Party, party, party is what most people think when they think of staying in a hostel on a trip. When the idea of staying in a hostel for the first time was brought up as a way to save money while travelling, it was a hard no for me. I didn’t think staying in a hostel with kids would be a great idea.
Well, I was wrong. It turns out I was very wrong. Hostels have come such a long way since the party days. Staying in a hostel is one of the top accommodation options for families travelling on a budget.
What is a hostel?
A hostel is a low-cost shared accommodation where travellers on a budget or looking to connect with fellow travellers would stay. Unlike traditional hotels, hostels typically feature:
- Shared spaces: These are common areas like lounges, kitchens, and sometimes game rooms where travellers can socialize and interact. For families, this gives them more space than being crammed into a hotel room.
- Diverse room options: From dormitory-style rooms with bunk beds to private family rooms, hostels cater to various group sizes and privacy preferences. Families staying at a hostel should opt for a private room if the have young kids.
- Cost-effective rates: Generally more affordable than hotels, making them attractive for families on a budget.
- Communal facilities: Shared bathrooms and kitchens are common, though some hostels offer private options. Private rooms often have private bathrooms.
- Social atmosphere: Many hostels organize group activities, fostering a friendly environment for kids and adults to meet fellow travellers.
- Local insights: One of the advantages of staying in a hostel is that staff often provide tips on local attractions and off-the-beaten-path experiences.
- Basic amenities: While luxuries might be limited, most hostels offer essentials like Wi-Fi, lockers, and laundry facilities.
- Cultural exchange: The international mix of guests allows children to learn about different cultures.
- Flexible stays: Hostels often allow booking by the bed rather than the room, which can be economical for families.
- Educational programs: Some hostels, especially those affiliated with organizations like YHA, may offer educational activities or outdoor programs suitable for children.
Staying in a hostel for the first time
What does a hostile look like? In a nutshell, a hostel can be very much like any hotel. Like a hotel room, a hostel room comes in various shapes, sizes, and facilities.
There will be private rooms, dorm rooms with bunk beds, and hostel rooms with private showers.
Can a family stay in a hostel?
While many people still think you can’t stay in a hostel with family, you absolutely can! There are so many family-friendly hostels worldwide that are more than happy to have you stay with them and experience their site.
You will find other parents and many families staying in hostels to save money on travel expenses. Brands such as YHA have a huge number of locations, making them perfect for families. We have stayed at YHA in England and Australia.
We have stayed in hostels with kids in Australia, Thailand, South Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Poland, England and Germany
Staying in family-friendly hostels with kids
As I said above, young people are known to stay in hostels for the party side of the accommodation. Now, while you can still party, there are also many hostels marketed at families with private rooms.
With changing markets, more budget travellers of different ages, long-term travel trends, and the rise in family travel, hostels have changed to include family-friendly hostel rooms with private bathrooms, activities, and common areas. In reality, many hostel family rooms are like hotel rooms these days.
Why are hostels for families a great option?
One of the benefits of staying in a hostel is you will have an area to stretch out in, like the common room, but you can prepare some of your food favourite foods from home in the hostel kitchen, get some washing done, and most of all, connect with other travelling families. These are all things you can’t do staying in a hotel room.
We have found that there are so many positives to staying in hostels with kids that we try to stay in hostels when we can. Here are some reasons why we have chosen to stay in a hostel with family on many occasions now.
Reasons why staying in hostels with kids is great
Let’s start with the basics for a first-time stay in a hostel and work our way to what to know about staying in a hostel.. Some people who have travelled a lot will know some of the topics we will cover in this family hostel post, and some will be first-timers who need extra guidance on staying in a hostel with kids.
1. Kid-friendly hostels allow them to talk to other people
After travelling with your family for a while, you can become extremely bored with one another. You already know everything about them, now they are just becoming annoying.
When staying in a youth hostel with our kids, we watched our daughters talk to other guests about their travel experiences. It was great to see our travelling teens interact with other guests and people older than themselves, but on a level, they probably did not expect from girls their age.
2. They can trade stories with people much older than themselves
Willow can strike up a conversation with most people, but Marley struggles. It surprised me that they both were happy to talk to other people about where they had been and where they were going.
