Hostels and backpacker bars actually have a long and sordid history of beginning beautiful, and not so beautiful, intra- and inter-nation relationships. If you ask around, it is likely that your parents or their friends have stories of meeting their husband on a Contiki tour, or at least of a Spanish sangria-loving mystery man they met travelling in India in the 70s. This continues today – the array of modern hostels and backpacker bars are perhaps the best places in the world to meet the opposite sex, being literally filled to the brim with young, friendly, like-minded men that are usually open to some hostel loving.

But what happens when the morning after involves the ten other (non-too-impressed) people in your dorm room? When the hook-up with a fellow member of your forty-day tour group goes horribly wrong? When you fall in love with someone from the other side of the world? Or when you wake up with an empty bed and a head full of regrets, a hangover, and herpes?

To help deal with or avoid these situations, we have compiled (from experience!) a list of “10 Simple Rules for Backpacking Lovin’ for the Female Traveller” which, whether you are looking for a fling or the real thing, we hope will ensure you return home in one piece and without a broken heart…

At the beginning

1. Know the nationalities.
Only interested in one night of pure passion? Pursue a Spaniard or South American. In the mood for a drunken hook up? Try an Australian, Englishman, or American. Need some romance? Strike up a conversation with a Frenchman, Italian, or Belgian.

If you are interested in a more long term relationship try and stick with nationalities that are similar to yours. You can’t help who you fall in love with but the distance and difference between an Australian and a New Zealander is much smaller than between an Australian and a Czech. In saying that though, relationships between completely different nationalities can be the most interesting and rewarding experiences, so if you find yourself so enamoured by a fellow traveller that you would consider a permanent move halfway across the world to their country, then go for it.

>> And just to prove that this article is useful for more than just women, here’s some great advice for how to impress a French girl from our sister site, WhyGo Paris!

2. Think outside the square.
To make the most of your travelling, you need to be flexible, open, and receptive to new experiences. This includes attitudes towards guys. Throw away any preconceived notions of what you usually look for in a man at home and use the experience to try out someone new. Usually go for the sporty jock types? Chat to an American travel blogger who loves photography and discussing the meaning of life and travel instead, or flirt a little with the dreadlocked rasta hippy from Byron Bay. It will help you open your eyes to new opportunities when you return home as well.

3. Don’t confuse a love for tequila with true love.
Most of the hook ups you will experience backpacking will most likely be alcohol-fuelled, but don’t confuse a drunken encounter with actual feelings – try and consider things in the sober light of day. Let’s be honest – a large proportion of the male backpacker population are looking to hook in, and then move on. Fair enough if that is what you want as well, but don’t be under the impression that the plastered Irishman kissing you will necessarily want to tomorrow night.

4. Be safe.
The most serious tip in the bunch, and fairly self explanatory. Don’t drink too much, be extra careful going back to someone’s dorm/apartment/house that you just met, and try to let someone in your dorm know your plans for the next day so they will know if you don’t turn up. Attitudes towards sex also differ between cultures so stick to your guns and don’t be afraid to insist on using protection.

5. Be discreet.
No-one in the dorm room wants to see you or hear you having gloriously loud sex with that hot South African guy from the other room. Nor do they want you to go for it in the hostel kitchen, the common room, the hallway, or any shared space whatsoever. Don’t think you can get away with it once, either – if you are on a popular backpacker route or ‘gringo trail’ (think Western Europe or South America in the summer) then you are bound to see these same people again and again (and again) throughout your journey. Be discreet and either pay for a private hostel room, or try a lockable shower or bathroom.

6. If you are on a tour, be picky.
No-one likes a package tour hussy. If you are a part of a 20-or-so package tour group don’t feel free to sleep around with every single member of the opposite sex. Choose one, or two if the first doesn’t work out, and stick with them for the rest of the trip. Or try to venture outside the tour group – as the saying goes, you shouldn’t shit where you eat.

When a fling turns into a thing

7. Spend more on a private room.
This is a follow on from Rule Number 5. There is no doubt that the worst hostel dorm sex is the hostel dorm sex between a girlfriend and boyfriend who were too stingy to pay for a private room. Spend that extra few dollars between you (at least every few days when you want to be romantic), and both your other half and your fellow travellers will thank you for it.

8. Be ready to experience the best, and the worst, of your new love straight away.
There is truth to the belief that travelling with someone is the best way to get to know them. You will learn hard and fast everything there is to know – in less than three weeks of travelling with each other, I guarantee you will have seen them naked, heard them cry, argued with them, conversed with them about your bowel movements, been bored with them, had so many of those awkward silences that they aren’t awkward anymore, and learnt every boring little thing about them including how they broke their arm when they were five; things that in the real world takes months, or even years to discover (and sometimes for good reason). This is great if he ends up having a closet anger management problem. This is bad if either of you get freaked out or bored with each other too soon – which leads me to:

9. Schedule breaks apart if you decide to travel together for long periods of time.
Absence does make the heart grow fonder, and small individual trips to different places can help keep the relationship fresh and give you both something new to talk about on those long train rides. It will also give you a chance to take stock if things are going too fast, and imagine what life would be like without him if you have to go home.

