Europe Hostels

Many hostels are laid out dorm-style, often with large single-sex rooms and bunk beds, although private rooms sleeping two to four are becoming more common. They sometimes have kitchens, bike or moped rentals, storage areas, airport transportation, breakfast and other meals, laundry facilities, and Internet. There can be drawbacks: some hostels close during certain daytime “lockout” hours, have a curfew, don’t accept reservations, impose a maximum stay, or—less frequently—require that you do chores. In Western Europe, a hostel dorm bed will average around US$15-30 and a private room around US$30-50.

A Hosteler’S Bill Of Rights. There are certain standard features that we do not include in our hostel listings. Unless we state otherwise, you can expect that every hostel has free hot showers, no lockout, no curfew, some system of secure luggage storage, and no key deposit.

Joining the youth hostel association in your own country (listed below) automatically grants you membership privileges in Hostelling International (HI), a federation of national hosteling associations. Non-HI members may be allowed to stay in some hostels but will have to pay extra. HI hostels are scattered throughout Western Europe and are typically less expensive than private hostels. HI’s umbrella organization’s website (www.hihostel.com), which lists the web addresses and phone numbers of all national associations, can be a great place to begin researching hosteling in a specific region. Other comprehensive hosteling websites include www.hostels.com and www.hostelplanet.com.

Most HI hostels also honor guest memberships —you’ll get a blank card with space for six validation stamps. Each night you’ll pay a nonmember supplement and earn one guest stamp; get six stamps and you’re a member. In some countries you may need to remind the hostel reception. A new membership benefit is the FreeNites program, which allows hostelers to gain points toward free rooms. Most student travel agencies (see) sell HI cards, as do all of the national hosteling organizations listed below. All prices listed below are valid for one-year memberships unless otherwise noted.

Booking Hostels Online. One of the easiest ways to ensure you’ve got a bed for the night is by reserving online. Click to the Hostelworld booking engine through www.letsgo.com, and you’ll have access to bargain accommodations from Argentina to Zimbabwe with no added commission.

Australian Youth Hostels Association (YHA), 422 Kent St., Sydney, NSW 200 (☎02 9261 1111; www.yha.com.au). AUS$42, under 26 AUS$32.
Hostelling International-Canada (HI-C), 205 Catherine St. Ste. 400, Ottawa, ON K2P 1C3 (☎613-237-7884; www.hihostels.ca). CDN$35, under 18 free.
An Óige (Irish Youth Hostel Association), 61 Mountjoy St., Dublin 7 (☎01 830 4555; www.irelandyha.org). EUR€20, under 18 EUR€10.
Hostelling International Northern Ireland (HINI), 22-32 Donegall Rd., Belfast BT12 5JN (☎028 9032 4733; www.hini.org.uk). UK£15, under 25 UK£10.
Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA), 7 Glebe Cres., Stirling FK8 2JA (☎01786 89 14 00; www.syha.org.uk). UK£8, under 16 free.
Youth Hostels Association (England and Wales), Trevelyan House, Dimple Rd., Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3YH (☎01629 592 600; www.yha.org.uk). UK£16, under 26 UK£10.
Hostelling International-USA, 8401 Colesville Rd., Ste. 600, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (☎301-495-1240; www.hiayh.org). US$28, under 18 free.