How to Hostel Hop
My advice to young travelers looking to see the world at their own pace: hostels are the way to go. One of my most-used iPhone apps while traveling was Hostelworld, which is a super reliable app that connects travelers with hostels that have open beds. You can book months ahead or make day-of bookings, which worked perfectly for my spur-of-the-moment style of travel. Some of the factors I took into account when booking with hostels included:
Location. I pretty much walked or biked everywhere, especially in spots that weren’t as developed, like the Greek Islands and Southern Portugal. I made sure my hostels were within walking distance of the sights I wanted to see or spots where I could access public transportation. I had no plans to rent a car throughout my entire trip, so location was the most important factor for me.
Price. Fees per night vary from city to city, but you’ll notice most hostels fall within a certain price range depending on the location. However, there are always going to be outliers on the high and low ends. I typically went with hostels in the mid to upper price range. You pretty much get what you pay for and I wasn’t looking to take any chances by trying to save a few bucks.
Reviews: Always, and I cannot emphasize this enough, ALWAYS read reviews (and write them when you can!) As young travelers, I’d like to think we’re all in the same boat when it comes to living accommodations: we need a safe, clean, and inviting space where we can lay our heads, and backpacks, at night. I read every review for every hostel and if there was even ONE mention of bed bugs, dirty sheets, or anything of that sort, I kept scrolling. Honest reviews are the best way to help other travelers find great spots to stay, or not-so-great spots to avoid. I left a review a for every place I stayed because I appreciated those who did the same for me.
Insights from fellow travelers: Whenever I met someone I vibed with, I always asked three questions: Where have you been? What did you see? And where did you stay? Some of the best recommendations I received came from fellow backpackers with whom I shared similar interests. They never failed to give me the honest truth about the places they loved and those they’d never send their worst enemies to.
Surprisingly, more than half of the people I met in hostels were traveling solo. There was just this go-with-the-flow vibe that I absolutely loved. Travelers came and went as they pleased, which made it really easy to find companions to go on excursions with. Booking with hostels also kept my living expenses super cheap, so I had extra funds to explore new restaurants and bars and book day trips with friends I made along the way. More often than not, hostels will organize their own city tours, bar crawls, and day trips to cool spots that may be hard to get to on your own. If you find that your hostel doesn’t offer these things, the employees almost always have great recommendations for must-see spots in the area or third-party companies that can make it happen for you. One of my favorite experiences was a completely unplanned day trip to Sintra, Portugal organized by Goodmorning Lisbon Hostel. Of course, I made a point to see what I had researched from my computer at home, but I did it on my own time with the company of my choosing. I guess I’m trying to say that if I had made an itinerary for every day I was traveling, I would have felt a sense of restriction and that’s not the vision I had set for myself for my first solo trip. There was nothing quite like the bliss of knowing I could make each day my own!