This also allowed us to join the conversation, which led to us talking about something other than Minecraft and YouTube! After staying at a hostel for the first time, this was one of the things we loved.
3. They can find their travel groove
Staying in a hostel with kids also helped them think about places they would like to go when they are older. There were so many stories of places they had not heard of.
They both had a great time learning about those places, and they were even able to give some tips to other travellers! This social interaction is only possible when hosteling with kids in a friendly environment.
4. Older people and other families stay in hostels
I was surprised at the number of families staying in hostels with kids and the age of their kids, some older families, some younger.
There was a family with a small child that the girls fell in love with, and they chatted and pulled faces at her. This gave them a break from all the adult conversations they had had with other travellers and us.
It also made us talk about when we started travelling as a family and why we decided to travel with the girls. It is great to hear why they think we travel and how they feel about it. Staying at a friendly family hostel was not just something we were doing!
5. They discover all the reasons why people start travelling
Not only were there families, but older people were staying there as well. Both the girls were very impressed that some had just started travelling later in life.
They happily sat down and talked about their life before they started to travel and why they had started at such a later age.
Some had started after the death of a family member or they had decided to travel with their family as they had not been able to when they were younger.
It showed them how lucky they were to start at such a young age, and your whole life can be filled with adventure, not just in your younger years.
6. Hostels offer incredibly helpful facilities
After travelling a little while, kids may crave some ‘normal’ from home. You can get all the jobs done at a hostel with kids, like washing and cooking. Hostels offer you the chance to sit down at the dinner table with a meal you have put together, which can be a perfect way to go through what you have done during that day.
We find the kitchen table to be one of the places we speak freely to each other, and staying in hotels can sometimes lack that if you eat out a lot.
Staying in a hostel with kids can really let you have some of that normal family time especially if you are travelling long term with kids.
7. Location, Location, Location
Some of the best hostels for families are in the best places in the city centre. Little legs can get tired, and there’s nothing worse than a tired, cranky kid. Being in the city’s central locations, most hostels will also be in backpacker areas, so there is always a cheaper place to eat and save money.
This can be great for travelling families as most kids love simple meals if you don’t like cooking at the hostel for the night.
Always make sure you check a map to see where your hostel is located compared to the attractions you want to see. It is no use saving money on accommodation only to have to spend it on transport to get places!
8. There are kid-friendly activities at friendly family hostels
One of the best things about the hostels is the games that they have or the game rooms. The girls played bocce, giant Jenga, and even let loose on the dance floor at one stage!
It was great to see them up and doing something rather than having their heads stuck in the iPads when we were having some downtime downstairs. Yes, staying in hostels with kids was working out. Hosteling with kids, who would have thought?
9. Learning to give and receive
We also found that many places now have a bookshelf with books you can trade when you are staying at the hostel. While some of them were a little old for the girls there were some that I could swap out for too.
Hopefully, as more travelling families stay in hostels with children the bookshelves will get more reading material for younger people.
10. How to survive staying in a hostel – Insider knowledge from other travellers
While you chat with fellow travellers, you can pick up some of the best things to see in the city where you are staying. Many are happy to share great places for food or cheaper times to enter one of the top attractions.
You can always pick up some amazing local knowledge when staying in hostels with kids.
11. You make a mess, and you clean it!
Staying in a hotel is a great way to relax on your holiday with kids, but staying in a hostel with kids teaches them respect for other travellers.
When staying in a hostel with kids, they must respect other travellers and you.
There is no daily cleaning service, so while you are on holiday, you also need to be on top of your own rooms and areas. It’s easy for us to fall into the rabbit hole of having a daily room clean at a hotel, but at a hostel, with kids, you are all responsible for your room.
12. Some independence staying in family-friendly hostels
As we were staying in a hostel with older kids, this allowed them to have some monitored independence. For some people backpacking and staying in hostels with kids, allowing teens or older children to sit in a lobby and chat with fellow travellers is not always safe.
Staying in a hostel with older kids gives you the opportunity for them to experience some monitored independence and allows them to socialise without you always being the centre of the discussion or looking over their shoulders.
This hostel may give them the confidence to speak to someone they find interesting, and you can step in when needed.
