A Complete Guide & What to Expect in Hostels

As a solo female traveler, I stayed in hostels in my 20s and revisited them in my 30s. I figure it is long overdue to create an overall guide and what to expect in hostels as a solo female traveler. I answer whether it is safe to stay in one, and why I love staying in hostels so much. Hostels are generally available in most cities around the world. However, for some reason or another, hostels are not as common in the US. Hostels are a great option for accommodation when traveling on a budget and when traveling alone. 

Looking for more ideas for solo travel? Here are a few posts:

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What are hostels and are they good for solo female travelers in their 30s (or older)? 

Hostels are essentially places you can stay where you rent a bed (or a pod) in a shared room. The shared room can have anywhere from 4, 8, 16, 24, or more beds sharing one room. A lot of hostels nowadays have female-only or male-only rooms, but the most common setup is a mixed room, where both men and women can stay in the same room. When I was starting with backpacking in my 20s, I stayed in the mixed room, which is generally the cheapest of the bunch. However, if I am traveling solo in my 30s, I tend to stay in female-only dorm rooms. 

The most basic hostels offer a bunk bed as your place to sleep. A lot of the cheapest hostel options do not even have a curtain divider on your bunk so you have no privacy at all. However, the better hostels offer pods and curtain dividers, so you can at least claim your bed and your space as your own. These higher-end hostels also provide charging stations and night lights you can use in your pod. They even provide lockers to store your stuff securely. Some of the more expensive hostels also offer keycard access, so only people staying in your room can have access to it. 

Where can I book hostels? Are there hostel aggregators available?

Yes! My favorite hostel booking site is HostelWorld. You can put in the city and the dates, and it will give you a list of hostels as well as the distance from the city center. You can filter for refundable rates, and if you are more sure of your dates, you can opt to book a non-refundable rate.

Remember that hostels charge more the closer you get to the date you need to stay. The earlier you book, the cheaper your rate will be, even if you pay a little bit extra for the refundable rate.

Can I cook or self-cater meals in hostels? 

Yes, but it depends on which hostel you are in. Some hostels may only have a microwave oven, so heating items that come pre-prepared from a grocery store are a must-have. That’s a gourmet meal of sorts in a pinch. Other hostels also have actual stoves you can cook in. I’ve only been to a few of those, but that was in the 2010s when I was backpacking around Asia in my 20s. 

Some hostels also have restaurants attached to them so you can buy food without having to self-cater. These hostels may offer discounts for those staying with them to eat at the restaurant. 

Is there free breakfast available in the hostels? (What to expect in hostels)

It depends on where you are staying, but generally, yes, a lot of hostels have free continental breakfast available. Others may charge for breakfast, but you’ll only pay a fraction of what you will expect to pay for as compared to eating out in some cases. Do a little bit of searching to see how much a typical meal will be at a fast food chain versus eating breakfast in your hostel. 

Are there places where I can work in a hostel? 

Hostels have great common areas: free Wi-Fi, and lots of open lounge spaces to sit, relax or work in. These hostels offer plugs for your devices too, in case you’ll need to charge them as you are working. The only problem with these common areas is there are no dividers so it may get a bit loud if you need to get on a call. However, for those who just need access to a computer to check email, do word or spreadsheet processing, or other general system access, the internet may be fast enough for you. 

Some hostels have quiet areas where you can work without too much noise. The quiet area is usually located in a private space where you are not allowed to take phone calls or talk loudly. 

You can also opt to work in your bed or pod, as some hostels have charging stations by the foot or head of your bed. There are also reading lights available in your bed in some hostels, so you can do a bit of work in the comfort of your bed before you sleep for the night.  

Are there private rooms available in hostels or just dorm rooms?

It depends. Some hostels offer private rooms that cater to solo travelers, double rooms for those traveling as a couple, and small family rooms in some cases. The dorm room configurations can range from a 4 bed, 6 bed, 8 bed, up to a 20+ bed in one room. The general rule of thumb is the more beds there are in a room, the cheaper the nightly rate is. 

Private rooms are a great way to have your own space away from the general vibe of shared dorm rooms. These room types typically don’t have ensuite bathrooms but have enough space for you to leave your stuff in without the need for a locker. You can even work and watch your favorite shows in the comfort of your room. 

Are there gender-specific rooms or mostly mixed dorm rooms in hostels? 

There usually is a female-only dorm in a majority of the hostels, and recently, I’ve stayed in a hostel that has male-only dorm rooms. These gender-specific rooms are a tad bit more expensive than mixed-room hostel rooms. However, they could be worth it if you are uncomfortable staying in a room of your opposite sex. 

When I was single and in my early 20s, I stayed in mixed-room dorms to save more money. I was more comfortable staying in female-only dorm rooms in my 30s. This is a compromise my husband and I decided to do when I was solo traveling, so he can also be comfortable with me staying overnight at a new place. 

What to expect in hostel’s bathroom

Most bathrooms in a hostel are located in a shared space, and most, if not all, rooms don’t have ensuite bathrooms. Depending on the hostel you’re staying in, the bathrooms may be locker room types. These are bathrooms where the toilets and shower areas are divided into stalls. There may also be a long sink area where multiple people can wash up, put on make-up, or brush their teeth at the same time.

