Hostel Myths Debunked

Hostels are not scary. As Americans we like our space and luxury, and hostels totally defy that reality.

What is a hostel? According to hostelmanagement.com "A hostel is a budget oriented, shared "dormitory" accommodations that accepts individual travelers (typically backpackers) or groups for short-term stays, and that provide common areas and communal facilities".

Hannah, Stephanie, and I!

Cheap lodging and built in friends are established by hostels.The prices per person range from $15-$40 a night. It’s like a summer camp set up in your twenties in an exotic city. Get excited.

The people were the best part of the hostel experience. In London we (Hannah and I) met a girl from Holland who explored and toured London’s National Gallery with us.  I also translated for an Argentinian man in our hostel. In Amsterdam, we had the best time going out with three of our ten roommates, with their Australian and New Zealand accents. We did a walking tour in Paris with our sweet roommate, Andrea (he informed us that is a boy name in Italian) and witnessed love in Paris through the story of our Canadian roommate’s Parisian love affair.

Entering into each of our roommates adventures added to our own story. However, you shouldn't go blindly into a hostel.

1.      Get a padlock to lock up you locker or bag

2.      Stick with youth hostels because there will be more young people and the accommodations are targeted to you! Some chain hostels I used in Europe were:

St. Christopher’s Inn http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/hostels

I stayed at St.Christoper's Inn: London Bridge!

Generator Hostels http://generatorhostels.com/en/

3.      Hostel World was my best friend when looking up hostels. There are prices in American dollars and ratings! http://www.hostelworld.com/

4.      Book your hostel before you get there! If you book earlier then it will be cheaper. Also, it is not guaranteed that there will be open hostels or hotels when you arrive to your destination, especially during peak season. So book, and book now!

Homey, Quaint, and Breakfast Too!

When contemplating a place to stay while traveling abroad, many go straight for the generic, corporate hotel. Another option if looking for something unique, and more local, is a Bed and Breakfast lodging.

There are many sites that provide a list and search engine for Bed and Breakfasts and rentable rooms in Europe and all over the world. The site www.bedandbreakfast.eu, has them listed for countries such as the UK, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Sweden, France, Australia, Thailand, etc. Other useful search sites are: www.bedandbreakfast.com, www.airbnb.com, and www.europebnb.com. 

Depending on the location, Bed and Breakfast lodging can be relatively cheap, on some sites lower than 80 euros or less a night. These include a room consisting of King, Queen, or even Double beds if necessary. The rooms normally have a bathroom attached or down the hall. Bed and Breakfast locations are usually rather large house like units, with a home like quality where the owner lives on site or nearby. The rooms are made to be more cozy then flashy, and aside from great comfort, guests are treated to breakfast early each morning. Some places even provide other daily meals or offer them as options. 

So if you are looking for a home away from home, small, quiet and quaint, then a Bed and Breakfast is for you! Many believe these could be sketchy because they are not as well known as hotel chain, but from personal experience this is not true. They are considerably cheaper, provide great breakfast foods, a chance to stay and interact with locals, and tend to be small and adorable. 

Classic and Comfortable

For first time travelers, being in a new and strange place can cause discomfort and can seriously interfere with their level of enjoyment.  This can prevent them from thoroughly enjoying the amazing experience that traveling to a different country can bring.  A simple way to increase comfort while traveling abroad is to stay in hotels that have chains in the United States.  This will increase your familiarity and give you a taste of home while you are abroad in a strange and unfamiliar country.  

Because consistency is greatly emphasized in these worldwide chains, the hotels will mostly have the same appearance and set-up as the same hotels in the United States.  Some of the biggest hotel chains are very prevalent in the worldwide hotel business; including Best Western, Wyndham, Marriott and Hilton.  Especially in large tourist areas, these are more prevalent than less well-known areas and thus easier to find and book.

Sometimes having a small reminder of home can make a huge difference while traveling abroad.  When going back to your hotel after a long day, the familiarity that these hotels can bring can increase the quality of your experience in your travels!

Sweet dreams and happy travels!

http://listdose.com/top-10-biggest-hotel-chains-in-the-world/

Is There Something in the Water?

Every year, more than 3.4 million people die from a water-related disease. Nearly all of these deaths occur in the developing world. 780 million people lack access to clean water, which is equivalent to 3 times the population of the United States. These statistics are extremely alarming especially when clean water and access is not scarce in our home country. As humans, we need water on a daily basis to survive. In the 21st century, it is really hard to believe that clean water and access to it are still not a common thing.  

Water safety is a major concern for people planning to travel abroad. Before traveling, one should research their destination and see if it has potential water safety issues. If the water is somewhat unsafe, travelers will soon find out their body cannot take the water. In an article by Everyday Healthy, it says that the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe all have pretty safe drinking water. 

While abroad, sticking to water from water bottles should work pretty well. The water in the bottle is usually purified and imported from various countries. However, water is used in many other things such as the ice cubes, washing the fruits and vegetables, brushing your teeth and showering. These all contain or have been processed through water in some type of way. The key is to research your travel destination and make sure that water is safe and sanitary. The other option is to make alternatives for obtaining water, so that you don't get dehydrated. 

For spring break this year, I travelled to Cancun, Mexico for a week long trip. I was excited for the clear ocean, beautiful weather and being with my closest friends. However, I did not know what I was in for when I came to find out water was scarce and a hot commodity. US citizens are not used to the water Mexico has and are very prone to getting sick from it. I could not drink the water from the sink nor the shower. The only safe method of water consumption was from bottled water. During the week, I got very dehydrated and my feet and fingers began to swell up. This feeling is extremely painful to the point where I could not even wear sandals!