a hotel in some ways. Separate bathroom and shower facilities.

Barcelona, Spain: Gothic Point. Ok hostel. Bathroom facilities could be better (some showers don't work well, smells very mildewy). Bunk beds (at least top bunks) are really hard to get to, because they're so high, ladders can hurt with bare feet. Breakfast kinda sucks; there are nice cafes close by to get a good Spanish breakfast. Events that hostel sponsors though are really nice - do the Smashed! Pub Crawl.

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France: Hotel De La Darse, town is 7 minutes by train from Nice. 15-20 minute scenic walk from train station. Great facilities, it is a hotel, but also like the Paris hotel mentioned above, at good price. If I have to recommend a city along the French Riviera within commutable distance to Nice and Monaco, this would be it. It's a gorgeous little city, and VERY safe. HIGHLY recommended.

Venice, Italy: Alloggi Gerotto Calderan. Nice hostel, very amicable staff. Rooms are nice and clean (we stayed in a double room), very good facilities. Very close to train station, so convenient. Definitely recommended.

Ljubljana, Slovenia: Hostel Celica. By far my most favorite place to stay. Former military prison converted into really nice hostel. The restaurant is WONDERFUL, good food. Really nice staff. Convenient to train station, and the location isn't that bad at all. It's a 15 minute walk from the city center. The facility is really nice, clean. Laundry room is a little mildewy, but what do you expect... Highly recommended.

Vienna, Austria: Wombat's The Lounge, Mariahilferstrasse. Loved this hostel, didn't really like Vienna. Great bar downstairs - VERY happening place; excellent rooms, convenient location to Westbahnhof. Everything is new and top notch at this hostel. Skip the breakfast here and get a pastry or croissant at Der Wohlen down the street. Apfelstrudels are good, and you should at least try to Topfenstrudels. (As far as Vienna is concerned as a city, I'd skip it - we preferred Graz more)

Budapest, Hungary: Aboriginal Hostel. Great little hostel which is more like a shared aparment, not too far from Andrassy ut, about a 15 minute walk from Keleti palyaudvar train station. There could be more bathrooms, but that's the only downside to the place. You really get to know the other people staying at the place because it's not too big, and everybody is really cool. Csaba (reception guy) is cool, get to know him!

Brno, Czech Republic: Janska Travellers Hostel. Only a hostel during the summer, a school during the year. Didn't like this place, as the shower facilities are group showers for the guys, and there are only two of them... on the main floor. So if you're on the second floor, you have to go down TWO flights of stairs. It's a little weird being at a school, too, as a hostel.

Prague, Czech Republic. Hostel U Melounu. Good hostel, pretty far from Stare Mesto. It's accessible pretty much only by Metro (about a 5-10 min walk from the I.P. Pavlova station) It's very quiet, so don't expect a party here. Facilities are pretty decent though, and showers and bathroom facilities are many. Reception is very nice and amicable. I would recommend a hostel closer to the city center, but this place is nice, too.

Berlin, Germany: Circus Hostel Weinbergsweg. Very nice hostel, near Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn stop. Everything's new here as well, and reception is very nice too. Good bathroom and shower facilities. No stairs for some reason from reception up to the rooms, only access is by elevator (strange...), so it can be a little inconvenient. But all in all a good hostel.
Jim Diego <email>
Ann Arbor, MI USA Wed 09/06/2006

Paris - Hotel Eber Mars
If you're young, traveling alone, and don't want to deal with hostels, definitely stay at Hotel Eber Mars in Paris. Centrally located, clean, and the staff is EXCELLENT. I couldn't have a had a better experience.
Michael Vinson
Atlanta, GA USA Wed 09/06/2006

Hostels Good & Bad
I just spent 2 months backpacking through Europe... here's what I experienced.

London - Picadilly Backpackers - This place is HUGE! They have 600 beds. Expect to wait in line to check in our out. The hostel doesn't start until floor 3 (which is really the 5th floor). There is an elevator, but it only holds 4 people (with no luggage). The rooms are clean for the most part. I stayed in the a "pod" room, which had a sink in the room, which was nice.

Edinburgh - Budget Backpackers - This place is AWESOME! The price is amazing and the service is incredible. Swipe cards for security, free walking tours, free pub crawls, the nicest staff north of the equator. The rooms are great. I will definetly stay at this place again.

Cardiff - Can't remember the name of the hostel... wasn't too impressed though.

Dublin - Oliver St. John Gogarty's - Great place to stay if you like to party because it's seriously on top of a bar and right in Temple Bar. Our room was right above the outdoor smoking area of the bar, so there was no hope of sleep before 2:30am. It worked out great for me though because I was usually out until then. This place was a lot of fun. The security isn't great though. 1 key for the whole room.

Amsterdam - The Flying Pig - This place was a lot of fun! People "smoke" in the hostel, so if that bothers you then this is not the place for you. Not a good place for families. There is a great bar downstairs and a nice TV lounge area with DVD's to rent. Overall it was a good time here.

Hannover - The only hostel in Hannover - The facility was VERY clean and nice, the staff didn't really speak english very well though. The hostel is quite a way from downtown.

Berlin - Three Little Pigs - This place was really nice. The 6 bed room I stayed in was HUGE with a big window overlooking a kids playground. You have to pay extra for breakfast here. The rooms were very clean. I would definetly stay here again. Oh and the lockers were the huge stand up ones :0)

Prague - A Plus Hostel - NO LOCKERS! I didn't have a problem with this, but there was a girl I met there who had her bag stolen. The bar is great here. Cheap beer! At night there is a nice club downstairs where many people hang out. The rooms could have been cleaner and there is LOUD construction going on at 7am next door. This was the first place I had to use my earplugs. Very near the old town, which was nice.

Venice - B&B Rota - Hmmm... what to say here. The night guy is crazy and a little freaky. The rooms have no screens so I was eaten alive by mosquitos (52 to be exact). There is no common room. The rooms are large and clean for the most part. OH!! There are only 2 toilets for the entire hotel! Yes... 2! And of course the showers are in with the toilets. In the morning you could be waiting awhile for a bathroom. Oh and the lockout is insane... 10am to 2pm. 4 hour lockout! Buyer beware!

Florence - Ostello Di Oro - AMAZING! The lade who owns the hostel (Silvia) is so nice. When I got there she gave me a map and pointed out all of the things I needed to see. I went to the store one day and she cooked my food for me! It was great! There was a bathroom in our room... and a TV! Free internet too. This place is great. I will DEFINETLY stay here again.

Rome - Alessandro Palace (downtown) - I would not stay here again. They lied about there being air conditioning in the room. There is no elevator and you could be on the 6th floor! There are no lockers (even though they said there were). The blankets were dirty (the sheets were clean though). Overall... a big no. The bar was cool at night, but that was about it. Oh the customer service was horrible too!

Cinque Terre - Vernaza - Gianni Franzi - This place was great. Yes there are about 85 steps up just to get the hotel, but it makes the view totally worth it. The rooms are alittle small, but very clean and nice. The balcony I had in my room overlooked the sea, which was amazing. The cleaning ladies are alittle loud in the morning, but you should probably be up by the time they come around anyway. I really liked this place and I would definetly stay here again.

Paris - Can't remember the name of the hotel, but it was in Montemarte and was kinds nasty. I know the name ended with "Hotel" (which I know isn't very helpful.

London - Stayed at Piccadilly Backpacker's again - Just didn't want to hastle finding a new place... I still wouldn't recommend this place.

Good luck on your trip!

Bre
Breanne <email>
Seattle, Wa USA Tue 09/05/2006

Hostels
We stayed at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmewald, Switzerland in June and found both the other hostelers and the scenery fantastic. It does have a co-ed bathroom/showers but we didn't find that a problem. We would definately go back. We also stayed at the Ostello 5 Terre in Manarola, Italy (Cinque Terra). This was awesome! They are located at the "top" of town with a beutiful view over the city to the Meditteranean Sea, wonderful food (pesto pizza!)and friendly staff. This area was our favorite on our five country trip.
Liz
Rollingstone, MN USA Tue 08/29/2006

Ireland hostels
FOUR COURTS, DUBLIN - listed in R Steve's book but I don't recommend; except for the under-25 crowd. They booked a man in the female dorm when I was there and stated they do this because they can't "discriminate" against men (?!) In all hostels I've ever been in and requested female dorm, I've never seen men booked in one - anyone else have that happen, anywhere? It makes me uncomfortable if I don't know what I'm getting into, I think the hostel should notify women of this policy.