13. Recognition of situations
One thing parents all worry about is their kids setting off into the world, and if they have street smarts, they need to be able to recognise situations that they need to get out of.
Although this is also linked to the independence we mentioned above, it is still one thing that you can help them identify to keep themselves safe.
Being able to express how they feel with all the different people around and having you guide them in dealing with the situations is a great way for them to learn safety in an environment they may find themselves in later in life. While this doesn’t happen all the time, it will also show them what their comfort levels are.
How can staying in a hostel with family help me?
Hostels these days serve as a one-stop shop for all things tourists. Besides providing a room and place to stay most will have their own tour booking service.
You may be able to hire bikes and scooters from them. They will certainly have maps and all the information you need about local public transport, where to eat and what to see.
While there are plenty of activities that are aimed at the younger clientele you can always ask for different activities and most of the time there will be a staff member more than happy to help you find something that the whole family will enjoy.
Advice for staying in hostels that are family friendly
There are a few things that you need to consider when you are planning on staying in a hostel with your kids.
Staying in a hostel with older kids
- I prefer a hostel with a private bathroom for our travelling teens
- Games rooms or a communal area are a brilliant way for them to meet new people
- Communal areas are also a great way to have some space from each other at the end of the day for young backpackers.
- Kitchens… are a great way to cook new foods, discover what others are cooking and try out local food
What to pack when staying in a hostel?
It will depend on the hostel where you are staying. Some will have different family-friendly options than others, but for us, we always take
- Bathroom items like shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush
- Microfibre towel
- Thongs, flip flops if you are using a communal bathroom
- Lockable safe just to be extra sure if you need to secure added small items
If we are travelling by car this increases what we take to a hostel rather than if we were travelling by plane and have restricted luggage allowance If we are travelling by car we have a small container that we have all of our essentials in. This includes
- Washing detergent
- Coffee/tea
- Long life milk
- Bread
- Snacks from home
Awesome extra things a hostel can offer
There are some things that a hostel can offer that hotels just can’t. At times this is because of the location or the layout of the hotel. Some awesome things a hostel can offer.
- Discounted tickets. People staying at hostels are normally up for a budget stay so hostels can sometimes offer discounted tickets to attractions and even the theatre. Just ask at the desk
- Free tours. They may be just a walking tour around the city you are in but it can be a great experience for the entire family.
- Friends. Sometimes you will find like-minded travellers in a hostel that are more than happy for you to sit with them or have a chat.
What doesn’t a hostel offer
There are a few family friendly options that you just won’t get at a hostel, and that is why the price is smaller than a hotel. Some things you should not expect to receive at a hostel are:
- Daily cleaning services – you make the mess you clean it up!
- Changing your sheets. Normally if you want new ones you pay for them unless you are staying for a longer period of time in family rooms
- Free towels and a change every day. At some hostels, you have to pay to hire a towel. If you need a new one it may be at another cost
Booking a family friendly hostel tips
There are some things that we always do when picking a hostel to stay in with family.
Some of our top tips are:
- Read the reviews. Go back a few pages and get the feel of the place
- Check the website, look at the pictures
- Check for the hostel’s social media channels and see what they are doing on them. They can give you some great insights as to what is around the hostel and what they doing in it
- Ask in travel forums. Someone may have stayed there before and can give you some insight
- If you are in doubt you can go for a chain of hostels like the YHA brand which are in many countries. Many of these have strict procedures they must adhere to.
General hostel tips for families
There are a few things that we have noticed that we always try to do when we stay in hostels with kids. These are a guide to staying in a family friendly hostel and you may find none of them a problem at all.
- People are pretty good with small children around but things can get rowdy still
- Only book a hostel that suits your needs otherwise it may end up being a bad choice for you
- Sometimes you have to pay for wifi (in private areas) and towels
- Not everyone is going to be nice, polite or tidy just to accommodate families and young children.
- Take minimal items to the bathroom to limit what falls on the floor or gets left behind
- Take a small green bag preferably plastic with you to the bathroom when you shower to keep it all in order and save it from getting wet
- If you can leave behind things you might not need for the rest of the journey. Other travellers love it and it is a great way to pay it forward to other travellers
- Ask at the desk if they have deals on theatre tickets, public transport or anything else you might like. This can save you some money and time by getting them at the desk.
