Freya's Nook: My Top Tips for Staying in a Hostel

It will probably be easy to tell that, as I am writing this post, I am in the middle of a, wait for it, TEN DAY stint at a hostel in Salzburg! During my stay I have accumulated lots of information and advice for anyone who is considering the charming prospect of staying in a hostel. Hey, what better time to write this post than when I am actually here, in a hostel! My tips will be fresh and up-to-date and I really hope they will help you during your stay.

The fact is that while we can always try to stay at nicer hotels or with kind friends, if you have to go somewhere for a long period of time a hostel might be the only option, especially for us students or those of us on a budget. I should also say that there are probably good hostels and bad hostels out there, so I would definitely recommend having a look on trip adviser and really researching your potential hostel to make sure it's a good one. Luckily, the one I'm in right now is alright, but I hope my tips will be relevant anyway, for both the good and the bad!

1. Extra things to pack.
When staying in a hostel, you will need to bring with you a few extra things, to make your stay as comfortable as possible:

Ear plugs and eye mask. You will be sharing a room with a number of different people, all coming and going at different times of the day or night. To ensure a reasonable sleep, I highly recommend bringing both of these things.
Slippers/some kind of footwear for walking to the bathrooms and showers. This is very important!! Who knows what's lurking on that bathroom floor...
A labelled food bag. You might prefer a box or tupperware. Your hostel may well have a shared fridge and you don't want ANY confusion about which food is yours!

Tea bags and dried food. There will most likely be a kettle and a cup around and, let me tell you, having tea bags will be a small joy for you! Dried food that you can just keep with the rest of your belongings is also a good idea and might be a little more safe that food you keep in the fridge. Bread, packets of rice and fruit are all good options.

2. Timing
So much about staying at a hostel concerns timing. Showering, for instance. Mornings tend to be a very popular time for the showers, so maybe think about taking your showers in the evening or very early morning. If your hostel has a kitchen you might also want to consider that at normal meal times it will be extremely busy and chaotic in the kitchen. Perhaps do your cooking a little earlier or later than normal.
Another point I wanted to add in this category is that hostels are really just a place to sleep, a bed for the night. They are not really great places to hang out and spend all your time at. I would recommend keeping yourself very busy during the day, wherever you are; go for walks, arrange to work at quiet cafes or in libraries, spend as little time at the hostel as possible.

3. Simple organisation
As I am staying at this hostel for a substantial length of time, I have had to put a lot of thought into some simple organisation in my room. But even if you will only be there for a couple of nights, this can really help to improve your stay. I am sleeping in a very small room of 6 people, all with big suitcases. The room does not come with shelves or storage, so I have organised everything in my suitcase into piles inside the case: jumpers, trousers, tops, socks, books etc. Having some small order to my belongings is so beneficial.
Valuables is another thing to think about. Your hostel might well give you access to a locker, in which you can lock up your passport, tablet, wine, any other valuables you need to keep safe. If your hostel doesn't have lockers available, check at the train station, ask at reception, see if you have a friend who could keep your valuables at their place. Not having to worry about valuables will be a HUGE weight off your mind.
One last question concerning your room itself: which bunk to take? Although both top and bottom bunks offer pros and cons, on reflection I would definitely always take the top, if possible . Having someone scrambling to get up over you during the night and dealing with squeaky bed springs right above your head are not things you want. I reckon you have a much better chance at having a good sleep if you are on the top.

4. Privacy
This is a difficult one, as privacy doesn't really exist in hostels and we often need to make phone calls when we are away from home. My advice would be to do a whole tour of the place when you get there, scout out the quiet corners and cupboards and find the peaceful places. Again, this might be a question of timing too; my hostel has a bar which unfortunately means lots of noisy drinkers in the evening - not the best time for private conversations. However, I ate my lunch there today in total peace so afternoons seem to be a much quieter time.

I want to say that staying in a hostel doesn't have to be a miserable experience. If you are a social person then you might meet some lovely people and make some friends! But even if, like me, you see it as just a cheap bed for the night and you look forward to it being over, I hope my tips will help to make it as comfortable as possible for you. If you have any other advice for staying in a hostel, I would love to hear it in the comments below!