US Hostels - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

RootBrewskies · 04-25-2006, 07:37 AM

traveling around the US is obviously significantly different than traveling anywhere in the world. granted there are some places where hostels are definately more cost effective ways of staying places. NYC, San Diego, San Fran, etc. however in general have you guys found hostels to be the cheapest way to stay places in the US? granted if your traveling alone they are almost undoubtedly the cheapest way to go however if your with 1 or 2 or more people have u found hostels to be cheaper or is it just cheaper to find a red roof in somewhere and pay 39 bucks a night or something.

i guess under alot of circumstances, even in europe, asia, australia, etc. if you have a group of people sharing a hotel room can be the cheaper option but quite often it is still cheaper to book a room in a hostel for a group, i was just wondering if hostels in the US offer the same advantages. or if people really only use them when they are traveling alone or with one other person, or if people use them as a way to meet people to hang out with.

xanthuos · 04-25-2006, 07:57 AM

Well, if traveling solo, I always say hostels are best. I had a recent experience in which I went to Orlando, FL...and initially, I had made a reservation at a hotel. I was planning on spending my days there at Disney with a friend who worked there...but then when I arrived, something came up, and we had to cancel our plans. Luckily, I had booked into the hostel rather than a hotel...because if I had been at the hotel, my days would have been so very wasted (since it's so easy to meet people at hostels).

If you're traveling with a significant other or with a group, and aren't that interested in meeting fellow travelers, a hotel can definitely work out less and provide more comforts.
You're right in saying that even with a significant other or with a group, places like NYC are still usually cheaper to stay in a hostel rather than a hotel.

**voyd** · 04-25-2006, 09:50 AM

Hostels aren't too easy to find in the US, though...this country is just not very backpacker-friendly.

**omisan** · 04-25-2006, 10:30 AM

I wouldn't say hostels are hard to find - at least in majorly touristed areas. The trouble with many US hostels is that with a smaller percentage of them per capita, they tend to lay more restrictions on who stays there... Some won't allow people from within the state, some won't even allow any US residents - just so there's room for all the out-of-towners and backpackers. Which makes sense, but it sucks when you're traveling around with a group of foreign friends.