O'BRIEN'S HOLIDAY LODGE, CASHEL - this place was wonderful! Clean, cozy, with a beautiful view of the Rock. Nice kitchen, bathrooms, everything. Definitely recommend.
Tre
Detroit, MI USA Mon 08/28/2006

Munich no age limit!
My sister and I recently stayed at the Euro Youth Hotel in Munich. The prices are great and there is no age limit. The staff is extremely friendly. One actually escorted us to a Depeche MOde concert which we attended for free. One of the promoters for the band put up a flyer requesting help for free tickets! Just an added bonus to this hostel. My husband and I are returning to Munich this year and will be staying here again. The hostel is about a 5 minute walk from the train station, very easy to get to, and within walking distance to all the sites of munich!
Brandi Ruiz <email>
Palau, Italy Sun 08/27/2006

Hostel reviews
I spent time in these hostels about 3.5 years ago, but I thought I'd add my two cents to this Web site ...

-Stratford-Upon-Avon, England: The YHA. Cool old house out in the boonies, but at the time there was only one hostel.

-Westport, Ireland: Old Mill Hostel: Wonderful, charming hostel in an old mill (obviously) in a small, western Ireland town. Great location.

-Dublin: Jacobs/Issacs: From what I remember, there wasn't much to this place, but it was nice. Pretty convienent location.

-Madrid: Hostel Barbieri: Nice place, not in the center of town, but located close to a metro stop. Lots of nice people - met two fellow Wisconsinites there - and people are preparing food all the time.

-Lucerne, Switzerland: HI Hostel/YHA: I think this was one of the only hostels in Lucerne. Beautiful location, though fairly expensive for a hostel. Kind of a trek from the city center, but they had a wonderful breakfast we filled up on.

- Florence: Archie Rossi: Seems to be a popular Florence hostel. Very fun, young crowd. Cheap meals were available at the hostel. It was located within walking distance to the city center.

- Rome: Allesandro's Independent: The hostel itself wasn't too bad. But each night they told us, even though they knew we wanted to stay for 4 nights, that we were going to be kicked out because other people were coming in or they were going to move our room. This might be common for Rome on New Year's Eve, but they made us leave from like 10 p.m. til 4 a.m. or something. Not recommended!

- Venice: Alloggi/The Gondola: We tried staying in a hostel here, but I think it was closed (we were there in January). We ended up finding this place, which wasn't really a hostel, but more like rooms a family rented out. It was reasonably priced, nice bathrooms and a great location.

-Edinburgh: Royal Mile Backpackers: Great hostel on the Royal Mile. Lots of fun, young people here too. Highly recommended.

-Barcelona: Hotel Pensuila: Again, this wasn't exaclty a hostel, but rather a cheap hotel. I want to say the room we were in cost about $20 per person. Great location off Las Ramblas and they gave us breakfast in the morning.
Nicole <email>
Milwaukee, WI USA Mon 08/21/2006

Hostels
I have stayed in hostels all over England and Ireland. I have never had a problem with theft or anything. I usually will sleep with my money,credit cards and passport on me or under my pillow. I have always met the greatest people, who I have wound up hanging out with for a night or two or even travled with. Everyone is so friendly. Most of the time the staff have been great as well. Now that I am over 35 it is difficult to stay in hostels because of the age limits. But I can still do it cheap with good hotels or b and b/
Kim
Brooklyn, NY USA Sun 08/20/2006

Haarlem and Luzern Hostels (August '06)
Haarlem's Stayokay Hostel - convenient bus stop in front of hostel, clean, friendly staff. Avoid the 8-bed room which had only 1 window permanently opened a little bit, made the room feel warm. Bring your towel. Reserved thru hostelworld.com for beds 15-27 Euros per nt with continental breakfast

Luzern's Youth Hostel - Had a double room with twin beds for SF60 with continental breakfast. Clean and not far from train station. Reception desk does currency exchange.
Carol <email>
Glendale, CA USA Thu 08/17/2006

ALL THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
For those of you seeking advice on Hostels I suggest you go to “Favorite Links” at the top of this page.

Then go to “Accommodations” and click on “Hostels Directories”. You will find a lot of great advice from Rick.
CARLOS
EL PASEO, NM USA Wed 08/09/2006

Fairview in killarney
Has anyone ever heard of/stayed here? We are taking a large group over New Years and want to make sure is ok...

Thanks! Julie
Julie
Chicago, USA Mon 08/07/2006

Best and Worst in Europe!
A group of 3 of us travelled around for a month and did a mix of hostels and hotels. Berlin- Best- Pension Peters...great location, helpful staff, all IKEA, clean! Amsterdam- Best-The Bulldog...clean and friendly staff, fabulous bar. Worst-Cosmos hostel...very small, loud, limited washrooms, ok location. Rome- Worst- Hotel Vergilio...awful service from the manager, she was not helpful at all, expensive, bad breakfast, great location..near the colosseum and train station. Florence- Best- Hotel Adler Caveileri..great service, beautiful room and location, fabulous breakfast, Bernardo the bartender was great! Lerici- Best-Hotel Florida...right off the beach, easy access to the boat for cinque terre. Barcelona- Worst-Rambla's House...no air conditioning, nasty bathrooms, no breakfast, good location.
Lacey
IN USA Sun 08/06/2006

One Bad in Rome, One Good in London
Avoid Freedom Traveller's Hostel in Rome...we had a room reserved for a month prior to our arrival and when we arrived they said they didn't have any rooms left in the hostel but would send us across town to a different location...they sent us to a bar to ask for Franco and he could give us a room (I swear I'm not making this up, I wish I was), we refused and they gave us a huge problem to find us a new room...so avoid Freedom Traveller's at all cost. We did stay in Palmer's Lodge in London and it was very nice with great service!!!
Colleen
Glassboro, NJ USA Tue 08/01/2006

Bobs Youth Hostel
Best hostel I have every stayed in was Bobs youth hostel in Amsterdam. It may not have had a lot of detail to it. Basic rooms with with a fan and shower.

The people running it where great and friendly. Had a hippie freespirit feel. Always found someone fun to talk with or explore the city with.

Bobs is so easy to find. It is the only place literlly with folks just hanging out outside singing, playing guitar, and laughing.

The one drawback I would say about Bobs and most hostels in Amsterdam is they have a age limit of 35 years and younger.
AJ
Boston, IL USA Sat 07/29/2006

Frankfurt area hostels
The Haus der Jungend in Frankfurt is a typical big city hostel. Excellent location on the bank of the Main River. Very busy and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Perfect place for the lonely solo traveller. Reception is usually cold and impersonal but understandable because of the crunch of people trying to register. Nice commons area that gets pretty lively at night. Just to the rear of the hostel on wall St. is a self service laundramat. North of Frankfurt in an obviously wealthy suburb, scenically located at the foot of the Tanus Hills is the hostel in Bad Homburg. Excellent alternative to busy Frankfurt Hostel but only a short S-Bahn ride away. Located in a large park just beneath a beautiful and bustling almost mile long pedestrian shopping area. When both Frankfurt and Bad Homburg hostels were booked I made my way to Mainz. The Hostel there requires a bus ride from the bahnhof but once you get there you'll find yourself above the Rhine river where you can follow it downstream to central Mainz mostly through parkland. The hostel is new, very clean, and somewhat less expensive than most. Breakfast buffet is the most pleasant feature. All tables are set with table cloths, silverware, and full coffee thermos.
Kurt <email>
Sheffield Lake, Ohio USA Fri 07/28/2006

Berlin Hostel Recommended
I loved the BaxPax Hostel Dowtown in Berlin. Just thought I would share if your going. It was fabulous. They did laundry for you for 5€ and they even rented fans to keep cool int he rooms! Fabulous and VERY clean!
Jennifer P.
Tallahassee, FL USA Wed 07/26/2006

great hotel in athens
a great hotel in athens is "Hotel Kaningos 21"...it is located close to the metro stop and several important squares
Naomi
Tacoma, WA USA Wed 07/26/2006

hostels in Athens?
Hello - Me and my boyfriend are traveling Western Europe starting in September. I have seen many posts about hostels/cool places to stay, but hardly any in Greece. Has anyone traveled to Athens or near here that has any great suggestions? Thanks!
Kristin
WI USA Wed 07/19/2006

HOSTEL FOR BUDAPAEST, VIENNA, PRAGUE LONDON
I can only recommend one hostel for those cities.

