Should you stay in a hostel? Short answer: YES! If you are a budget traveller, staying in a hostel is a great way to save money, AND you can make new friends. Yes, there are some not-so-splendid parts, like shared bathrooms, loud roomies at night, snoring, and tripping over people’s bags. But in my long career of traveling, I’ve never regretted it.
My recommendations:
1. St. Christopher’s, London, UK: This is a chain of hostels across the UK and Europe. I met one of my lifelong friends here!
2. Selina, Antigua, Guatemala: Selina is also a hostel chain. I absolutely loved staying here during my weeklong trip to Antigua. It had a restaurant and bar, plus a gorgeous garden courtyard. The front desk folks were super helpful and helped me to book my transfer to Lake Atitlan.
3. The Yellow, Rome, Italy: I stayed here for almost two weeks and loved it. I also met another friend here, whom I’ve now known for about seven years.
4. Cat’s Hostel, Madrid, Spain: Ooh la la, the interior of this place is very unique. A bit of a Moroccan vibe. I met an amazing guy through one of their pub crawls—he and I eventually traveled together to Athens.
5. Abraham’s Hostels, Nazareth, Israel: Abraham’s is the best hostel to stay in if you’re visiting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Nazareth. I stayed at the one in Nazareth and it was divine—it was located in a restored mansion, and I even got to enjoy an oud concert.
6. MEININGER, Brussels, Belgium: This hostel chain is located throughout Europe, and I stayed here when I took a quick getaway to Brussels. It was just a few minutes from the Gare du Midi (train station), so it was incredibly easy for me to make my day trips! It was super clean and the front desk workers were so hospitable and helpful.
Comments