Travel Tips

Hosteling has been around since the early 1900's. A German school teacher was searching for a way to get his students, on weekends, out of the polluted air of a coal mining area and into the fresh air of the countryside. Although his initial purpose was concern for the health of his students (coal soot and dust), he expanded the idea with assistance from numerous schools throughout Germany. During weekends and school vacations, the empty buildings were used as housing for young German adventurers who were willing to pay inexpensive prices to sleep on straw mats and assist with light "chores" before heading out in the morning. The concept spread to Britain in the early 1930's and to the USA shortly after.

The hosteling movement grew through the 1960's, especially in Germany and Britain. A federation was formed called Hosteling International (HI) which governed the association of hostels, set the quality standards, and set-up rules and regulations. Today, this organization has grown to over 4,000 hostels in 60 countries.

During the 1980's another movement of independent hostels started in Britain and has since spread to the rest of Europe. These are privately or corporate-owned and are profit oriented. They are often slightly more expensive than the HI hostels, but also are more centrally located. Their quality standards are based on the codes required in the individual communities and countries in which they are located and, in consequence, sometimes have lower quality standards than the HI hostels. For the most part, hostels today do not require doing chores and are open longer hours.

When hosteling was first organized, it was for young people only. Today, there are few age restrictions and I will note those when possible. For the most part, persons of all ages are welcome at hostels around the world. This page and Hostel Tips will focus on hostels which I have visited in the last few years. There have been so many changes and improvements, as well as the emergence of independent hostels, that I dare not go back very far. Besides, before the days of digital cameras, I did not waste film on hostels.

Michelle Snow has written an excellent series of short articles about hosteling at the following site: Suite 101

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DJH Coburg - even the marble stairs sparkle

Types of Hostels

I have utilized hostels for many years, starting in the 1960's in Britain and Germany. My friends were German university students and we traveled on weekends. Most of the people who stayed in hostels at that time were students involved in biking, hiking, and climbing. Some of the hostels were a relatively long walk from the train stations, and some prohibited automobiles. Many of the hostels had family programs during the summer months.

I continue staying in hostels today for a number of reasons.
1. Cost.
2. Convenience.
3. Congeniality.
I will examine each of these in detail in the next chapter.

Differences in Hostels

There are different classifications in hostels as well as different motives for staying at a particular hostel. As mentioned above, there are the Hosteling International Hostels (HI), independent hostels, backpacker hostels, bunkhouses, student hotels, and others. For me, the biggest differences are found between the HI hostels and all of the others.

Hosteling International (HI)

HI hostels are part of an organization of over 4,000 hostels located around the world. I prefer HI hostels as a rule. In general, I find them to be better kept, more quiet, slightly less expensive, more comfortable, with excellent overall cleanliness and a member kitchen for individual food preparation. Membership in HI is required and each person must present a membership card when registering. For those who are not members, a "welcome card" is purchased from reception for €3. If a person stays for six nights at any of the HI hostels, the welcome card can be redeemed for a membership.

In Germany and Austria especially, HI hostels have many programs for families, teens, and pre-teens. While it is noisy until about 10:00 PM, it is usually quiet after that. The young people are usually well-behaved, but not quiet during the day. Most HI hostels are both smoke and alcohol free. HI hostels are generally NOT "party" hostels. The dorms are usually gender specific.

In Bavaria, the situation is somewhat different. In keeping with the "youth" hostel tradition, there is an age preference for individuals under the age of 26. Adults over 26 are charged 3 Euros more if there is availability. If one is over 26, it is best to deal with the individual hostel if requesting reservations.

HI hostels in Austria are similar to those in Germany without the age restrictions. They are very clean, very well kept and family oriented.

For more information as well as HI hostel locations around the world, go to Hosteling International or for German and Austrian Hostels go to:
German Hostel Assoc. or
Austrian Hostel Assoc.