And when it is time to go

10. Be ready to say goodbye.
Sometimes love does conquer all, and love on the road can lead to love back at home. But sometimes distance conquers love, and unless one of you is prepared to move countries after all the travelling is over, then emails and memories may not be enough to sustain the relationship past a few months once you both get home.

So our best advice is to be ready to say goodbye – don’t drag out the inevitable so that you end on bad terms. With these days, technology such as Facebook, Skype, and the good old email means you can stay in touch for many years, and you may even end up living in the same city in the future. If not, at least you will always have those amazing memories of France in the summertime… And a fantastic story to tell your children when you need to prove you were not always old and boring.

This article was written for BootsnAll by Amy Heading

photos, top to bottom, by: GothamNurse, huipiiing, Orin Zebest, Orin Zebest, Ed Yourdon

Most of these awkward hostel situations would not occur, however, if all of our fellow backpackers followed these 10 simple Hostel Commandments.

(1) Thou shall not play thou’s guitar for us unless requested by at least two people in the room that are not friends of thou. Why did thou feel the need to bring a musical instrument backpacking anyway?

(2) Thou shall not turn the light on at 5am to pack for the early morning train. Especially if thou uses forty crinkly plastic bags to separate thou’s stuff in thou’s backpack. Thou should do it the night before, or perhaps thou should have packed a torch instead of that pink GHD hair straightener.

(3) Thou shall shower every day, unless it is winter in Romania and there is no hot water, in which case thou shall shower every second day, very quickly. However, thou shall not take 45 minutes in the bathroom at 8 o’clock in the morning when five other people are waiting.

(4) Thou shall not snore, pass wind, hum, talk, walk around, or sing incessantly during sleep. If thou does, at least warn surrounding bunks and let them know how to get thou to stop doing the aforementioned things (such as rolling thou onto thou’s side). If there is no way to stop thou doing these things, thou should book a private room.

(5) Thou shall not spend hours on unlimited internet at the hostel. Especially if five other people are waiting to use it. Especially if thou is just checking Facebook, reading useless travel blogs, or downloading stupid YouTube clips.

(6) Thou shall not have sex in the dorm room, the hostel kitchen, or any communal area whatsoever. Especially if it is loud sex. Especially if it is with thou’s girlfriend and thou was too stingy to get a private room. Thou can have it in the bathroom, however, if thou does not mind the stench and cleans up afterwards.

(7) Thou shall not waltz into the common room and change the channel on the common room TV whilst we are watching it. Especially if thou is changing it to thou’s favourite Spanish soap opera/Nicholas Cage movie/footy match whilst we are watching the news.

(8) Thou shall not steal food from the communal hostel fridge. Especially if it is our last piece of cheese. Yes, we will notice. No, being drunk or high is not an excuse.

(9) Thou shall take care of thouself by picking up thou’s own rubbish in the dorm room, cleaning up after thouself in the kitchen, and taking care not to drink so much that thou is left wandering the streets at 4:30 in the morning without a clue as to where thou is and then blaming it on us the next day because we left in the taxi without thou when thou stayed to pick up that Swiss girl.

(10) Thou shall not think themselves God Of All Backpackers and Knower of All Things Travel-Related because thou has spent months helping orphans in Somalia and building mud houses in Paraguay, or studied for a semester in Paris, or did a Contiki tour back in ’07.

This article was written for BootsnAll by Amy Heading

photos, top to bottom, by: colm.mcmullan, colb, glennji

But that doesn’t mean that there are no Dublin hostels to party in – not by a long shot. Any hostel within staggering distance of the Temple Bar can be considered a party hostel based on its location alone. And if the location of the hostel isn’t enough to make it a party hostel in your book, then the hostels with on-site bars are the ones you want to look for.

In any case, if you’re looking for the perfect place to spend some time that you may not remember later, then this list of the best party hostels in Dublin should be just what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if you’re hoping to spend some time in Dublin but avoid the worst of the public drunkenness, consider this a list of places you should avoid.

>> If you’d like to see some hostels that are further from Temple Bar and where you can get a good rest on a budget, then these quieter hostels in Dublin might be what you’re looking for.

Best Dublin Party Hostels

Barnacles Temple Bar House

As you’ll be able to tell by the name, Barnacles Temple Bar House is right on the busy Temple Bar – which makes it easy from any of the area party hotspots back to your bed when you’re finally ready to sleep it off. This popular hostel is regularly featured in top travel guides and noted for its cleanliness and social vibe. But more than anything else, it’s the hostel’s location two doors from the “Temple Bar Pub” that makes it one to book.

Guests at Barnacles Temple Bar House get free breakfast, free WiFi, and free walking tours of the city. The hostel hosts regular movie nights (also free to guests), and they also offer discounted tickets to many of the city’s top attractions and even the hop-on/hop-off bus tours, too. And if you want to relax in the hostel after a night of partying, the TV lounge and games room is the perfect place to chill out.

