Hostels are one of the most popular accommodation options for young, solo backpackers. Typically, hostels offer cheap accommodation in a dorm room with other travellers, with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. Although hostels are very common (especially outside of North America), some new travellers might feel nervous about staying in one for the first time. This is normal! We have compiled this guide/FAQ to help.

Because it's cheap, first of all, but also because it's the easiest way to meet other travellers. Good hostels will have common rooms, and the best will have shared meals, pub crawls, and other social events. When you're travelling alone, a good, social hostel is hands-down the best way to meet other people.

Generally yes. Some hostels do offer private rooms where you can enjoy the best of both worlds: privacy with the option to socialise and meet other travellers when you feel like it. However, private rooms are significantly more expensive than dorms and can often be on par with (or even more expensive than) cheap hotel rooms.

For the most part, people in dorms are respectful and observe hostel etiquette (see below). You will get used to it easier than you think. Just remember to bring your earplugs, and maybe an eyemask.

Theft is not actually that common in hostels, and most people observe the 'backpacker's code' of leaving your stuff alone. That being said, you should always be cautious, and avoid leaving valuables unattended. Most hostels will over some opportunity to lock your things up, although you may be expected to supply your own padlock (or purchase one from the front desk).

If security is a significant concern for you, then you can use a site like HostelWorld to filter for safety features such as lockers, look at security ratings left by other travellers, and read through past reviews.

Yes, overwhelmingly so. Many hostels offer 'female-only' dorms, but even in mixed dorms, given the amount of people around, it's unlikely that you'll be the target of violence. There is safety in numbers, so it may be worth booking slightly larger dorms (e.g. 6+ beds rather than < 4 beds) to ensure that you have other women sleeping in your dorm and are not alone with anyone who might make you feel uncomfortable. If someone does make you uncomfortable, however, it is perfectly OK to ask hostel staff to move you to a different room.

This is extremely variable, but you can always check features and prices on sites like HostelWorld. Hostels range from bare-bones arrangements, providing only a cheap bed, shower, and toilet, to top-quality accommodation, with high-quality beds and individual pods/curtains, social events, in-house bars, meals and tours. Some might even provide luxury amenities like rooftop pools or saunas.

Many if not most hostels offer some kind of kitchen where you can cook and store (labelled!) food. Kitchens usually provide basic cooking supplies (pots, pans, cutlery, plates), but whether or not they have basic condiments and spices available (like cooking oil, salt, pepper, etc.) depends on the hostel. Some will have a 'free food' shelf with things that other travellers have left behind, and if you're lucky, you might be able to whip up a decent meal with just the leftovers.

Most hostels will have lockers to store your valuables, and almost all will store your luggage for free if you arrive too early to properly check in (but want to already drop off your stuff and explore the city), or if you need to check out but won't be leaving the city until later in the day.

Overall, the trend within the last ~10 years is towards higher-quality amenities as hostels are forced to compete more with AirBnB. 'Good' hostels are much easier to find now than, say, in 2010, and many are now leaning more into the social angle to set themselves apart.

Party hostels are, as the name suggests, hostels with a reputation for having a 'party' atmosphere. These tend to have an in-house bar and/or daily pub crawls, lots of social events, and most guests are there to go out and have fun. For those who want to party and meet people, party hostels are heaven; for those who just want to sleep and mind their own business, party hostels are hell.

Generally party hostels are not subtle about the fact that they are party hostels, because for their audience, this is part of the draw. Read hostel profiles on HostelWorld or elsewhere. Party hostels will emphasise drinking and social events and their reviews will reflect this. Non-party hostels will tend to emphasise their 'chill' atmosphere, coziness, comfort, etc. Non-party hostels are often still very social, but their social events will tend to revolve less around drinking and nightlife.

Some hostels do have an age limit (which could be anywhere above 35 or so), and this is why hostels are sometimes referred to as "youth hostels". However, most hostels do not have age limits, and it is not uncommon for older adults to stay in hostels as well. It is okay to stay in a hostel well into your 30s, 40s or beyond! Everyone will be too busy with their own travels to judge you.

That being said, hostels do tend to attract and cater to a younger crowd. Older travellers who aren't into the party scene will probably want to avoid party hostels (see above) if they value a good night's sleep.

Over time, you will develop a good sense of how to differentiate a good hostel from a bad or even a 'meh' one. You'll also develop a good sense of what you like and don't like in a hostel, which varies from person to person. When you're just starting out, however, it can be harder to tell. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Always look at hostel reviews before booking. What are previous guests saying? Don't just look at the positives, but pay attention to the negatives too. Are the issues they mention things you can live with?

Look at photos of the dorms, which are usually available on HostelWorld or Google reviews. Do the beds look sturdy, or cheap? Is there a reasonable amount of space in the room, or are the beds crammed tightly together? Are there enough power outlets? Does the room have lockers? Do the bathrooms look clean?

Is there a communal space for guests to hang out? Is there a kitchen? Is the reception open 24/7, so there's always an employee on-site that you can go to for help?