The one we stayed in at Vienna.

It is called 1200 Wien at: WWW.hihostels.com/dba/hostel004003.en. 4km North-West of City Centre. Rail: 6km Westbahnhof. 7km Sudbahnhof.
OK USA Sun 07/16/2006

Venice Hostel
I stayed in a wonderful hostel/hotel when in Venice. Although not in Rick's book it should be. The Alloggi Gerotto Calderan, was a wonderful place to stay. Very easy to find, great location near the train station. Less than a 5 minute walk to the vaperetto. This was probably one of my favorite hostels in Europe! The dorms have no more than 6 beds(no bunks) plus it had an ensuite bathroom. The room was cleaned and made up daily. I am already planning my return!
Cora <email>
Vancouver, Canada Sat 07/15/2006

Denmark
We recently travelled through Denmark and spent our first two stops at hostels. We stayed at the Copenhagen City which could not have been in a better location for our visit. The room was very simple but certainly worked. Helsingor was a bit more campy which isn't a bad thing. We had good kitchen facilities and its location on the water was a nice place to end the day and watch the sunset. I would recommend both. I will admit at the end of those stays I was wishing for a really comfortable chair. Found in on Aero Island - look under Aero B&B
Mary <email>
Schroon Lake, NY USA Mon 07/10/2006

Venice Hostel
Take Rick's advice with regards to Venice "dont cheep out" We opted stay in the hostel mentioned in his book. We had to catch a boat in time to get back to the island for the 12pm curfew. There was also a 9:30am lock out. No electrical outlets, no Miors, no privacy in the showers, and worst of all, no towels. We dried off with our pillow cases. If you are truly "backpacking" and only require a clean place to put you head its ok.......otherwise, Alcatrez.
Laura Hart
New York, NY USA Sat 07/08/2006

Hostels
East Seven was a fabulous hostel for my husband and myself. We're in our early 30's and just loved the place. So clean, freindly staff, internet on site (for a fee), very convenient to the U-bahn. Great place!

Bruegel Hostel in Brussels was another great hostel. Great location, very clean, good meals, no frills, though we had bunk beds which was funny for us, but fine for a couple of nights.
Stephanie
Paris, TN USA Sun 07/02/2006

Cesky Krumlov
Oops...I forgot to put their web-site. It's www.castleview.cz and their e-mail is jiri.vaclavicek@seznam.cz. A truly great experience.
Diana Haynes
Carlsbad, CA USA Wed 06/28/2006

Cesky Krumlov - Czech Republic
We traveled to Cesky Krumlov and stayed at the Castle View Apartments. Fresh flowers and cookies greeted us on the kitchen table! We had our 2 grandsons with us and our 2 bedroom apartment fit us perfectly. They were super clean, comfortable and quiet. I would stay here again and again. Just around the corner from the village square.
Diana Haynes
Carlsbad, CA USA Wed 06/28/2006

Castle of Selvole in the Chianti region, Italy
The Castle of Selvole in the Chianti region was wonderful. For some reason, it has been listed as a hostel but it was unlike any I have experienced! When we arrived at the train station, the Selvole shuttle picked us up and in about 15 minutes, we arrived in a hilltop with a 360 degree panoramic view. We stayed in a cottage and it was lovely! The price was perfect (it was about 23 euros per night per person). Check out the website at www.selvole.com The area was serene, the cottages are clean, the staff attentive, and there is even a daily shuttle (twice) that takes you into Siena. I am definitely going back!!!
Natalie <email>
Mt. Juliet, TN USA Tue 06/27/2006

Ear Plugs in Hostels
I stayed recently 2 weeks in Italy and Austria. I had to opportunity to stay in several hostels. One of the hostels, in Rome, was the Youth Station Hostel. It was roomy and clean. The thing that I recommend here is EAR PLUGS!!! I shared a room with about 12 different individuals who came in and out of our room throughout the night. I am sure it was quite noisy, but I never heard a peep. I used an eye mask and ear plugs and was in heaven. I never worried about others snoring and getting up and making noises. It was quite peaceful. Plus, I travelled with several people throughout my journey and the ear plugs saved me each night reassuring me that I would get a good night's sleep!!!
Natalie Herrud <email>
Mt. Juliet, TN USA Fri 06/23/2006

Hostels
I have stayed in many hostels... let me give you my take.

Re: Sleep, you never know who your roommates will be. Some are older who go to bed early, some are party animals who come in at 3am. Almost everyone is respectful though and will be as quiet possible and not turn on the lights in the middle of the night. I am hard sleeper and didn't hear most people coming in and out. After my first trip I started packing ear plugs though, $3 for 30, although rarely used, but just in case. People really do sleep at night, they are also weary travelers. (Most college students travel in the summer, the off season is better for hostels, Nov-Mar) Also, the beds are comfortable, all of mine had clean, freshly bleached sheets.

Lockers - bring a small lock - NOT a Masterlock, they are too big. But overall you don't need a locker unless you are bringing a laptop or something valuable that you can't carry with you during the day. Your money/passport/visa/atm/camera should be with you during the day. I brought a Masterlock my first trip, it didn't fit, but I didn't need it and never brought one again. Hostels let you store your luggage in a community room before/after checkin/check out and you can lock your suit case up if you want. Suit cases just slide under the bunk beds and are perfectly safe in your room. No one wants to steal most peoples dirty socks and underwear. I have never had a problem, and no one I know or stayed with at hostels has had a problem.

Go to www.hostels.com and www.hostelworld.com to check for hostels. They also include some really inexpensive B&B's and 1 star hotels. These websites also do NOT require any kind of hostel membership. Hostels are a good choice. You meet people all over the world, they are usually in the city centers, and they are dirt cheap! Which gives you more money to spend on food and sightseeing.

I have stayed in hostels in Italy - Rome, Bologna, Venice, Franfurt Germany, Split Croatia, and NYC.
Lisa <email>
San Diego, CA USA Wed 06/21/2006

Worst Hotel in Nice, France
Avoid Hotel Lorrain in Nice, France. We made reservations there for 5 nights. When we showed up the very low class and rough looking guy behind the desk wanted full payment in advance. I've never heard of such a thing. I told him we had to exchange money first and then we could pay him despite the fact that usually payment is made at the end of the stay, not the beginning! He said absolutely not, you pay now or you "scram"! In addition, he wanted payment by credit card only. I think he must be up to something illegal. This is a 1 star hotel - pay about 15 euros more and get a decent 2 star hotel.
Linda <email>
New York, NY USA Sat 06/17/2006

Hostels
I loved Charlie Rockets hostel in Brugge. It had a great little bar on the main floor, and it was only about two blocks from the main square, it was excellent
Mark
Vancouver, bc Canada Sun 06/11/2006

Ashlee House in London
My sister and I spent 2 nights at Ashlee House in London a few weeks ago. For a hostel, I thought it was nice (and pretty safe), though we were told by some Londoners that the King's Cross area is a bit dodgy. It was clean, cheery (the rooms have bright green walls and colorful bedding), the staff was very helpful, and each room had door codes. We stayed in a 4 bed dorm and it was 20? pp/night, which I didn't think was a bad price compared to other hotels that I looked at.

