What I wish I knew about hostels before I started using them (plus tips for comfort and a packing list)
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I love hostels. There’s a sort of energy in hostels that’s hard to explain. You’re surrounded by like-minded people; travellers infected with the excitement of a new place. There’s a shared understanding — a "we’re all in this together" kind of feeling. A charge in the air. We all know we’re here in this city to have incredible experiences, meet new people, understand new cultures, and expand our minds.
I’ve been a full-time traveler for about 10 years, and I’ve stayed in hostels in cities all over the world — Paris, NYC, Berlin, Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, London, Tokyo, to name a few.
I’ve always found the experiences to be valuable. And hostels are such a great way to make friends and save your dollars to spend on other things.
Here’s all the knowledge & strategies I’ve learned about how to leverage hostels when you’re travelling.
You’ll learn:
What is a hostel?
How to find the best hostel for you
How to sleep better
What to expect from hostel life (and how to handle the bumps)
How to make friends in hostels
Basic hostel etiquette so you don't accidentally become that roommate
Safety tips
What you should bring to make your stay as comfortable as possible
The exact hostels I recommend in major cities
What Is a Hostel?
Hostels are budget-friendly accommodations where you rent a bed in a shared dorm.
They usually come with bunk beds (from 4 to 20+ beds per room), shared bathrooms, and communal kitchens or lounges. Most provide lockers, Wi-Fi, coworking spaces, and extras like rooftop terraces or laundry machines
Many hostels also offer private rooms — great if you’re traveling with a friend, a partner, or just want more privacy. If you're traveling with a group, you can often book out an entire dorm too.
In the past, hostels were geared toward students looking for affordable accommodation while studying. These days, hostels are for everyone — solo travelers, backpackers, digital nomads, young & old, and even families. They’re especially popular in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, where they’re often the cheapest and most social way to stay.
The Good vs. The Bad
The Good:
Cheap: Hostels are usually the cheapest way to get accommodation while travelling.
Central: they are nearly always located very central to major attractions in cities, making them a better option than a cheap hotel outside of the city center.
More flexible than hotels or Airbnbs: hostels can nearly always be booked last minute (more on booking advice later), and they have optional cancellation policies. Generally, they’re a lot easier to book and less of a hassle overall.
Easy to meet people: Hostels are incredible melting pots of unique people, with a genuine cross-cultural friendliness that is unmatched. You will instantly make new friends who are on the same page as you. You may rarely feel more connected to humanity.
The Bad:
If you’re not prepared, it can be a little more challenging to sleep (but not awful)
if you’re not used to sharing accommodation with others or if you don’t have the right expectations, it might take you a little time to adjust.
But honestly? These things are small compared to the rewards.
How to Pick the Right Hostel
I pretty much always use Hostelworld.com.
It’s built for hostels, the filters are useful, it includes photos of the hostels, explanations on the facilities, and the reviews are honest & accurate. The web page is super easy to use, and they also have a really solid app you can use to book from your phone.
If you want to compare with hotels, Booking.com can be fine. But if you know you want a hostel, Hostelworld wins. You can compare to Airbnb too, but Airbnbs are often not as good for travel on a budget, and you won’t get the social aspect that hostels offer.
Later in this article, I’ll list my favorite hostels in various cities. But I’ll give you advice on how to find your own.
Here’s what I look for every time:
Rating: I generally look for hostels rated a 7 or higher. Be sure to check the number of reviews. The more reviews the better. Always sort reviews by most recent. If multiple people mention noise or broken stuff, believe them. This is what’s great about Hostelworld; the review system lets you know what you can expect. You can filter by rating:
Dorm size: Fewer beds = less likely you'll have bad roommates = less chaos = better sleep. Worth paying a little more, if there's availability and your budget can handle it. Sometimes it’s a difference of just a few dollars a night to have a smaller room. Generally, I aim for 4-10 beds max. Some hostels are wild and stack like 18-24 beds in a room; you probably want to avoid this unless you’re on a tighter budget for your trip.
Private Rooms: many hostels offer private rooms, so if you’re a couple or travelling with a friend or just want privacy, you can look for this. Kitchens and other facilities are still shared, but some private rooms have ensuite bathrooms and/or showers. Surprisingly, sometimes private rooms are as cheap, or not much more expensive, than the dorms. Keep an eye out, Hostelworld shows you price comparisons between private/dorms on their website.
