7hostel horrors (and how to handle them).l

1. The unexpected location

 

So you arrive at your destination, feeling happy that you’ve got a bed pre-booked in a hostel with good reviews at a budget price. But wait – how many tube stops away from the train station is it? Where on the map is that street? Let’s face it, a hostel that isn’t slap bang in the centre of town might exaggerate a little about its proximity to the biggest attractions. It’s something we all fall foul to at some point in our travels. It can put a bit of a damper on the start of a trip, knowing that you will be sacrificing time and money to visit the main attractions. 

 

Top tips: There isn’t really anything you can do about it (unless you want to lose your deposit and search for a new hostel). The best thing you can do is see the positives. You may have ended up further off the beaten track than you were hoping for, but it means you can see a side to a city that no one else will. Try out the local cafes or bars, mingle with the locals and get some authentic (and usually much cheaper) food from the surrounding restaurants. 

 

Finding your hostel might be an issue - but a remote location is a good excuse to explore off the beaten track.

 

2. The too small/ overcrowded dorm room

 

You check in and get shown to your eight-bed dorm-room only to discover that the eight beds have been crammed into a shoebox of a room. You knew you were having to share space but you weren’t expecting to be THAT close to a stranger within five minutes of meeting. 

 

Top tips: Turn your bed into a blanket fort. It’s horribly claustrophobic but a welcome alternative to constantly bumping shoulders with people. Use your pillows and rucksack to make walls and hang up clothes over your bed for privacy.  If anything, a shambolic room is a good excuse to get out and about as much as possible.

 

 

 

3. The noisy roommates

 

Aren’t they the worst? The people who seem to have no concept of manners, let alone noise levels. They pick inappropriate times of day to stomp around, having loud discussions and treat the room like it’s their own.  

 

Top tips: Earplugs or music. The two items that will get you through many an aggravating situation. It’s a heck of a lot easier than getting into an argument with someone. They also work a treat if you end up in a party hostel or a room that looks out onto a main street in the centre of town. 

 

You can't choose your room mates in hostels. Invest in some ear plugs and never miss out on sleep again!

 

4. Friendly roommates (bear with us on this one)

 

As nice as people you are sharing with may seem, you have to remember that they are still strangers. As nice as it is to believe in a sort of traveller’s code of conduct while backpacking, it can be easy to fall into a false sense of security and put your trust in people you know nothing about. 

 

Top tips: Always use lockers when they are available and keep a padlock on you as many hostels don’t provide them. Try to avoid taking valuables with you but if there isn’t a secure place to store important items then carry them with you rather than leaving them under your pillow! No matter how cosy a situation may feel, always keep your wits about you and exercise extra caution when staying in shared rooms. A little bit of paranoia is better than a stolen laptop. 

 

 

5. The food thief

 

Those lovely cherries you bought at the market, labelled in the fridge one minute, in another traveller’s backpack the next. Beware the communal fridge thief!

 

Top tips: Sometimes taking someone else’s food can be a genuine mistake – so if you have to store food in a shared kitchen, label it as clearly as possible and store it at the back of the fridge/cupboard. However if you want to make sure you are never left foodless, buy food and cook/eat it as you go. 

 

 

6. The filthy bathroom

 

The inexperienced backpacker’s nightmare, an inevitability for the seasoned traveller.  Even in the most looked after hostels, you never know what mess another backpacker has made before you. And in some hostels it is simply just bad housekeeping. 

 

Top tips: Have a soap bag with some essentials – flip flops, wet wipes, hand sanitizer and a foot towel. This may not seem like much but can make the experience of a mouldy shower a (tad) more bearable. 

 

 

7. The constant farewells

 

You meet a fellow traveller, you hit it off and then you have to say adios. It’s a sad reality of being constantly on the go.

 

Top tips: We live in the 21st century. Keeping in touch is easier than ever before and although you may not be pen pals for life, having some point of contact with someone you meet means you’ll have a local tour guide if you ever decide to visit the country they are from. These chance encounters with fellow adventurers make all the irritations of being in a hostel incredibly worthwhile!

 

source:

http://www.skyscanner.net/news/7-hostel-horrors-and-how-handle-them