We also spent a week in Paris and stayed at Hotel Eiffel Rive Gauche. What a terrific little hotel! The location was great (between Rue Cler and the Eiffel Tower), the staff was fantastic and the rooms (though small) were very comfortable. www.hotel-eiffel.com
Carla
Columbus, Ohio USA Fri 06/09/2006

Avoid Hotel Marian in Seville
This was the only place we stayed that was not recommended by Rick. It was really bad. Our shower was broken, causing the room to flood. Staff responded in an unsatisfactory way and acted as if it was our fault. The windows were left open when the room was cleaned, allowing the biggest, most aggressive mosquitoes I have ever seen to invade the room. We had to spend a significant amount of time when we first arrived hunting them down, so that we weren't eaten alive. Also, this hotel is not very near to the best areas of Sevilla. I recommend staying as near as possible to the Santa Cruz neighborhood. The rest of the city, with the exception of the Cathedral, is not very interesting.
Sarah <email>
Chicago, IL USA Thu 06/08/2006

5 weeks in Europe - we stayed in some good ones!
AMSTERDAM - StayOkay Vondelpark - big, institutional, lots of groups but clean, fabulous location in the park. Recommended.

GIMMELWALD, Switzerland - Mountain Hostel (www.mountainhostel.com) - great, friendly hostel in the most beautiful location in the world! Have to put coins in the showers and beds are all together so you might have to climb over people but the place is fantastic. You will not regret going to Gimmelwald. Just ask Rick :) HIGHLY recommended.

BARCELONA - Backpackers BCN - good location, nice people, free internet, nice patio and common area. Recommended.

ROME - Colors Hostel - near the Vatican, nice, bright rooms and rooftop patio. The air was not working one of the nights we were there which made it hard to sleep but other than that it was nice.

FLORENCE - Locanda Starlight (www.locandastarlight.it)- nice lady runs it, just 3 rooms. Cute little place with . Good location between train station and city center. Very clean. Bathroom sparkling. She made reservations for us for the museums. Recommended.

MUNICH & VIENNA - Wombats (www.wombats-hostels.com) - What can I say? Modern and the cleanest, nicest hostels I think you will ever find. HIGHLY recommended.

PRAGUE - The Boathouse - this one is a gem. A little out of the way but the ladies who run it treat you like family and cook great! Terrific atmosphere. HIGHLY recommended.

BERLIN - Circus Hostel Weinbergsweg(www.circus-berlin.de)- clean, great atmosphere. Very social. HIGHLY recommended.

I made all our reservations in advance by e-mailing the hostels directly or using Hostelz, HostelWorld, etc. Staying in hostels is a great way to meet people.
Tiffany <email>
Tuscaloosa, AL USA Mon 06/05/2006

Cora
Edinburgh: Budget Backpackers, one of the best hostels, bright, clean, great location, nice kitchen, dinning room, and hang out room. Plus free walking tours. Four bed dorm was huge and everything was new. Do beware, a little bit of hill near the hostel.

Amsterdam: Flying Pig Downtown, the only thing good about this place is the location, otherwise it's dirty, and gross, tons of really loud Americans all high, stay here only if you want to smoke up all day long!

Venice: Alloggi Gerotto Calderan, more like a hotel than a hostel, wonderful, great location, nice dorm, very clean, although there are a few stairs! and no lockers, but otherwise safe.

Rome: Beehive, my home away from home, wonderful, could stay in the hostel all day, everything was super clean, garden and common room with internet was wonderful, one of the best hostels in Europe. I still miss Ingmar.

London: Astor Victoria, alright enough, old building, showers on one side only have boiling hot water. The hostel was always over heated even during May. Kinda smokey, but kitchen is good, not the cleanest but nice, good security. Does have a great location.
<email>
Vancouver, BC Canada Fri 06/02/2006

Re: Paddywagon hostels - Ireland
The paddywagon affiliated hostel in Belfast was cheap, but not great. Everything (including the heat- in late Nov) was broken and the staff were friendly enough, but not too helpful. Location was good- near Queen's Univ. Anyway, if you're reasonably adaptable it'll do for a night or two (probably wouldn't spend more than one anyway...).

The paddywagon crowd came through my 2nd night and I agree with the previous post- it was a glorified pub crawl.

Over the Top tours out of Dublin are good and not too expensive for their day trips.
Rachel <email>
Fayetteville, AR USA Wed 05/31/2006

best hostel
the beehive in rome
USA Sat 05/27/2006

Dalen Hotel in Telemark
Not a hostel, The Dalen Hotel in Telemark Norway is fantastic. From the rooms to the food it was one of our highlites of our trip to Europe. www. dalenhotel.no {getting their from Oslo by car is spectacular].
Jeff <email>
Arlington, WA USA Sat 05/27/2006

Gimmelwald Hostel
The Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald was the best hostel I stayed at over 3 months in Europe. Yes, I was partial to the views out the front deck and all the windows, but it reminded me of being on a hut trip. Clean, GREAT food, and like-minded people there. It was the busiest place in town when I was there. Only place to get food, and even a yodeling contest out front.
Lindsey
Denver, CO USA Wed 05/24/2006

RECOMMENDATIONS IN SCANDINAVIA
Robyn : Yes. Eurohostel in Helsinki .www.eurohostel.fi EMAIL. eurohostel@eurohostel.fi

Copenhagen Amagere in Copenhagen www.copenhagenyouthhostel.dk/ copenhagen- EMAIL. amager@danhostel.dk.

AfChapman/Skeppsholmen in Stockholm www.stfturist.se

EMAIL. info@chapman.sefturist.se.

Haraaldsheim in Oslo. www.haraldsheim.oslo.no/?1148273100. EMAIL. bjorn.sveinungsen@os.telia.no.
USA Sun 05/21/2006

Hotel Cecil in Paris is Awesome!
Not a hostel, but TOTALLY worth its weight in gold: Cecil Hotel in the 14th. www.cecilhotel.net. Away from the touristy area, but right on the 4 line (metro Porte d'Orleans), which takes you right into the heart of everything inside of 15 minutes. Rooms are small (like every room in Paris) but very beautifully decorated and excellently organized. My 60-year-old parents are staying there right now and they LOVE it! The owners are very nice, speak fluent English and French, and the whole hotel is smoke-free. They also have a beautiful small patio surrounded by plants that is great for having a meal (buy awesome crepes or sandwiches at the corner of General Leclerc and Blvd Jourdan). Feel free to e-mail me for more details - I will gladly, wholeheartedly recommend this hotel!
Amy Roust <email>
Paris, France Sun 05/21/2006

Replies to: Ashlee House in London and E European hostels
Jen: Ashlee House was just o.k for me. It was a bit pricey, but I think I was still getting over the sticker shock of how week the dollar is over there. I was only there one night, so didn’t get a good sense of the social scene, but there was a large common room. The area – Kings Cross isn’t great. It’s safer than some say, but there’s not much in the direct vicinity.

Karen: I quite liked Nathan’s Villa for Poland (http://www.nathansvilla.com/). It’s a set of three hostels one in Warsaw, one in Krakow and one in Romania I think. It’s great for socializing (the Krakow one has a multi-room ‘bar’ in the basement with quiz night) but it was still not too rowdy and was easy to sleep. The bathrooms were great. Free internet, free laundry, free breakfast. And they offer walking tours, pub crawls, and have great info on how to get to places like the concentration camps on cheap local buses. Very friendly and comfortable place. (Just a word of advice – the one in Warsaw is quite difficult to find, so make sure you get good directions!)
Jill
New York, NY USA Fri 05/12/2006

Wonderful Clean, Quiet Hotel in Paris
Hotel Louvre Marsollier Paris

Decor: cheesy Best Western type Comfort: 4/4! Don't be intimidated by the decor, the beds are very comfortable. Also, you have no idea how noisey Paris is until you open your window.

Location: Perfect. 10 minute walk to the Louvre, 5 minutes to the Opera Garnier and good restaurants, <5 minutes to metro.