Look at the location of the hostel on a map of the city. Is it close to public transit (train stations, bus stops, subway stations)? How easy is it to get to the hostel from your arrival point in the city? Does it have easy access, ideally walking distance, to the places you want to go? What do other travellers in the reviews say about the location? Is it a safe neighbourhood?

Lower down the list: Does the hostel arrange social events or tours? Does it offer free breakfast? Do the beds have individual curtains and/or individual lights and power outlets?

Ultimately, you will have to compare hostels and pick the features that are most important to you. In terms of the basics, however, we recommend picking a hostel with the following: lockers, good-quality beds, central/safe location, communal space, kitchen, reasonably clean.

If you decide to go cheap and save money, it's not the end of the world. There is a big difference between high- and low-quality hostels, but ultimately, if all you care about is having a bed to sleep on and a roof over your head, then any hostel will do, as long as it's still clean and safe.

There are some legitimately sketchy hostels out there - in bad neighbourhoods, shady clientele, poor cleanliness, cheap beds - but you can usually identify them through reviews. Again: always read reviews.

It can happen, but it's less common than you think; between us r/solotravel mods we have decades of solo travel experience, have stayed in hundreds of hostels, and have only encountered them a handful of times. It's also worth noting that cheap hotels and AirBnBs carry bedbug risks as well.

You can inspect your bed and sheets beforehand to look for any evidence of bed bugs or eggs. Familiarise yourself with some basic bed bug knowledge:

• Know what bed bugs look like
• Know what bed bug eggs look like
• How to tell bed bugs apart from similar-looking insects
• How to distinguish bed bug bites from other bug bites

If you do encounter them, inform hostel staff immediately and ask to move beds, preferably rooms. Throw all your clothing and anything that can carry bed bugs in the dryer for a cycle on 'high', and remain extra vigilant over the following days for any signs of their presence on your belongings.

Hostel etiquette encompasses the mostly unspoken social 'rules' of dorm life. It's not complicated, and it all comes down to being considerate of the other travellers sharing your room. Basically: don't be a dick.

Hostel etiquette is something you will pick up pretty on quickly as you gain experience, but for starters, here are some concrete 'dos' and 'don'ts':

• Don't turn on the main dorm room lights if you are returning late at night when others are already asleep. Use your phone or another smaller source of light (like a flashlight) to navigate, if you must.

• If you need to leave early in the morning, pack your things the night before so you're ready to leave with minimal hassle and minimal disturbance for your roommates.

• Make an effort to minimise noise when coming or going late at night or early in the morning. If the hostel has official quiet hours (many do), observe them.

• Don't repeatedly snooze a loud alarm in the morning.

• You don't have to talk to your roommates, but it's still polite to greet people in your dorm with at least a simple 'hello' when you enter.

• In the evening when others in your room are trying to sleep, use headphones when playing audio on your phone or computer, and go into the common room for Skype/Zoom/Facetime.

• Don't leave your belongings on the floor where others might trip over them.

• Clean any kitchen surfaces and dishes that you have used immediately afterwards.

Moderate snoring is a normal part of hostel life, and experienced hostel-goers will know to bring earplugs. However, if you already know that you are a very LOUD snorer and this has been pointed out to you before, the polite thing to do is to book a private room. It's more expensive, but you avoid waking up to a room full of annoyed and sleep-deprived travellers.

If you know that you're a loud snorer and choose to stay in a dorm regardless, be very nice to your roommates and apologise in advance if your snoring wakes them up. Still: be prepared to deal with annoyed roommates.

Bring earplugs. Even with the politest roommates in the world, some noise is unavoidable - from people coming and going, from out on the street, from the hallway, etc. Earplugs will significantly improve your sleep in shared rooms.

It's a good idea to bring your own padlock, as many hostels will provide empty lockers that require you to use your own lock.

Many hostels will provide you with a towel (and you can always request one if they don't give you one automatically), so you don't necessarily need to bring one depending on the length of your trip and the quality of the hostels you stay in. Nevertheless, it may still be a good idea to bring a compact travel towel, just in case.

Some hostels, especially good-quality ones, will provide hotel-style extras like hair dryers (or have them available from the front desk if you ask), but this is not always the case.

Flip-flops are often recommended for hostel showers, although this is not strictly a necessity.

Once upon a time it was not uncommon for hostels to request that you bring your own sheets or sleeping bags, but these days are long gone. Except for some very special circumstances (e.g. staying in alpine mountain huts), you will never be expected to provide your own bedding.

Good hostels will be fully upfront about all relevant fees, but it's also not uncommon for hostels to charge minor additional fees at reception such as:

• Tourist or resort tax (sometimes required by the municipality)
• A key deposit
• Towel, locker or padlock rental
• Linen rental (not that common these days, but it still crops up now and again)

These fees can be annoying if you don't expect them, but are usually very small. Again, good hostels will warn you about them in advance, but don't be shocked if the hostel reception asks you to pay a couple euros for 'bed linens'.

This should be checked with each individual hostel before you arrive. Many hostels require all guests to be over 18, or will only accept minors with parental supervision or explicit parental agreement. However, this is not always the case. Contact the hostel in advance to be sure.