This is Why I Stay in Hostels
The reason why I stay in hostels is constantly reaffirmed. On a recent trip to Morocco, Spain and Portugal, it was moving day – that is, a travel day from one place to the next. These are some of my favorite days. I am usually found with my neck craned, staring out the window of whatever method of transport, trying to take in as much as possible of the passing world.
This particular day was an exceptionally tedious day of travel. Starting in Morocco, my initial estimates were that I would be traveling for 8-10 hours before reaching my next destination, a city in southern Spain.
The trip took a few hours longer than planned – about 12 hours – but that’s no big deal when freely backpacking without a strict itinerary. After a ferry and two buses, followed by an hour of walking with my backpack, I arrived at my hostel. Needless to say, I was exhausted.
The journey was not particularly physically demanding. With the exception of a 30-minute walk to the ferry, a 30-minute walk to the next bus station and that final hour-long walk from the bus station to the hostel, I sat for most of the day. However, navigating the language barrier, getting lost at seemingly every turn and the constant worry of whether I would even reach my hostel – or even reach the Spanish city by the end of the night – was tiring. I was ecstatic to find a clean, comfortable hostel awaiting me.
When I booked the hostel stay earlier in the day, I followed my usual procedure. I booked a single night. With occasional exception, this is my common practice. Most hostels are great, but you never know. Pictures can be deceiving. Sometimes the crowd isn’t right. Maybe a hostel is too boring or too wild. What if it’s not clean? The reasons for why I may or may not stay in a particular hostel are numerous.
In this instance, none of the websites I typically use to find hostels would let me book more than a single night. (For the most part, I use Booking.com because of all the frequent-user deals and discounts. The rest of the time I use Hostelworld for its thorough advice and wide selection of hostels.) Most hotels and hostels do not list all of their rooms/beds online, usually leaving a few available for walk-in reservations or the event in which a guest wishes to extend their stay. I assumed I could extend this hostel stay in person.
Finally, a Hostel
After arriving and checking in at the hostel, I went to my room. I was happy to find only a single other backpacker in the 6-bed room, and I was ecstatic to be in such a clean hostel. The first step was to take a shower and wash off the backpacker grime from a long day of travel. It was pure bliss.
The other backpacker in my room was initially reserved and staring at his computer screen. To break the awkward silence, I mentioned how long the day was and that all I wanted was some food and a few beers. Telling him I was going to go downstairs for some food, I invited him to join. He said, “No, no, don’t eat there. It’s overpriced. Let me take you somewhere local.”
At first, I was hesitant to do any more walking. A moment later, though, I immediately changed my mind, The whole point I stay in hostels is exactly this – to meet people, explore and be spontaneous.
We started at a local bar before continuing to another. And then another. And then another. Much to my pleasure, each round was accompanied by a plate of food. To say the least, I was happy to be back in Spain. I was getting a tour of great local places and eating fantastic food.
After a fun night at a few local places, I didn’t even have to buy dinner. I was thoroughly saturated with delicious food and beer. Tapas in the South of Spain are brilliant!
The following morning, I went downstairs to extend my stay, as most backpackers often do with ease at hostels. Instead of staying another night in this fantastic hostel, I was told that everything was booked.
“That’s fine; I’ll just find another,” I thought, feeling a little disappointed. I did not see another guest in my room or in the entire hostel during my stay (other than my new friend).
Well, there was nothing. I checked several websites. Almost everything was booked.
The entire city of more than 300,000 residents, which is also a popular tourist destination, was preparing for a long weekend of fun and partying. Unbeknownst to me prior to my arrival, there was a holiday to celebrate. I could see something was going on when I arrived, but did not realize this holiday would draw thousands of locals into this city.
There were a few hotels available for several hundred euros a night, and I was not going to blow the budget on that. I managed to find one hostel with an available bed. It was 90 euros a night! And the reviews were abysmal.
At this point, I’m trying to figure out what to do. I looked into the city I was going to travel to next. Same thing. Everything was either booked or outrageously expensive.
My new friend in the hostel asked if I found anything. After explaining my situation, he immediately offered to help. He explained that he had been in the South of Spain for about a week. He was moving there to begin graduate studies and was staying in a hostel while searching for a new place. His new apartment lease started THAT DAY. He and his roommate had an open, furnished room and I was welcome to stay for a few nights or a couple of weeks. For free.
He seemed like a nice, genuine guy, but the cautious traveler in me was hesitant to move into an apartment with virtual strangers. Nevertheless, I was pretty much out of options. There was nothing out of the ordinary with this guy, and I’m extremely careful with whom I place my trust abroad. He was just friendly, so I accepted the offer.
At this point, I could spend hundreds of euros or stay for free in a huge, nice apartment in the perfect location. The central location of the apartment was excellent, and it was far more comfortable than most hostels and hotels. He refused to let me pay. This was an easy decision.