Staff: Helpful and friendly. Some speak great english, while the rest speak well enough with pictures/maps/bad pronounciation of my french to answer questions. All of them encourage you to learn little bits of french and assist with pronouncing correctly with a lot of humor and friendly attitude!

http://www.louvre-paris-hotel.com/english/main.htm

We just returned from a wonderful stay in Paris. The hotel was located in the Opera district which is very clean, close to many metro stops and great shops. The price was great because there were offers on the Hotel-Paris website that are well below expedia/travelocity. Breakfast (fresh pastries/coffee/orange juice/cereal/yogurt/fruit) was included in the price and was served in their dining nook or in your room. Sheets were changed daily and the snack refrigerater replenished as well. We will always stay here again. (unless we have an extra $400/night that we want to waste to stay at an unpersonalized 4* hotel!)
Ari
Snoqualmie, WA USA Fri 05/12/2006

London Earls Court Hostle closed due to fire
London Earls Court Hostle closed due to fire There was a fire on April 6th. Not re-opening until 1 September. If you have a reservation there, contact them immediately through email to re-book at South Kensington or Holland Park.
Marshall Freeman <email>
Seattle, WA USA Fri 04/21/2006

Ashlee House in London?
has anyone stayed at the Ashlee House in London? I've seen some mixed reviews.
Jen
USA Thu 04/20/2006

Villa Camerata, Florence
Whenever I travel to Italy I stay in hostels and while some are good, some are also not so good. The Villa Camerata was a wonderful hostel. The showers were nicer than most of the other hostels I have stayed in and the rooms were decent but what I remeber most is that they offered dinner in the hostel that was cheaper than some of the restaurants AND it was good. They also had a theatre, and they were only about 400 meters from the bus stop. We were on top of a hill, so carrying luggage was a bit of a chore, but other than that, it was a wonderful experience. I would defininately recommend it to anyone who will be staying in Florence.
Sabine <email>
East Bay, CA USA Tue 04/18/2006

Hostal Miguel, Nerja
Hostal Miguel is in the heart of Nerja´s old town, near many restaurants, bars, shops and beaches. Yet it´s quiet, a refuge. The English hosts, Matt & Natalie, offer high quality lodging and friendly, personal service. They´ve thought of everything, including refrigerators in the rooms.

Our double room (33 euros-night in April) was spacious, bright and well decorated. The rooftop terrace was lovely for breakfast, picnics and sunbathing. Chaise lounges, kitchenware and lots of helpful information were provided.

We enjoyed this hostal so much that we extended our stay from 2 to 4 days. And Rick is right: Nerja is wonderful, the best town on the Costa del Sol.

Contact information: Matt & Natalie, Hostal Miguel, Calle Almirante Ferrandiz, 31, Nerja, Spain, 00-34-95-252-1523
Jan Schwert <email>
Seattle, WA USA Tue 04/18/2006

Paddywaggon
I heard Paddywagon was just an expensive pubcrawl and was advised against it.
USA Tue 04/18/2006

Hotel Senlis in Paris left out this year?
Does anyone know why the Hotel Senlis in Paris was left out of Rick's latest guidebook? I stayed there in '01 and liked it. I am curious if when a hotel falls out of the book if it's because it has become less satisfactory or was simply not reviewed this time. Anyone with knowledge, please lemme know. Thanks.
jeff <email>
washington, dc USA Mon 04/17/2006

Hostels in Ireland
Has anyone stayed at the Paddywagon hostels in Ireland? From what I can tell it's a chain of hostels throughout Ireland and they offer tours that basically take you from one hostel to the next. If anyone has any recommendations I need to stay somewhere cheap!!
Angela
TX USA Mon 04/17/2006

hostle
Has any one stayed at the 'Transit Loft' in Berlin?
USA Mon 04/17/2006

E EUROPEAN HOSTELS
Karen: Do a google.com search for ”hostels Poland” or “hostels plus a city” and you will find a comprehensive list of hostels in each country orcity. Here are examples of pages I found:

http://www.backpackers.hu/ (Budapest), http://www.hostels.hu/ (Budapest), http://www.prague-hostels.cz/ (Prague).

Many pages have maps and email addresses and phone numbers. I always email requesting a specific date and room rate. And I ask for confirmation by emil.
TULSA, OK USA Mon 04/17/2006

Great hostels in London, Paris, Marseille, Nice and Florence
I backpacked with my brother the first two weeks of April 2006 and stayed in hostels for the first time with great anxiety. I prioritized cleaniness to elegance and found this graffiti board extremely helpful in our planning. I had very pleasant experiences and am excited to share them.

London: I stayed alone at Ace Hotel in London (West Kensington) in a 6 bed all female room and was extremely comfortable with the security (key card entry to building, hallway, and bedroom. It is brand new and very nice! It is located in a residential neighborhood but only a short tube ride to all the main attractions. The cost was about $32/night. Check out the very informative website at http://www.ace-hotel.co.uk/index.html. Breakfast is included and consisted of a croissant, packaged muffin, individually boxed cereal, coffee and tea. Linens (including very nice comforter) were included but not towels (but are available to rent). Internet is available.

In Paris: Le Village in Montmartre is adorable! Bare bones, but extremely clean and amazing views of the Sacre Coeur. Breakfast included: croissant, baguette, jelly, butter, coffee, hot chocolate and tea. Extremely helpful staff; even called to book next hostel for us to overcome language barrier. We paid about $54/night for a room with 2 twin beds and our own bathroom including a shower. Neither linens nor towels are included. We stayed here three nights and shared a room with one other person for one night. That night I had a terrible mattress and barely slept, but the other two nights the mattresses were just fine. Internet is available.

Marseille, France: Hotel Bearn is also very charming and is more of a budget hotel than a hostel. We paid about $50 night for a room with two twin beds and a full bath. Breakfast was not included but was available for purchase. The room had a TV and all linens and towels were provided. Staff were very helpful and friendly and also called our next hostel to help us book the room at no charge. Website is http://www.hotel-bearn.com

Nice, France: Hotel La Belle Meuniere is also fabulous. It is beautiful and located 2 blocks from the train station and a short walk to the shopping area and beach. The rooms are simple but very clean. We had a room with two twin beds and a shower and sink. The toilet was down the hall. Breakfast was included and consisted of a croissant, baguette, jelly and choice of coffee, tea or orange juice. All linens and towels were provided. Baggage storage was an extra charge of about $3 per bag per day but was locked in an extemely secure area.

Florence: Ostello Santa Monaca ph: 055 268338. I stayed in an all female room and found it to be just fine. The bathrooms were outside of the rooms and very clean. Overall, I found it easiest to shower before bed to avoid crowds and the bathrooms tend to be cleaner at night than in the morning when there is heavy traffic. Breakfast was not included. Linens were included and the sheets were Frette! :) Towels were available to rent. Internet is available and numerous phones.

My brother stated these hostels were much better than the many others he has stayed in throughout the years and I would recommend all of them to anyone! Happy Travels!
Christina
Chicago, IL USA Sun 04/16/2006

EEuro
I need some suggestions on hostels in Eastern Europe--Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungrary- I'm traveling with one other girl (we just graduated college) -- trying to backpack very cheap!
Karen <email>
Athens, GA USA Sun 04/16/2006

Lisa - Venice Hostel
We stayed at Casa Gerotto and Alloggi Calderan in May 2005. I liked it alot. It was about a 10 minute walk from the train station in a cute little square. Found it though Lonely Planet. I would stay there again - check it out!
Kelly <email>
Philly, PA USA Sat 04/15/2006

Best B&B in Rome
Low cost Hight value in Rome Grand Bed & Breakfast of Rome www.romabedandbreakfast.info
Linda Royce
Los Angeles , caòifornia USA Sat 04/15/2006

Places to stay in Arles, France?
I will be traveling thru Provence alone and am looking for any nice, inexpensive places to stay in Arles, France. There seems to be a lot out there, but I'm not sure which ones are reputable. Any suggestions??
Allie <email>
Medford, OR USA Fri 04/14/2006

VENICE HOTELS
Lisa: The best and cheapest place to stay in Venice is the nearby town of Mestre. It is only 5 minutes by train and hotel prices are much lower. When you get off at the railroad station you can walk a block and find several hotels . Be sure to look at the room before you agree to rent.
MARCY
NYC, USA Thu 04/13/2006

