It seems so strange to me now, but there was once a time when I wasn't a hostel person.  It wasn't even all that long ago!  At the start of my year abroad, an American friend and I were planning some trips and she asked if I was more of a hostel or hotel person.  I replied, "Definitely a hotel person.  Hostels freak me out.  You stay in the same room as strangers.  That's weird."

My, how things have changed!

My first experience in a hostel was on a 2013 EFCollegeBreak Trip to London (it's equally hard to believe there was once a time when I had never set foot in England!), Paris, and Barcelona.  The other people on my tour were college students from all over America who just met for the trip.  In Barcelona, we stayed in a hostel, but it was a room just with other girls on my tour.  When I realized we were staying at a hostel, I expected it to be dirty, loud, and unsafe.  The decor was actually quite nice, but I still declared that I would only stay in a hostel if I had a room only with people I knew.

I also noticed that a lot of people seemed to be travelling alone, which I also thought was weird and something I would never do (hah, I had no idea quickly my mind would change!) I also noticed that people talked to one another in the lobby.  What was this hostel thing?  Did people just sit around talking to strangers?  That was also weird.  

One night, by travel roommates convinced me to go down to lobby area with them.  So I reluctantly sat beside them at the hostel bar and ordered a hot tea (also, hard to believe, but there was once a time when I was even more of a nerd than I am now.  But some things never change.)  I eventually found myself conversing with an Australian about how much we both loved London (about fifteen minutes after landing in London, I was declaring that I would study abroad there a semester...one semester turned into two and London turned into a gateway to 18 other countries in ten months).  I remember talking to this Australian for so long that my friends eventually got bored and left.  Suddenly, I was alone in the hostel, but actually having fun.  And, wait, there are Australians in hostels!?  Maybe this wasn't so bad after all...(Spoiler alert: there are ALWAYS Australians in hostels.)

My second hostel experience was similar, I was with a tour group of international students from London and our hostel in Sicily gave us a room to ourselves.  It was only as the year went on that I started staying in the traditional hostel rooms, at first in female-only dorms with a friend and then solo in the cheaper, mixed-dorms.  

Contrary to what I expected, hostels are clean, safe, and so much fun.  There is no better way to meet other solo travellers!  Most people I've met in hostels are adventurous, conscious of their budgets, and excited to see as much of the city and country as they can, on and off the beaten trail.

​It was during my spontaneous trip to Italy, my first solo trip, that I really noticed how much I enjoyed the atmosphere of hostels and made friends to explore Rome.  I toured the Vatican with a girl from Ukraine, went out to dinner with another American for his 21st birthday, and was constantly conversing with travellers from all over the world.  Soon, I was taking budget flights all over Europe each weekend and staying in hostels in cities where I didn't know anyone else.  I actually went back to this same hostel during my three-week trip throughout Italy, Croatia, and Switzerland in and out of Rome, a totally changed traveller.  I don't like the thought of staying in an isolated, over-priced hotel room.  Somehow I evolved into a "hostel person."

How do you choose a hostel?
I always use ​http://www.booking.com/, ​http://www.hostelworld.com/, and TripAdvisor before I book anything.  I read the reviews and make sure it is well-rated for its safety and cleanliness. From there, I choose based on location and price.  Usually I choose the cheapest one with the best rating.  

Isn't it weird sharing a room with strangers? 
Surprisingly, no.  I expected it to be a larger issue than it was.  Oftentimes, my travel schedule of take-the-cheapest train or bus regardless of whether it arrives at 3:30 AM or leaves at 5:10 AM and my tendency to have long conversations with my new friends, results in me being both the last person in the hostel at night and the first one up in the morning.  I try to be as quiet as possible and don't mind when others wake me up because they too have weird travel schedules.  I haven't ever felt unsafe in a hostel room, even the one time when I was the only girl in the room.  I've met some really nice people as a result of rooming with them in the hostel.  The weirdest experience I had was when an elderly woman sat on her top bunk for two days, cross-legged, facing forward, with no expression on her face.  She was like that when I got the hostel, when I left for the day, when I came home at night, when I woke up at 3 AM, when I actually woke up at 6 AM.  Anytime anyone tried to talk to her, she would shake her head.  Maybe it was some sort of meditation, but this was a hostel in Oxford, England!  Not exactly the sort of place for that!

