Do people still use youth hostels?

Once a bastion for independent and budget travelers and known for their sense of camaraderie, recent times have seen youth hostels closing down. But, says Michael O'Regan, “a thriving backpacking hostel ignites authentic, spontaneous interactions between strangers.”



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If you are wondering if you are too old to stay in a hostel, you are not. There's this funny thing I've noticed about aging: the older I get, the less I care what people think. If you had asked me if I would still stay in hostel dorm rooms in my thirties when I was 24, I probably would have told you I would not.

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Truth: Hostels are generally open to people of all ages, and I've never been turned away for being beyond my 20s.

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The typical hostel-goer tends to skew on the younger side. The average age is probably somewhere between 18 and 25, although you'll definitely find travelers much older than that as well! I have even witnessed full families with young children staying in hostels.

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While most HI USA hostels do have private rooms, staying in a shared dorm is your best bet if you want to meet other travelers and make your travel budget go further.

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Although in most people's minds, Youth Hostels are connected with young travellers, there is no maximum age for staying in a Youth Hostel. Youth Hostels are open to all travellers of all travelers , from students to retirees by way of families with children, who wish to experience a social adventure.

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Hostels are hotel facilities that have shared rooms. So you only pay for your bed and share the room with other people you don't know. The prices for this type of stay are much more affordable because of this. In addition to this, the whole culture of the place is different than a hotel.

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Hosteling began in Europe over a century ago and has grown with the cities there. Hostels entering the US market now have less prime real estate and more red tape than abroad, and compared to the well established hotel industry. New York City has been especially unwelcoming to hostels.

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How Much Money Does It Cost To Stay In A Hostel? While prices can vary widely, you can generally expect for hostels to cost between $10 to $40 per night. Hostels can vary in the number of amenities, perks, comfort levels, and location, so be sure to take this into consideration when choosing your housing.

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The short answer: yes, a hostel can be highly profitable, because the hostel business model is designed to minimise costs and maximise profits.

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Most hostels are only short-stay hostels meaning they don't like you staying longer than a week because they have other travellers who want to stay there too. But some hostels don't have a limit on your length of stay and you can find some people living in hostels while they go off to work.

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Don't be embarrassed If you're in your 30s, you may well be one of the older people in the hostel – and that's cool! You may find yourself apologising for being older or hiding your age but you should be proud of it.

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While HI USA doesn't have age restrictions at any of its hostels, always check other hostels' policies when you're booking just to be safe. But if you're still asking yourself, “Am I too old to even be considering this?” start off by asking yourself the following questions, instead.

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You are NEVER too old to travel. Because getting old IS just a number. There are, however, plenty of other things that enter the equation that come hand in hand with age. It is THESE things that you should take into account before you buy that plane ticket.

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