Location: Proximity is one of the best things about hostels — many are near museums, beaches, or major attractions. Make a quick list of what you want to do, then pick a hostel close to those spots. It’s almost never worth saving a few bucks on a place that’s far away — you’ll waste time commuting and likely spend more on transport anyway. Prioritize walkability over being near a metro. And anyway, walking is the best way to explore a city. The more you can explore on foot, the better your trip will feel. Use the map mode to search by location:
Kitchen: Saves you money, you can cook healthy, and gives you a natural spot to meet people. Factor in your sleep schedule - some hostels close kitchens during certain hours. If you wake up very early, or eat very late, the kitchen may not be open. Usually kitchens provide some basics like salt, pepper, other spices, cooking oil, sugar, and sometimes coffee, but this is not guaranteed. Again, you can just the ‘Filter’ function if this is a requirement for you.
Rules: Avoid curfews or weird "lockout" hours. You want a spot with 24/7 access. You're an adult, you should be allowed to come and go as you please. Usually, hostels just give you a key or an access code. You can check the ‘House Rules’ section of each hostel’s homepage to check if they have any weird things.
Laundry access: Super convenient if you’re traveling longer than a week. You do have to pay for them, but it’s usually as cheap as local laundromats. This should not be a dealbreaker though — most staff can point you to a good laundromat nearby.
“Party Hostels” vs. normal hostels: Party hostels are exactly what they sound like; places to party. Lots of drinking, very rowdy. There’s a time and place for that. If you’re down for that, you can search for this specifically. But if you’re trying to stay lowkey and get some sleep, avoid hostels with this phrase in their marketing. Most hostels are not party hostels.
Wifi: Most hostels have great wifi, so you probably won’t need to worry about this. That said, some can have spotty connections, especially in less-developed areas. To stay prepared, you’ll want to buy a local sim, or you can use an e-sim if your phone supports it. Alternatively, you can get a mobile hotspot as a backup.
Coworking areas: If you work remotely, check for good workspaces, and quiet spots. Most hostels have communal workspaces, but some don't, or if they do, there’s not a lot of seating. Be sure to check for this if it's a necessity for you. Bear in mind: the “workspace” you see might actually be a bar. If you work off-hours, this might be too loud for you. Another reason to get some good noise-cancelling headphones. I also love to look for balconies/outdoor seating, when available.
Curtains, outlets, and lights on bunks: Huge quality-of-life upgrade. Curtains = privacy. But, if you're on a bottom bunk with no curtain, tuck your towel in — just ask the person above you first. Many bunks have outlets by the bed, but if you don’t have one close, make sure to have a long extension cord, or a power banks, and definitely be sure to have a power convertor. (I put a packing list w/ the products I use later in this article.)
Gender options: Many hostels offer female-only or male-only dorms. Some are women-only hostels. For nonbinary travelers: most dorms are still divided by binary gender. If unsure, call or email ahead.
Checkin times: most of the time it’s like hotels. Checkin around 2-3pm, checkout around 10-11am. Most of the time you can arrive early, and they will let you just hang around in the lounge or lobby until check in. Many will offer early checkin, or late checkout, for a fee. Be sure to book this in advance. If a hostel you’re looking at does not have 24/7 reception, be sure to confirm check-in instructions before the staff leaves.
Bag storage: most hostels offer free bag storage on the day you arrive (in case you arrive early), and the day you leave (in case you have a flight/bus/train later in the day. So if you want, you can arrive early, drop your bags, then go explore until checkin. That said, some charge for this service. Be sure to check beforehand. You may need to haul your shit with you, or use an expensive bag storage service.
What to NOT look for/other advice:
“Free” breakfast: Seems great, but isn’t, IMO. “Breakfast included” bookings can be as much as $5-10 extra per night. Meaning, it’s overpriced. It's also nutritionally empty. Cheap white bread, fake orange juice, cheap coffee, gross communal peanut butter. It will just make you feel like a pile of hot garbage later. Save the money, bring your own coffee to brew (instant coffee can be good in a pinch), or better yet just go get a proper breakfast at a restaurant nearby. You're in a new place with incredible food, use that opportunity!
Cancellation Policies: I usually don't bother booking with a cancellation policy. Hostels charge more for this option, and I've almost never cancelled. That said, it's an option if you're not 100% sure whether you'll be going to a particular hostel, or if you're not sure whether you'll like the hostel once you arrive.
Languages: Hostel management companies know the drill: people are coming to this hostel from all over, so they generally hire bilingual/multilingual staff. Depending on where you go, there will be someone there that speaks some level of English (the most common), French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Some may speak local dialects of Arabic, or other nearby languages. If you’re having trouble communicating, I recommend using ChatGPT to translate in real-time. Download the phone app, open the ‘Voice’ option on ChatGPT, and just ask it to translate between your language and whichever other language.
