I'm planning a backpack trip through Europe for my mom and me and I'm stuck on the sleeping part. I've been looking into hostels and want to know if you book a double delux private room, does that mean 2 people can sleep in that room? I would have no problem just renting a bunk for the 2 of us, but she's a snorer and I don't want to bother the other travelers. The only problem is that some private rooms are $130 a night and a bunk is like $12 a night. How many of you have run across travelers that snore while sleeping in a hostel?
Booking hostels
I have also read that hostels are meant for young travelers and some will not allow people over 35 to stay there
Hostels today offer much the same as a budget hotel does except for the dorm rooms. You can get a bed in a 4, 6, 8, 12 bed dorm or a private room for 1, 2, 4. Every hostel differs in what they offer.
There are 2 kinds of hostels however that you should be aware of. Those that belong to a hostel organization like Hostelling International. https://www.hihostels.com/ Or those that are independent businesses just like a hotel. They have their own websites which can be found by Googling 'hostels and the city name' or on sites like http://www.hostelbookers.com/
You should also keep in mind that sometimes a room in a 2 star hotel can be much the same price as 2 beds in a hostel.
The HI hostels tend to be more structured in their 'rules' than some independent hostels. Some independent hostels are well known as party places which a HI hostel never is. So you may want to stick with HI given your situation. There is no age restriction in HI hostels. If an independent hostel has an age restriction, it is probably an indication of what you can expect.
Re snoring. Lots of people snore and there is no escaping it in a hostel dorm. It goes with the territory in other words. Earplugs are always a good thing to have in a hostel. How will your Mother feel when some young couple start copulating in the bunk next to hers? That happens. Some dorms are single sex and some are mixed sex.
Two things that also need to be acknowledged and planned for if hostelling are flip flops for wearing in communal showers to avoid foot fungus disease and the possibility of theft of anything that isn't locked away. Most hostels provide lockers and you bring your own lock to use. Never leave a camera lying on your bed while you go off to take a shower for example. That's just asking to have it stolen.
A couple of years ago, HI Hostels in - I think - Bavaria in Germany still had the "no travellers above age 35" rule. No idea if they've finally gotten rid off it yet. Anyway, that's really the exception; nowhere else has it.
The age mix of people staying there tends to be one of the better things of HI hostels where I'm concerned. Yes, it's mostly 20-30 year olds, but also families with young children and a decent percentage of 60-80 year olds.
if you book a double delux private room, does that mean 2 people can sleep in that room?
Yes.
Thank you so much!
Yay! I never knew that there was an age above 35 rules for hostels room. So if you are over 35 you will not be accepted. For me that is actually unacceptable but for sure they have clear reasons.
limdrew, to be clear, only some hostels have this rule. Most do not.