Living in a Hostel Environment — Kate's Corner Blog

I had my very first hostel experience while staying at Sohostel in London recently and then again at Ostello Bello in Milan. I learned so much during my time in both places on how to survive a stay in a hostel environment.

Reviews

I say this time and again, but reviews are key. I almost never do anything without checking reviews first. Buying a new pair of shoes? Check the reviews. Picking a restaurant? Check the reviews. Going out with a new guy/girl? Check the reviews. Just kidding... mostly. 😜

Of course, reviews don't always guarantee satisfaction. Take my most recent Airbnb experience - great reviews, awful results.

But, most of the time, the reviews don't go wrong. And I'm so glad I listen to them while booking my lodging. I have not yet had a bad experience with any hostels I've stayed in. In fact, every place I've chosen thus far has been exceptional. The staff, the locations, the experiences - all top notch.

And I think that's an important part of traveling - feeling like you've got a good place to go back to at the end of the day. However, I found that there were certain necessities that I required to make my hostel stays optimal.

Ear plugs

Would you believe that I had my foot out the door of my apartment in Maastricht en route to London when I decided last minute to grab my ear plugs? And man-oh-man am I glad I did. If someone asked me, "What's the most important thing to travel with?" I'd tell them to buy a pair of earplugs above all else.

Between the paper thin walls of hostels, noisy streets outside, and the snoring roommates, my ear plugs have saved my life on more than one occasion. Well, my sleeping life at least. I almost had a heart attack one morning when I woke up and thought I'd lost one of my ear plugs. Don't worry, I found it - thank God!

Shower sandals

I kind of thought that I'd need shower sandals before I left for London but didn't end up committing to the purchase until I got to my hostel. Upon arrival, I inquired as to whether I really needed them and my roommates all assured me that I did.

Unless you want to be a rebel and risk athlete's foot, I would suggest purchasing a cheap pair of flip-flops or sandals to throw on when heading for the showers. If you wouldn’t want to see a room under black light, you definitely don’t want to be walking barefoot through it. Yuck.

Toiletries and Towels

While we’re on the topic of showering, it’s important to find practical storage for your travel toiletries. In the London hostel, there was no place to hang my shower caddy so I had to make due by setting it on the floor which, as I said before, is the last place I would want to put anything. This inspired me to find a bag that had the capacity to not only hang by a hook but also perhaps suction to the tile of the shower walls for those places that give you no other option. I came across this bag on Amazon that is well-reviewed and pretty cheap for those like me that are in the market for a pragmatic and less-disgusting way to maneuver shower accouterments without needing any assistance from the floor.

Speaking of practicality, another thing I neglected to consider was the towel I would be using during my hostel stays. I only ever travel with a backpack so a towel is the last thing I would ever want to have taking up space. Whenever I needed one while away from home, I would always go for renting towels wherever I stayed. However, I am skeptical of how well you can really wash something that has been used for bathing purposes by multiple people. For anyone else out there with the same hesitation towards hostel towels, I would recommend investing in a travel microfiber towel that you can easily tuck into your bag without sacrificing too much space. It dries faster, costs little to nothing, and gives you that extra peace of mind that it hasn’t touched some stranger’s body. Just food for thought (although you’re probably not hungry at this point).

Padlock

Another thing I forgot to buy until I got to my hostel was a lock for the lockers underneath the hostel bunk beds. Not that my roommates weren't trustworthy, but I didn't want to risk any losses while traveling. And I'm so glad I ended up buying one.

I would say that it's a safe bet that you can just buy one from the hostel you're staying at or, if you don't want to make the purchase, there's often the option of renting one during your stay. However, if you’re going to be charged for borrowing a lock, you may as well just buy one that you can use for future hostel visits.

Air conditioning

I'm a big fan of how eco-savvy most European countries are when it comes to energy. Some hostels will have a lighting feature in the room that doesn't turn on unless you insert your room key into a designated slot, activating the bulbs. That way, the light is never on if someone isn't in the room because everyone obviously takes their room key with them when they leave (or at least they should, in a perfect world).

There are, however, certain downsides to this great energy system. Take, for example, air conditioning. I cannot tell you what a luxury air conditioning is. And coming from the states where having AC is the norm, it throws me through a loop every time I stay somewhere that doesn't have it.

You'll often find that hostels, vacation rentals, houses, etc. don't have AC in Europe. Knowing this, I would recommend packing accordingly as far as sleeping goes. You obviously can't sleep naked while staying in a mixed hostel dorm (unless you're a very bold person). As such, I suggest packing a light tee and a pair of shorts for sleeping in on those nights that are just unbearably warm.

I've been fortunate thus far travelling to places that have had very mild weather but, eventually, I know I'll need to start accommodating for the impending summer heat. And so should you.

I’m sure I will come across innumerable tips and tricks for mastering hostel living but these few seem like the most pressing of them all. Should anything else come to mind that makes me think “Oh yeah, I need to make a post about this ASAP,” you will be the first to know! For now, enjoy your hostel stay, wherever that may be, and be safe!