A FIRST TIMERS GUIDE TO HOSTELS: Hostel Hacks

My first hostel experience took place when I first started travelling (sans parents) at 18 years old, just out of highschool. I backpacked through Europe with a girlfriend on a massive Contiki tour. The concept of hostels was very new for me- I had never even shared a room growing up. I do have to say however, that doin a tour group setting like Contiki made a great intro, as your dorm rooms are full of other girls that you're travelling with, making it much easier to make friends and trust each other.

Fast forward six years, I've done a fair amount more travelling, particularly solo travelling. It's no secret that after your first taste of the travel and backpackers lifestyle it's difficult to stay away for long. If you're anything like me, tour groups like Conitki simply aren't in the cards anymore due to the sheer expense- it is far more economical to travel independantly- and far more adventurous if you ask me! :)

If only all hostels were this lovely...

Here are my best hostel tips I've learned from personal experience.

1. Try to stay in a room with fewer beds.

I think the maximum amount of beds I've stayed in in a room is 8 or 10, but there are certainly hostels out there that offer rooms with upwards of 20-25 beds. In my opinion, these are far less desirable for a whole host of reasons. For one, I personally don't do super well in a "party" setting, where there are heaps of strangers. I do much better in intimate settings where I'm able to have one on one interactions without any worry of judgement from the larger group. It's much easier to make friends when there are fewer people in a room! Secondly, it's realistically more secure for your belongings, fewer people lowers anonymity and makes it harder for theft to occur (though not impossible.) Another reason is you'll have a much sounder sleep with fewer people in the room rustling around in the night/ snoring/ waking up early. You've also got fewer people to worry about waking if you need to get into your bag for some reason in the night. Often staying in a 4 bed dorm and a 12 bed dorm is a matter of $5 more per night, which if you ask me, is well worth it!

2. Stay in the female dorms.

This one is completely a matter of personal preference, and it's just what I've found from my experience works best for me. I like that I don't need to worry about changing in the room, I feel more comfortable around women, and I find that they tend to be much cleaner. The female-only washrooms tend to be much better kept, and I feel much less self consious striking up conversations in female only dorms. Also, you avoid the possibility of dorm room hookups (in mixed dorms) which are never fun to have to listen to. Again, this is totally just my preference and I've met girls that strictly stay in mixed dorms as that's the experience that they find preferable.

3. Look up reviews before you book.

I can't stress this enough! I've had a few really miserable hostel experiences because I failed to check reviews and booked solely based on my budget. I assure you, even if the better hostel is $10 a night more, it could make a world of a difference to your experience where you're visiting. Reviews are also great for information regarding the location (it's obviously preferable to be close to town) as well as tips on locker storage, bathroom facilities, towels, etc.

4. Bring a lock.

This one might seem really obvious to a lot of you, but I know it's something I had never considered before staying in hostels. Every hostel I've stayed at has offered a locker where you are able to use your own lock to keep your belongings safe. One other tip I have on locks is to bring one with a key rather than a passcode. I had a really unfortunate experience in Edinburgh, Scotland, where I somehow accidentally re-set the passcode to my lock and had to have the hostel staff come cut the lock off of my locker. I wish I could say this was the only time this had happened to me... It also happened to me at the gym a couple months following. Please learn from my mistakes, because apparently I don't...

These are my favourite locks- they are sturdy and affordable, and come with a spare key.

5. Get to know the staff.

They are there to help you! A lot of the time hostel staff are fellow travellers, and are super friendly and willing to give you tips about the location, or even show you around! I'm so grateful for all the hostel staff that have made my solo trips so much better. One of my best friends in the world I met through my favourite hostel in Bali (pictured above).

6. Don't lock up all of your stuff.

Leave out key things that you need throughout the day and night (that aren't valuable). I always leave out my toiletries, a pair of PJ's, and my phone charger. More than anything, it is courteous to the others sleeping in your dorm, because no matter how quiet you try to be, it makes quite a racket going in and out of your locker and unzipping your luggage, especially in the middle of the night.

7. Make use of the communal areas.

This is what hostels are for and how you'll meet your travel pals! Lots of hostels have their own bar or cafe, which are great for striking up conversations with other travellers. The great thing about travelling is that it is SO easy to make connections, even if you aren't the most talkitive person. Think about how much you have in common with everyone staying in your hostel- you're likely on your journies for similar reasons or have loads of travel stories to swap.

8. Take a plastic or canvas bag with you to separate your dirty laundry.

I don't know about you, but it grosses me out having a suitcase full of mish-mashed clean and dirty laundry. If you have a designated bag to keep by your bedside, laundry day will be a breeze.

9. Use packing cubes to keep your things organized.

I can't tell you enough how much my packing cubes have improved my backpacking experiences over the years. I usally have one for underwear, one for tops, and one for dresses and bottoms. It is so nice having everything compartmentalized, really saves spaces, and makes re-packing an absolute breeze.

The cubes I use are these ones from Eagle Creek, and they've lasted me beautifully for years.

10. Bring your own pillow case.

This one is slightly extra and unessecary, but is a luxury that you will probably appreciate for long-term travel. The majority of hostels I've stayed in are quite clean, but pillowcases are something I don't really like to risk- your face spends so much time on it! I love my silk pillowcases, they keep your skin and hair nice and healthy, which is especially nice when on the road.

This is the perfect silk pillow case from Amazon.

I hope you find these 10 hacks helpful on your next adventure!

Love,

*This post contains affiliate links by which I make a small comission if you choose to purchase. All products are personal recommendations that I love!*

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