Oliver St. John Gogarty

Located right in the Temple Bar area, Oliver St. John Gogarty Hostel is another perfect spot to book a bed for a party weekend in Dublin. This is a particularly ideal hostel for the laziest partyers among you, because when you’ve visited all the bars in Temple Bar and want to be a little closer to home – but you’re not quite ready to hit the pillow – then you’ll be thrilled to know that Gogarty’s complex includes a busy on-site bar.

In addition to the on-site bar and on-site restaurant on the top floor serving traditional Irish fare, guests at Oliver St. John Gogarty Hostel also get the benefit of free breakfast with the low “bed & breakfast” rate. The rooms all have en-suite showers and central heating, and the common areas are great places to relax with the new friends you’ve made at the hostel.

Isaacs Hostel

Although Isaacs Hostel isn’t right on Temple Bar, it’s a relatively short walk away (5-10 minutes) and it’s also close to other useful points for backpackers – like the bus station and train station. There are both dorms and private rooms available, and there’s an on-site cafe for budget-friendly meals.

Guests at Isaacs Hostel get free WiFi, free use of the on-site sauna (an unusual feature in hostels, I think you’ll agree!), free light breakfast, and free guided walking tours of the city. Plus, the hostel hosts regular events (such as Irish dance parties and other music concerts) that are also free for guests at the hostel.

Four Courts Hostel

Another hostel situated right around the corner from Temple Bar is the Four Courts Hostel, although there’s more to this hostel’s great location than just proximity to party central. This one also claims to be the closest hostel to many of Dublin’s main sights – including the Guinness Storehouse, the Jameson Distillery, the National Museum, and Dublin’s oldest pub. So, come to think of it, many of those sights are helpful in making this a great party hostel, too.

Guests at Four Courts Hostel get free WiFi, free guided walking tours of Dublin, and free breakfast – all of which you may find in other hostels. But some fun free perks at Four Courts include free Irish dancing lessons, free laundry for guests on a weekly rate, and even free laptop storage for when you’re out and about in the city. There are regular movie nights at the hostel, too, so if you need a night off from the party scene that’s a great way to kick back.

photo by wili_hybrid

So if you want to not only save money on where you sleep but also stay in one of the better hostels in the city, then this list of some of the top-rated hostels in Vancouver should help.

Keep in mind that with the world descending on Vancouver during the Olympics, it could be that these top hostels have been booked solid for months already. That’s not to say you won’t be able to find a room anywhere in Vancouver, but if you haven’t booked by now you might end up paying more than you’d like for a room. Or you might end up being forced to get a room in a different city altogether, which presents even more problems when you’re talking about commuting to and from the games themselves.

In other words, if you’re definitely going to the Olympics in Vancouver, then you’d better get a bed booked pronto.

Best Rated Hostels in Vancouver

HI-Vancouver Central

Among the top-rated hostels in Vancouver is the HI Central. It’s right in the midst of the party neighborhood that is Granville Street, so it’s got a great location going for it. From a home base at this hostel, it’s easy to walk to all the hot night spots in the city and not be far from your bed when you’re all partied out.

But more than just a great location, the HI-Vancouver Central also offers a host of nice perks – like free breakfast (which is served until 10am, so you can even sleep in a little), free WiFi, free towels & linens, and comfy beds. The kitchen is minimal, but there are plenty of places around the hostel to eat out.

SameSun Backpacker Lodge

The SameSun Backpacker Lodge is downtown Vancouver’s largest hostel, but this is no institutional setting. In addition to the comfy dorms, there are private rooms, a games room, an outdoor patio, and an on-site restaurant that’s an ideal space to hang out with other backpackers.

Guests at SameSun Backpacker Lodge get free breakfast, and internet and WiFi are both available. And if you aren’t finding the ambience inside the hostel that you’re craving, a short walk in just about any direction on Granville Street just outside the door should be all you need to find a suitable party.

HI-Vancouver Downtown

This is the second HI hostel on this list (keep reading, there’s one more!), and although HI hostels do cost more for non-HI members they’re usually still worth it. And that’s definitely true with the HI-Vancouver Downtown hostel. It’s in a residential neighborhood a short walk from many downtown attractions, shops, and restaurants.

HI-Vancouver Downtown offers a free continental breakfast to all guests, plus free linens, free towels, free WiFi, and free coffee and tea available all day long. The dorms only have four beds per room, so they’re not overly huge, and the on-site facilities include a games room, a TV room, and a library.

Cambie Hostel – Gastown

The Cambie Hostel in the Gastown neighborhood of Vancouver is all about one thing – the party. There’s an on-site bar downstairs that’s incredibly popular with backpackers, but the common room upstairs is often lively with guests as well. And if that’s not enough, there are enough options in the neighborhood to keep you party-hopping all night long.

The free breakfast at Cambie Hostel in Gastown is just a muffin and some coffee, but if you want to pay a small fee you’ll get a hot continental breakfast. The Cambie also has a membership card you can buy that could come in especially handy if you’re staying for awhile in Vancouver or planning to stay at any other Cambie hostels.

HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach

If you don’t associate Vancouver with a beach (especially during the winter), remember that this is a city on the water. Okay, so it might not be Hawaii-warm, but it’s still a lovely view. Which is one of the many perks of the HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach location. And even with the nice beach location, it’s still only 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver.

