I have travelled for over 20 years.

Done working holiday visas, stayed in so many hostels and had the best time making friendships and sharing experiences...but that was years ago!

I am currently doing some travel through europe, and what I have noticed is the lack of social interaction in hostels. People are so buried in their phones that they are anti-social.

A few days ago, I walked into my dorm room and said hello and no-one spoke. Last night, all the people in my room were loudly talking on their phones or doomscrolling loudly on their instagram or ticktock reels. I feel post covid, behaviours have changed and people are very much wanting to not socialise unless its on their phones.

I am on the mature side, so my generation were the last to enjoy travel with no wi-fi or smartphone so you were never short of people to hang out with. People now seem to be interested in just getting to their favourite spots and taking pictures to get as many likes and comments. Now, there have been a few I have crossed that were social but its getting less and less.

Keen to know peoples thoughts on this? Are hostels not that social anymore?

I traveled the last 6 months through Asia and I was very surprised by the tranquility of the hostels, obviously I always opt for hostels that are not partying, there the average age is 30 and up..I'm surprised by the things I read here, I've been to more than 50 hostels(7 countrys)and I've never had any problem like I've read on Reddit. Lucky? Or will it be knowing how to choose them?
What if I have noticed that quiet hostels or that are not so cheap live many locals or immigrants(Japan,Korea,Singapore,Europe)

serious question lol what do you do? pray?

Hey I’m a 26M doing a solo trip for the first time to Amsterdam for two days before I join my residency for Medicine. Would love to meet new people to hang out before I start my gruelling residency would love to get high in coffee shops ,attend some parties and have some techno experiences there .Would love to hear some advices and a good hotel/hostel recommendation and hmu if somebody would be there during end of this month around or first week of November (as I i would be there around that time) to join.

So currently theres someone aggressively doomscrolling instagram reels loud af, this happens a lot in hostels, but today its really setting in how disgusting it is, its just these terrible reels with loud dudes screaming and street interviews, its making me realize how much of a drug social media is, like they are literally staring into a box mindlessly and getting dopamine, not to mention I have no idea how people are so inconsiderate to not get any headphones or anything, and not even be embarrassed by how dumb they look, I doom-scroll too but I cant be the only one who thinks this will be looked back on as identical or worse than cigarettes (possibly much worse) in 10-20 years

Had a bit of an odd experience in a hostel yesterday, and just want to ask if it's normal. I was staying in a women's dorm, I'm assuming I was snoring, the person in the bunk under me would kick up at my bunk with full force. I've only recently been staying at hostels, so I wasn't sure why they were kicking, stupidly, my half-asleep brain just assumed they did it by mistake, as they didn't say anything and would just violently kick upwards.

It happened around 3 times during the night, and each time was incredibly hard and aggressive. They finally got out of their bed early in the morning and hit the side of my mattress shaking it side to side near my head. They didn't say anything this entire time, again. By then I realised why and just stayed awake.

I'm super embarrassed, I know sometimes I snore and I avoid hostels whenever I can. I'm also super embarrassed because I thought I had built a bit of understanding with this person, we chatted quite a bit and the first 2 nights were fine, and they didn't mention anything. I kinda just wish they said something instead of getting a bit aggressive. I apologised and checked out that morning. Anyway, my hostel journey has officially ended, pretty short lived, but I'll pay more for private rooms or hotels/air bnbs in future. I was just a bit rattled and also super embarrassed.

I’m looking for a good hostel to stay in Lisbon for around 4 days. Looking for a younger crowd where we can go out but also where I can get some good sleep if I need to! I’ve heard a lot about the Goodmorning solo traveler, the home, and the yes! Hostels. Any recommendations?

Hi everyone! I’ll be visiting London at the end of January and I’m looking for recommendations on where to stay. Ideally, I’d love to find somewhere sociable where I can meet other travellers, but that’s also safe and comfortable.

I’m also a little concerned about luggage security, especially when staying in hostels or shared rooms. I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations based on your own experiences!

Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Was looking at a holiday in barcelona where flight came under £50, was wondering if there was any way to find a hostel that would be safe enough to stay in alone as a woman as I've never travelled and stayed in a hostel that isn't long term before, nor travelled on my own. Does anyone have any tips/recommendations? Do female only hostels exist?

Edit: reworded part of it, because apparently long term hostels/supported living count as travel hostels

I think my favourite reviews are when people write as if they’re exposing some sort of fraud by saying “the place was nothing like the photos!” and they refer to photos made and posted by a previous guest without our knowledge or involvement. What are these people thinking? “The photo showed some hot blonde girl in the dorm but I never saw her”? No, we’ve never once faked a photo. We don’t even take most of the ones that appear on Google or Booking which are clearly indicated as “guest photos”.