A great hostel that I stayed in years ago but is still there is the Hostel Foresteria Valdese. It is clean, friendly and serves a great breakfast that is included. It would be a good idea to make reservations in advance though because it fills up quickly. Good Luck
Zannah
Olympia, WA USA Wed 04/12/2006

Venice Hostels
Looking for cheap hostels in Venice that are easy to get to. Close the train station or city center. Thanks!
Lisa <email>
San Diego, CA USA Tue 04/11/2006

Hotel in Edinburgh
We stayed in a wonderful hotel in Edinburg - the Priestville Guest House. Convenient location to the bus stops and within walking distances to the pool and shops. Colin and Trina Warwick were delightful hosts and we were fortunate to be invited to dinner several nights in their part of the house. Colin is a 5* chef, so his breakfasts are fabulous. He was kind enough to pack us a scrumptious breakfast and lunch to take on the train when we traveled to Mallaig for a night. Wonderful hosts. We will always stay with them and their funny dog Torrie! Please stop in - they would love it!
Lynn and Terry Steinkamp <email>
Omaha , NE USA Mon 04/10/2006

Paris
The MIJE hostels in Paris deserve an A+! The location is perfect, the facilities are very clean, pretty and well run. There is a 1:30AM "lock out", though, so keep an eye on the time.
Bekah
Toronto, Ontario Canada Sat 04/08/2006

SHOULD WE STAY AT A HOSTEL
Helene: Read below what the other travelers say about hostels and in the archive section of this page.

Most people like them. But one can have an unpleasant experience in a hostel as easily as in 4 star hotel. We never have. You may be the only seniors, but that means that we get special attention when we stay in a hostel.
USA Sun 04/02/2006

SHOULD WE STAY AT A HOSTEL
Helene: Definitely yes. My wife and I (both 80) always stay in a hostel when it is convenient. We like being with young families with kids. You wont be the only seniors there.

It is more like family housing than a hotel and quite economical. Don’t judge all hostels by the two or three you visit first.

Although you will find those in E Europe more primitive than in Europe. If you don’t like them you can always stay in zimmers or B&Bs.
C C
DALLAS, TX USA Sat 04/01/2006

Should we stay at a Hostel?
My husband and I will be traveling in Eastern Europe this summer. We've always stayed at Pensions before, never tried a hostel. We're in our 50"s, I would like to try them for the experience. Will we be the only oldsters there ? Thanks
Helene <email>
Brentwood, CA USA Sat 04/01/2006

Great places to stay!
We just got back from 2 weeks throughout Europe, and we stayed at some great places! I found all of them either on the graffiti wall or in Rick's Italy book. All of these places have websites. Simply google the name and the city, and they should be easy to find.

Paris: Hotel Royal Phare - Nothing excited but just what we needed...clean room with shower in the room. It was very conveniently located by the Eiffel Tower,and we walked to all the sites.

Heidelberg, Germany: Neckar Hotel - I can't say enough nice things about this place. The rooms were great as well as the bath/shower in the room. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating for us.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland: Hotel Stabbauch - Doris was great. The common area was wonderful and our room had a lovely view of the Alps.

Venice, Italy: Albergo Doni - Fabulous! Great location by St. Mark's. The staff was very kind and spoke English very well. The room was very comfortable and the bathroom was clean. We also stumbled across Albergo Silva, which turned out to be a great deal for the price. A man at the train station directed us to them, and it was legitimate. He was very nice and not out to scam anyone.

Florence: Hotel Dali - Marco was very nice. Our room overlooked a courtyard. Great location by the Duomo and easy walk from the train station and all other sights.

Vernazza: Francamaria Rooms - Probably the best place that we stayed our entire trip. We had room #5.

Rome: Casa Olmata - Great location from the train station and easy to walk to most locations. Lots of stairs, but it's good for you! They give out sack breakfasts so you can either enjoy on the top floor or on the go.
Leigh <email>
Tucson, AZ USA Fri 03/31/2006

HOSTEL SUGGESTIONS
Jenn: do a google.com search for “hostels Paris”. Do the same for each city. You will find lists of many in each city you choose.

Some give travelers comments and recommendations.
J.A.L..
NEW ITOM, N.D. USA Thu 03/30/2006

Hostel Suggestions (Paris/Florance/Venice/Rome)
I am heading to Paris in June.. I have seen once place mentioned to stay.. looking for some hostel names..

Also travelling into Italy too (Venice/Florance/Rome)

I would love any suggestions... thanks...
Jenn <email>
vancouver, BC Canada Tue 03/28/2006

try apartments
6 of us are leaving for Italy/Switz in one week! We will be staying in a few hostels, but we've found some great deals on apartments! We'll be staying in an apartment in the San Marco district of Venice, a cabin in Gimmelwald, and an apartment near Termini in Rome. All three are under 30Euro/person/night! Obviously, you can find hostels as cheap or cheaper, but the apartments give you a little more privacy and help you feel more like a local. I highly recommend it!
Eddie <email>
Atlanta, GA USA Thu 03/23/2006

We are offering a lovely room(14m2) in our apartment to foreign visitors to Prague. Two members family(female37 and boy12) can provide you with a private room(wood floors, high ceilings,central heating,wardrobe,double bed,TV..)in a peaceful flat. Fully equipped kitchen with living space and bathroom to share. Clean, quiet apartment in cool neighbourhood in central Prague. Newly renovated. Minutes from metro, buses, shopping, pubs, restaurants. 17 EUR/1 person/night,24 EUR/2 persons/night(just for female or young,students couple) mailto travelgirl@seznam.cz
<email>
USA Tue 03/21/2006

bergamo hostel
Flying out of orio airport in Bergamo.Anyone know a good hostel close to the train and airport.I have to be at airport at 8am.
jayne
fl USA Fri 03/17/2006

Random lodging recommendations
Ljubljana: Celica is by far the best hostel I've ever stayed in. It's a converted military prison, and the 'cells' (double rooms) have each been designed by a different artist. When we were there, there was even live music in the lobby in the evenings. Breakfast is one of the nicest I've seen in a hostel.

Berlin: The Generator hostel is super clean and right on a train line that runs all night. It's only a few stops down from the Prenzlauer Berg - a great area for a night out (or some funky shopping). The floor showers are clean, but I preferred the ensuite bathrooms (naturally). I've stayed there 4 or 5 times now, and while it's huge, it's also well run. You might also want to consider renting an apartment in Berlin - it's pretty cheap and you can save a little money by cooking there.

Amsterdam: If you want to splurge (just a little), the Hotel Brouwer is amazing. It has only 8 rooms in a wonderful and super old building, it's on the Singel canal, and is the perfect location to travel on foot to the red light district, Leidesplain, Jordaan... (In fact, unless it's raining, don't even bother to use the public transportation. Everything is easily accessible on foot.) It's 80 euros or so per night (per room, not per person), with breakfast included. Very romantic.

Paris: My first trip, I stayed at the Hotel Langlois. Nice, but I don't think it was really worth 90 euros per night. My next trip (this past weekend, in fact), I stayed at the MIJE Maubisson hostel for 27 euros per night - I think that's a great deal for Paris. It was clean, safe, and in a great location.

Venice: We stayed on the Jesolo Lido, not in Venice itself because it was much, much cheaper. The vaporatti (public transportation on water) runs until 11 pm, so you can see lots of Venice and then head back. I don't remember the name of the hotel offhand, but they all seem very similar. It's also nice to have a swimming beach nearby - you wouldn't want to swim in Venice water.

My favorite vacation in recent years was to a town called Baska in Croatia. The water is amazing - swimming pool clear. It has a wonderful old-world charm and a very relaxed atmosphere. There are ferries between Croatia and Venice during the summer - I can't recommend enough seeing this part of Europe as well. Many of the people there in September were Italians, as it is much cheaper than Italy but just as beautiful. Inquire about rooms in private homes at the tourist information center.

