What To Expect in Your First Hostel

Not all hostels are created equal and that’s part of the fun!

Not all hostels are created equal

Some hostels will be cleaner than others, some hostels will be more fun than others, and some will offer better value for money than others.

Sharing a dorm room


This is a topic I get asked often. “Is it safe to stay in mixed dorms“ or “Will my stuff be safe in a dorm room”. Sometimes even “What if the people in my room don’t like me?”

Be Yourself


My best piece of advice for your first time in a shared dorm room is to just be yourself. If you’re exhausted because you’ve been travelling for hours and just want to get an early night – don’t care about whether your roommates will think you’re boring! If you’ve had a few too many beers and they hear you singing your very best rendition of the intro to The Lion King – don’t worry! They might even join in!

Compromise


When it comes to tidiness, you may have to get used to stepping over a few people’s bags and sliding their towel out of the way so you can climb up into your bunk. This may be a shock for those of you who have never shared a bedroom, but overall it’s a lesson in patience. It’s also a lesson in learning to talk with others and make compromises: “Hey, do you mind hanging your towel at the foot-end of the bed rather than on the ladder because it’s a slip hazard when I go to bed!”

Meeting people from different walks of life


This is the favourite part of hostel travel.

Budget travellers, businessmen and women, digital nomads, families, adventure-seekers, bookworms, yoga-nuts, climbers, musicians – these are all examples of people I’ve met in hostels. Not to mention the range of religions and nationalities that walk through hostel doors every day in Europe.

Hostels attract so many different people that you’re almost forced to have an open-mind in order to have a conversation. And when that conversation starts you’ll be amazed at the things you can learn from others.









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