For those of you who have never stayed in a hostel but have seen the horror movies, fear not. I am here to alleviate your misguided, poorly directed, Hollywood induced misconceptions. Although some hostels may LOOK a little shady, and trust me, some are hell holes, most are comfortable, safe, and reasonably well maintained. Torturing travelers is usually not the end goal for the proprietors of hostels. If you are the kind of traveler who prefers 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, room service, and impeccably high 5 star standards, hosteling is going to be a major adjustment. Not that it'll be impossible and you won't enjoy it, you'll just have to tone down your expectations a wee bit. Hostels provide travelers with an inexpensive alternative for finding a place to crash and store your crap. But you get what you pay for. There's nothing luxurious about them, but they have everything you need to live on a small budget, including a communal kitchen, clean sheets, discounted bus and train tickets, airport shuttle services, and other extras. Some even have their own bars that sell super cheap beer. And let's be real. We all love cheap beer.
The types of hostels vary greatly, so do some research before you leave. Even though most of the time your choice of a place to sleep for the night will be made last minute, knowing what kind of environment you're looking for will help determine where you get recommendations. Hosteling International is a convenient way to find lodging, but it requires a membership that runs about $50 for the year. Their hostels are super clean, but they are usually a little farther outside of the cool stuff and they can be a little too... sterile..... so to speak. And by sterile, I mean kind of boring. There is very little character to them. They almost feel like a monetary, minus the nuns and other religious paraphernalia. If you're looking for a place with a little more pizazz, check out the listing for the years top European hostels at http://www.famoushostels.com/., and the top rated hostels world wide at http://www.hostelworld.com/hoscars-2012 These hostels are rated by travelers, for travelers. Most of them are privately owned and operated, and many of the employees are current backpackers who need to make some extra cash. You are bound to meet a ton of awesome people from all over the world at places like these, and if you're ever in a financial bind while galavanting the globe, working at a hostel for a few weeks is an easy way to restore your wallet to its former glory, however bleak that glory may be.
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