Avoid at all costs: The youth hostel in the Zagreb city center. The front desk actually advises you to lock yourself into the room, and from the looks of the patrons milling around the lobby, I'm guessing that is very good advice. From every aspect, it looks like a poorly run halfway house. We splurged on the Astoria down the street instead (it was late, raining, and cold), but later discovered that some nice hostels and cheap hotels are located outside of the city (but accessible by public transportation). All city center hotels seem to be expensive.

http://flusi.blogspot.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/flusi/
Beth <email>
Hamburg, Germany Wed 03/15/2006

hostels
my favourite site is bugeurope.com for hostel ratings. i also use google as a secondary search for the specific hostel. my biggest score was a private room in Amboise for 12 euros.
andrew
kingston, canada Mon 03/13/2006

HOSTELS PARIS, NICE, BARCELONA, MADRID
I always read travelers comments about each hostel before I reserve rooms.

You will find some hostels have a web page where visitors rate the facilities. Do a google.com search for each hostel and read all the pages on each one.

Some visitors will rate the safety, friendliness, cleanliness and nearness of sights.
JAN M.
BOISE, USA Sun 03/12/2006

Abruzzi National Park italyfarmstay
ItalyFarmStay Abruzzi National Park. My countryside experience. thanks very much go out to a most gracious host and newfound friend Antonello. See, I did the 'tourist' italy back in november, hitting all the hot spots in rome, firenze, milano, but those three weeks quite frankly were blown out of the water by this visit. The snow-capped mountains were a beautiful backdrop every morning, concheta the donkey hee'd and hawed every time i came down, warming the heart that the weather could never get ahold of. I am from Texas, and so the cold does not go over so well, but the days were so jam packed with hillside hikes, visits to real italian cowboy ranches, nearby postwar towns, pizzerias, floating island overlooks, beautiful vistas and landscapes from the casa di DH Lawrence (famous author from England), 6am walks to see the real-life rural style cheese-making shepherd, and so much i am sure I'm forgetting, all forged together an unusually unforgettable experience. I never thought that an hour and a half south of rome could feel so secluded and surreal! italyfarmstay.com told about the floating island and the falls, but nothing prepared me for their real-time magic. look out the window and over the valley holding friendly Sora and other villages, standing the test of culture shock and time. don't ever change italyfarmstay!
J Muzacz <email>
Austin, TX USA Sat 03/04/2006

Re: Hostel in Chamonix, France
For the life of me I can't think of the name of the place that we stayed at in Chamonix but we only paid around EUR 40 per night for 2 people in a single room with the WC down the hall. It's above a pub but it wasn't noisy at all. You can find it by asking the TI in town (about 2 block walk from the hotel).
Jim <email>
Milpitas, CA USA Tue 02/21/2006

Miss Sophie's in Prague
My friend and I found the nicest hostel we've ever experienced when we were in Prague a few weeks ago. Miss Sophie's has great location, great staff, the cleanest rooms, beds, and shower, a nice common room downstairs, and the price was great as well. If you're going to be in Prague I cannot recommend it enough!
Beth
Minneapolis, MN USA Sun 02/19/2006

Burg Stahleck hostel on the Rhine is our favorite
My three children and I just returned from Burg Stahleck hostel in the picturesque Rhineland town of Bacharach. Although we were disappointed to find that most of the restaurants and shops in town were closed for the off season, we extended our stay because we loved the hostel. Clean, new rooms, gorgeous views, reasonable breakfast, friendly staff and great rates. We were given our own two bunk room with bathroom plus space for a little table and four chairs where we wrote postcards and ate our snacks. We took advantage of the walking trails all around the hostel. We had a car, which helped. Access to the hostel is up a long flight of stairs from the village or via the driveway on the road above the hostel. Cars must park on the road, not in the driveway.
Sara
East Sussex, UK Wed 02/15/2006

HOSTEL PRICES
Sarah: I checked Interlaken for room rates. Take a look at this webpage:

www.hostelinterlaken.com/findabed.php/ChosenCity.Interlaken/ChosenCountry.Switzerland... Price for double room is 32 Swiss Francs, equal to 26 Canadian dollars.

You can also check other hostels by doing a google search listing the town name and “hostel”.
RUTH W.
CHICAGO, USA Thu 02/09/2006

hostel prices??
My friend is currently living in Switzerland and I am meeting her there at the end of April. We would like to stay in hostels, but would like to know what that average range per night per person is. I have looked on the 'Hosteling International' website but their prices seem a little outragous. Most hostel prices I have seen on there are about 90 euros a night. thats like $130cdn. How can I find cheaper ones???
Sarah <email>
Victoria, BC Canada Wed 02/08/2006

Prague Hotel Query
Does anyone know of a good, clean hotel in Prague? I'm looking something in the US$100 per night range, that is close to the center of town. Any forthcoming suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
CCO2
Los Angeles, CA USA Wed 02/08/2006

Attractivehostel in chennai
Elements hostel is Chennai's first hostel which is Luxurious, affordable, safe and comfortable place to stay in Chennai for Backpackers and any other kind of travelers.
senthil <email>
Chennai, Tamil Nadu india Tue 02/07/2006

YMCA in Bath, England
I've stayed at the Y in Bath several times. I is run like a hostel. Each time I was given a double room by myself at about 20 GBP, weekends a little more. Bunk beds, bath in the hall. The place is clean, conveniently located, "safe", and serves a decent cold breakfast. Inexpensive meals are available at lunch time. In the summer reservations may be helpful, but I have just shown up and had no trouble getting a room.
Swan
USA Sat 02/04/2006

Hostel in Chamonix, France
Need some recommendations for budget places to stay in Chamonix in June. Thanks
TX USA Fri 02/03/2006

Apartments are Great
When I travelled to Europe the last time, I staying in Apartments. It actually made you feel like you are apart of that town or city. It was great as we had breakfast at home if we wanted or a snack late night. You can find and haggle over the price and find a great deal for a great price. Another thing is I got to meet the other tenets at the apartment complex and you learned places to go see, who to ask for and other important info
Mark T <email>
Dallas, TX USA Fri 02/03/2006

Hostel in the Swiss Alps
Chalet Martin in Gryon (near Villars) is the homiest hostel I've ever stayed in. There are a number of long-termers, great kitchen/bathroom/showers/common areas, and a lot of social activities.
Chicago, IL USA Wed 02/01/2006

To JG
Some friends and I are heading to Italy from March 30 to April 12. We had alot of trouble finding a hostel or cheap hotel on Venice. Otherwise you should be ok! If you go to Rome, try the Beehive! awesome location...great people! enjoy, eddie
Eddie
Atlanta, GA USA Wed 02/01/2006

HOSTEL RESERVATION
JG: WE have stayed in 15 different hostels in many countries without a reservation.

In March you should have no trouble getting a room if you arrive before noon.

If possible, telephone a day ahead and make it. My wife and I enjoy staying in hostels because you meet so many interesting travelers. You should like staying there.
H.A.J.
TULSA, OK USA Tue 01/31/2006

For JG
It depends where you are staying in Italy. While it's not nearly as bad as in the summer, some places do book up in the off season but you probably won't have a problem. I'm going in two weeks and reserved ahead of time, mainly because I chose places that are popular.
Suzanne
CT USA Tue 01/31/2006

Hostel reservation
My husband and I have never stayed in a hostel before but we are doing Italy on a serious budget. We were wondering: Do we have to make reservations ahead of time for our trip in the end of March or can you usually get at bed for two just at the door without a reservation?
JG
Portland, OR USA Mon 01/30/2006

HOSTEL THEFT
I have never had anything stolen ”whilst” in my 23 nights in hostels.

Use the same precautions you use everywhere.

Lock your luggaged and never leave anything of value in your room.

