While hostels may have a bad reputation in the minds of many mainstream travelers, experienced backpackers know that cheap lodging is the secret to keeping travel costs down. Along with airfare and food, nightly housing is an unavoidable necessity and comprises a significant amount of your overall travel budget. By using hostels and cheap backpacker's accommodations, this expense can easily be cut in half.
At one point in the past, hostels may have earned their unfavorable reputation as dirty hole-in-the-wall establishments that offer cheap rooms and nonexistent service. Fortunately for us, this generalization has become a misconception in today's travel industry. Most hostels and backpacker's lodges today are clean, still cheap, and offer a number of services - often more than traditional hotels. More and more modern hostels include restaurants and wet bars and offer laundry service, internet access, and even specialized tours to visit surrounding attractions. Few hotels can claim the same.
The prime occupants of hostels and backpacker's lodges are still young travelers, but a more diversified group of tourists are discovering the value of these establishments. Many hostels offer a variety of room options, including dormitory beds, single rooms, doubles, triples, and sometimes quads. Some rooms have private bathrooms and showers, while others offer shared facilities. The cheapest option for solo travelers is always the dormitory with shared bathroom, but groups of 2 and 3 can often get a private room with bath for the same cost per person as the dorm.
At one point in the past, hostels may have earned their unfavorable reputation as dirty hole-in-the-wall establishments that offer cheap rooms and nonexistent service. Fortunately for us, this generalization has become a misconception in today's travel industry. Most hostels and backpacker's lodges today are clean, still cheap, and offer a number of services - often more than traditional hotels. More and more modern hostels include restaurants and wet bars and offer laundry service, internet access, and even specialized tours to visit surrounding attractions. Few hotels can claim the same.
The prime occupants of hostels and backpacker's lodges are still young travelers, but a more diversified group of tourists are discovering the value of these establishments. Many hostels offer a variety of room options, including dormitory beds, single rooms, doubles, triples, and sometimes quads. Some rooms have private bathrooms and showers, while others offer shared facilities. The cheapest option for solo travelers is always the dormitory with shared bathroom, but groups of 2 and 3 can often get a private room with bath for the same cost per person as the dorm.
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