Outdoorsy types especially will love the location of HI-Vancouver Jericho Beach, as it’s ideally placed for all manner of outdoor pursuits – from hiking to biking to kayaking to beach sports, it’s all right there. The hostel also offers free WiFi and has an on-site cafe.

photo by pat_ong

Because London is such a hugely popular tourist destination, it doesn’t take long to find a zillion accommodation options throughout the city. There aren’t as many hostels in London as there are hotels, but there are still enough hostels that picking the one you’ll stay in will likely require looking at the descriptions of several. But if you’re not inclined to just pick one at random, you probably want to consider the hostels you’re looking at in terms of additional criteria and not just choose based on their price or location.

If that’s the case, then let us suggest one of the things you might consider is this list of the most popular London hostels.

Sure, there are some downsides to booking a stay at a popular hostel in London – the rates may be a little higher, the hostel may fill up more quickly, the dorms are more likely to be full – but these places are popular for a reason. They’re typically more fun because they appeal to outgoing travelers, and they tend to offer more perks than other hostels. So at the very least, they’re worth checking out.

Most Popular London Hostels

Ace Hotel

The Ace Hotel calls itself a “three-star hostel,” and although there aren’t really star-ratings for hostels you can totally see why this place rates itself so highly (and why guests do, too). There are private rooms (hence the “hotel” name) but also up to 8-bed dorms, a light breakfast is included in the price, and the hostel has a great location in the Kensington neighborhood.

I know you’re all about budget, which means dorm rooms, but consider that in the Ace Hotel’s double rooms you’ll get a private patio, a fridge, and a bathrobe and pair of slippers – and it’s still less than you’d pay for a hotel room in the area. There are also great common rooms, including a hot tub.

Astor Museum Hostel

The Astor Museum Inn is only one of the Astor hostels in London, all of which are good, but this one consistently comes in ahead of the rest. The hostel is across from the British Museum & Library (hence the name), and within walking distance of many of London’s attractions.

Breakfast is included in the price, there’s internet access and a fully-equipped guest kitchen, and there’s no curfew. There are double rooms if you like a bit more privacy, and dorms have as many as 12 beds. Shared bathrooms are on every floor. Note that you must be between 18-35 to stay here.

Palmers Lodge

The building housing Palmers Lodge dates from the late 1800s, but it’s been completely updated and refurbished to offer guests an historic stay at a budget price. It’s not right in the center of London, but it’s well-placed when it comes to public transportation so you can get into the city easily.

Among the perks of staying at Palmers Lodge are the free continental breakfast, free WiFi and free internet access. There’s an on-site bar that’s great for hanging out and meeting people, and if you’re really on a budget you’ll appreciate the savings you can have with a bunk in the 28-bed dorm.

St. Christopher’s Greenwich Hostel

Anyone who’s traveled even a little bit will be familiar with the St. Christopher’s name – and indeed, there are a few St. Christopher’s hostels in London alone. The Greenwich neighborhood location is a nice mix of the social vibe the chain is known for as well as a laid back atmosphere in case you’re not a party animal.

Yes, St. Christopher’s Greenwich has one of the chain’s legendary Belushi’s Bars, but the neighborhood in general is historic and scenic in addition to a great place to find pubs, restaurants, and clubs. The WiFi is free, as are some toiletries, and budget travelers will appreciate the food and drink discounts in the hostel’s bar.

YHA London Central

Like other places on this list, YHA has a chain of hostels in London – and the YHA London Central is the newest one. It’s close to Oxford Street and within walking distance from many of the city’s big attractions, and the whole hostel covers seven floors of the building it’s in.

Because YHA London Central Hostel is relatively new, it comes with perks that older hostels just can’t compete with – like the fact that most of the bedrooms in the hostel have en-suite bathrooms. The hostel has an on-site bar/cafe, where you can meet other travelers as well as enjoy the budget-friendly drink and food specials.

photo by E01

But as you can well imagine, Carnival also attracts hordes of tourists every year – and when you consider that finding a cheap place to stay in Venice is challenging even when it’s not Carnival season, you’d be remiss if you didn’t research (and book) hostels in Venice for Carnival long before the big celebration.

Unfortunately, Venice doesn’t have a huge number of hostels to choose from whether it’s Carnival or not – and some of the hostels are only open in the summer. There are countless hotels on the islands, and many of them are 1- and 2-star places that are comparable to a private room in a hostel, so they’re definitely worth checking out if you’re having trouble finding an available bed in one of the genuine hostels in Venice.

The good news is that Carnival (which is Carnevale in Italian) kind of takes over the whole city, so you don’t necessarily need to stay in one particular area to be within easy reach of the festivities. What’s more, getting around Venice is easy with the vaporetto bus-boats, or just by walking.

>> Read more about how to find Venice Carnival travel deals

Hostels for Venice Carnival

Ostello Venezia

Ostello Venezia, also called the YHA Ostello della Gioventù, is Venice’s only HI hostel. It’s located across the canal on the Giudecca Island in an old (and fully renovated) granary. Because the Giudecca isn’t connected to the other Venetian islands by a bridge, you’ll need to factor in the costs and time involved in taking the vaporetto back and forth to Carnival events – but beds at this hostel are cheap and plentiful, so that will definitely help with your overall trip budget.

