Travel with Emily

Hostels are solo travellers’ best friends. They’re cheap, centrally located, and the perfect place to meet a new friend that you can explore the city with. 

I’ve stayed in over 20 different hostels across Europe, ranging from cozy family vibes and bustling common rooms to the dingy places you can’t wait to leave behind! Despite the few downsides, like heavy snorers and a general lack of air conditioning, you can’t beat the vibrant atmosphere of a hostel common room in the evenings, so here are my top tips to find the best social hostel for you!

1. Prioritise vibe over price

The most memorable hostels that I’ve stayed in like Lollis homestay in Dresden, Onefam Miru in Prague and Bled Hostel in Lake Bled haven’t been the cheapest, but they have been the highest rated. The few extra dollars you spend per night directly correlates to slightly better facilities (we’re talking curtains on bunk beds!) and spaces that are designed to be social. Also, they’re most likely to attract the same type of people. 

2. Less is more when it comes to roomies

Now it’s time to choose which room you’re staying in, and how many other people are in it. Most hostels offer a private room, a 4 bed dorm, 6 bed and something a bit larger like 8, 10, or 12 beds. In my opinion the 6 to 8 bed dorms are the sweet spot. You want enough people that there’s a good chance you meet some people you click with, but also not so many that you can’t get to sleep at night. They do however, decrease in price the more people per room there are, so it depends how hardcore you’re budgeting!

There’s also the option to stay in an all female room or mixed dorms. If you’re new to solo traveling or want more peace of mind I definitely recommend going for the all female dorm, and personally I find it easier to make friends, but I’ve also never had a bad experience in a mixed dorm, and have met some cool people this way.

Finally, let’s talk about beds. Beds with curtains are so nice for a bit of privacy amongst a sometimes exhausting style of travel, but in my opinion they do make a room quite a bit less social, so make sure there’s a good common room to back it up.

3. Reviews are your best indicator

Reviews are golden in the hostel game, and there’s a few ways to get the most out of it. Firstly, filter to the most recent, they’re the best data that you have and will mention any current problems. Secondly, filter to the lowest rated just to give yourself a heads up of any glaring issues. Yes, you’ll have the people ranting about rude staff, loud snores and how there wasn’t any air-con, but the more balanced low reviews will point out some possible deal breakers, like doors that don’t lock or shower stalls with only curtains. As a general rule, you can discount any 1 star reviews, it’s a hostel, not a hotel for a reason, so there has to be some level of expectation of what you pay for. However messages about whether it’s a safe area or not, or a nice vibe for solo female travelers are worth taking into account. 

4. Bars bring the banter

If you’re looking for a social hostel (and you won’t be all of the time), the one’s with bars attached to them or on the bottom level of the building are almost guaranteed to bring the fun. People will naturally congregate there, you can get a drink and just relax, and they often have activities like karaoke or trivia already organised, which is an easy way to meet people or a good starting point for conversation in the common room or your dorm. The other bonus is you probably won’t have to worry about getting home after your night out either!

5. Book to save your budget

Download hostelworld and use it to filter through all the options available in a city. However, check other platforms before booking. You can get discounts for using Booking.com with loyalty levels or go straight to the source. Hostels are always cheaper when you go through their own website instead of the Hostel World app, and they’ll often throw in free or discounted breakfast or free cancellation. Whilst it’s nice to have all of your accommodation within the app, and there’s the group chat where people can send messages if they want to do activities or meet up, I find meeting people organically in the hostel is much better to sus out what people’s vibes click with you, and some places also have their own Whatsapp or Telegram chat anyway.  

Finally, trust your gut when you arrive at your accommodation, at the end of the day if things don’t look like what you book, you have a weird vibe in your room or even the whole place seems off, it’s better to be safe and comfortable. This could mean changing rooms, upgrading to a private room, moving hostels or even booking a hotel. Don’t be afraid to let a worker know if there’s any problems or ask about any other options.

It’s pretty incredible to be able to stay somewhere surrounded by other travelers, meet new people and explore a new place, so have fun and happy booking!