Hostels:  A Quick Overview

If you’ve yet to spend time in a hostel, you may have the faulty notion of nondescript, overwhelming, industrial rooms, rows of bunk beds teeming with vagrants, policed by ruthlessly indifferent managers who have zero concern about the level of service.  Thankfully this couldn’t be further from the truth.  Quite the opposite really, as hostels are often a social hotbed and refuge for those seeing the world on a budget.  Most modern hostels no longer even have a curfew, are independently-owned, and willing to extend themselves for your patronage.

What Should I expect?
• Significantly cheaper rate than your average hotel.
• A dormitory style room with a bed and access to a shared bathroom/shower.
• A commons area with general entertainment, i.e., a television, books, magazines.
• Friendly people, a generally cordial atmosphere.
• The crowds are typically younger.
• On occasion one with a small breakfast of cereal, toast, or oatmeal.

What Shouldn’t I Expect?
• A free towel.  Some offer rentals, but not all of them.
• Security.  Though many hostels provide lockers for your valuables, you’ll need your own padlock.
• Absolute quiet. What do you think the odds are that one of the ten people in your room will snore?  Having earplugs never hurt.

Types of Hostels
• Party hostel - Has a young, raucous crowd and is close to a bar. Good for meeting people and drinking the night away.  Cleanliness and service typically take a backseat to fun.
• YHA/HI Hostel - These are members of international hostel organizations and abide by very strict rules.  Usually very clean, but sometimes bland.  Expect peace and quiet at the cost of a laundry list of rules and regulations.
• “Mom and Pop” Hostel - The middle ground between the party and HI hostel.  Independently owned, very warm and welcoming, full of friendly travelers. 

Types of Rooms
• Private - These rooms usually have one, two or three beds that are booked together for groups.
• Mixed dormitory - These rooms are coed with an indefinite number of beds.  Usually the less beds, the more expensive the rate.
• Single sex dormitory - Same as a mixed dorm, but either all male or all female. With soaring gas prices and airfares, staycationing is a great option for the frugal traveler, or in this case, non-traveler.  Not only does this brand of hometown tourism save you money, but it can reduce the amount of vacation-induced stress by:

• Saving big on hotel rooms – by virtue of not having any.
• Slashing gas and other travel expenses.
• Allowing you to remain within your comfort zone.
• Using your tribal knowledge to pick local, cheap attractions.
• Letting you pack/cook meals from home.

Although you’ve chosen this path in an effort to save money, there’s no reason why staycationing has to be a dull experience.  With what has been saved on travel costs alone, you can easily afford to stay in a nice hotel or dine at that swanky restaurant you’ve always wanted to try.  And just think; you’re reaping all these benefits while feeding your local economy at the same time!

As with any vacation, however, there are some pitfalls to be weary of.  The below tips will aid you in mitigating these, while maintaining a sense of adventure and fun:

Set a budget.
No different than you would for a normal vacation.  Creating a spending plan – and sticking to it – is key to garnering the full savings benefit of this unique vacation style.

Check out a guidebook.
Odds are your local library is teeming with books about your area.  These guides contain excellent info on cheap eats, cool attractions, and local history.  You may just come across a previously undiscovered gem along the way as well.

Have an adventure.
Being in your geographical comfort zone is the best time to try things you wouldn’t normally do.  This is a great way to make your hometown – and your vacation – all the more exciting.

Make yourself unavailable.
Pretend you’re vacationing out of town although you’re still at home. Ignore the phone. Stay off of e-mail.  Blow off the kids’ soccer games.  This is your time to relax, so forget about the worries of the real world.

Do a house swap.
Have friends interested in staycationing as well?  Swap houses for a week (or even a weekend).  Not only will you gain insight into new neighborhoods, it will help you further unplug and put some distance between you and the distractions at home.