The Pros & Cons of Staying in a Hostel

During my solo travels, I often stayed at hostels instead of hotels. Before staying at my first hostel, I had heard a lot of negative rumors about them, primarily that they were unsafe and dirty. However, after seeing firsthand what it is like to stay in a hostel, I think that they are a good option, IF you take several factors into consideration. So, based on my experiences, here are the pros and cons of staying in a hostel.

PROS:

1.  Most of them are cheaper than staying in hotels.
• Each hostel has many price ranges depending on the type of room you choose. If you stay in a room with several people, it will be less expensive than if you choose to stay in a private room. Still, even the private rooms will likely be less expensive than most hotels.
2.  It is easy to meet new people.
• This is especially true if you are traveling alone. When I stayed in a hostel in Bruges, Belgium, I met three other people that were staying in the same hostel as me. We ended up spending a few hours walking around the city together and I made three new friends from South Africa and Spain! 
• In addition, there are several hostels that are designated as "party hostels" if you are looking for a more social scene. The hostel I stayed at in Bruges was called St. Christopher's, and there was a bar inside where I met many people from several different countries. (I realize this could also be a con if you are looking for a more quiet vacation. If this is the case, I recommend finding a hostel that is closer to a bed-and-breakfast style).

CONS:

1. You might have to stay in a room with complete strangers. 
• Yes, one of the pros is that hostels are cheaper, but this might mean that you have to stay in bunk-bed style rooms with other travelers. You can either choose to stay in a co-ed room or in an all female / all male room. When I went to London, I opted to pay a bit more to stay in an all-female room, and other than having different sleep schedules, I did not mind having roommates. 
2.  A lot of hostels are located far from the city center. 
• This is definitely something to keep in mind when looking for a hostel. Many of the cheaper options are farther away from the main tourist sites, which presents a safety problem especially if you are by yourself at night. I would recommend paying a little more for a hostel that is walkable from the city center, so you can ~safely~ walk back at night.  
3.  You'll probably have to share a bathroom.
• All of the hostels that I stayed at had communal bathrooms with private showers. This is something that is just part of the experience of staying in a hostel. On the bright side, you'll likely only be staying in the hostel for a few days, and it will make you truly appreciate having your own bathroom back home.

As you can see, the first two cons can be eliminated depending on your budget and room preferences. While I opted for a more expensive room in hostels that were closer to the city center, other friends I know have stayed in rooms with 7 or 8 other people and used an Uber to get back to their hostel at night because it was farther away from the city. They explained that because it was only for a few days and they were with other people, it just added to the adventure of their trips. As long as you are safe and comfortable with the social aspect that is inevitable when staying in a hostel, I would say that the pros outweigh the cons and you will definitely come back with more stories to tell than if you were staying in a hotel!

Traveling as a Solo Female

Traveling to a foreign country, even with a familiar group of people, is a challenging task in itself. However, add to this the stress of traveling solo, and more specifically, traveling as a solo female, and it presents an even more taxing experience. I traveled to a few countries by myself, and it was definitely stressful to plan, but very rewarding afterwards. Because it was my first time traveling solo, I was looking for a blog that discussed the challenges of traveling as a female, and tips for having a safe but fun trip. 

That's when I came across the blog "Adventurous Kate," which is labeled as a solo female travel blog. The author, Kate McCulley, is an experienced traveler who writes this blog for a living. One of the things that I like the most about her blog is her style of writing. She manages to intertwine serious safety tips with humorous stories about her travel adventures. 

One of the tabs in her blog is called "Destinations." This tab lists all of the countries she's traveled to (78 out of 195 countries!), and a detailed description about each place. For example, her article on France includes a whole section about safety as a female traveler, the best neighborhoods to stay in Paris, and 100 travel tips for Paris, among many other France-related articles. 

My favorite section of Kate's blog is called "Solo Female Travel." In this section, she addresses all of the common concerns about traveling alone as a female, as well as many misconceptions people have about solo travel. One of the articles in this section, "Top 10 Travel Safety Tips for Women," proved to be very useful when I was planning out my solo excursions. The intro of this article begins:

Is it possible for a woman to travel the world and stay safe? Absolutely. Even if you steer clear of resorts. Even if you go to developing countries. Even if you don’t speak the local language. Even if you’re traveling alone.

 I created this site so I could help women travel safely and independently around the world. And after five years, it’s working—I get daily emails from women who have gone on their first backpacking trips, their first non-resort trips, their first solo trips, all because sites like mine gave them the confidence to do so. They survived, they thrived, and they had the time of their lives.

But the women who took these trips did so well in part because they prioritized their safety while traveling. What does that mean? Well, this list of travel safety tips for women will give you an idea!

Following this, she lists her 10 useful tips which includes safety advice such as, "Spend extra money on staying safe." After traveling to several countries alone, I strongly agree with this advice. When you are traveling on a budget, you will often try to find the cheapest hostel to stay in, which often ends up being far away from the city center in a room of ten strangers. Rather than risking your safety to save a couple of dollars, I recommend following Kate's advice of "paying more to stay in a central neighborhood with lots of lively activity instead of a cheaper, quiet residential area where you feel isolated." When I stayed in Bruges, Belgium for a night, I opted to pay ten dollars more for a single room for myself at a highly-rated hostel, and the extra privacy and less apprehension I felt as a result was definitely worth it. 

Kate has many more articles like this one that are very helpful for female solo travelers. Even if you aren't female or are traveling with a group, her advice applies to anyone who is planning a trip to an unknown place. From first-time travelers to experienced backpackers, you can never have too much advice on traveling safe.