Independent , Backpacker, and Bunkhouse Hostels

This hostels are generally privately owned and were originally for specific groups. They are all similar in many respects. They are usually slightly more expensive, serve alcohol, allow smoking in some common areas, have a bar which is more reasonable than the public establishments. Some of these have mixed gender dorms as well as gender separate dorms. They are more likely to have en suite facilities and 24 hour reception with no curfew, but are also noisy after 11:00 PM. Many tend to be "party" hostels with an age group in their 20's. The breakfasts provided may or may not be free. The independent hostels sometimes have better locations and are definitely more "fun," if that is what one craves. They also frequently have cheaper quality bunks and poor storage facilities. Websites to try: Hostels.com , BackpackEurope.com , and Hostelworld.com

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Burg Stahleck - DJH hostel in Bacharach, Germany

Advantages of Hosteling

Now, back to cost, convenience and congeniality. Hosteling offers the traveler a wonderful opportunity to see the world from a totally different perspective than one finds when staying in hotels. The majority of hostelers are in their 20's and beginning to experience life on their own. They are very interested in others in their age who hail from other countries. In short, they are interested in meeting others from all over the world, and not just the sightseeing side of travel. The friendships that form in hostels can be superbly interesting and some become lifelong. For me, I enjoy being around young people and I place a value on their opinions. They are usually less jaded than I am.

Cost. The traveler pays for one bed in a room with from 1 to 8 beds. He does not pay for a room priced with two beds although he uses only one. Hostels cost less money by a huge amount which can be better spent doing other things or not spent at all. There is no law that says that one cannot come home with money left. Even though the cost per night has risen greatly over the years, hostels are by far the best value. This is especially true for single travelers. According to my calculations, staying in hostels instead of hotels for two weeks will mean that I save almost enough for another two week trip! A medium priced hotel charges about $125 per night. The most expensive hostel charges about $30 per night for a small dorm. The difference in price equals a savings of over $1300! When I calculate $500 for airfare to Germany, and $420 for two weeks in a hostel, I still have over $400 for food and expenses. That's another trip!

Convenience Hostels are sometimes located away from the central city, but they are typically close to public transportation. Because they usually have member kitchens and are close to food stores, cooking one's own meals is easy (just make sure that you eat only the food YOU purchased, and clean up after yourself). Also, one is far more likely to meet locals at hostels than at fancy hotels. At a hotel in Amsterdam, the desk clerk was from London, the bell person was from Turkey, the concierge came from Belgium, and the bartenders came from everywhere but Amsterdam. This a case where the hostel staff offers a couple of advantages. First, most are locals, and know what is popular, where the tourist traps are, where the local stores are and which are best, and where locals congregate. Second they not only know their city, but the attractions outside of the city and the necessary transportation.

Congeniality Hostels are known for the friendliness and helpfulness of the staffs, but that is only a small part of the congeniality that most hostelers find. Hosteling is a great way to meet new people and form new friendships. If one has a kind of "open" schedule, it is easy to hook-up with other hostelers and travel together which is much more fun than traveling alone. Besides, there is safety in numbers.

Another advantage is the uniqueness of the architecture in which one finds hostels. The first picture (High Street Hostel) is just off "The Royal Mile" in Edinburgh, Scotland. To say the the building is old is an understatement. It is an independent hostel, one of the oldest independents in Scotland, and very good. The second picture is the hostel in Coburg, Germany. It was a small palace in it's former life. The third picture is a castle overlooking the Rhine River in Bacharach, Germany. Three years ago I stayed in a castle on the Rhine for $22.00 per night including breakfast!

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The vinyards from our window at Burg Stahleck

Disadvantages of Hosteling

Yes, there are some disadvantages to hosteling. Let's face it, some people are uncomfortable in a hostel setting. If your trip is one that you put your heart and soul into for a romantic holiday with your partner, communal sleeping arrangements are probably not what you had in mind.

Hosteling is for those who are on a limited budget; who need to go cheap. Hostelers are willing to give up amenities and privacy to save money. If one needs amenities, hosteling is not the way to go. Paying a deposit for a key or a towel just doesn't sit well with some folks. Moreover, sharing toilet and shower facilities with strangers is definitely not for everybody.

There are a number of very legitimate reasons for why hostels are not for everyone. The biggest reason is a person's own comfortability (or lack of) in a hostel setting. I have talked to many, many people about hostels in their futures, and the vast majority say "no." While their arguments may lack logic to some, what is relevant is their personal uncomfortability. There is no "right" or "wrong." There is only what "is."

Personal privacy in toileting and showering is exactly that - personal. So what if that person lived in a college dorm or apartment with six other students. What about sharing toilets in schools with 1200 other students? If your were an athlete you were one of many naked bodies. Let's not forget those in the military. The point that I am making is that no person should be forced to be uncomfortable because of lack of privacy. This is especially true if they are on a vacation.

