Showerthought: staying in hostels vs private rooms - which actually saves you more?

Honestly, I used to think hostels were the way to go for budget travel, saving like $30 a night in cities like Prague. But after a trip to Barcelona last summer, I spent three nights in a dorm and then two nights in a private room. The hostel cost me $25 a night but I ended up dropping $20 on earplugs, a lock, and extra coffee because I couldn't sleep. The private room was $60 a night but I slept great and cooked my own meals in the kitchen. So which side are you on - cheap and loud or quiet and pricier? Has anyone else noticed the hidden costs of hostels adding up?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew1mo ago

Oh man, your buddy Mike's Amsterdam story is bringing back some serious flashbacks for me. I had a similar thing happen in Berlin a couple years back - thought I was so clever booking a 20 euro dorm, ended up next to a dude who sounded like a freight train with a cold all night. And don't even get me started on the hidden costs... I dropped like 15 euros on a crappy locker fee, another 8 on a towel rental, and then had to buy a full breakfast every morning because the hostel kitchen was a disaster zone. By the time I added it all up I basically paid the same as a private room, just with worse sleep and less privacy. I remember sitting in a coffee shop at 7am on day two just staring at my espresso, thinking "this is not the budget win I thought it was." Your buddy Mike probably came to the same conclusion after that Amsterdam trip.

robinson.leo29d ago

It's like everything has hidden fees now, nothing ever costs what it says on the sticker.

harperschmidt1mo ago

You ever had a buddy who tried to save money by staying in a hostel in Amsterdam? My friend Mike did that, thought he was clever booking a dorm for like 30 euros a night. Ended up sharing a room with a guy who snored like a chainsaw and a group of teenagers who came in drunk at 3am. He paid extra for a locker, rented a towel, and bought three espresso shots just to function the next day. Said it was the most expensive cheap stay he ever had.