YHA youth hostel holiday - Advice sought

charis18uk

I'm considering a family holiday in youth hostels particularly the following ones:

National Forest YHA
Sherwood Forest YHA

Anybody got experiences/opinions about these. Also any other family orientated youth hostels in England that you would recommend?

[Deleted User]

Hartington Hall. Lots of children. we only go there out of season as it is very popular with families

wallbash

Alfreston South Downs

JanetG

onewom wrote: »

Hartington Hall. Lots of children. we only go there out of season as it is very popular with families

Can second Hartington Hall. We've been there with kids and have booked to go again during the Easter hols.

Never been to the two you mentioned in the OP.

[Deleted User]

Boggle Hole is nice but you cannot park close to the hostel so you have to walk with your luggage. If your children are too young to carry their own bags it is a bit of a trek to and fro.

charis18uk

Thanks for all the advice so far. Still considering whether to go and when. I'm definately going to pay with tesco clubcard points though.

TeresaO

Boggle Hole, York, Hathersage, Castleton and Bristol.

Family rooms are good and cooking for yourselves is brilliant and cheap especially in the city. Kids love it and they also have a sense of independance and responsibilty (they have to cook and clean up in our family), also when they are in bed lots of time for mum and dad to read

go and enjoy

T

[Deleted User]

When you book you will need to tell them that you have Tesco vouchers. I am not sure that all hostels will accept them so best to check.

[Deleted User]

You don't say what type of hostel you're looking for, or whether you have any previous experience of hostels.

The two you mention are both very big, new, modern hostels if that's what you had in mind. Some people who have not hostelled before can be a bit shocked by how primitive some of them are, in which case these are probably a good idea for a first stay. They're easy to get to by car and have bags of space around them in the forest. (NF is also part of the caravan club site.)

However, if as I do, you like small hostels with lots of character in spectacular out-of-the-way settings and don't mind how primitive they get, then these are perhaps not for you.

Try also Ingleton, Borrowdale, Derwentwater, all better hostels and in better scenery in my opinion.

charis18uk

jack_pott wrote: »

You don't say what type of hostel you're looking for, or whether you have any previous experience of hostels.

The two you mention are both very big, new, modern hostels if that's what you had in mind. Some people who have not hostelled before can be a bit shocked by how primitive some of them are, in which case these are probably a good idea for a first stay. They're easy to get to by car and have bags of space around them in the forest. (NF is also part of the caravan club site.)

However, if as I do, you like small hostels with lots of character in spectacular out-of-the-way settings and don't mind how primitive they get, then these are perhaps not for you.

Try also Ingleton, Borrowdale, Derwentwater, all better hostels and in better scenery in my opinion.

It would be our first ever hostel experience as a family. I have hostelled before but my husband is a novice and sceptic.

Looking for something modern and well located, don't mind basic as long as clean and inviting.

[Deleted User]

What sort of holiday are you planning, do you have any preferences for area?

NF and Sherwood are certainly modern as they're virtually brand new, but for my money they lack character and aren't in a particularly inviting part of the country.

Borrowdale (Longthwaite) and Derwentwater (Barrow House) are both popular family hostels in the Lake District and pretty good for facilities. Barrow House is an 18th century mansion in grounds overlooking Derwentwater, and Longthwaite is a cedarwood hostel in the woods by the river, purpose built in the 1930's.

The new hostel at Whitby is also pretty good, it's a brand new conversion of a historic building at the top of the 199 steps by the abbey- another superior location. (Not to be confused with the old hostel next door, which is now closed.)

If you want grandeur try Hartington Hall, very posh and the Peak Distrct is lovely too. (Ilam and Wilderhope fall into that category too I think, but I haven't used them so I couldn't tell you too much about those.)

If you want to try simple and basic, Black Sail is idyllic as are Skiddaw Hse, Tanners Hatch, Telscombe, Hindhead, Rowen, Tintagel.............