What should I bring?
A towel and lock.  Some hostels provide these, but many do not.  Most hostels have lockers for you to store your belongings in the room, so be sure to bring a lock.  Also, a bring a pair of flip flops to wear in the room and in the shower.  

1) Athens Quinta
Athens, Greece
Location: It is close to the all the major attractions of Athens.
Atmosphere: Brilliant!  There is a lovely garden in the back complete with chairs and swings that everyone hangs out in at night or during the day when they aren't exploring Athens.  I met some amazing people here from Switzerland, Poland, Korea, and Taiwan. 
​Staff:  Really, really lovely.  They made me feel like a family member rather than a hostel customer.  Upon arrival, they immediately gave us water and cookies, served homemade breakfast for the guests each morning, and were there to help in anyway.  I came with a torn tendon and they kindly made me an ice pack anytime I was home and not running around Athens, climbing hills, and doing other things one should not do with a torn tendon (word of advice, if the top of your foot in swollen, climbing St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, taking a night bus two nights in a row in Turkey, and doing a four hour walking tour in Berlin are all bad ideas.  Worth it, but bad ideas nonetheless). 
Wi Fi: Yes! 
Price: ~$24 a night, including breakfast and use of a towel 

2) Freedom Traveller
Rome, Italy
Location: Right by Roma Termini station, everywhere in Rome is walkable
Atmosphere: This is the mentioned hostel above. It has a vibrant, friendly atmosphere like no other. There is a garden and common area, with a socializing hour each night to meet the other travellers. I have so many great memories of this hostel and I spent more time here than any other hostel. I would never stay anywhere else in Rome!
Staff: They're great! They kindly put up with my obnoxious 3 AM arrivals and 4:30 AM departures as I travelled in and out of Rome for three weeks. I got to know the staff quite well and one of them even cooked me dinner on my last night in Rome.
Wi Fi: Yes! (though the owner confessed that he turns it off if he suspects people are just lying in their beds on their smartphones. So go downstairs and embrace the hostel culture!)
Price: ~$19-$20 a night, pastries and coffee in the morning are included

3) Hostel Archi Rossi
Florence, Italy
Location: Close to Santa Maria Novella train station and walkable to everywhere in Florence
Atmosphere: The hotel was clean, with a spacious outdoor area. It was decorated with lots of fountains and arches. This hostel didn't seem as conducive to meeting people, despite the large common area, but I only stayed here three nights so maybe it was an off time.
​Staff: Helpful and friendly. They tried to help me when I arrived covered head-to-toe in hives after the Baby Brown Swiss Dairy Cow Incident
​Wi Fi: Yes!
Price: ~$21 a night, buffet breakfast is included, probably the best hostel breakfast out there

4) Bivvi Hostel
Breckenridge, Colorado, USA
Location: Main street is a ten minute walk away, it is possible to get to Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin Ski Areas by car and bus
Atmosphere: It has a very woodsy, Colorado feel with a large fireplace and chandeliers. It is popular with skiers and snowboarders from all over the world and embraces the European hostel vibe.
​Staff: It seems that there is only one staff member on at a time who is responsible overnight for everything from check-ins at night to cleaning to making breakfast in the morning. Everyone I met was great.
Wi Fi: Yes!
Price: ~$59 per night, including breakfast and use of a towel (Yes, this is more than other hostels, but still less than what hotels in Breckenridge cost.)

