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Comments (5)
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Save/ShareWhen you think of hostels, you probably imagine a hangout for twenty-something backpackers. (Perhaps hippie backpackers, in particular.)
But many hostels are surprisingly well-suited for families. Double room options are becoming more common in hostels in Europe, for instance. Many have kitchens where some meals can be prepared. Some hostels have bicycles, kayaks, and other equipment that guests can use for free.
London's Telegraph has a round-up of some of these hostels. The article notes that
Around two-thirds of the Youth Hostel Association's 200 hostels in England and Wales offer private family rooms and about 50 have family rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
Rates start at about $70 a room per night. The article says about 14 hostels in Britain have family rooms with double beds, and it recommends that you call the Youth Hostel Association to find out which hostels these are, as the YHA website is unhelpful on this score.
One tip: Only book at a hostel that's been favorably reviewed online at a site such as TripAdvisor and Hosteling International. For example, Hosteling International's San Francisco hostel received many favorable reviews on TripAdvisor, but those reviews also contain some warning signs for families with very young children.
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My husband, 11-year-old daughter and I will be traveling to Europe for 3 1/2 months starting in September, so I have been looking into staying at youth hostels quite a lot lately. I have found that in many cases, it will be cheaper to stay at a budget hotel or in an apartment, or even a B&B. Most of the hostels charge per person, and very few have discounts for children. (One exception is those in Luxembourg.)
Posted By Daria Labinsky on May 20, 2008, 9:28 AM
If you want a reasonable hotel and don't mind sharing a bathroom then Formule 1 is the place. For three people sharing a room they come with a double bed and a single bunk bed above, they have wash basins but the bathroom is down the hall, but from 30-40 euros a night they are very affordable. For a little more Etap is the same arrangement but with a bathroom ensuite. I have found them to be very clean and they serve a good breakfast for 3-4 euros.
Hostels used to be the only real budget travel but today it is often cheaper for a family to look at hotels.
Posted By Kristine Hendrickson on May 26, 2008, 4:24 AM
Besides the web site www.hiusa.org that lists all HI hostels around the world, we suggest www.hostelz.com to search for non-affiliated hostels. This outfit attempts to list all hostels, even those that do not subscribe to its reservation systems.
By the way HI has three San Francisco hostels. The Fort Mason hostel is suggested for those arriving by car, since it offers free parking that's quite expensive at the two downtown SF hostels. There are numerous independent hostels in San Francisco and LA areas, but only HI hostels have to meet minimum standards and are inspected at least annually to certify that they condinue to meet those standards.
PGP of Santa Cruz, CA
Posted By PGP on June 23, 2008, 9:00 AM
It is not down in any map; true places never are. - Herman Melville
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Posted By A person on March 7, 2012, 8:03 PM