Europe Travel> How to find a hostel

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Backpacking and traveling across Europe is fun and adventurous. You open your mind to a whole new life, a country so beautiful that will enrich your life for ever. But backpacking and traveling low budget does have its own side effects, especially when it comes to a place of stay.

Hostels are predominantly meant for backpackers who are traveling across Europe within a specific budget. These hostels are equipped with rooms, bunk beds, showers, security and also offer an opportunity to meet like minded travelers.

Since these are budget stays, hostels provide you with the basic amenities. Ensure the hostel that you plan on staying has dining areas, bathrooms, cooking area, laundry, lockers and in some cases, tourist booths and internet access. Remember, most hostels don’t offer you frills such as – room service and may/ may not provide towels. If at all they do, you may have to pay a towel deposit.

Keep your mind open as some hostels maybe spotlessly clean or may not match up to your expectations. Check with the hostel if they have any curfew time, so that you don’t run into trouble during late nights.

A typical hostel/ hotel should have all kinds of rooms – budget, single, sharing etc. At times, double occupancy rooms maybe taken up by couples out on a weekend trip, while single rooms taken up by budget businessmen.

Before paying for a room, ask if you can see the rooms. Check if the door locks work fine, whether the kitchens and bathrooms are clean and hygienic and beds made neatly with clean sheets. Small details such as these make a lot of difference in your overall Europe travel.

Before putting up in a hostel ask for their rules and regulations – especially the ones concerning deposits and refunds. Just in case you don’t like the place, you know you can leave anytime with your deposit in return. There are instances where hostels don’t refund any money, if you have paid them in advance. So it’s best to check for such minor, but important details beforehand.

These places may not be the best of the places to stay that you have imagined, but this is what most backpackers do. After all, you don’t live here for too long. A night or two, or maybe even more and you’re off to your next destination on your map.