youth hostels (question)

[pepperami]

I hav`nt been to a youth hostel for years and years.
I have booked a couple for my forth-coming mini trip.

Is there anyone in the mighty BCF who has used one lately?
what can I expect? , have they changed much from what they were like years ago?

My mate has not long got back from Holland and used hostels while he was over there.
One night he woke up to find a scrote trying to reach under his pillow where his valuables were .
In second hostel he said that some bastard covered the toilet in shit and just left it .

Hopefully the YHA hostels in this country will be better than that
I did try to book a bed in the female dormitory but was told that`s not allowed
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[David072]

I stayed in youth hostels when I travelled alone cross Europe last year. Stayed in Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna with no problems at all.

Kept my valuables on me most of the time and everything else in the lockers provided and never did I feel like anything wasn't safe.

Had a great time and met some really cool people on the trip. Staying in hostels meant I met new people and got to head out for drinks, hear about what's worth seeing etc.

[spnorm]

If traveling in a group book the whole room to yourselves.

Some have twin rooms too.

The nicest I've stayed in have been Carbisdale Castle (very impressive building), Flodigarry and Skyewalker on Skye (both independent) and Gairloch (stunning views of the sunset over Skye).

I hated the YHA ones in Kirkwall, Ullapool and Tobermory. Too many people, too few toilets/showers. Kirkwall looks like a POW camp too. Ullapool was the only one where I stayed on a dorm and didn't feel comfortable, despite my helmet, jacket and valuables being secure in the other room our group had block booked.

I stick to nice B&B's nowadays...

[pepperami]

[Charlie]

[Peirre oBollox]

Annecy YHA great location, parking shed for the bike in 1 corner of the car park. Showers in the rooms, but the bogs are down the corridor, which leaves temptation for a midnight piss in the shower
Breakfast included (rated 7 outta 10), it even has its own bar downstairs Negative point was the 1 east European sharing the room. I didn`t feel comfortable enough to relax for fear of possible theft.
Nice YHA (Nice Camélias Hostel)
A nightmare, I arrived on the eve of the tour de France, its in the centre of town on 3 floors, 8 beds to a room, bike parking inside the gate on the "courtyard". When I arrived its was chaos I was given a bed on the 3rd Floor, dragged my gear upstairs, but found out that the room was a female doom. So Back down to reception, given a bed in another room. Which was already full. Finally after digging my heels in and insisting double check availability. I got a bed. Lockers are provided, but show signs of damage/theft
Riva Del Garda YHA a small place in the corner of a gated piazza, accessed via a pedestrian precinct. With a side gate that leads to another semi private courtyard. So bike parking is reasonably OK. The rooms are pokey, lacking aircon, & with 4 guys in the room in July the heat was unbearable. Lockers are provided, but show signs of damage/theft. Basic breakfast inc.
In the YHA`s I never felt that my stuff was safe, Wallet in my jeans which I slept wearing
Grindelwald (Mountain Hostel) Great little private hostel. 50m from the Railway station (First). NO keys are provided for the rooms, but lockers are provided, but show minimal signs of damage/theft. Breakfast - probably the best selection/volume I had on the trip. Bike parking in a lean-to shed for the bike in the car park. monitored by CCTV. They also provide gas BBQ FOC if theres enough demand for em to fire it up. the idea is you buy BBQ meat packs from them, but you can get em from the CO-OP in town for 3-5CHF likewise you can get 1ltr bottles of own label CO-OP bottled beer for 0.60CHF which is reasonably good. There`s a café/bar/pizza place at the station, average min price 27CHF per person, but a greater choice if you head up into town. There's also a water park close to the hostel. Don't bother paying the extra for a duvet as there in the room already

[pepperami]

Much interesting thank you peoples.
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[s1h]

I've stayed in hostels all over the world for years. Sometimes I've put my stuff in a locker if available sometimes just left it on/under the bed.
Maybe I've just been lucky but never had anything go astray.

As long as you keep your passport money, bank card on you and keys dor your bike you'll be fine anything else can be replaced.

You can't spend your whole life worrying about what if.....

[stinkwheel]

[pepperami]

Booked the Langdon Beck YHA for the 14th and the Breamar hostel YHA on the 15th.
Prices are good = £17 a night.
As long as I can get my head down and out of the elements, I`m not to fussed.
I only need somewhere to shower & s**t that is relatively clean & tidy.

If I wanted the Ritz , I would have to dig deeper in the pockets and that would spoil the trip and my bank balance.

Did you know you can hire towels while staying at some YHA hostels?
One less thing to carry/pack

Now all I need is some decent weather
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Peirre oBollox]

[G]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Almost OT, but in May I stayed at an independent hostel in Caernarfon.
£17 a night with free toast, brews and cereals. Clean and friendly. Good kitchen if you needed to make meals. Secure parking for motorcycles and no curfew.
https://www.totters.co.uk/

Only needed to load the dishwasher and wipe up.
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[stinkwheel]

They all still come with a mandatory German bloke who whinges about any noise after 8pm, snores loudly enough to rattle the windows then gets up at 6.30am and noisily goes about his morning admin with no apparent regard for the other dozen people in the room who are still asleep.

He WILL walk about naked.

Make sure you wake him up when you come in drunk at midnight. Switch thelights on and rattle your gear about because he's garaunteed to do the same to you in the morning.

I think there must be some special travel company for them to ensure there is always at least one in every dorm.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Peirre oBollox]

[pepperami]

[Clanger]

I'm actually a life-member of YHA, which gives me considerable discount to accommodation here and abroad. I always stay in hostels everywhere I travel (and I usually get outta here at least once a year) and also use the YHA's here in the UK.

The only problem I usually encounter is people who insist on switching on the main light in a shared room in the wee hours, or friggin' German women who snore the loudest out of any woman alive.

Edit: just read back and saw Stinky's post...I'm guessing the German thing is a German thing...
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[Oz.]

A bit late now I guess but I use www.hostelworld.com to find all my hostels, comes with reviews and everything.

I've done 2 3/4 week trips round Europe on the bike in the past 2 years and used hostels for the majority of it. Never had any issues, many amusing moments and stories though!

Europe is full of aussies at the moment, I've ended up spending 6 days in Florence this trip rather than the 3 days planned just because the company was good and the women hot . Yeah we've had people shagging in the dorm, walking around naked etc but I'm not a prude and find it funny or just part of what makes the trip interesting.

Don't understand what the concern about the Eastern European people are, I had a Romanian lad in my dorm and we spent ages talking about Bikes and how he wants to buy one but that it would be better for him to come to the UK buy 3/4 bikes sell 3 of them and keep 1 and the profit from the other 3 will pay for the new bike and his trip.. also shared a dorm with a Polish girl, russians etc never an issue.

I've found that if people are travelling outside of their own country then they are usually spot on, everyone in the same boat etc.

[pepperami]