After about a week, which was longer than I originally planned to stay in this city, I moved on to another place in Spain. In the end, I returned the favor of this friendly guy by paying for the both of us to go to a La Liga soccer game. Even after buying tickets, I saved a good bit of money with free accommodation for a week.
This is why I stay in hostels. Had I chosen to stay somewhere other than a hostel, I never would’ve made this friend. My plans, albeit very loose plans, would’ve been in disarray. Even worse, my budget would have been a disaster as I scrambled to pay for an expensive hotel or travel at the last minute to another town.
Stay in hostels. There are so many positive reasons to stay in a hostel. Hostels are rarely luxurious, but if you’re traveling to explore and experience a place, it is exceedingly difficult to properly do so alone in an apartment or luxury hotel.
I stay in hostels to meet people, get advice from other experienced travelers, save money and have fun. Like hotels, there are varying levels of quality in hostels. I’ve stayed in really nice hostels, and I’ve stayed in hostels so terrible that I’ll never forget them.
Every traveler is different. I’m sure there are females or others who may read this and argue it’s not safe for them to stay with someone they barely know. I understand that, but it’s all about using good judgement. Even myself, as a large man, will not stay with just any random person. The friend I made is a nice, good person. I wouldn’t think twice about my sister or girlfriend staying at that apartment. In this situation, I learned a bit about him and made a judgement call.
Ultimately, I always exercise caution when I travel. I’m careful and always look out for myself first and foremost. But most people out there are decent people. Just be smart. And stay in hostels.
Lessons Learned in Travel
Although everything worked out wonderfully for me, there were some moments of serious frustration. This weeklong series of events from North Africa to Europe provided some valuable travel lessons to be reinforced and learned:
Flexible Travel
Traveling without plans, i.e. backpacking, is more fun. The loose structure affords me the freedom to linger in places I enjoy and flee those which are not to my liking. It also allows me to heed the advice of other backpackers and travelers. This advice often leads to experiences (and delicious food!) that would have been missed if there was a strict itinerary dictating my days.
This lesson of traveling freely was further ingrained on this trip. The flexibility in my plans may have gotten me into this stressful situation, but it also led me out of it. Staying in a hostel and maintaining travel flexibility also resulted in great food and new friends.
Stay Aware of Local Events
Although my flexibility and lack of plans ultimately provided a solution to this trip’s problem, I should have planned one thing better: I had no idea there was a holiday being celebrated at this time. That was a mistake.
The lack of plans was not my problem. Instead, it was a lack of information. I should have been aware that I was traveling to a region in Spain celebrating a popular holiday – every city and millions of people. Had I known that this was happening, my travel flexibility would have allowed me to take a step back and reevaluate the road ahead.
Stay informed with current events in a region before you arrive. Whether it’s a local holiday, large sporting event or political unrest, it’s best to know what’s happening so you can have a backup plan in place.
People are Kind
Not to sound like a naive little hippie backpacker, but this day of frustration proved to me, once again, that most people are genuinely kind. My new friend opened his home to me. He led me to some great local places and kindly welcomed me without a second thought.
Meeting fellow travelers and people from around the world has taught me that a great majority of people are not out to rob, cheat and steal from others. Sure, there are some bad seeds out there. And there are some pricks out there with ill intentions. These jerks are in the minority, though.
When I travel, even in the United States (especially in my hometown), my guard is up. I remain aware, perhaps even a bit paranoid. The truth is, however, I feel safer in most foreign cities than I do a lot of places at home. Time and time again, random strangers demonstrate random kindness. It’s reassuring.
Travel aware. Travel smart. Always keep an eye on your belongings and yourself. But don’t assume that everyone has ill intentions. Most people are kind.
Stay in a Hostel
This entire situation was rectified because I chose to stay in a hostel. It was caused by a number of factors, but ultimately resolved as a result of a chance encounter in a hostel.
Hostels are not scary. They are not dangerous. Yes, sometimes hostels can be noisy, but most of the hostels in which I have stayed are quiet, clean and very secure.
Flexible travel is fun and liberating, not to mention cheaper. On this same trip, I was having a discussion with other backpackers and travelers. I came to the conclusion that, even if I could afford to stay in a five-star luxury hotel every night, I would rather stay in a hostel. The connections made, the social atmosphere and travel tips are only a few of the benefits of hostels. If I need some privacy or comfort, most hostels also have private rooms.
Seriously, stay in a hostel. They aren’t reserved for dirty, poor or partying kids. Lots of hostels host families, solo female backpackers and travelers of all ages. Travel is better when enjoyed with others, especially new friends. Hostels are a great place to meet new people and learn about the world. And, you never know, staying in a hostel just might help solve a travel crisis.
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