Since I’ve stayed at quite a few hostels throughout my time of solo-traveling Europe, I figured I’d compile a list of attributes to look out for when you’re choosing where to stay on your travels. Of course, all of this depends on your personal preferences when it comes to traveling, so these are just things to keep in the back of your head while you plan your trip.

I’ve booked all of my hostels through Hostelworld and they’ve never let me down, and most of the features listed below can be accessed easily on the Hostelworld app.

If you’re looking for recommendations for hostels to stay at, I have a list of all of the hostels I’ve been to linked here.

Amenities

A few of the main features that I look for when I’m choosing a hostel are luggage storage, security lockers and, of course, air conditioning. The air conditioning is sometimes negotiable because there are a few countries in Europe that for whatever reason refuse to allow air conditioning in certain cities or regions, but I always need a luggage storage in case I have a late flight and need to leave my bags behind while I go out and explore and I need security lockers so I know my belongings are secure while I’m either sleeping or out and about.

Free Wi-Fi is typically always available at hostels nowadays which is nice, but usually a good rule of thumb is that the more amenities a hostel has, the nicer it is.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness is another non-negotiable for me. If I’m paying ~$30/night for one bunk in a room with 8 bunk beds, I at least want the place to feel clean – especially the bathroom. Luckily I haven’t really had a problem with it in the past since most of the hostels I’ve stayed at have been super clean and comfortable, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be watching for it in the future.

Crowd

There’s quite a bit of wiggle room with this one since it isn’t super important to me who else is going to be in the hostel, but it’s nice when there are plenty of people around your age. It makes it much easier to meet new people and make new friends, and it’s much better when you have someone to talk to.

Price

The price of a hostel will largely depend on the country and its cost of living, but I’d typically plan on spending $20-40/night on a hostel bed. Anything under $20 might be a little sketchy, and anything over $40 I’d say is overpriced.

Proximity to City Center

Another thing to look for is how close the hostel is to the city center, and if it’s not close to the city center, make sure it’s at least close to a train station that will get you there quickly. I personally like being close to the action and having plenty to do, so I like being close to the city center, but I can also understand the choice of staying in a quiet part of town and taking the train deeper into the city.

I also recommend looking at the neighborhood that the hostel is in to make sure it’s a good spot and in a safe area.

Ratings/Reviews

This is probably the number one thing to check before you book a hostel. Read a lot of recent reviews to see what people are saying about their stay, and make sure the overall ratings of the hostel are pretty good. On Hostelworld, I try to only stay at places above about a 7.5 star rating, but the higher the better.

Vibe

Finally, I judge a hostel based on the atmosphere and vibe it gives off. I look at the pictures that are posted, the description, maybe even the social media as well as the cumulation of all of the points listed above, and the hostel with the best energy gets the booking.

I will say, though, most European hostels have great atmospheres nowadays. Almost everywhere I’ve been was a great experience, and most cities have a dozen hostels that you’ll have an amazing time at regardless of which one you choose.

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Thank you for reading! I wish I had more pictures to share with this post, but unfortunately I don’t have any relevant ones.

I hope this post inspired you to start planning your next adventure, and be sure to drop a comment to let me know which hostels you choose! While you’re at it, drop a like and follow the Boarding Pass Blog for a new post every Wednesday at 12pm MST!

Have a great week and happy travels!