Booking Strategy Tips
Generally it’s best to book far in advance. Pricing is dynamic — the longer you wait, the more you'll pay. You get the best prices 30+ days out. That said, sometimes hostels are underbooked and you can clear a good deal just a few days before. It’s a risk, but can pay off.
If you’re unsure about a hostel, you can book just 1–2 nights to test it out. But in high season or popular cities, it’s smarter to book your full stay in advance. Generally, you can trust the rating system & feel confident booking the 7+ star hostels.
Hostels do offer refundable bookings. I don’t often do it, but if you want the option, it’s there. It’s especially useful if you want to keep your travel dates flexible, or if you want the option to bail on a hostel if you arrive and it’s not what you expected.
If you’re a pretty last-minute traveler like me (sometimes I don’t book trips until like a day before I leave, and many many times I’ve arrived in a city with no accomodation booked until I land), hostels are a good bet. You can always get a hostel booked for any night of the week. It may not be the cheapest price possible, or the exact hostel you want, but you can be sure you’ll have a bed.
When you book, typically you pay a small amount upfront to reserve the room, and then you pay the rest upon arrival. Most places accept card, and some accept cash. Be sure to check the ‘House Rules’ on Hostelworld to confirm.
What to Expect (And How to Handle the Bumps)
Sleep
Sleep is, for me, sometimes a challenge in hostels. Sometimes, hostel dorms can be noisy and bright.
Luckily, you can defend yourself against these issues!
Wear an eye mask. This mitigates issues from people turning on lights, or light leaking in when people open the door to the dorm. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on this. As long as it’s silk-like, blocks light, and packs up small, it works.
Use ear plugs, or better yet, use noise-cancelling headphones, and a white noise track.
I recommend picking headphones that are over-ear, and make sure to wear them for up to 8 hours to make sure they’re comfortable for you. I use Bose QC35IIs and they’ve worked amazingly for me.
Here’s my preferred white noise track (if you use Spotify). It’s 3 hours long. Be sure to set it up to ‘repeat infinitely’ in Spotify!
I sleep on my back usually, so the headphones aren’t a problem, but if you’re a side sleeper, you can just remove one cup from one ear and place that ear against the pillow, leaving the other side on.
Showers
Always have flip-flops. Hostel showers tend to be super clean, but it’s common to have flip flops as an extra measure of cleanliness. It also makes getting in and out of bed easy! I won’t link to flip flips here; just buy whatever.
Bring your own soap, shampoo, conditioner. Many hostels provide these in the showers, but you might want to bring your own stuff in travel size bottles (2oz is the max amount on flights, but you can travel with more if you take buses/trains/ferries/boats). You can buy 2oz bottles at any local store or Amazon, and you might just buy some travel size products at the store.
Bring a towel. Hostels do often offer these for a rental fee, but if you prefer your own towel, you can get a quick-drying towel that packs up lightly. I have this one, but I have had this one in the past too.
Scope the situation before you shower. Is the shower separate from the sink where you can brush your teeth, do your hair, etc? Is there a place to put your stuff/hang your clean clothes, or is the floor the only option? Just get eyes on what the deal is.
Don’t forget your room key!
Lockers
Most (probably all) hostels provide lockers, but usually not locks. You’ll want to bring your own. Just buy whatever. $5-6 is a reasonable range for a single lock, and combination locks are better than ones with keys (you don’t want to lose your key or forget it), plus they can be used to lock your luggage zippers.
The lockers usually aren’t big; most only have space for a backpack, and maybe a carryon. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to claim 2 lockers, but don’t count on it.
If you’re planning to use hostels a lot, I’d strongly recommend traveling light. A backpack + a small carry-on is all you need. If you bring a larger luggage, you’ll suffer extra. Many hostels put you on the 3rd or even 4th floor, and hauling it up and down constantly won’t be fun. This is a good backpack, and this is the luggage I’ve used for years.
Safety Tips
General Advice
Keep your stuff locked up, always.
Money belts = even more security. Money belts allow you to discretely store your passport + money on you at all times.
Hostel Etiquette 101
General Advice
Hostels require some extra awareness of your fellow travelers. Here’s some advice on not being a bad roommate. Most hostels have rules in line with the following:
Don’t turn on the lights after midnight — use your phone flashlight. Use your judgement, if you walk into the dorm at 10pm and the lights are off and there are folks sleeping, you should probably just use your phone and try to be quiet.
Keep your phone on silent — don’t snooze your alarm 5 times
Pack quietly in the morning. If you have to leave during the middle of the night for a red-eye flight or something, please pack before everyone goes to bed. Have your stuff ready to just grab and leave the dorm.
