The picture that comes to mind when the word “hostel” is mentioned is of a big room filled with college students and teenagers all carrying backpacks. Partying far into the night, and sleeping half of the following day. But that is not an accurate description of a hostel.
It is true that during the summer months, college students and teenagers do fill the hostels, but during the other nine months of the year, you’ll find couples (some with infants), student groups, business travelers, and seniors. Many hostels have what are called “family rooms” where families can stay with some privacy. These family rooms usually need to be booked in advance.
The idea of hostels was first thought of by Richard Schirrmann, who was a teacher in Germany. He was traveling with eight of his students when they were caught in a rainstorm and took shelter in a farmer’s barn. Richard Schirrmann saw the possibilities and opened the first hostel in 1907 at Altena in Germany. Through the subsequent years, hostels have sprung up all over Europe and the rest of the world.
People who an itch to travel and limited funds available to scratch that itch have found that staying in hostels is the most economical way to get clean and safe accommodations at a very reasonable cost. Travelers have found that they can travel further and longer when they save money by staying in hostels rather than hotels.
It is important to be aware of the location of hostels where you make reservations. Some hostels are located very centrally, but there is no parking available; while others are located in very rural settings where there is no public transportation available.
You’ll meet people from all over the world and from every walk of life. Staying in a hostel is probably the ultimate cultural opportunity.
Travel - Hostel Accommodations
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