5) Hlemmur Square
Reykjavik, Iceland
Location: Right by downtown, walkable to everything in Reykjavik.
Atmosphere: It is also a hotel, so the lobby has some gorgeous decorations and it is still enough of a hostel to embrace the traditional atmosphere.
​Staff: Friendly and helpful
Wi Fi:Yes
Price: ~$22 per night. Breakfast not included but available for an additional cost

6) Balmer's Hostel
Interlaken, Switzerland
Location: Close to downtown Interlaken
Atmosphere: It had lovely decorations and a delightful Swiss cabin vibe!
​Staff: Friendly and helpful
​Wi Fi: Yes
Price: ~$25 a night, breakfast included

​7) YHA Hostel Oxford
Oxford, UK
Location: Right by the train station and a ten-minute walk from downtown
Atmosphere: I loved how this hostel embraced the city's intellectual and literary heritage, with posters of famous authors and intellectuals in all fields. I was especially excited about all the Narnia posters!
​Staff: I barely interacted with them but they seemed fine!
​Wi Fi: Yes
Price: ~$28 per night, breakfast not included but there is a cafe

8) Goli + Bosi Design Hostel
Split, Croatia
Location: Ideal, only a short walk to the beach, market, and downtown area.
Atmosphere: The design was interesting, the ambiance was mediocre
​Staff: I didn't interact with them much, but there is a restaurant on-site and they specially made vegan/vegetarian dishes for my friend and me
​Wi Fi: In theory, yes. In actuality, it barely worked
Price: ~$24 a night, including breakfast and use of a towel

9) Noah's Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey
Location: It is located near the Galata Tower. All attractions are walkable though not close. It was a bit hard to find.
Atmosphere: It has a welcoming vibe. There is an outdoor garden where everyone talks amongst each other. The only complaint I had was that there were no lockers.
​Staff: Knowledgable and friendly, plus a cat lives there! They let me store my suitcase there for an extra twelve hours past checkout free of charge.
​Wi Fi: Yes, except one night a week when that part of Istanbul's power is turned off.
Price: ~$11 per night, including breakfast

10) Full Moon Design Hostel
Budapest, Hungary
Location: Rather hard to find, considering that the instructions on the website were wrong, but other than that it has a great location
Atmosphere: It had a fun atmosphere, but I was so sleep-deprived by the time I got to Budapest, I didn't engage much.
​Staff: I didn't interact much but they seemed fine!
​Wi Fi: Yes
Price: ~$18 a night, breakfast not included but available at an additional cost.

​I should put a disclaimer here, that though I've researched these to the best of my ability, there may be inaccurate pricing or information.

All this talk of hostels is making me want to backpack again soon!  Are you a hostel person or a hotel person?  Where are your favourite hostels?

I am now a week into my twenty day Italy, Croatia, and Switzerland trip. It has gone by fast, probably aided by the fact that over thirty of those hours have been spent on fifteen hour coach rides between Rome and Croatia. The ride realy wasn't so bad; the scenery was gorgeous and since I hopped off the bus at the Croatia-Slovenia border on the way back, I can say I've been to both places now, right? I slept on the bus more than I thought I would, meaning I actually fell asleep. Granted, it was probably less than four hours total. The day we arrived I managed to nearly break my thumb in the hostel door. I blame sleep deprivation as well as my need to do something stupid in each country.

So I left Rome and guess what I end up seeing lots of? Roman ruins! It's actually amazing how Roman ruins are everywhere in Europe, even as far north as England.

I always appreciate meeting the area's cats. On my first night in Croatia, I met up with Lily who was also travelling around Switzerland, Italy, and Croatia. I was randomly meandering through Roman ruins (as I often do these days) and suddenly I turned a corner and there was Lily at the ATM! We went to dinner where we made some cat friends (or more accurately, they wanted Lily's chicken!) We hiked up Marjan Hill right as the sun was setting, which was gorgeous. Suddenly three more cat friends appeared and followed us down the hill!

The next day, I took a ferry from Split, Croatia to the island of Brac. The island had lots of shoreline. I love places where you can see the mountains from the beach! I was also really impressed with the level of English spoken by the island's residents, even the kids. The small Croatian children on the island watched us and when our boat pulled away they ran after yelling "good bye!" and "see you later!" It was adorable.

The next day, I went to Krka National Park. Before this trip, I had no idea that Croatia was known for waterfalls. Well, they are and they're amazing!

Croatia was also the most inexpensive country I've visited on this trip, which was certainly nice! It was 8 kuna to a Euro, so the conversion rate was a bit weird. However, most meals ended up around $4 and I got a pair of shorts for around $8. I heard that Croatia is the up and coming destination for European holidays and I believe it!