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Backpacking Hostels
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Backpacking hostels are an essential part of the gap year experience. First and foremost backpacking hostels are a cheap alternative to hotels - backpacking hostels may lack a few extra creature comforts but you will certainly get through your money far less quickly if you stay in them.
Backpacking hostels are extremely easy to find in all of the major gap year destinations. As long as you're not arriving at your destination too late in the day it's usually fine to just turn up and check out a few backpacking hostels when you get there. Although this does involve a bit of footwork it has the advantage of allowing you to have a look inside some of the backpacking hostels before committing to any of them - the quality of backpacking hostels can vary quite a bit.
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If you are going to be arriving late at night it's safer and more convenient to pre-book your backpacking hostels. Guidebooks such as the ‘Lonely Planet' and ‘Rough Guide' series are generally a reliable source of information as to which backpacking hostels are of a decent standard. Another tip for discovering good backpacking hostels is to ask for recommendations from fellow travellers you come across. The easiest way to pre book a backpacker hostel is to book it online. You can now book your hostel online through our website it is a quick and secure way to book your hostel in advance.
If you are on a tight budget the most cost-effective option in backpacking hostels is to sleep in a shared dorm. Backpacking hostels can sometimes get a little noisy at night time (people wandering in after a late night drinking session being a popular cause!) but it's amazing how quickly you get used to staying in them. Travellers staying in backpacking hostels are all in the same situation and most of the people you meet are generally considerate and mindful of others when they get in late at night. If the lack of privacy and personal space in backpacking hostels gets too much for you at any point then most backpacking hostels also have a few twin or double rooms as well. Private rooms in backpacking hostels are obviously more expensive than staying in a dorm but still tend to be far less expensive than hotels.
A popular misconception regarding backpacking hostels is that you need to be a member of the Youth Hostelling Association in order to stay in them. In actual fact the vast majority of backpacking hostels are privately owned and you don't need to be a member of any organisation in order to stay in them.
Other than being cost effective places to stay, backpacking hostels are useful in many other respects too. Most backpacking hostels have communal cooking facilities meaning that you can save money by self-catering (believe it or not it can also get a little repetitive eating out in restaurants every day). Backpacking hostels are obviously a great place to meet other travellers - if you're travelling solo it's easy to hook up with other groups of people you meet if you want to. The notice boards in back packing hostels are often an excellent source of information for finding jobs or rooms in shared houses.
Above all, staying in backpacking hostels is - a great deal of fun!
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