There are male-only and female-only dorms at Ostello Venezia, as well as some private rooms and smaller dorm-style rooms if you’re traveling with a small group. From some of the dorm windows you can even get a view of St. Mark’s Basilica across the water. All bathrooms are shared in the hallway and the hostel has a cafeteria area with a TV. It’s not the most comfortable common room ever, but the staff is super nice and the price is right.

A Venice Fish

Located in the Cannaregio district of Venice near the city’s train station, A Venice Fish hostel occupies an old Venetian palazzo. The interior isn’t institutional feeling at all, rather it’s warmed by wooden beams in the ceilings and big Murano glass chandeliers.

There are dorm-style rooms and private rooms available at A Venice Fish hostel, and guests enjoy free breakfast as well as free dinner every night. Also included in the price of your bed are linens, internet, and WiFi. It’s a hostel with a family and social atmosphere.

Camping Fusina Tourist Village

You might instinctively turn up your nose at the word “camping” when you’re thinking about a visit to Venice in February for Carnival, but Camping Fusina Tourist Village in Venice isn’t really camping. Yes, during the summer or nicer weather you could pitch your own tent for a super cheap accommodation option – but in cooler weather, the campground also has lots of cabins and what they call “maxi-caravans” (mobile housing) you can rent cheaply.

It should be noted that Camping Fusina Tourist Village isn’t on the Venetian islands, but rather on the mainland. You can reach the islands in 15 minutes by boat, and the campground enjoys nice views of the islands, so if you’re looking for a cheap place to stay in Venice during Carnival where you can also get a little peace and quiet away from the festivities, then this might be a good option for you.

Dimora Serenissima

While it’s not really accurate to call Dimora Serenissima a hostel in the traditional sense, it’s definitely a good choice for Venice if you’re looking for budget beds. Rather than a hostel, this is a network of apartments and rooms for rent – you check in at one central reception area and they bring you to the place where you’ll be staying in the city. So while you won’t necessarily know where in Venice you’ll be staying, you’ll be sure of a few things.

First of all, every Dimora Serenissima room has a private bathroom, whether they’re inside the bedroom or outside the bedroom – at least you know they’re not shared. All rooms have a TV and small fridge, and linens and towels are included in the price and changed every three days (if you stay that long.) If you have a concern about your room being in a certain part of the city, be sure to tell them that when you’re booking.

Absolut Venice

Absolut Venice is, as they themselves put it, a guesthouse – not a hostel. They’re located a short walk across the Grand Canal from the train station in the Santa Croce district, so it’s easy to reach them whether you come in by train or by bus (or car, if you’re crazy enough to drive to Venice!).

Although this isn’t really a traditional hostel, the people who run Absolut Venice do suggest that it’s best suited to friendly people who like socializing with like-minded travelers (although if you’re looking for a late-night party hotspot, this isn’t it). Towels and linens are available for rent, and you’ll pay a small supplement upon arrival for use of the kitchen and internet, but guests can get free guided tours of the city.

photo by Alaskan Dude

Visiting Dubrovnik is still pretty inexpensive as far as European travel goes, but that may not be true for much longer. As Croatia looks to join the European Union, such a move would automatically mean higher prices as the country switched to the euro. Until that time, the main thing budget travelers have to worry about is the increasing crowds filling up all the best hostels.

If you’re not into planning ahead and you’re a budget traveler, you have more options than just staying in one of the hostels in Dubrovnik. The city has lots of apartments or rooms to rent, and often all it takes is a stop at the tourist information office to get a lead on a couple worth checking out when you get into town. Usually, the TI will make the call for you to see if there’s room.

But during the high season especially, you may end up paying more than you’d like for a bed because things are full before you arrive. So to avoid having that problem, you might want to book a hostel bed in advance. Much of Dubrovnik is close to the sea, but here are some hostels which are just a short walk from the beach.

Dubrovnik Hostels Close to the Beach

Youth Hostel Dubrovnik

The city of Dubrovnik is blessed with lots of coastline, owing in part to the small peninsula of land that juts out from the Old Town. There are hostels on that peninsula (one of which is on this list), and there are hostels in Old Town, but if you just can’t decide which way to go then why not go with the Youth Hostel Dubrovnik, which is somewhere in between?

The Youth Hostel Dubrovnik (an HI hostel) is located outside the Old Town, about a 10 minute walk away, but it’s even closer to the Adriatic Sea. There are 82 beds available, the largest dorm holding only 6 bunks, and all bathrooms are shared in the hallways. Guests can use the kitchenette and the comfy TV lounge. Linens are included with the price, but you’ll need to bring your own towels.

Dubrovnik Backpackers Club

The Dubrovnik Backpackers Club not only has a lovely sea view from its position on the peninsula, it’s only 5-10 minutes walking distance from the beach itself. Not only that, it’s also only 5-10 minutes’ walk from a host of restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars. Old Town is a 10-minute bus ride away, and buses run frequently from the hostel so you’ll be able to get back and forth easily.

