Not all hostels are the same, so here are a few of my tips for finding the best ones and some answers to questions asked over on Instagram.

Common Questions:

How to find the best hostels? I find them on Hostelworld (the website and the ones they post on Instagram), Booking.com, and on blog posts by other travelers. Hostels are rated and reviewed just like hotels and Airbnbs. I only book ones with high ratings and lots of reviews. Reading reviews and everything on the hostel website is the best way to know if it is a good fit for what you are looking for in a hostel. I rely on reviews more than anything else. Digging in the reviews has led me to book some places that don’t look very great in pictures and it has kept me from booking other places that look awesome, but aren’t. I’ve found the best deals are always to contact the hostel directly if possible.

How do you find family friendly hostels? Just digging. If the hostel website is full of partying pictures and they advertise they are the place in town to party – I don’t book those. Also most hostels list “House Rules” on the website. That is where you will find if they welcome kids or not. Reading reviews and the hostel descriptions have always given me an accurate idea of whether the hostel will be family friendly. The websites will also let you know if there is a curfew or not. That being said – there are plenty of times we’ve been at a hostel where Chris and I are by far the oldest. We’ve always been welcomed as have our kids. There is a different way families are welcomed by younger backpacking crowds – they are usually excited to see us and ask all kinds of questions about traveling as a family. I think we are an example to many of them that they don’t have to give up traveling the way they love once they get older and have kids.

Safety and securing personal items: We only book entire dorm rooms or private rooms, so there is never a concern for us. We lock our rooms when we leave. However, most hostels offer lockers in the shared dorm rooms for personal items you want to secure. If the hostel does not offer that, I would not book it. We treat our stuff the same as we would a hotel…sometimes we take stuff like passports & computers with us. Other times we feel fine leaving it locked behind.

Are hostels clean? Are they as clean as Airbnbs? Well, it depends on the hostel. Just like a hotel or even a house – every hostel is different. A quick look at reviews and ratings will let you know if it is known for being clean or not. I will say we’ve stayed in some Airbnbs that aren’t near as clean and maintained as some of the hostels we’ve booked.

What is the bathroom situation? Some hostels offer private bathrooms for each dorm and definitely for private rooms. We’ve only booked 2 hostels this trip that we did not have a private bathroom and it was only for a couple nights. Both were also a high rated hostels, so the bathroom was very clean with lots of privacy. The bathroom situation is definitely one of the things I consider first. I try to always book us a room that has a private bathroom.

Will I get sleep? We’ve had more sleep issues at apartments in cities than at hostels. Again, we only book an entire dorm room or private rooms, so that helps. We also don’t stay at hostels without curfews or the ones that attract the party crowds.

Have you ever run into conflicts with guests, owners, or conditions of a hostel? We have not, but when I book a hostel I book ones I am confident in the conditions and management. Most hostels are run by young staff that stay for many months for free in exchange for working at the hostel. This is not always the case. We book hostels known for great staff and that has always been our experience. They are usually happy to help in any way. The biggest conflict we’ve had with guests at a hostel is debating the way Americans use the term “soccer”….and there was the time during a Karaoke night that one guest picked an inappropriate song and other guests were like, “Woah dude there’s kids here!” and made him turn it off.

How are the beds? Do you miss your torture mat?

Beds in hostels….same as beds in Airbnbs or hotels, they are all different. Some of amazing. Others are not. Most hostels provide clean bedding, just like hotels. Read the reviews to know if it is to your personal standards. At this point our bed comfort standards are low. Yes, I miss my torture mat (acupressure mat), but the tradeoff has been worth it!

Are you comfortable with your teen daughter hanging out with older siblings in the lobby or game room? Yes. We book hostels that I feel very comfortable with her being in the shared public spaces.

How do the introverts in your family handle hostels? We love them! For me in particular, my extroverted kids have plenty to do and plenty of people to talk to in the shared spaces. I get a break. They have a plethora of people to play games with and share stories. Meanwhile, I can pop in headphones and no one bothers me. Hostels are often filled with travelers that work remotely, so there is a respect for private space. If I am giving off the vibe I want to be alone, no one talks to me. If I give off the vibe I want to chat, there are people ready for that too. While most of my family is busy interacting with others, I am usually off to the side watching it all. Hostels give the introverts and extroverts in my family space, which is probably why my kids are drawn to them.

Youngest age you’d be comfortable bringing in a hostel? Would the toddler preschool crowd be welcomed? Again, I would read the reviews. You can tell very quickly if it is kid friendly. I would take any age with me just as I would to a hotel or Airbnb.

Are there perks to hostels over an apartment or hotel? This would be a big ‘yes’ for us. Hostels often offer cooking classes, tours, and various free activities. My kids have learned how to cook several dishes from around the world by taking part in cooking classes at hostels. At Abraham hostel in Jerusalem, Breese learned to make hummus. We also participated in a Friday night Shabbat meal there and did a Dual Narrative tour through the hostel. Since hostels cater to backpackers, the prices are often far less expensive than other tour groups and options.

Are hostels everywhere? Yes and no. They are definitely more popular outside of the US. They are also in every budget. You can find super cheap ones, but you can also find luxury ones that are more expensive than an Airbnb. Areas with lots of tourism tend to have more hostel options.

My biggest piece of advice is READ THE REVIEWS! Everything you would need to know you can probably find in a review. I bounce between Airbnb, Booking.com, and Hostelworld reading reviews to figure out where I am going to book. If you don’t read the details and reviews, you can easily end up with a bad experience.