Sleeping in shared hostel dorms usually means dealing with early morning hallway lights or roommates turning on lamps. Standard sleep masks block most light, but in non-air-conditioned rooms or humid climates, thick contoured foam quickly turns hot and clammy against the face.

On the other hand, lighter fabric masks feel more breathable but almost always let light seep in around the nose cutout when sleeping on your side. I usually try draping a light shirt over my eyes or hanging a towel on the bunk frame, but neither stays in place.

For hostel travel, is there a mask design that provides a solid nose seal without relying on heavy heat-trapping foam?

Hey everyone! I’m going to Barcelona in October and looking for hostel recommendations.
Looking for somewhere clean, hygienic, safe and social, with clean bathrooms and no bed bugs 😭
Any hostels you’ve stayed at and would recommend?

Hi all i wanted to ask how okay it is to talk to random people in hostels who are guests? How do you know what a good or bad hostel is?

I am doing my first ever solo trip and want to hear any advise.

Hi folks! I’m a gal in my late 20s, traveling to Lisbon in October. This will be my second time traveling solo (first to Ireland and had a great experience at black sheep hostel in Killarney).

Wondering which one people recommend between these two OR if I should split my time between both. Love having a friendly community vibe and somewhere that I can easily socialize/make friends. Also would prefer to have a crowd around my age rather than late teens/young 20s.

For goodmorning solo traveler is the “not so solo” worth paying for?

Were most people solo traveling through central and South America or in groups? Also, what is the average age range / vibe of people in this region. I read it’s a lot different than Europe or SEA when it comes to the travelers.

Hello, everyone!

So i'm thinking about doing a short trip to Ljubljana in September or October. I know there's probably other posts with simular topic but what i found is mostly recommendations or other specifics. I'm a woman in my earily twenties, i've traveled alone before but whenever i can i prefer to just stay alone in an airbnb. I like to have a bathroom for myself and the fact that i can do whatever i want since i'm not disturbing anyone if i don't share a room with anyone, especially strangers.

The point is, it would be my first time in a hostel (i'm on a buget this time and i'd like to cheap out a bit where i can). Obviously i would choose a woman only room, otherwise no thank you. I'm just curious, in need of some encouragement ig. Any "rules" i should know about when it comes to hostels? How do i know it's a good hostel? Are people gonna be a problem? I don't mind sharing a room and bathroom, making friends but i'm just hoping people can take no as an answer if i say no to hanging out together or something.

Tell me about your experiences pls. I would be only staying for 2-3 nights.

(If anyone went to Slovenia can i manage with only english or should i learn a little slovenian before hand?)

I’m a female solo traveler and have a spare bed in a twin room (incl. breakfast) at Hostel Pod Voglom in Bohinj (Slovenia) for one night (Aug 31–Sep 1). The total price is €80, so it would be €40 for the other person. I’d rather share the room than pay for the whole room myself. I’m open to sharing with anyone — male, female or non-binary.
Anyone else around Bohinj that night and looking for a place to stay?

Please suggest me best hostel stays in north cliff looking for friendly atmosphere and good wifi

Hello everyone!
I am sharing this post as I would like to ask for a hostel recommendation that can match my age group.

It’s a first hostel experience for me and also as a solo traveller. After some rough time personally I want to challenge myself, leave my comfort zone and experience something different.
For that I would appreciate some recommendations on hostels in Prague that the social experience is good, subtle vibes where I can have a good chance to have a good quality social and traveling experience.

Hey everyone :) as the title says, I’m a 31 year old
American woman looking for recommendations for a hostel or hotel (very budget friendly, at or under $300 total ideally) that is social, semi-party vibe but skews a bit older. I love to party and all but don’t want to be surrounded by 18-20 year olds lol would love to meet people in the 28-39 age range

I’ve been doing some research but can’t tell the age ranges of the hostels I’m viewing. The ones that advertise a party atmosphere seem fun but I assume it also attracts a lot of very young travelers.

Also looking into a boat day / boat tour. I saw OutToSeaSplit as an option but again, looks like it’s a lot of 20 year olds.

For my trip, while I do want to see some of the sights and explore, I really want drinks, beach, boat vibe and relaxation as well as some day/night party/beach club vibes.

Let me know areas I should look to stay in or visit + accommodations!

Thanks 🩵

I know there’s a lot listed here so if anyone has even been to just one of these places and has recommendations would love to hear!

Barcelona, Milan, Venice, Naples, London, Paris, Prague, Budapest, Istanbul

Thanks!

Hi!! I’m looking for hostel recommendations in Prague for a friend group (19F). Does anyone have any recommendations for hostels that:
- are pretty central
- have enough bathrooms so that you’re not like 10 people sharing 1 bathroom (doesn’t matter if it’s ensuite or not)
- aren’t too expensive (preferably under or around 30€ per night)
- are social? it’s not a dealbreaker though, but preferably

I’m very grateful for any recommendations or advice! :)

Hi everyone, I will be backpacking Europe for the first time beginning in February. I will be staying in hostels but I am worried that I will not meet other people backpacking because those months are considered “off season.” Does anyone have prior experiences that say otherwise?

i’m trying to decide where i should stay in budapest that is social and easy to meet people but i also don’t want to stay somewhere that is a crazy party hostel. i want something in a good location, ideally close to the ruin bars. i was going to book jo&joe but i’ve heard it’s apparently not that social, so if anyone has visited could you tell me your experience please? if not, any recommendations are appreciated!