Guests at Dubrovnik Backpackers Club get free breakfast, free linens, free towels, free internet access, free WiFi, free local phone calls, a free welcome drink and snack, free parking, free coffee/tea throughout the day, free beach towels and fishing equipment, and even a free pick-up from the city’s main bus station or port if you call the hostel ahead of time.

Fresh* Sheets

Those looking to stay right in Dubrovnik’s pedestrian-only Old Town may want to consider the Fresh* Sheets Hostel, which calls itself the only hostel in the Old Town. It was opened in 2008 and renovated in 2009, and is only a few minutes’ walk from a “secret swimming hole” that’s great for swimming and sunbathing.

All the rooms at Fresh* Sheets have en-suite bathrooms, and guests at the hostel get free breakfast, free internet access, and free WiFi. There are nightly drink specials at the on-site bar, regular movie nights in the TV lounge, and a fully equipped guest kitchen. The dorms are small, with only four beds per room.

Guesthouse Peter

If you’re looking for a balance between easy access to the beach, proximity to the historic Old Town, and a bit of peace and quiet away from tourist crowds, then take a look at Guesthouse Peter. It’s only two minutes from the entrance to Old Town, so close enough to get there quickly but far enough away to be a bit quieter, and it’s also close to the lovely sea. They’ve also been in business for 25 years, so they know what they’re doing.

The downside to Guesthouse Peter is that it’s small – it’s a guest house, with individual rooms to rent instead of a good-sized hostel where you book the bed, not the room. So if this place appeals to you you’ll want to book it sooner rather than later. Note that not all the bedrooms have private bathrooms, so if you’d like to cut costs you can book a room with a shared bath.

Hostel Marker

The Hostel Marker is part hostel and part apartment rental (it’s also called “Apartments Lovrijenac”), so it’s likely to suit several different types of travelers and travel budgets. The rooms they rent are spread out into three different buildings, but they’re all in the historic Old Town and all very close to the sea.

The largest dorms in the Hostel Marker are 4-bed rooms, but there are apartments which sleep up to seven, so if you’re traveling with a group or a family you can rent a whole apartment for more privacy and amenities. Some of the rooms in the hostel have private bathrooms, but none of the dorm rooms have A/C. All the apartments have private bathrooms, TV, and fully equipped kitchens.

photo by abundantc

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, one of the biggest misconceptions has to do with the word “mansion” in the building names for many of the city’s cheapest (and most infamous) hostels. These Hong Kong hostels, we told you, are not mansions – far from it. But that doesn’t mean that all hostels in Hong Kong deserve the same bad rap.

In fact, there are some Hong Kong hostels which get consistently good reviews from previous guests, so we’re going to focus on those for this article. You’ll notice that all but one of the places listed below have the words “guest house” (or “guesthouse,” which is only one word, but who’s counting?) in their names instead of the word “hostel.” There’s an easy explanation for that – most of them are not really hostels.

Most of the places listed here are more accurately be called “guest houses” instead of “hostels,” because they’re small (some as small as only six double rooms) and don’t have big dorm-style bedrooms. But they definitely qualify as budget accommodations, and they all get high marks from previous guests.

It’s also worth noting that most of these hostels are in some of the same “mansion” buildings as some of the not-so-nice hostels – these buildings are absolutely full of little guest houses, so it’s really important you know exactly which one you’ve booked and where it’s located (what building, what floor) so you don’t get led to another place altogether.

Hong Kong’s Top-Rated Hostels

Paris Guesthouse

Combine a central location with friendly staff and free WiFi and you’ve got a great foundation for a well-liked hostel. The Paris Guesthouse in Hong Kong has all of these things, plus cheap prices for their clean (though small) rooms. It’s definitely not a hostel, as all the rooms are private and have en-suite bathrooms, but the guest house is certainly affordable.

It’s worth noting that Paris Guesthouse is actually located in one of the infamous “mansions” buildings, the Chungking Mansions on Nathan Road, but it’s kept very clean and this place shouldn’t be confused with one of the lesser hostels in the area. The guesthouse offers free internet (in addition to free WiFi), free coffee/tea, anc there’s CCTV surveillance 24/7 even though the front desk isn’t open 24 hours a day.

Yiu Fai Guest House

Another highly-rated guest house in Hong Kong is the Yiu Fai Guest House, which is also located right on the busy and central Nathan Road. It’s within walking distance of many of the sights, and also a short walk from public transportation, making it an ideal location for budget travelers. Additionally, although it’s a guest house with private rooms instead of dorms, it’s affordable for backpackers.

The rooms at Yiu Fai Guest House, like most rooms in Hong Kong, aren’t huge – and the cleanliness factor isn’t as great as it probably could be – but the rooms are cleaner than some of the hostels on Nathan Road, and the staff is friendly and helpful. There are only six rooms at Yiu Fai.

Maple Leaf Guesthouse

First we have a guest house with “Paris” in the name that’s not in Paris, and now we have the Maple Leaf Guesthouse that’s not in Canada! This guest house is on the 12th floor of the Chungking Mansions building on Nathan Road, so it’s centrally located and within walking distance from some attractions as well as public transport. The rooms are small and simple, but they’re private and pretty clean.