Use headphones — always. There’s no excuse for watching movies or TikToks out loud.
Don’t take phone calls in the dorm. Yes, if you do this, you’re being rude to others. Even if no one is saying anything.
Clean up after yourself — no one’s doing your dishes for you.
If the hostel has a kitchen, you can store your food there (in the fridge and sometimes on a communal shelf), just be sure to label your food with your name, room #, and checkout date so the staff doesn’t throw it out. Don’t take food that isn’t yours :)
Be Social
This might be the most important advice I can give.
Hostels are a mixing pot of incredible people from different cultures. Often, it’s people that will make your travel experiences incredible.
It’s basically impossible not to make friends. You just need to be receptive to this. Hostel culture is inherently social; you're with other curious travelers, and you should lean into this opportunity to meet new people and learn about new cultures, maybe even practice a new language you’re learning.
Many hostels offer a free drink at check-in — use it to meet people! The bar might be overpriced, but it's nearly always worth it as a way to meet new people and learn new things.
One of the best ways to explore a city is to connect with other travelers. Mention your plans and invite someone to tag along — or ask what they’re doing and see if you can join. Some of my best travel memories started that way.
Pro tip: Often, hostels arrange events (tours, pub crawls). Ask the staff about this or look for signup forms, and sign up.
Be a little cautious, sometimes these “pub crawls” are just ways for hostels to make extra cash by making deals with local bars that want to bring unwitting foreigners to overcharge. But most of the time, they’re genuine and still a good time.
The Ultimate Hostel Packing List
Some of these I’ve mentioned before — here’s everything in one place.
Here’s what I always pack:
Most Important: Noise-cancelling headphones - I’ve used Bose QC 35IIs for years and I’m super happy with them. Last like 24 hours on a full charge and (for my ears) they’re comfortable to wear for like 12 hours. The Apple Airpods Max probably are great. Again, this is the most important purchase if you’re gonna do hostels. Hostels only work if you can sleep, and I consider good headphones crucial for sleep in hostels.
Travel towel – small, dries fast, doesn’t stay gross. Hostels sometimes rent these to you for a fee, but long term it's cheaper to just have your own. I use this one. I also used to have this one but I lost it :(
Flip flops – non-negotiable for shared bathrooms, and perfect for late-night bathroom runs. Buy whatever.
Padlock – most hostels have lockers, but rarely give you a lock. You can often rent them, but it's cheaper to have your own. Buy whatever, keep it around $5-6. Combo locks are better, and they double as luggage locks.
Eye mask - Pretty non-negotiable. This is also useful for sleeping on trains/buses/flightes. Buy whatever, as long as it’s comfortable. Some international airlines will give you this for free.
White-noise track: I use this one. Remember, only use this with headphones. Don’t play it out loud. Also remember to put it on repeat.
Portable soap/body wash – not always provided
Travel-size shampoo + conditioner – bring your own in refillable bottles
Power bank – Note: this is useful as well as when you’re traveling on flights, buses, trains, or to have as a backup just in case. Here’s the one I use. I actually have two of them, just in case I forget to charge one of the b*stards. I might grab this one in the future before I start traveling through SE Asia.
Reusable water bottle – especially in hot climates. Use whatever, you can just buy a plastic water bottle anywhere.
Earplugs – solid backup to headphones. Hostels almost always have these available for purchase cheap, if not free.
Travel adapter or multi-plug – I’ve been using this thing 24 hours a day since 2018! 2 plugs + 4 USBs + travel adapters = clutch.
Backup for wifi - again most hostels have decent wifi, but some can be spotty, especially in less developed areas. You may want a mobile hotspot, or you might want to use an eSim service (Airalo is the gold standard these days).
Whistle - for general safety. Also good for places where earthquakes are a risk (if you get stuck under rubble, this helps people locate you). I have mine on a keychain, but you may want to wear it as a necklace. I bought this one before I went to Japan because I was anxious about earthquakes. There’s 2 so you can give one to a friend who you don’t want to die :)
Final Notes
I know this is a lot of information and I have ranted quite a lot. I hope you’ve found at least a couple of nuggets of helpful advice.
Again, hostels are great. They’re not always perfect, but they’re one of the best ways to stretch your travel budget, meet people, and have great experiences.
If you did find this helpful, be sure to subscribe (it’s free) because I am working on a lot of other practical guides like this one, including how to travel rent-free via housesitting, how to find cheap flights, how to travel for under $1000/mo, how to earn $1000/mo online, and other topics.