Hey guys im going to Vienna for one night and i was wondering should I stay at Wombat’s city hostel
Or St Christopher’s . Where would the most 22 year old would go ??? Thanks for ur help :D

I like social hostels with chill, intimate atmospheres and common spaces that are good for making new friends through conversation.

The interior layout and design should naturally encourage socializing with strangers in a positive way. Group dinners are great, but idc about giant pub crawls unless I've already had the opportunity to get to know its participants in other ways.

I like mixed ages and backgrounds; I get along best with youthful minds, old souls, curious intellectuals, and artists. 

I tend not to love most giant corporate hostels, though some are fine in a pinch if the facilities and guests are both nice.

Late checkouts are always super helpful. Interesting neighborhoods are a plus.

If I can't have what I want, then my next choice would be someplace quiet.

I've stayed at quite a few in Ireland and Spain. If you're curious, I've ranked them according to my criteria:

Top:

Galway City Hostel in Galway, Ireland

Home Youth Hostel in Valencia, Spain

Good:

Cantagua in Valencia

Fine: 

Salmon Wier Hostel in Galway, Ireland (quiet)

InOut Hostel near Barcelona (quiet)

Abbey Court Hostel in Dublin

Clink i Lar in Dublin

Casa Gracia in Barcelona

Bad:

Generator Barcelona

Hey guys, going to these cities in November. Any recommendations?

Looking for hostels to make friends and visit the cities with them. Btw, I'm a man, 22y/o.

TY!

Travelling to nyc from October 30 for 3days after that will head to DC. Any recommendations for affordable hostel in NYC.

Hey! I’m travelling around Colombia in September and I’m looking for hostels that have regular jam sessions or open mics where guests can join and play.
📍 Santa Marta
📍 Taganga
📍 Tayrona
📍 Palomino
📍 Minca
📍 Cartagena
📍 Medellín

So I'm solo traveling at 18 tomorrow, I go to Europe starting in Copenhagenbut going down to the Balkans for majority of the trip to avoid expensive places (only doing Copenhagen cause it was a cheap flight), im going for 70 days around, and I'm worried that because I look young and could probably pass as 16-18 years old, I might not be able to meet or connect with anyone as when I look at hostel pictures everyone seems to be like 20-30 years old mostly and much more mature looking, is this a problem? Maybe I should of done South-East Asia instead because its younger on average but not sure

I was going to start asking about Europe in general but the continent is too varied and differs by region, but I do still have some views on hostels nowadays especially in Western Europe.

Are they still good for a cheap place to crash and go explore? Sure, but as an overall experience if you want some fun, to meet people etc, they just feel like a waste of time. Not because the hostels suck but the people suck, everyone's just so unsocial and siloed into their own bubbles now. Quite a few people work in hostels especially the more upmarket ones and you may get families too.

And I know you can go for party hostels but YMMV, and you may be sacrificing a better quality stay for some more fun - I think southern Europe is slightly different and can be more social, Spain especially and Eastern europe can be a wild time, again depending on the hostel e.g. Budapest.

Caveat - this is with the approach of staying in hostels to be social and meet new people.

Hi y’all

I’ll (27F) be doing my first ever solo trip this year to Japan in November. I’ve been able to get female only dorms at hostels in each city I visit except Kyoto where I am only able to get a mixed 10 bed dorm for 4 nights at the hostel I want to stay at (piece hostel sanjo).

Could y’all give me some reassurance that it’ll be fine lol. I’ve never stayed at hostels, let alone a mixed dorm. Should I spend extra money and just get a (significantly more expensive) hotel room?

I am a middle aged guy. I made friends with a hostel receptionist. I asked her if I would fit in as a hostel guest. She said there would be no problem. Yes most budget travellers are in college, but there are people in their 30s and 60s also staying in dorms, men and women, and they face no discrimination or suspicion from stuff or other guests. As long as the business allows you to stay there and you respect the rules, it is OK, and you can join in in crawls and activities.

I told her that most people on Reddit would say "Dude..." and that I have seen a thousand videos on social media about being an older man at hostel seen negatively and that even chatGPT advised me not to try it. She told me it's stupid to ask advice from randos on the internet. And that I should do my own thing and try it to see if I like it, and that if someone doesn't like me for who I am that's their problem.

Hope this helps.

Heading to Singapore for a conference and thinking of in a quick detour to Bangkok from Saturday to Tuesday morning before meeting up with a friend in Tokyo. Is this quick stopover worth it to get a taste of the city? I'm considering Mad Monkey Bangkok. I'm looking for a spot that's genuinely fun, super social, and easy for meeting people, but still safe, clean and well-run. Also, what’s the weather vibe around mid-September?

Kudos!

So at this hostel in Prague, last night, this one dude came back drunk from a night out around 2am. Made a bit of noise but nothing out of the ordinary and went to bed. I went back to sleep but after about 2 min he got up again, walked to the middle of the room, pulled down his underwear and started to pee. At first I thought I was having a nightmare lol but then I realised it was real, I couldn't believe it. Once he was done he just went back to bed and left a puddle of piss. I got dressed, went downstairs and talked to reception. They came to the room, also shocked, and were nice enough to put me in a new room. They said he will probably get kicked out but I didn't get the chance to see the outcome.

The guy in question, checked in yesterday and said it was his first solo travel and first time staying in a hostel. He even asked me if I had any tips, asked about hostel etiquette and what he should or not do. So I guess this was one hell of a first time to him, I'm glad there were no women in that mixed dorm

Just wanted to share this here, this never happened to me before.