Hostel Travel Tips
Just like visiting any foreign country, you need to do your research. Utilizing hostel accommodations when travelling saves money and affords travellers the ability to meet like-minded adventurous people.
Travellers able to share amenities and lacking qualms about sharing a room with strangers are the perfect candidates for hostel stays.
Knowing what to expect during a stay in a hostel and having safeguards in place enable travelers to enjoy a favourable hostel experience.
Securing Trusted Hostel Accommodations
Whether travelling to Glasgow,Edinburgh or the Scottish Highlands, there are many ways to find a hostel near your holiday destination. On-line reviews are valuable as they speak honestly about experiences at hostels being considered. This is especially important for those visiting unfamiliar destinations.
There are many online directories that provide reviews but a good one to check is Hostels.com. In addition, you can visit more direct tourism sites like Visit Scotland or the Scottish Independent Hostels website to find ideas of what to do while passing through these hostels. Another option is to contact the Hostel direct for excellent information like Glencoe Independent Hostel, either way you are bound to find a cheap and affordable place to stay.
Most of hostels can be booked directly or via one of many credible websites profiling established hostels in all corners of the globe.
Female travellers often seek hostels providing women-only rooms. This is not always an option and should be verified prior to booking. Another favourable characteristic of select hostels is having suites and private rooms. Again, this is not a given but is nice for couples or for travellers on the last leg of their trip and seeking some solitude.
Evaluating amenities for extended stays is a must. Travellers seeking to save money during extended stays should verify possible fees such as elevated charges for laundry, towel rentals and Wi-Fi. Hostels boasting a community kitchen save travellers money on dining out.
Safeguards for a Successful Stay
Even though you will most likely find a hospitable person in Scotland to point you in the right direction, you should still secure comfortable and reliable shelter before you travel and take precautions to protect yourself and your belongings. Using the same level of common sense employed in other areas of travel comes into play when staying in hostels.
Personal belongings should be secured in lockers or kept on one’s person at all times. While most hostels provide lockers of some sort, they do not always supply locks free of charge. Packing a lock saves from running into a situation where one is not available.
Hostels with fewer beds per room are safer simply because there are fewer people per room. Hostels with a person at the front desk all day, every day are the safest. A close second in level of safety is those hostels with code-locked entrances.
Another important detail to staying safe is to not take the hostel’s word that it is centrally located. Third party sites tend to be more accurate than the actual hostel’s website as they are not affiliated with those hostels. Within these sites, you can usually find reviews to back up any claims by hostels.
Always, cross check your information across different platforms to rule out inconsistencies and inaccuracies to find the best place to stay.
With Scotland, there are multiple websites you can check to do this. In the end, saving money means little when staying in an unsafe area far away from attractions and main areas of a city. So, be proactive.
Packing to Perfection
Items to pack include toiletries such as shampoo and soap. These are most likely not provided. Flip flops for showering protect against possibly unsanitary bath floors, but this is very unlikely in Scotland compared to other countries.
Ear plugs serve to aid in a better night’s rest when there isn’t a curfew and party goers stumble in late at night, or when a snorer is nestled in a nearby bunk.
Checking all hostel options available leads to a journey without incident while saving money and opening travelers up to meeting a variety of interesting individuals.
This is great information for visitors who want to keep the cost of a holiday in Scotland to a minimal. Thanks.