Part of the problem is that some of us who do well in hostel settings refuse to understand another person's point of view and almost shame the other person into doing something uncomfortable. True friends find solutions to travel problems without insulting another person about their privacy issues. Enough of that subject.

Some people need absolute quiet to sleep. Ear plugs and a sleep mask don't cut it. In many party hostels people come and go all night. After a night of having a beer at every bar, the offender comes in, wakes everyone because he/she is unable to locate their key, then attempts to convince everyone in the room of what a good time was had, and then finally snores the rest of the night. That might cause a few problems.

Personal safety in Europe is seldom a problem. The biggest problem is theft and that is usually in the form of pickpockets. Losses from hostels are few considering the number of nights booked in hostels each year, but no one can say that theft does not occur. The vast majority of hostels now have rooms that lock with a key, and most of the HI hostels have lockers which can be locked with a padlock and are large enough to hold anything of value. If you have to carry valuables (which you are encouraged NOT to do), like expensive electronics, don't hostel. If you can't live without your laptop and you are not a travel writer, don't go on vacation. Why spend money to spend half your time looking at your screen. There are plenty of Internet Cafes and most hostels have internet facilities. Above all, don't carry valuables that you cannot afford to lose.

Smoking is a culture in Europe. Smokers take their "right" to smoke seriously. Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland have made illegal all smoking in public places. That has not happened yet in the remainder of Europe. Besides that, almost 30% of the European population smokes! That is twice the percentage of US smokers. Some hostels allow smoking in all common areas. Most of the HI hostels do not allow smoking, but there are always those who break the rules. If smoking is not for you, many hostels will be included in "do not go" list.

These are most of the reasons for not choosing hostels. I believe that there are more and better reasons to use hostels, but for those that don't, you are forgiven, sort of.

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Hostel entrance in Festung Ehrenbreitstein

Hosteling for Seniors

Hosteling for senior citizens is a little different than for young people. For the most part, we travel a little (or a lot) more slowly and our objectives are somewhat different than our much younger counterparts. Many of the seniors traveling today were small children during WWII. During the 1960's, when I was stationed in Germany, I paid 11 cents per gallon of gas. When I returned home. we had to pay 28 cents per gallon and thought it was expensive. We did not grow up with the conveniences (especially electronic) that today's traveler has access to and knowledge to use. My next door neighbor is my age, has never used a computer and has no intention of ever using one. All I am saying is that each generation is a little different. We have to respect theirs and ask them to respect ours. We are not just a bunch of "geezers."

The hostel in the photo of this chapter is in the Festung (Fortress) Ehrenbreitstein which overlooks the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers in Koblenz, Germany. When I was there in 2004, there were about fifteen hostelers between the ages of 50 and 65.

Senior hosteling has increased over the last 20 years. While it will probably never be considered "fashionable" for Senior travel, it is becoming more popular. When I was in my 40's, I was almost always the oldest person in the hostel. Now, while there are not many in my age bracket (65+), there are frequently more men and women in their 40's and 50's utilizing the hostel way of travel.

I have a simple system that I use to determine how much time I spend in a location. Small towns (like Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg) are 2 days, large towns or small cities - 3 days, medium cities - 4 days, and large cities - 5 -7 days. (I find it very advisable to spend one night in towns that are highly touristed because most of the tourists are gone at night and the true charm of the communities becomes more evident.) My Home Page details this plan. My goal is to become, at least for a short time, a part of the community I am visiting. I try to look at each location as a living, breathing entity that I hope to "feel," not just "see." I may not see as many places as I could, but I thoroughly enjoy the places I visit. Hosteling is a big part of that enjoyment.

Over the years, I have had to adapt my travel habits to my age, just to take into account what my body doesn't want to do anymore. For example, I don't just jump up to the top bunk any more, and I get down even more carefully. Jumping from a distance of 4 feet is hard on old joints. Also, I may have to get up during the night and getting off the top bunk will invariably wake the entire room when I land on the floor awkwardly. The best solution is to have a lower bunk which is not always easy to get unless you arrive at a hostel early enough to ask for one.

My solution is fairly simple. I try to arrive at the hostel as early as possible. Usually I am allowed to leave my luggage in a secure luggage area or in the hostel office until registration time. At that time I ask when I should return so I have a good chance at getting a lower bunk or single bed. Hopefully, the person I talk to will visualize an ambulance at the front door wheeling out a senior traveler who had a problem with an upper bunk. (This is not the time to demonstrate how spry you are.)