A hostel I’ve stayed in has multiple bathrooms where the toilet and shower are located in one room, and only one person can use the room at a time. This was a much better bathroom arrangement, but the biggest problem was finding a spare one in the mornings when everyone seems to want to use them all simultaneously. 

Do hostels provide toiletries? 

Some hostels provide basic bath and shower supplies like shampoos, hand soap, and body wash. Other hostels do not, and you’ll have to bring everything in yourself. I usually just pack small toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion to bring everywhere with me. It’s just a failsafe in case the hostel does not provide toiletries at all, and there are a few of them that don’t even provide hand soap for washing hands. 

Do hostels provide towels? 

It depends. Some hostels charge you a little extra to rent towels from them for your stay. Some hostels like the higher-end ones, provide towels for you to use which are included in the nightly charge that you pay. Go to the official hostel website to check the rules and fee schedule. You can then pack a towel from home to save money, or to check if it makes more sense to rent the towel. Renting may be a daily or a per-stay charge, so calculate your costs accordingly. 

Where do you keep your stuff in a hostel dormitory? 

Nowadays, hostels have lockers that correspond to your bed number, so you will know exactly where to put your stuff for safekeeping. Some of these lockers are big enough to take store a suitcase, while some may just be enough to store a backpack. If the lockers are small, just keep your valuables in the locker, like a laptop, phone, passport, and wallet. Otherwise, you can keep them in the space by your bed. 

What’s the difference between a hostel dorm bed and a sleeping pod

Some hostels advertise sleeping pods instead of dorm beds, and the main difference between the pod and the dorm bed is privacy. Sleeping pods are typically covered on all sides, with the entrance to your pod usually a curtain or a blind that you can close down. While it may not exactly be as quiet as renting a room, a sleeping pod offers more privacy than a usual hotel room dorm. Some hotel room dorms offer sleeping pod-like accommodations, but you’ll just have to check the room pictures to see for yourself. 

Typical hostel dorm beds are just bunk beds, with nothing much to cover you from your bunkmates. These beds make it harder for you to work before bed since there isn’t usually a light or charging station provided on your bed bunk. It may also be a problem if you’re a light sleeper, since some of your bunkmates might be snorers or may move around a lot. 

What to expect in a hostel for activities? Hostels can book tours on your behalf

A pro with staying in a hostel is they usually have free activities for you to do. Some of these activities are recommended or hosted by the hostel and are usually found on a board by the living area. I found out the route for an Easter Parade in New Orleans during my stay, and it turned out to be a fun hour or two that I wasn’t expecting. That same hostel also offers wine tasting, pub crawls, and city tours for an additional fee. 

Every single day has a new adventure to discover, so just look out for the announcements on the bulletin boards or ask the hostel’s front desk if any events are happening. 

Do I need to bring my sheets to a hostel? 

Back in the early 2010s when I was backpacking, there were hostels in Southeast Asia that charge extra if you need them to provide sheets for you. Some of the more frugal travelers (me included all those years back), would just bring a sleeping bag and sleep on it on top of the bed that we are assigned for the stay.

Nowadays, I’ve stayed in a few hostels and sleeping pods and they provided the sheets for me. The nightly rate included the sheets and towels without the need to pay extra. Maybe I’ve just gotten better at picking better-value hostels than the absolute cheapest ones I kept booking when I was backpacking in my 20s. Always compare and you can use sites like hostelworld.com to get the best rates and amenities the hostel has to offer. 

Packing a sleeping bag and towels could be a pain if you are just planning to travel with a small backpack and are limited in space. It also depends on the places you plan to visit and what offerings the hostel has. 

Can I meet friends and fellow travelers in hostels? 

You definitely can! I met a few of my dormmates when I was traveling and chatted with them for a bit. While most of us in one hostel I’ve stayed in had different plans and places to go to, I ended up having dinner with another person I met in a different hostel in a different city I was in. Hostels are incredibly social places where you can just sit and chat about travel in general. After all, that is one of the reasons why you are there. It is a great way to pick up travel ideas and tips from fellow travelers. 

If you’re going on a longer backpacking trip, you sometimes see these hostelmates in a different hostel at another time. This was the case when I backpacked Cambodia in February when I met this couple in a hostel in Siam Reap. In March, when I was in Bangkok, I saw one-half of the couple I hung out with in Cambodia at a different hostel. The world is small and if you are going through some of the more known cities and routes, you’re bound to bump into some hostelmates along the way. 

All you have to do is to be nice, friendly, and sociable. If you are on a budget, hostels are a great way to join a small group to share the costs of transportation and even food! 

What to expect in a hostel? Hostels are excellent and offer great value for accommodation when traveling

Hostels are a great way to meet other travelers and share some tips and tricks about what to see and expect in the area. It is also a great way to save money when traveling alone and don’t plan to stay for long periods in your room. We tend to save our hotel and credit card points anyway for more expensive cities where there are no hostels or if we are traveling as a family.