Hostel Etiquette - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

LittleMiss1565 · 02-02-2003, 08:08 AM

When considering a backpacking journey or a solo visit to another country the word "hotel" usually makes me gag. I think hostels are truly the better way to go. Can't beat the experience of meeting fellow travelers, hanging out in the lounge, and you're not paying for "fluff" as you would for a hotel room. You get what you need- a place to hang your hat (or chain your backpack to your bed-as the case may be). There are drawbacks, however, to staying in hostels. You can do your part to make someone elses stay (not to mention your stay) more pleasant by avoiding certain dirty habits. Personally, I don't let these things bother me too much, as I'm not travelling to just sit around inside the hostel.

Okay. Here is an abridged list of my hostel pet-peeves

- Kitchens full of spoiled food and dirty dishes (please clean up after yourself!)
- Linen snatchers*
- unflushed toilets
- snorers
- messy roommates**

* if you need more linen, or another pillow, don't take them from the unattended beds. You never know what weary traveller might stumble into the room at 1am in need of those sheets!

** if you find your posessions becoming nomadic, round them up and keep them near your bed. If it seems that other people may have to tiptoe to the door to get around your stuff, then there's a problem.

Anything else?

-slee

02-02-2003, 04:35 PM

Great advice, Lil Miss!

Kudo´s goes out to all the backpackers, and people in general that stay in hostels, that have good travel ethics. Remember that you are like a little ambassador from your country and how you behave is often seen as a representation of how all people from your country behave( for example we Americans have been labled as loud, prideful, and obnoxious).

Keep it clean and respectful on your travels!

Tp

**crionnacht** · 04-17-2003, 08:45 PM

thanks for the advice! as a new traveller, i know how to behave myself for my travels to come!

**Canadian Dude** · 06-04-2003, 07:13 AM

you forgot no shagg'n in the bed beside the hung over Canadian kid, and if you must, keep it down!!!

( And yes I am talking to you, you crazy German couple who were at that hostel in Dublin! You guys kept my drunk ass up for hours!!!! How could you do that with 6 people in the room??? Freaks! )

**voyd** · 06-04-2003, 09:44 AM

This guy brought "this girl he met" (aka hooker) back to the co-ed hostel with him in Prague. They were getting jiggy in their bunk. <_<

**Canadian Dude** · 06-04-2003, 09:52 AM

Ah nothing like a eastern eurpoean call girl to spice up ur life!!!!! I guess his budget allowed for such luxuries.....

**travelpunk** · 06-04-2003, 10:05 PM

Hey, if the girl looks good (EASTERN EUROPEAN WOMEN ARE FIZ-NINE!!), the voyeur in me comes out

hahaha...

**Canadian Dude** · 06-05-2003, 04:09 AM

Fo shizzle dude, I think I will stick with my Canadian woman , It took me 5 years of dating crazy women to find her....LOL....

**travelpunk** · 06-06-2003, 04:07 AM

Everytime I´ve had a great girl, I always found something that gave me a way out of the committment. I´m notorious for sabotaging my own relationships with awesome girls, guess it´s that "mystery of the unknown" that keeps me on the move.
Maybe it´s time to settle down, I say. You can´t! Theres too many fish in the sea-especially when you´re traveling!

AAAARrrghhh....Frustrating why you can´t get the best of both worlds, no

?!

**Canadian Dude** · 06-15-2003, 06:28 AM

You know what thats called..." A Seinfield Complex" We have all been through it my brotha!!!!!!

**travelpunk** · 06-16-2003, 05:56 AM

Hahaha...true, true... B)

TUI · 09-05-2003, 09:41 AM

I guess Ive been forunate enough to never have to deal with a shag happnin down under, but I have to say Ive seen some messy azz people in hostels... Now, I am very clean, in fact, people at work have a hard time believing I go live like I do when I travel, but Ive noticed that no matter how hard we try to tell people...it isnt going to change the fact that there are a number of travelers that quite frankly dont give a flying F@#K about anyone else so cleaning up and flushing are the last things on their minds. I always make sure that I show respect for others and I seem to have good experiences most of the time, but Ive witnessed some pretty sad stuff. It happens, we cant change that, its a part of it, so I just soak it in and make the best of my trip regardless of the environment.

kerouacscabbie · 09-05-2003, 12:36 PM

hostels are wierd to me, i staz in them but here in eastern europe i have been able to get private rooms for around 10-12 usd a night so i'll go for that first, when that aint happening i go for a dorm room.. the last hostel i staid in i went to the kitchen, big and beautiful, four stoves three double sinks; and i made myself a cup of coffee, took it back to my room and kept the ceramic mug i had gotten from the kitchen for three days, as i drink coffe almost nonstop, well the third day i'm coming back from making another cup and this polish guy tells me, 'ah, hey thats my mug'. sorry. most hostels the dinnerware is everyones, but not always i found out. needless to say i am looking for a nice stainless travel mug now. i felt bad, but the guy seemed to understand.

so, my advice is ask, if hyour not sure ask that cute girl who works the front desk. you've probally been lookin for a reason to talk to her anyway.

p.s. i don't know if this is average but the working girls of prague are rather cheap, well within most travellers budget, i think they even give student discounts. this is not from personal experience, i ran across this new zealander who was very knowledgeable in the girls from every country. i'll save the good stuff for later. but, that guy turned out to be a little more then freaky, and get this he is a paris/new york run way model. probally makes more in a week then i see in a year, the more i meet people the less freaky i realize i am, thank god.

**travelpunk** · 09-06-2003, 08:38 AM

Damn! Runway model dude was a serious bargain hunter

:D I´m sure he made bank. He must´ve been a kid in a candy store in Prague.
I hear ya, KC, on the private rooms. That´s always my primary choice. And at 10-12 euros a night for a private, damn! I´m all over that! I have been to Eastern Europe yet, but I wonder if you get a big discount if you stay longer than a couple of nights? Bargain down something insane like $40 for a week. They may just bite if it was slow.
Kept the mug for 3 days

As they say, Finders-keepers B)