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Accommodation Tips For Backpackers - How to Choose a Hostel
By Ersan Erdem

Backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent travel that allows young people to enjoy the fun of traveling without spending huge amounts of money. The factors that traditionally differentiate backpacking from other forms of tourism include use of public transport (mostly trains) as a means of travel, preference of youth hostels to luxury hotels, length of the trip, use of a heavy loaded backpack, and an interest in meeting the locals as well as seeing the sights.

Europe can be considered a backpacker heaven for both prices and ease of transportation. Railway passes like Interrail and Eurorail are widely used in Europe, which allows unlimited train travel in a specific number of days.

Accommodation Options for Budget Travelers

Since the logic of backpacking is 'spend less so that you can travel more', hostels, B&B's and campgrounds are the top three accommodation options. Hostels provide budget-oriented accommodation where guests can rent a bed, sometimes a bunk bed in a dormitory, and share a bathroom, lounge, and sometimes a kitchen.

Rooms can be mixed gender or single-gender, although private rooms may also be available if you are willing to pay higher prices. Hostels are generally cheaper for both the operator and the occupant; many hostels employ their long-term residents as desk clerks or housekeeping staff in exchange for free accommodation. Hostels are generally more economical for individual travelers, but also have advantages for large groups.

Choosing the Best Hostel

There are many fascinating hostels around Europe, but also many that you should avoid. Since backpacking is an unplanned kind of travel by its nature, most people don't bother to book or at least research for a hostel. If you are lucky to avoid hustlers waiting for you in train stations, offering cheap but probably low standards accommodation, you will end up paying high prices for crowded rooms with noise and bad smells. To avoid unpleasant accommodation memories, book your hostel online.

Europe is packed with thousands of hostels, one or more in almost in every city. However, you have to do your homework beforehand. Which one is cheaper, which one is closer to city center and the ultimate question: 'Which one has 7/24 hot showers'.

Luckily, almost all European hostels have a website or at least are included in hostel directories. Such directories will provide you inside and outside photos, maps, directions, and even reviews of the hostels. Make sure you read all the comments, because they were submitted by people who actually stayed there. Most sites will also offer you various booking options.

Online hostel booking is a must for every backpacker, especially in high season, with crowded cities and fully occupied hostels. For example; if you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands on weekends, book online 3-4 days in advance, since it's almost impossible to find a place to stay. This is also the same for big cities like Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and so on.

For other locations, I would recommend checking prices before you go, since they tend to change when you arrive at the reservation desk without any prior booking. I personally noticed that the prices at booking sites are always lower than actual ones. That means you can save some bucks and spend it for a meal at McDonald's. Hostel booking works, and is recommended for every fellow backpacker. Have a nice trip.

The author of this article, Ersan Erdem is a hostel owner and also a fellow backpacker who has been traveling and staying in hostels for many years. You can read city guides and book your hostel online from the author's website http://www.european-hostels.net

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