Are Hostels Good For Solo Travel?
Hostels are great places to check out if you’re the type of traveler who wants to hit the ground running and meet people right away.
That being said, not everyone will have the same experience, and not everyone has the same reasons for traveling.
It’s important that every beginner solo traveler is level-headed about what to expect when it comes to the experiences they might have on their travels.
So What’s It Really Like?
I can only go off of my own experience, but the hostel I stayed at was your typical hostel equipped with bunk beds for about six people in a shared room.
Each bed had its own curtain for privacy, an outlet to charge your phone or other electronic devices, and a small storage space to store your luggage.
It’s important to note that I chose a hostel that was sort of in the middle as far as quality and price are concerned.
If you decide to go straight for “budget travel” and stay at the cheapest hostel you can find, you most likely won’t get a curtain for privacy, charging outlet, storage space, or any other extra amenities at all.
The hostel I stayed at also had a bar, a lobby area where you can hang out, free breakfast in the mornings, and an option for a home-cooked-styled dinner if you paid extra.
It basically felt like a cross between a college dorm and a bed and breakfast where your roommates were constantly changing every day.
Now I know that might not seem appealing to a lot of people out there, but as a person who very much values personal privacy, I actually didn’t think it was that bad.
Although I did only stay for about three days, I still met people who I ended up traveling with to other places in the city and even to other small towns within the country.
Meeting People at Hostels
Hostels are known for being places where you can easily meet other travelers, but at the same time, you have to be the type of person that genuinely enjoys meeting new people.
Hostels make it easier to meet others, but this only goes so far. If you truly want to meet other travelers, you have to make an effort by putting yourself out there.
If you tend to be a “wall flower”, don’t be surprised if you end up not having that great hostel experience that everyone talks about.
So, yes, it’s easier to meet people when staying at a hostel. This is mostly because of how hostels work, but if you aren’t actively talking to people and genuinely trying to get to know them.
You will end up having a hard time meeting anyone, regardless of how easy hostels make it to do so.
Don’t Make These Mistakes!
I’ve seen people do things like take out their laptop (making them look busy) in the middle of the lobby area (secretly) hoping someone will come up and talk to them.
If you aren’t genuinely trying to work on your laptop, don’t make it seem like you’re busy. That just gives off the message that you aren’t looking to meet anyone.
I’ve even seen people who will actually put an effort into meeting others only to write them off for being someone they can’t get along with.
Of course, I can’t tell you who you should associate with, but if you’re going to judge people based off a short conversation, you’ll end up not meeting many people at all.
Give people a chance to show you who they are. Even if you disagree with some of the things they say.
You might be surprised to find out that they’re also traveling on their own and are pretty much in the same situation as you.
Designed For Constant Socializing
This might seem obvious, but almost everything about a hostel is designed in a way that puts an emphasis on social interaction.
Shared rooms, shared bunks, shared bathrooms (some hostels have private rooms and bathrooms if you prefer).
When I was in Europe, I even had a person ask if they could borrow my shampoo like it was nothing. Of course, I let him use it as a show of good faith.
Which turned out to be a good decision on my part, as others saw that, which made them feel comfortable enough to get to know me more.
(Sometimes it pays to show a little generosity. Plus, what’s a little shampoo? Am I right?)
Some hostels even have large picnic-styled dining tables as opposed to separate tables which will basically have you sitting next to someone you can potentially be acquainted with.
Other hostels also have things like free walking tours that are conducted by the staff, which is also a good way to not only find your way around the city but another way to get to know even more people.
If you’re wondering, yes, I took advantage of every opportunity I could to get to know someone as long as they gave me the feeling like they wanted to meet someone as well.
I understand that meeting people on the fly is hard to do for many people out there.
But meeting new people is a huge part of not only solo travel, but travel in general. It’s something that you should genuinely want to do or at least be completely open to.
Popularity of Hostels
Another thing that can really make or break the hostel experience for a solo traveler is how popular hostels are in the destination you choose to travel to.
Places like the United States aren’t so big on hostels as opposed to countries in Europe where hostels are popular among many European college students and young adults.
Doing a little research on this can really help you find a good hostel that suits your needs. I recommend using an app called Hostelworld.
While doing some research on where to stay in Europe, I came across this app and decided to give it a try and I have to say it worked out great. They have a lot of hostels listed with ratings and reviews.
Everything from cheap budget travel hostels to hostels that offer more options like private rooms and other amenities like free breakfast or free walking tours and more.
If you decide to stay at a hostel, make sure you do your own research if you want to find a hostel that suits your travel goals.
How Long Should I Stay At a Hostel?
Something else to consider is how long you should stay at a hostel.
From my experience I’ve noticed that many people only stay for a couple of nights to a week.
Which I think is the perfect amount of time to stay, especially if you’re new to the whole hostel living experience.
For me personally, I was sort of on the fence about staying at hostels (as I said before, I very much value having my own personal privacy).
When thinking about whether I should stay at a hostel, I could easily see why I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, but I also wanted to meet people and have that experience.
In the end, my desire to meet other travelers was stronger than my dislike of having to constantly be around strangers.
So I decided to stay for a couple of days to feel it out, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it wasn’t that bad.
Of course, I don’t think I would be able to live like that for an extended period of time, but it really is a great way to meet people and if you get tired of the constant socializing (like I did).
You could always book a traditional hotel room later, or if you want to save money, opt for an Airbnb that offers private rooms (Airbnb’s could also be a good way to meet other travelers as well).
So Should I Consider Staying In a Hostel Solo?
I think the perfect answer to this is, why not?
Yes, it’s important to be grounded when thinking about the experiences you’ll have when traveling solo.
But staying at hostels gives you that much more of a chance of meeting new people on your solo trip.
For a solo traveler, this is something that you should really consider if you want to meet other travelers you can relate to.
Of course, there’s the chance that you might not meet people like you originally thought, but you can always go to another hostel and try your luck there.
The only way you wouldn’t meet anyone is if you actively choose to close yourself off.
Either that or, for whatever reason, you choose not to be more open-minded when trying to get to know people.
One thing to keep in mind when traveling solo is that you aren’t the only one traveling on your own.
There will be others who are also traveling on their own as well, and they most likely are in the same solo travel situation as you.
It’s good to plan and do research, but sometimes you just have to take a chance with what you know to see if certain travel experiences resonate with you or not.
If you want to read more about solo travel visit the site at Traks&Paks.com.