In the next chapter I will explain more of how I travel and what works for me.

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The Festung Ehrenbreitstein from across the Rhine

A Personal Approach to Travel

Hostels work for me because of my style of travel. Anyone who travels extensively will develop his/her own approach. I know that if I plan well, my day will be filled but not rushed, regardless of location or weather. My basic travel strategy is to participate in as much of everyday life as I can, including relaxation, regardless of where I am visiting. That means that I will not be spending much time in a hotel or any other place that I sleep. Any kind of space with a reasonably comfortable bed is fine for me. My time in the hostel is spent registering, making my bed, locking up my pack, and leaving. I shower before I go to bed, pack either my regular pack or day pack, read about the next day's itinerary, and sleep. In the morning, I shave, pack my toilet gear (if I am leaving), have breakfast, and head out for the day. All of the rest of my time is spent away from the hostel. Lunch is either a sandwich of fresh bread or rolls and lunch meat or a bowl of hearty soup with bread or rolls. In mid-afternoon I will have leisurely snack of pastry and coffee (or soda or water) at a pastry shop. For supper I go to a place recommended by the hostel staff as a place where locals go. At twilight I try to take some night pictures of the buildings around a square or other places where the buildings are lighted. Then, it is back to the hostel. I walk between five and twelve miles each day, and for me, at age 67, that is a very full day, indeed.

My system is relatively simple. I use "base cities" to cut down on the number of times that I move pulling a large suitcase or carrying a heavy backpack. From each base city, I determine what places I wish to visit. A large city, like Munich, Germany would be a base for much of Bavaria and parts of Austria. I would plan to spend about 8 days in Munich which would give me access to Munich, Oberammergau, Augsburg, Ulm, Mittenwald, Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria, as well as parts of the Black Forest. These are only a few of the many places worth visiting in southern Germany.

Then I would figure out how much time I would need in each place. In this case I would want four days for Munich, day trips for Mittenwald and Oberammergau, two days for Salzburg, and 2 days for the Black Forest. It is not nearly as complicated as it seems. First, I would break the days up. I would not tour Munich for four straight days. I would spend one day in Munich, then take a day trip to Mittenwald, for example. Following another day in Munich, I would change locations to one of the cities like Salzburg. This is a two day trip and instead of lugging a heavy suitcase with me, I would carry a small day pack (my favorite is the Civita pack from Rick Steeves) in which I would carry changes of underwear, shaving gear, a pair of Khaki pants, and a pullover. My camera would be on my belt, and I would also carry an extra battery instead of a charger. I would leave Munich at about 9:00 AM and arrive in Salzburg about 11:00 AM. I would then go to the hostel, get a lower bunk, make the bed up, and leave to tour the city for the day and early evening. The following day would be for Salzburg and perhaps a day trip to Hallstadt. Early on the third day I would train back to Munich, re-register at the Munich hostel, and spend the afternoon and evening in Munich. The next day would be a day trip, and so on. My next base city could be Nürnberg for six or seven days to include Bamburg, Bayreuth, Amberg, Würzburg, as well as Dinkelsbühl and Rothenburg, and start the process over again.

I have been using this system for a long time and the only time I have problems is when I deviate from it. It sounds much more hectic than it is, and the only disadvantage is that it is based on seeing areas of a country as opposed to countries and their major cities. I don't look at a trip to Europe as a one-time thing. I plan on going two or three times each year, so over the years, I will have seen all the cities I wanted to see, but also much of the countries as well.

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The view from Paddy's Doolin Hostel in Ireland

Things to consider when choosing a hostel

In chapters 3, 5, and 6, there are photographs of hostels that are perched high up on hills. Castles were built high up for defensive purposes. They were not supposed to be easily reachable. Burg Stahleck has a small, narrow in places, and very steep path leading up the mountain. Much of it is dirt and very slippery when wet. The Festung Ehrenbreitstein is across the river from the old town and also requires a a long hike up to the top. There is a chair lift during the day, but it closes at about 5:00 PM. Also, it only goes to the bottom of the hill, quite a ways from the city on the other side of the Rhine River. All is not hopeless, however. Taxi service is available in both places for about €8 for a single person or €10 for 2 people. One can spend a lot of money going up and back over the course of a few days. The views from the walls of both places at great, but... They're really great if you have a car.