Guests at Maple Leaf Guesthouse get free breakfast (there’s a guest kitchen for you to store and cook your own foods as well), and there’s internet access and WiFi. There’s also A/C throughout, which is a must in Hong Kong’s steamy summers. The rooms have en-suite bathrooms, and linens and towels are included.

Guangdong Guest House

Guangdong Guest House is yet another in the Chungking Mansions building on Nathan Road (so, again, it’s centrally located for budget travelers to walk to some sights and get on public transit for the rest). This guest house was voted Hong Kong’s top hostel in 2008 on a popular hostel booking site, and many previous guests credit the owner as being the main reason they give it such high marks. He’s helpful, friendly, and will go out of his way to be at your service while you’re staying there.

Most of the rooms at Guangdong Guest House have en-suite bathrooms with private showers, and all rooms have TV, air conditioning, and internet access. Guests get free drinking water and can make free local calls from the guest house, linens and towels are included, and the rooms are cleaned daily.

Yesinn Hostel

Yesinn Hostel is the only place on this list that qualifies as what most would think of as a traditional hostel, as it’s got dorm-style rooms with bunk beds where you’re paying for the bed not the whole room. It’s also not located on Nathan Road or in one of the “mansion” buildings, so it’s different in a couple ways. You can choose from the hostel’s dorm rooms (none larger than 8 beds) or pick a private room, depending on your budget and travel style.

Guests at Yesinn Hostel get free WiFi and internet access, air conditioning throughout the hostel, and each room comes with a private en-suite bathroom (even the dorms). Linens are included with the price, although you’ll need to bring your own towel or rent one at the hostel. A fridge and microwave is available for guest use in the kitchen, and hair dryers are available in the bathrooms. The hostel is colorful and bright, and it’s close to public transit so you can get around easily.

photo by skinnydiver

Visitors to New York during the Thanksgiving weekend may be faced with traffic jams, higher prices, and cold weather, but at least two of those things are regularly found in New York year-round. But if you’re planning to check out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade during your trip, then you might want to think about staying somewhere close to the parade route so you don’t have to fight through much of the traffic (car or people traffic) to stake out a spot.

Be aware that for the 2009 version of the parade, there’s been a change to the route. The parade will no longer snake down Broadway from Columbus Circle – for 2009, they’re making the route a little longer by forcing it to go at right angles instead of taking that diagonal “shortcut.” The 2009 parade route goes from Columbus Circle along Central Park South, turns right on 7th Avenue, left on 42nd Street, right on 6th Avenue, and finally right again on 34th Street. You’ll find a map of the 2009 route here, and more information about the parade on the official website.

So, back to your lodging. The following New York hostels are close to the 2009 parade route, so you won’t have far to go from your bed to the parade (or back again when it’s all over), and you’ll save money by staying in these places instead of a hotel. Keep in mind the prices may be higher over the holiday weekend than on other November weekends, and the best places will book sooner than others – so make your reservations as soon as you know where you want to stay.

Hostels Along the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Route in New York City

West Side YMCA

The West Side YMCA is one of the closest hostels to the parade’s starting point (at 77th Street & Central Park West, near the Museum of Natural History), so if you want to see the parade before all the marcher’s legs get tired this might be a good spot to stay in. Additionally, this location is great for visiting several of NYC’s landmarks, too.

Guests at the West Side YMCA can choose from single or double rooms, both of which have single-sex shared bathrooms available in each hallway. There’s a TV and A/C in each room, and of course the Y’s fitness equipment for your use. There’s free WiFi in the lobby.

Columbus Circle Hostel

Another option in the early stages of the parade is the Columbus Circle Hostel, which is a block or so away from the circle. Watching the parade from around Columbus Circle will give you your only opportunity with the new 2009 parade route to see the marchers going in something other than a straight line or a right angle, so this is the only test of how they’ll negotiate curves.

Columbus Circle Hostel was only opened in April 2009, so it’s new to the NYC hostel scene. There are 96 beds, a guest kitchen, and internet & WiFi access available. There’s also a comby lounge with a big-screen TV, and the location makes it a good base from which to explore many New York attractions (not just the parade).

Jazz on Times Square Hostel

As the parade passes right through the Times Square area, any hostel that’s on or near Times Square is another good choice location-wise, especially because it means you’re on or near one of New York’s major landmarks long after the parade’s gone. The Jazz on Times Square Hostel, as part of the popular Jazz Hostels chain, is one of the better options in that neighborhood.

Guests at Jazz on Times Square Hostel get free linens, towels, WiFi, and breakfast (lots of nice free perks that aren’t always available in hostels), although the internet kiosks will cost money if you don’t have your own laptop. There’s a guest kitchen and a big game room for hanging out, as well as a backyard patio area which is good if the weather’s nice.

311 Times Square Hostel

Another great Times Square hostel choice is the 311 Times Square Hostel, which not only has a great Times Square location (good for parade-watching, good year-round) but also consistently gets good reviews as one of New York’s top hostels. Based on the reviews alone, this is one that may fill up fast.