Pros for staying in a hostel with family
There are so many pros to staying in a hostel with kids that you will find that you may actually prefer to stay in them once you have tried it
- Some hostels are cheaper than hotels
- Locations are normally really central or easy distance to public transport
- You can connect with other travellers
- Travellers are always up for a chat about hidden gems, deals and places you can’t miss
- There is room to spread out for the entire family
- You can cook and do laundry in a hostel that has the facilities
Disadvantages of staying in a hostel
Don’t get me wrong, we do love staying in a hostel with family but there have been some times when some of the other guests have made our time a little less than great.
- Not everyone is nice, polite, friendly or feels the need to respect others
- Sometimes there are only bunks for young children to sleep in
- Not everyone knows how to clean dishes really well. It’s always a good idea to check them before using them
- If you travel with young children there may not be a bath
Do we recommend staying in a hostel with kids?
For me, a room with a private bathroom is a better option. Having two girls in the family we are always off to the toilet, so I prefer a room with a bathroom so I don’t have to go with the girls all the time. We travel as a family of four so a room to ourselves is not usually a problem.
For us, staying in hostels with kids was really positive. We found that everyone was respectful when there were kids around. Swearing was kept to a minimum and there were plenty of apologies if they didn’t realise young children were around.
Maybe we were lucky with the groups staying there but for us and a sceptic like myself, we would not hesitate in staying in hostels with kids again…just with my own bathroom! Kid-friendly hostels do exist and are easy to find.
Larger families may not fit in a single room in youth hostels, you may have to considered staying in a dorm style shared room that may not have a private bathroom. If you don’t want to share a dorm room with others, you will need to book all the beds in the room. This will be an additional charge and cost you even more money.
We hope this article from us here at Wyld Family Travel inspires you to stay in a family-friendly hostel on your next trip. You can book the best hotel for traveling families at the Hostelworld website, first thing make sure you read reviews, see what other parents say before you book hostels.
You do not want to end up with shared bathrooms and no personal space. A hostel with a family room is a lot easier when travelling with kids.
For more amazing ideas on hostels, we’ve stayed at click through to our Hostels accommodation guide page for more brilliant inspiration.
More staying in hostels travel inspiration for your next family holiday
Rebecca Wyld
bec.wyld@wyldfamilytravel.com
Content Creator/SEO Editor
Co-founder and SEO editor here at Wyld Family Travel. Bec has travelled to over 45 countries across 3 continents and is a journey with kids advocate. When Bec is not planning travel, she creates content for our family travel blog or does local community service work. You can find all of Bec’s detailed travel guides here on Wyld Family Travel and on other popular websites such as Lonely Planet.
Wow, I am so surprised with your family experience in the hostel. I have heard far too many horror stories of the loud, drunk party goers puking in the hostel bathroom. So nice that your family had fun.
Hi, Jen! Thanks for leaving a comment! I have heard many of those stories too and that is why I made sure we had our own bathroom in our room. With two young and very independent girls, we thought this was the best option for us.
I never thought about hostels being a family friendly environment, but this post really opened my eyes. It actually sounds a way better experience than staying in a hotel! The interactions with other guests and the game room is a huuuuge plus 🙂
Hi Candy! The games room was a big winner for us and got the girls away from their iPad for awhile too! I think they are a great idea for families but like all things you would have to do your homework on where you were staying! Thanks for leaving a comment!
We are yet to stay in a hostel with our kids – but really appreciate all of the points you have mentioned here. Certainly something for us to consider in the future 🙂
Thank you! I was really surprised myself at the amount that the girls got out of it and there were many things that I did not think of. I think that you would have to really look into where you were staying to get the best out of it. If you ever do stay at a hostel I would love to know how your experience was!
You would never think of a hostel first when it comes to family travel but you’ve certainly made me think differently. They’re definitely worth considering, I think.
Hi Tania. I honestly thought Mark was mad when he told me and I was really worried about it but it turned out great for our family. We will be looking at staying in one on our next trip!
We have never stayed in a hostel. I know my 2 youngest would love the social atmosphere.
Hi Jennifer. It was a very social atmosphere. Thanks for leaving a comment for us!
