European hostels

The concept of hostels originated in the early 20th century in Europe in Germany. Even today, Europe has a more hostels than anywhere else in the world and a very distinct hostelling culture exists all over the continent.

Young students backpacking across Europe prefer staying at European hostels rather than in hotels for a multitude of reasons. The biggest reason for staying at a European hostel is the money you can save, especially if you are travelling alone. European hostels are probably the cheapest lodgings you will get when travelling across the continent with beds available for as little as $15 to $40. Of course the bed you get is most likely a bunk bed in a shared dorm. While some European hostels have huge halls with up to a hundred beds, most hostels nowadays have dorms of 4-6 bunks. Also a lot of hostels, which are not affiliated with Hostelling International, offer private rooms and family rooms with keeping in with changing times. The prices of the rooms vary depending on

Apart from the low cost, European hostels are a favourite amongst travellers who enjoy meeting new people. European hostels are stops for a wide range of people from all over the world. Hence when you stay at a European hostel, you are part of an international community, a brotherhood if you may. You could chat with someone who lives across the world from you or help cook up dinner with them, you could lounge around reading while someone strummed on their guitar and of course there is always the sharing of travel tips and tricks which may not be in the guidebooks.

Of course living in European hostels is not all fun and games. There are typical drawbacks too which you need to be aware of before heading out towards one. The biggest one is the lack of privacy. When staying in a dorm style room you have to be prepared to share the room with any number of people, which is not always easy to do. Also because there are so many people of all ages and cultures in a European hostel, there is always a festive air leading to a lot of noise and music. So don't expect a peaceful night's sleep. Bathrooms are also shared and you should carry your own toiletries.

A lot of European hostels have segregated rooms for boys and girls which was the original concept. They also have curfews for the night which is very difficult to follow, especially in the Mediterranean countries where dinner is usually a late affair. Some even shut down during the day where you cant even enter your room.

Some of the above more rigid rules are followed by those European hostels associated with Hostelling International. However the newer private hostels are relatively more relaxed, more fun and definitely more warm and inviting to the guest.