At 311 Times Square Hostel guests get free WiFi, free interent, free access to printers & fax machines (people still use fax machines?), as well as free linens, towels, shampoo, soap, and hair dryers. There are guest laundry facilities, and A/C throughout the hostel.

Chelsea Spot Hostel

If you’d rather be at or near the end of the parade route, either so you can see what an exhausted marcher looks like or to do some shopping at Macy’s when the parade’s done (the parade ends near the department store), then a hostel near Penn Station is a good option – and the Chelsea Spot is a good hostel in that area. Aside from being near the end of the parade route, this hostel is also within walking distance of the Empire State Building & Madison Square Garden.

Guests at the Chelsea Spot get WiFi and internet access, use of a fully equipped guest kitchen, a comfy lounge with a big HD LCD TV, and all the rooms have A/C. The rooms and bathrooms are, even the hostel management admits, quite small – but between the lounge, kitchen, and backyard common areas and the fact that the city of New York is just outside the front door, you shouldn’t do much more in your room than sleep anyway.

photo by Ben+Sam

Which is why a list of Berlin’s most popular hostels is not meant to be some kind of hostel pageant but instead is designed to help give you an indication of which hostels get consistenly high marks from previous guests and tend to fill up more quickly. With this list, you’ll not only learn which hostels get the best ratings in Berlin, but which hostels you need to book well in advance to make sure you’ll get a bed.

Of course, what makes a hostel popular isn’t always going to be the same criteria. Maybe it’s party central, maybe they offer the best amenities, maybe it’s got the best location, or maybe it’s just got a nice laid-back vibe. The bottom line is that all the hostels on this list are well-liked for one reason or another and are often full, especially in the high season.

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The Most Popular Hostels in Berlin

EastSeven Berlin Hostel

The number of awards the EastSeven Hostel in Berlin has racked up over the years is probably enough to tell you that it’s a well-run hostel, but the fact that it’s regularly ranked among the top 10 hostels in the world should tell you even more. It’s listed in all the major guidebooks, and has a great location in Berlin that’s close to a U-Bahn station for easy access just about anywhere.

EastSeven Berlin Hostel isn’t a party place (it’s a family/child-friendly hostel, and stag and hen parties aren’t even allowed), although it’s incredibly social and can be lively. The common areas include a comfy lounge and a back garden area that make for lovely spots to relax. Guests get free WiFi and free walking tours, and you can even rent bikes right at the hostel if you’d like to wheel around the city.

The Circus Hostel

If the name “The Circus Hostel” makes you think this hostel is a popular party spot, then you’re on the right track. With an on-site bar – Goldman’s Bar – there’s always a place to hang out with a drink and chat with other guests, but there are also regular parties that transform the bar into a dance club or karaoke lounge.

The Circus Hostel is well-placed in Berlin, walking distance to many of the city’s attractions and also close to a great night-life area. There’s a restaurant/cafe at the hostel that serves up cheap (and good) food, including an all-you-can-eat-breakfast. You’ll get high-speed internet access and free WiFi, and you can make free phone calls using the hostel’s Skype setup. Plus, they’ll book your next hostel for you for free as well.

Inn-Berlin

You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate a nicely decorated hostel, and the Inn-Berlin definitely fits that description. It’s not a huge place, with only 33 beds, but each room is individually and colorfully decorated by an internationally-known artist. The owners take great pride in their hostel and great care of their guests.

Inn-Berlin is located near public transit for easy access to all of Berlin’s big attractions. Each room has a private bathroom, even the dorm-style rooms, and both towels and linens are included in the price. Guests get free WiFi (which extends to most of the rooms) and free internet access, and a small breakfast is also included.

Wombats City Hostel Berlin

Frequent travelers may already be familiar with the Wombats chain of hostels, and if you are then you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the Wombats City Hostel in Berlin makes this list of the city’s most popular hostels. In every city where you find a Wombats, you can almost guarantee it’s one of the most well-liked hostels in that city. These people just know what they’re doing when it comes to running hostels, and it shows.

The Wombats City Hostel Berlin location is one of the newer branches of the chain, and is located in central Berlin near public transportation as well as a good neighborhood for night life. The on-site bar (cleverly called the womBar) is on the building’s 7th floor and boasts a lovely terrace on which you can enjoy your drinks outdoors in nice weather. Guests get free WiFi in the lobby and a free welcome drink when you arrive, and the womBar serves up cheap food and drinks to anyone who walks in the door.

Pfefferbett Hostel

If having a name that’s fun to say were the only criteria for success, then Pfefferbett Hostel would be a shoe-in. (The name may not be fun to say if you are, say, German, but for the rest of us it’s a hoot.) This hostel occupies a 19th century former brewery building right in the heart of one of Berlin’s top nightlife and arts districts, and thankfully the building renovations left the original vaulted wooden ceilings intact.

Since Pfefferbett Hostel is in a former brewery, it only makes sense that one of the hostel’s common areas should be a beer garden (this one has great historic ambiance). The hostel is close to public transport, and there’s an on-site bar and restaurant. Guests get free internet access and WiFi, and a cheap breakfast is also available.

photo by freakyman