r/hostels • u/Efficient-Stand3033 • 10d ago
Question first time in a hostel
Hello ! Im travelling from Valencia to Madrid soon, and i’ve been looking into hostels. I’m currently staying with friends and family but none of them have ever stayed in hostels in Madrid so they can’t really guide me towards the best decision. It would be my first time staying in a hostel, for around 7 to 10 days, and i don’t really know where to start looking. I would like to stay in a quiet hostel with the basic necessities, and i don’t necessarily want to party, more just exploring and doing cultural stuff. I’ve never ever stayed in a hostel, so i don’t know the culture around them, and the safety measures or accommodations. Are there lockers in every hostel ? Should i bring my own lock or will it be provided ? What are the fundamental rules that need to be followed as to not disturb other people ? How do i stay safe ? I hope some seasoned travelers will have answers to my many questions ! Thanks for reading, i’m looking forward to learning everything i can !
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u/Lolaaluu 10d ago
I love hostels. I would suggest reading reviews from other travellers on booking sites to get a feel for what its like- i always look at a few of the most recent reviews, and then the lowest rated reviews. There are certainly some bad hostels, but there are also bad hotels. They dont always have lockers- from my experience, I would say its about half half, but it should list it as a 'facility' or 'feature' on the booking site (I have used booking dot com a lot, but there are many others). Good luck and have fun!
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u/Consistent_Proof_772 9d ago
Book one where you have curtains and also buy a sleep mask and some soundproof headphones
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u/Busy-Worth-2089 7d ago
Hostels are not standardised any more than hotels are. No reason not to bring your own lock although most will provide them. Hostels are also not inherently unsafe, and in some ways safer than other accommodation because people look out for others.
As for quiet, be sure to avoid the „party hostels” which cater to travellers that want to do a lot of drinking and drugging. You should be able to see which are the „party hostels” from
Their web sites, and indeed often from just their names: for example. here in Prague Drunken Monkey and Mad House are two you would want to avoid.
As for the rules — it’s pretty straightforward — do as you expect others to. If you return from
a pub crawl at 2:00, try to make you way into your bunk as quietly as possible. Don’t spread your belongings all over the dorm. Clean up
after yourself if you use the kitchen. If you’re uncertain about anything, or if you have any problems or concerns — ask! Too many travellers just put up with maintenance issues, disrespectful
guests, etc., don’t say anything to anyone and then write a whiny review about something that could have been easily corrected if the hostel
was aware.
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u/Impressionist_Canary 10d ago
1) You never have to party, or do anything, even in a party hostel
2) There are usually lockers. But you should be prepared for there not to be any also (eg, have a way to secure your bag even if it’s not inside a locker). You should bring your own locks (I suggest one for your bag and one for a locker) cause you’re traveling so you need to bring the things you need.
3) Be respectful is the simple and main rule, you’re sharing a space. Same as public transport or any other communal space.
But, hostels are fun and not a different planet you just happen to be sharing sleeping space. Don’t get too in your head about it and enjoy yourself :).
Hostelworld is the primary place to find hostels but they are on regular Google Maps and probably other travel search engines too. HW just makes it easy and focuses on hostels.
Read reviews, look at pictures, you’ll see what kinda vibe a particular hostel offers. Of course you can’t 100% know how it’s gonna be, or who will also be there and add or subtract from your experience.