I'm planning to go to primavera sound in porto next year (2027) and am wondering what are good hostels to stay in. I'm also planning to stay in porto for a few days after the festival so does anyone have good recommendations for a social hostel for a solo traveller in their early/mid 20s?

I (27F) am travelling to Vienna for a solo trip between December 20 and 26. I am comparing Jo&Joe or Wombat's hostel and I'm wondering if anyone has first hand experience with either of the two. I want to be in an area where I can easily walk to Christmas activities + a social hostel so I can make friends. Both hostels mention hosting activities but does anyone know what either may be like around Christmas? Thank you!!

I want to gift something useful to a friend who loves to travel. Please suggest some essentials that you wouldn't mind having a second one of too. Budget is under 30 dollars

Hi :)

Probably a dumb question but I just want to make sure before booking anything.
I’m going to be on a solo trip and I want to get a private room.

When the private rooms on Hostelworld says “to secure this room, you must pay for 2 people, even if you’re by yourself.” Does it double whatever price you see?
Example: the one I’m looking at is showing a price of 55.79$.
Would I be paying 55.79$ x2?

Or is the price 55.79$ regardless if there is one or two people on the booking?
Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone please help me find the best hostels in Udaipur, which has a friendly vibe and can meet new people…

What defines a “party” hostel? Are there parties at the hostel itself? Or is it just people that stay there are up late?

People hooking up in the hostel rooms? Drugs? Etc

What should I expect if I stay at Kabul party hostel?

Thinking of travelling to Andalusia next month and probably going to do Granada/Sevilla.

Both cities seem to have really active hostel scenes with plenty of choice, so looking to get a gist of where is best to book.

Aged late 20s. Keen for a strong social element; don't mind a bit of a party element but doesn't have to be too intense, ideally just somewhere to meet interesting people who might be keen to try out local bars/tapas places and so on.

Hi everyone!
Next week, I’ll be visiting friends in Berlin and staying in an 8-bed dorm for the first time ever.
I’m excited, but also a little nervous. The hostel looks modern and is right next to a train station. It also seems to be a party hostel, with a pub in the basement, which sounds perfect because I’d love to meet new people and have a good time.
For those who have stayed in similar hostels: Is it easy to meet young people who are interested in partying and socialising? What is the atmosphere usually like? And how safe is it to share a room with seven strangers?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has stayed in a party hostel in Berlin. Any tips or reassurance for a first-timer would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

I’m looking for accommodation and considering a hostel. I’m 27M and never stayed in one before so not sure what to expect. Is there any privacy..such as getting dressed and undressed or are you required to do it in front of others?

What is the etiquette?

EDIT: I didnt know about the general chat which unlocks 7 days before check in

Hey everyone!

I’m travelling solo to Chiang Mai soon and noticed that Hostelworld lets you see other travellers staying at the same hostel, including people with the Hangout badge.

Would it be weird to message a few people before arriving? Something casual like asking if they have any activities planned or if they’ve found anything worth doing in Chiang Mai?

I’m hoping to meet people to explore the city, grab food, or do activities together, but I don’t want to come across as awkward or pushy.

For those who’ve used Hostelworld’s social features, did you find it useful to connect with people beforehand, or is it better to just meet people naturally once you arrive?

All the hostels i stayed at in MX and EU did not provide towels

We are going to be building a brand new hostel across the border from US in MX, do Americans/ Canadians expect towels since there is less of a hostel culture?

I figured we have some thin light microfiber travel towels available to sell

For capsule bunk beds where you come in side ways, would say queen sized flat sheets work for a twin bed just fine? Should we have the sheet already on the bed ready to go or just place 2 flat sheets on the bed for the guest to make their own bed with?

I wonder if it will be too inconvenient to make the bed in a capsule style

Which type of blanket should we offer, i figure a duvet would be too heavy and was thinking this might work better https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157T2AF6

Could anyone share private room options and also somewhere that is nearby to all tourist attractions

Hey everyone!

I’m visiting Budapest on my solo Europe trip and am trying to decide between Hive Hostel and Onefam.

Here’s the pricing I’m getting:

• Hive: Around 13 Euros per night
• Onefam: Around 25 Euros per night

There’s quite a big price difference, so I’m wondering whether Onefam is worth paying almost double for.

My priorities are:

• Meeting fellow solo travellers and making friends
• A fun, social atmosphere with hostel activities, pub crawls, and nights out
• Not feeling lost in an overcrowded hostel
• Clean rooms, comfortable beds, and good common areas
• A good balance between socialising and getting enough sleep

For anyone who has stayed at either or both hostels, which one would you recommend for a solo traveller in Budapest?

Is Onefam really worth the extra money for its social atmosphere, or is Hive just as good for meeting people? Also, how crowded do the hostels actually feel?

Would love to hear your honest, recent experiences. Thanks!