European hostels I love

I predominantly stayed in hostels instead of Airbnbs while traveling in Europe (and even one in the US) and found a handful of chains that I absolutely loved staying at. When you’re constantly on the move, it is so important to find a place that feels like home, no matter what city you’re in. Even if you only find yourself in your hostel at night when it’s time to get some sleep, you will still want a place that is helpful, can give great recommendations, and will maybe even offer you free breakfasts if you book direct.

Hostelworld is a great website to start your search, to get an idea of prices and the highest-rated hostels wherever you’re traveling to. Once you’ve looked through the options, it’s best to book direct, so I always move on to each of the hostel’s own websites. Another great resource is The Savvy Backpacker. They have great hostel reviews and city guides on a budget for most major European cities.

Here’s a list of the hostel chains I’ve stayed at and loved…

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St. Christopher’s Inn

• Free breakfast if you book directly
• Clean facilities and under bed locked storage for every guest
• Great resources
• Curtains on bunk beds!!!!
• Always have a bar/restaurant on location
• Ask me about their Barcelona and Paris locations

Wombat’s Hostels

• Very homey
• Free drink from bar when you arrive
• Clean facilites, bathrooms attached to bunkrooms-very nice perk
• Also great resources!
• Other perks if you stay more than one night-like free breakfast
• Ask me about their Budapest and Vienna locations

Generator Hostels

• I stayed at my first Generator in January!
• Similar to the St. Christopher Inn’s of the world, they typically have a bar and great common spaces
• For the design-lovers, as they put great attention into their modern decor
• Large bunk rooms with connected bathrooms (a huge bonus)
• Ask me about their Dublin and Venice locations

Additional hostels I loved that weren’t chains…

Sophie’s Hostel (Prague)

• Friendliest staff and BEST hostel breakfast ever
• Clean facilities with modern bathrooms and underbed locked storage
• Great location in Prague

Villaggio Turistico Bleu Village (Sorrento)

• Bungalows on the cliffside in Sorrento
• Each bungalow has a private bathroom
• Many amenities available during high season
• The most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, and a path down to the beach

Once you’ve decided on your hostel, check out my post on how to have a smooth hostel arrival, offering my best tips for taking full advantage of living the hostel life.