The above will hopefully make travelers think of a few questions to ask before booking a hostel. Remember that when traveling, the best surprise is no surprise. Following is a partial list of other useful things to know.
1. What is the check-in time?
2. What is the check-out time?
3. Can I leave my luggage somewhere before I check-in or out?
4. How far is it to public transportation? (in meters - a meter is a yard. If someone says, "only a few meters," ask how many.)
5. What are the additional charges for linen, towels, padlocks, room keys?
6. Is there a curfew and what time is it?
7. Can I get in after curfew?
8. Are there lockable, secure lockers in the rooms?
9. Are the lockers big enough to hold a full-size backpack?
10. Is there any secure place for backpack storage?
11. Is there a valuables safe? How much is it per day?
12. Is alcohol allowed in the facility, and if so, is there a public bar?
13. Is smoking allowed, and where?
14. Are the rules about smoking in bedrooms enforced? (ask - smoking drunks burn hostels down)
15. Does the hostel offer any deals or special prices for tours? Free city maps?
16. Are the dorms gender specific?
17. Are there en suite facilities? Which?
18. Is there a laundry on the premises? If not, where?
19. Is there a member kitchen?
20. Is there a grocery store in the vicinity? How far?

There are lots of other questions that can be asked. The above is is a group of questions that, at one time or another, I should have asked.

Backpack storage is actually not as big a problem as it seems. I have never had anything stolen at a hostel, even when my pack was not locked and left in the open in my room. Part of the reason is that I never leave anything valuable in the pack. On moving days, when I am leaving one of my bases, I use storage lockers at the train station. Almost all stations in large towns and cities have lockers for that purpose. Stations frequently have a "left luggage" area as well.

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Würzburg, Germany - Fortress above the hostel

Final tidbits of hard-learned wisdom

The hostel in the photograph is in Würzburg, Germany. It is located at normal street level with the Fortress up above. This makes the best sense when choosing a hostel. You have a choice about climbing up or not. When I did climb to the fortress, all I carried was my day pack and camera, not a heavy backpack. It makes a difference.

I bring this up because so many times I was guilty of not knowing what I had to do to get to a hostel. Was it a long way from public transportation? Was a climb necessary to reach the hostel? What bus, tram, subway do I take to get to the hostel, and at which stop do I get off? None of these things are important unless it is raining, snowing, or I have a heavy backpack and a couple of other small bags.

I also thought that having a laptop with me would save a lot of money in flash card memory for my cameras. A nice leather laptop bag with my laptop and other miscellaneous stuff wouldn't be all that heavy. Of course, when one carries a laptop with all the cords necessary for charging plus transferring files to the laptop, and one has chargers for two cameras, one mobile phone, and a pda, the total adds up to 20 lbs. without much difficulty.

I have preached about packing light for many years. Because the new synthetics have cut the weight of clothes and produced strong yet lightweight packs, I have been able to lighten my pack load to about 20 lbs. That weight will give me enough clothing to last for about two months. The cost of laundromats is not terribly high, and worth about 2 hours every week to 10 days. But, adding a shoulder bag of 20lbs. is (was) insane. It won't happen again. The maximum that I will carry in electronics will be three pounds including cords and chargers. The laptop will be gone and I will purchase lightweight battery chargers for the electronics.

One other tip involves the use of plastic bags that can save space by allowing the traveler to eliminate the air in the bag by one way valves or vacuuming out the air. They are great space savers, and wonderful for storage, but they are not great weight savers! While I may have more space in my pack, it just means that I can make it heavier, not lighter. The only reason that I would use one of these bags is to make my pack small enough to be considered "carry-on luggage." I take a couple these bags in the small sizes in order to make room in my pack for any small purchases I make. I don't bring back souvenirs for friends because I don't want to carry them. If someone wants something, I will ship it to them if they pay the postage, but I will not carry it around Europe on my back.

My final comments are targeted for travelers who are "new" to travel outside their home countries. Don't try to see everything at once. Europeans do the same thing that we Americans do when traveling to another continent. A vacation becomes whirlwind of moving quickly from place to place and everything becomes a blur. One place merges into another. It is not possible for one to see Europe on a 21 day "highlights" vacation any more than it is possible for a European to see the US in the same amount of time. Plan on going more than once. It is that simple.

One last tip: do your own research and go to the places that you find interesting. It is fine to listen to others who have been to different places, but you know what you like and don't like. Make your vacation your vacation. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Go and have a good time. Pack light, carry less, do less, enjoy more.