I always take a back pack to keep valuables in even if I don’t need it for backpacking.
JAN B.
SAN DIEGO, USA Fri 01/27/2006

Recommendation of MIJE Hostel, Paris
My first experience with staying in a hostel was this past New Year's, when I stayed with a friend in MIJE Maubisson in the Marais quarter of Paris. Though not terribly cheap (27 euro a night, breakfast included; of course, Paris is frightfully expensive so it wasn't a bad deal), it was a very nice, very clean and safe place to stay. It's location is excellent, (a few minutes walk from Notre Dame; right by the Hotel de Ville metro stop). The staff "buzzes" you in and out of the front door, which is otherwise locked, so only people staying in the hostel are there, and there is a key card for your room. Rooms have bunkbeds, a sink, and a shower; WCs are down the hall (but were also clean). It was kept much warmer than I expected (after previous winter experience in Europe). You can also get single, double, and triple rooms; I stayed in a room for four girls. The staff was very pleasant, spoke pretty good English, and the immediate area is very picturesque.
Wilmington, DE USA Thu 01/26/2006

HONEYMOON IN EUROPE
Dayna: if you don’t find a hostel where you want to stay, take a look at www.hotelformule1.com.

Formule1 is a motel chain in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, UK, Holland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Similar to hostels, but more modern and quieter. Rooms for 3 cost as little as $22 in some countries.

About the same cost as a hostel, but private rooms with 3 beds. I can recommend them. The parent French company also owns Red Roof Inns and Motel 6 in this country.
CHONTLUR
DALLAS, USA Thu 01/19/2006

English hostels
Good - the YHA hostels in York and Salisbury. York was esp. great - I ended up having a room to myself (in August!), and they had a HUGE packed breakfast waiting for me when I had to leave at 5:30 the next morning. YHA City of London was good too.

I've stayed at St. Christopher's on Borough High Street in London a couple times. Quality has gone downhill each time. The first time (August), it was pretty quiet, cool, and had a good-sized breakfast. By the last time (January), it was loud, crowded, boiling hot, and breakfast was a cold piece of toast.

Never again will I stay at the Oxford Backpackers Hostel. My sheets were pulled out of a pile on the floor. Not sure if they were clean or not. There were chunks, not just specks, of dirt in the hallway carpet. The window in the bathroom stall wouldn't shut, and the shower stall had some disgusting film on it. I only stayed there cos I had a very early train out in the morning and I didn't want to stay across the city at the YHA.
USA Wed 01/18/2006

Honeymoon for Dayna
The Tiquetonne in Paris is not a hostel, but almost as cheap. We paid 48 Euros for a room with a toilet and shower on a cute pedestrian-only street. You can read about it on the Eurocheapo website. We stayed there on our 25th anniversary and found it to be very charming. Congrats!
Terry <email>
Bend, OR USA Wed 01/18/2006

Hotel Sara in Madrid
My favorite hostel in Spain has to be the Hotel Sara on Calle Atoche in Madrid. It's in a wonderful part of the city, almost equidistant from the Calle del Prado/ Huertas and, in the other direction, the Perta del Sol and Plaza Mayor.

You really can't beat the price, too. I paid about thirty euros a night during summer 2005 for a single room with a shower.
Brandon Gabriel Abraham <email>
Oxnard, CA USA Wed 01/18/2006

Prague, Krakow, and Budapest
I was in all three cities during the summer of 2005. I stayed in the Red Bus hostel in Budapest. The price was right, it was clean - but shop for some breakfast food ( they offer what seemed like day old bread, very watery jam and a generic cereal left over from the Communist era days) Other travelers claimed it was one of the better hostels in Budapest (it seemed that new hostels were appearing every week). I would add that you should beware of some the folks at the train station offering hostels. I watched as a group of women were offered a “cheap” hostel, after they said yes to the offer a large charge for a taxi was added on, then it turned out that instead of the 4 people per room it became16 per room., oh, then they were told that they may not all be staying in the same hostel!!!!. etc, etc. Thank goodness they backed out of it at the last moment.

In Prague I would highly recommend the Art Prison Hostel (in the lower level of Pension Unitas – web site: www.unitas.cz). Great location, very clean, 5 minute walk to the Charles Bridge/ Old Town Square and well run. Other travelers we met spoken highly of the Elf Hostel.

In Krakow we stayed in the El-jot Art Center – located in the Kazimierz district. It is not a hostel but more like a hotel room. We found it was a nice but not too expensive treat. Great rooms for two people and the room comes its own bathroom and shower. Good breakfast included. All the major sites in Krakow are within walking distance .

We found Rick Steves’ “Best of Eastern Europe” book to be very helpful. We even ran into Rick at one of the places he recommends in his book.

Have a great time! Let me know if you would like additional information.
Bruce
Vancouver , BC USA Sun 01/15/2006

Honeymoon in Europe
My fiance and I are going to be going to Europe for our honeymoon at the end of March through the beginning of April. We are going for three weeks on a "budget" and would love any recommendations for hostels in Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, Florence, Rome, Palermo, and Venice. We are not big partiers (we are in our 30s and did the party thing already), but do enjoy a night out and good food and drink!
Dayna <email>
Birmingham, MI USA Wed 01/11/2006

HOSTEL SUGGESTIONS
Last time that happened to me I emailed again asking the manager why the change in price from the web page.

If there has been a mistake in his quote he needs to know about it.

Ask if there is any discount; because you really want to stay there.

I have always found hostel prices on the web to be honored by the manager.
C.S.A.
CHICAGO, USA Wed 01/11/2006

Sicily hostels- 1 good, 1 bad!
For those looking ahead to summer, 2006: I stayed with my daughters at a hostel (listed on Hostelbookers and some other sites)called Taormina's Odyssey, in Taormina. Online I was confirmed for a 4- bed room for the 3 of us, which the manager refused to honor. She screamed at the staff all the time and was very rude. The bathrooms were always flooding with no good shower curtains and then she would scream some more. Breakfast was old crackers in the package and some jam...etc. It looked so good on the Website! On the other hand, Hotel Neri (listed as a hostel) on Lipari Island was the BEST- cheap, huge rooms and bath, Internet, attentive staff (no screaming!) and enormous breakfasts outside- all in a restored old mansion.
USA Tue 01/10/2006

Hostel suggestions?
Hey all! Some friends and I (six in all)are going to Italy for 2 weeks in early April.

We need suggestions for good hostels or cheap hotels for Venice and Sienna. All suggestions and help welcome! :-)

I looked into the Hotel Centauro from the post below. I liked the look of it and the prices on the website but when I emailed to book the prices they quoted me there were nearly twice as much!? Are prices for hotels generally soft on the first offer? I'd love for us to stay there if we can get a better price. Thanks for your help!
Eddie <email>
GA USA Tue 01/10/2006

Where to stay in Barcelona
I plan to spend about 5 days in Barcelona in early September. Any latest suggestions of cheap, clean place to stay in Barcelona? By the way is that a peak time for tourist?
Mel
Thailand Tue 01/10/2006

Le Village in Montmartre, PAris is Awesome!
In Paris my husband and I stayed at Le Village, which is literally one block away from the magnificent Basilique du Sacre Coeur, in the heart of peaceful Montmartre. We stayed there over Christmas holidays 04-05 and it was only about 55 euros a night for the room! Friendly, english speaking staff, shower in every clean, simple (not ugly!) room, morning croissant, all you can drink coffee/cocoa/OJ and guests of all ages made us feel right at home. My advice is when in Paris, bring fluffy TP! Charmin' has a travel-sized rolls.
Bucky
Brooklyn, NY USA Mon 01/09/2006

Venice - Hotel Centauro
Hotel Centauro was not listed in Rick's 2004 Italy guide, but we highly recommend it. We ran into some disturbing issues with the place we booked from the guide, but we found this one right down the street. It is located off Campo Manin between St Marks and the Rialto. We had a 3 person spacious room with views of the canal (and gondoliers) in early October for 120 euros including breakfast. Breakfast tied for best along with Villa Cipressi in Varena (Lake Como). It included beverage service, fresh fruit, croissants and breads with spreads, hard boiled eggs, ham & cheese, cereals, and yogurt. The hotel is small & classy. You can't beat it for price, safety, comfort, and convenience. Their website was www.hotelcentauro.com which I have kept a brochure and bookmarked their website for future stays. I also booked my family there for November and they loved it too.
Angie <email>
Orlando, FL USA Fri 01/06/2006