have you stayed in a youth hostel?

mrs_baggins

I am keen to hear from people who are not really a youth! -like myself!. I am thinking of joining the YHA as a means of going away for the odd few days in the uk. Have never done anything like this and am a bit wary as I dont really like sharing a room with somone I dont know. I know there are some private rooms available but just wanted to get an idea of how basic or not they may be. I know they vary tremendously from place to place but just a general feeling of bathroom arrangements, sleeping etc.

Oldernotwiser

I've stayed in lots of youth hostels, both in the UK and Europe. Standards do vary but are generally good, with facilities like kitchens available. Although nowadays there tend to be much smaller rooms for 2/4 people, I don't think that there are all that many singles. Proportion of loos/showers to beds is generally good with en suites available in many newer hostels. Probably worth getting over your worries about sharing with someone you don't know because this is usually part of the youth hostel experience.

pogofish

Depends where you go - Many of the newer hostels are mainly single/twin, whilst the older ones are dorm-based. Then a lot have been revamped to around 4-bad standard but the wardens will book them as singles if there is the space. Toilets/washing etc is usually well catered for & the standard is pretty high across the whole UK - The hostel market has changed a lot in the last 20 years & lot of the older/more basic places have either closed or have been renovated to a much higher standard.

Go & enjoy - you will be fine. The element of mucking-in together has always been a part of hostelling. Just hope you don't end-up sharing with someone who snores like a train. I have seen an entire dorm tiptoe-out into the garden during the night in order to get some sleep/escape from one of those!

Which hostels were you thinking of? There may folk here who have stayed in them & can tell you what they are like?

Jelliebeen

My parents took me on lots of youth hosteling trips when they were in their 40s and 50s. We always had a private room and it was all fine!

Surfbabe

I'm 50 and me and my husband have been going to youth hostels for years with and without our children. They can be great fun - we usually have a private room either for 2 or 4 depending where we are and have never had any problems.

Enjoy !!!!

than4

From my experience backpacking and travelling with my partner, the YHA ones tend to be better than the independent ones and will have a much more mixed age crowd. This is generally because they have quite a few rules, curfews etc and the young backpacker group don't find them as fun. That said, I find they generally have the cleanest rooms, toilets and showers.
Smaller dorms tend to be slightly more expensive than sharing with loads of other people, but I would always go for the smallest dorm possible in my budget and a single-sex dorm (if a female, for a male I would go for a mixed dorm) as generally girls tend to be less likely to snore (or snore quieter), and perhaps slightly more considerate about making noise when coming home drunk.
You can get reviews of some hostels on tripadvisor or another good site for reviews (and booking) is hostelz.com

Strapped

As has already been said, they vary a lot so check the individual place you're thinking of visiting. I've stayed in lots of good YHA places, mainly 4 bedded rooms, some en-suite (and some absolutely terrible mass-dorms, mainly in Europe...mind you, as I shout in my sleep I'm likely to be the one disturbing rather than being disturbed ). If you're thinking of travelling in school hols, consider checking places like student halls for cheap accomodation too - usually single, often en-suite these days.

mrs_baggins

thanks everyone for the input. Havent got anywhere in mind. I want to take photos as well so anywhere really. somwhere quieter would suit me. maybe dorset/ devon are , the lakes, as I sasi anywhere. I cant afford to stay in hotels and even some b and b's are beyond me at the moment. I like my own space which is why I find sharign difficult plus I am a very light sleeper even with ear plugs in. Saying all this I think i will give it a go and see what happens. I had to share a room on a boat last year and wasnt looking forward to that at all but in teh end it worked out fine. maybe I am just a born worrier

Blue264

The hostles in Barcelona are some of the best in the World and well worth checking out.

http://www.youthostel.com/

One of my friends who is more accustomed to 4 and 5* hotels loved his stay at the Barcelona hostles that he went back twice more the same summer.

Personally, I like checking out student accommodation in summer. One of the best breaks I ever had was at The Mitre Rooms on High St., Oxford which is student digs for most of the year but rented out to the public in summer.
Also, another friend has spent at a week every year since childhood in the student digs if Heidelburg University.

SallyD

As far as I am concerned, Youth Hostelling at 57 and budget flights are fantastic. I started using them 10 years ago and I have not looked back - neither have my friends whom I have introduced to the world of budget travel. A very affordable way to see the world. Prices have gone up since they have introduced smaller rooms so you should do your sums to see if an IBIS/Mecure/Etap/Travellodge are coming out cheaper (although not always so central as many YH's)
I too, prefer to use the YHA international ones as the independent hostels can be full of true backpackers who love to party.

One of the best things about YHA travel is the people you meet from all over the world, young and old...mostly all eager to try out their English on you

Some of the hostels have kitchens you can use and always well equipped (Stockholm fully equiped Ikea kitchen with huge fridge/freezers for storage) Some have a cafeteria where you can get a good filling evening meal reasonably priced (Berlin IYHA - best evening dinner - and Gourmet food at St. Malo IYHA (chef training school attached to hostel + its virtually on the beach!)

Dusseldorf best twin room with wonderful en suite wet room - modern furnishings - equivalent to a 3/4* hotel .

Rome IYHA - big dormatories, feel like you are in a prison but what the hell, its only for a few nights!

Florence - frescoed ceilings, large italianate mansion - bit tatty, but great home made pizza's, great terrace with extra long dining table for everyone to sit and chat. I made good friends there and meet up yearly with an Israeli women and an Aussie in Europe.

Lake Coma and all the hostels along the lakes are super. Milan hostel has very nice 6 bedded rooms.

Barcelona - great building - good breakfast - good location.

Krakaw - smallest room for two anyone could ever come across but probably one of the most friendliest hostels ever stayed in - the size of the room made us laugh everyday - it was our private cell - would go back there anytime.

Personally, I feel the UK hostels fall behind in cleanliness but I have only been to one in Wales and Bath.

Have fun:T









.





Locations - generally city centre means city centre.

looby-loo_2

YHA

You can also use Tesco points