Growing up in a small, rural town, there were lots of things I learned about once I got into the real world. One of those things is hostels. When I was starting to plan solo trips, I learned all I could about these dorm-style rooms. Since I was in my early 20s, it was the best accommodation for me since I was just going to sleep there and it was the cheapest option. So far, I have stayed in six hostels. I’ll rate the hostels I’ve stayed in starting with the lowest and working my way up to the highest. If you have read some of my other blogs, you might be able to guess which is number one.
Starting with my lowest ranked, I have the hostels I’ve stayed at in Brussels and Amsterdam. The hostel in Brussels was the 2GO4 Quality Hostel Grand Place. They also have another hostel in the city center of the same name. Now, here is where it gets confusing. You have to check in at the city center location even if you are staying at the Grand Place location. I checked to make sure this was still the case today since it has been four years since I was here and from a review from August 2023, it is. I did not see it posted anywhere on Hostelworld or their website. It was about a 15-minute walk between the two. I knew about this before embarking on this trip, but in the future, I probably won’t do it again. My hostel in Amsterdam was Generator Amsterdam. I did pay in advance for my room at the hostel but they charged me again at check-in. After I had settled in and built up the courage, I went back to ask about it and I did get refunded. Also, I had paid for a late check-out the day I was leaving, but I still had housekeeping come in as I tried to sleep.
In the middle, I have hostels I’ve stayed at in Paris and Dublin. The hostel I stayed at in Paris is the Hotel Madrigal. It was super easy to find off of the metro stop of Pasteur. They also had a hostel dog! I only stayed one night. I accidentally left my favorite olive green jacket in my room. I realized after I had checked out and went back twice to see if they had found it, but they never did. I hope it has stayed in Paris, living its best life. The place I stayed in Dublin is called Paddy’s Palace. The reason why I booked this hostel was because I had booked a Blarney Castle tour through them. This tour left from the hostel the next morning so I thought it easiest to stay the night and get as much sleep as possible! I booked a 10-bed female dorm. When I arrived around ten at night, I was the only one in the dorm! In my blog Prices Of The Places I’ve Stayed In The United Kingdom and Ireland, I tried to find what this hostel is pricing at, but I can not find anywhere to book it online anymore!
Onto my highest-rated hostels I’ve stayed at in Glasgow and Edinburgh! It’s not lost on me that these are both in Scotland and if I had to choose another country to live in, it would be Scotland. The hostel I stayed at in Glasgow was the Euro Hostel Glasgow. It was right on the River Clyde and less than a 20-minute walk to George Square and the Buchanan bus station. I remember checking in late since I had just finished a day tour. There was a pub next door where I got a pint and a pizza for only six pounds! I also talked to some of the other women staying in the same room as me. My top hostel, if you haven’t already guessed, is the Castel Rock Hostel in Edinburgh! If you missed it, check out my blog The Best Hostel in Edinburgh where I go into all the details! It was the first hostel I ever stayed in, and it set the bar pretty high. The staff were super kind and the atmosphere was very lively. It did have a communal bathroom space with the whole floor and there were lots of stairs. I was only there for the night so it did not phase me. I also went on a pub crawl that night. I met some amazing people and had deep discussions about life and travel. When I go back to Edinburgh, I will definitely be staying here!
There you have it! Did you guess my number one? I know hostels aren’t for everyone, but I think everyone should try at least once! It is a great way to break out of your comfort zone and meet new people while saving some money that can be better spent on experiences than on a place you will only be at to go to bed. So next time you are planning your trip, instead of a pricy hotel or an Airbnb where you have ridiculous cleaning fees, book a hostel! Check out my blog Hostel Etiquette: Dos and Don’ts to get up to par on how to act when you stay in a hostel.
Lost in the Adventure 