I’m glad you guys had a good experience in hostels with kids. I hadn’t thought about the fact that it would be nice for kids to be able to talk to people other than their parents while traveling. I always traveled with my mother as a kid, but I was very shy around strangers so I always preferred to just talk to her. I’m sure I would have gotten used to being around other people if I had needed to though.
Hi Stella. My girls are not shy at all. I think growing up in a small country town where everyone knows us probably helps with that as well. It may have been a great way for you to help with your shyness and I hope one day soon you stay in a hostel and make plenty of new friends! Thank you for leaving us a comment, we really appreciate such a personal one.
hostels are wonderfully sociable places, I’m glad the girls felt they could fit in & chat away – just like solo travellers! There are different types of hostels – party ones which definitely wouldn’t be appropriate for kids but others more like this with a wider mix of people. I tend to avoid the party ones but love staying in hostels like this to meet fellow travellers.
Hi Claire. I would be avoiding them too! While I was really happy with the ones we stayed in I have heard plenty of horror stories. I think too it will give the girls the knowledge to pick a good hostel from a bad one when they finally get out there all by themselves (I will probably just sneak along just in case!) Thanks so much for stopping by!
We love hostels too! They are usually cheaper, even with a private room for our family of 3. We’ve stayed in hostels in Copenhagen (Copenhagen Downtown Hostel) and the AF Chapman hotel in Stockholm and are staying in one in Florence next month. I would recommend all of those for families.
My husband loves to talk to the people from other countries and my daughter loves the board games! I think it enforces the idea of sharing too.
Hi Katie! I actually never thought of the sharing side of things either. The girls did have to wait their turns at the games tables. I am not sure that I would stay in one without our own bathroom but that may come as we travel by ourselves…one day anyway! Thank you very much for the tips on the other hostels too. I will put those names in my little tips book!
I’ve never stayed in a hostel and I had never thought about it, most of the people that stay in them do not have kids in tow. Looks to be a win/win for everyone. Anytime something can get a kid to put an iPad down, it’s a good thing. Travel is so much more than traveling. It’s meeting new people, learning how other people live and experiencing new thing. Great tips and it looks like you got lucky with your own bathroom.
Having more to do than just iPads is good for everyone, not just kids! Thanks for sharing what it was like…I wouldn’t have guessed it was such a good fit.
I’ve never stayed at a hostel, although I’m aware that the stereotypes of a spring break-type atmosphere are no longer accurate in most cases. I also know that hostels are a great place to meet other travellers; that’s just outweighed for me by the fact that I’m a high-maintenance sleeper and I need the comforts and amenities of a hotel. I’m usually a solo traveller, and TBH I’m not sure if my priorities in accommodations would be different if I were travelling with children. It certainly seems a valuable experience for your kids to have been able to interact with a diverse set of travellers who had been to a wide spectrum of destinations.
I’m pretty surprised as well and I’m glad you guys had an amazing time staying at the hostel. I have never stayed in one and I always had this notion that hostels are dirty and loud. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Janna i am sure some are no doubt especially if it is dirt cheap.
Mark
Nice photos and the facilities seem fun and entertaining. believe it would be a great experience for people from all ages and background as long as the hostel is clean with friendly people and nice services 🙂
‘Love the post and I totally agree!
I tend to go to boutique hostels and they are absolutely amazing. ‘Not only is there a wealth of people for my shy teen boy to talk to, but as you say, games and entertainment, and just something other than mum and dad. And in many cases, we’re given the very best rooms. What not to like!
I too had not thought about staying in hostels with kids. I’m very excited at the possibility now – I know my son would love meeting other kids and sharing adventures . Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!
It sounds like it s a great exposure for the kids to meet other travelers from all angles of the WOrld.
This is brilliant! My gut told me it was a good idea but it’s great to finally read some proof on the matter, thank you x
We totally agree. We stayed in hostels with our 7 year old in south africa and she had a ball. She ended up manning reception one day and like you say they see life and meet people. It reinforces our own zest for travel and our daughter certainly spoke to everyone and anyone who would listen. One guy said to us, i started off being like she’s really cute and then i stopped and actually listened and i realised she knows her stuff.