Advantages: freindly staff, wonderful food, lovely local beer, cheap, family friendly, excellent building
Disadvantages: a bit far from anywhere (but could be an advantage)

...This is one of many of the Youth Hostels run by the YHA. This organisation (or more exactly YHA (England & Wales) Ltd.) operates a network of 227 Youth Hostels across England and Wales. It is a member organisation, with over 310,000 members. At the YHs people can get comfortable accommodation, good food and affordable prices. They YHA is a charity, with the objective: 'To help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside, and appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities, particularly by providing Youth Hostels or other accommodation for them in their travels, and thus to promote their health, recreation and education'. If you want to know about the history of the YHA, then get yoursefl to their website, but basically a German opened the world's first Youth... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, cheerful, clean and welcoming
Disadvantages: No super-hostel facilities, slightly out of the main centre

...not experienced in is the world of youth hostels, so it took one of the other team members to show us before we figured out that pillow cased pillows then went inside the bottom sheet you took from reception, which in turn went on top of the real bottom sheet. If you wanted a top sheet, this was the same style, like a fake sleeping bag, with sewn up sides that make you feel all tangled when you wake up. <> COMMUNAL AREAS <> Towels could be hired from reception, and on each floor were washing facilities, some separated by gender, and some not. So we had mixed loos and sinks in one room, individual showers a bit further down and, for some reason, a room of gent’s showers right next door to us. Why the men got specially separate rooms I don’t know, but maybe there’s some strange Scottish logic behind it. The showers were variably good – variably... Read review

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Advantages: Clean, modern, welcoming, good security and facilities, central location
Disadvantages: Doesn't have freephone number, electronic card access for everything, checking in takes ages, no free breakfast

...As I found after a previous bad experience, and talking to several other travellers while in Australia, good hostels are hard to come by in Sydney. The first hostel I stayed in I found to be cold, inhospitable and overpriced for what they (didn't) provide. On talking to other people, I found that though there were cheaper hostels available, they may be bed bug ridden, decrepit, uncomfortable, overcrowded, unfriendly, or too inconveniently located. So I was pleased to discover Wake up! Sydney on my next return to the city... it's a bright, buzzy and ultra modern hostel, which only opened in April 2002 so you can be assured none of the mattresses are sagging yet! And is located just opposite the main train station in Sydney, meaning it's convenient for all the sights in the city centre, as well as for getting out to the suburbs... Read review

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Advantages: Great location, clean and friendly hostel
Disadvantages: Slightly out of your way, but not enough to complain

..., Frisbee games, the only thing missing was someone like Lindsay Lohan to make the teen movie complete. Over the next few days we noticed what an active city Vancouver is, people riding, walking, jogging - so its no surprise to note that Jericho Beach is popular for picnic and barbeque areas, sailing and kayaking, volleyball and tennis, jogging and of course sunbathing. The beach also has concession stands, change rooms, showers and toilets. Jericho Beach is also located near the Vancouver famous beach area, Kitslano (or Kits to us locals!). A laid back (even for Vancouver) area with a great selection of healthy shopping and restaurants. Kits beach has an outdoor heated pool. Back at Jericho Beach, about 2 minutes walk from the beach, and opposite a big park, is the Jericho Beach hostel. A big white building, with youth hostel... Read review

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Advantages: Close to good eats, cheap
Disadvantages: Noisy, questionable security, basic facilities

...With the terrorist situation in Belfast calming down in recent years, and the increase in cheap airfares to Belfast from the UK, Belfast is rapidly becoming a popular destination for those on a more limited budget. The Belfast International Youth Hostel has the cheapest beds in town. The hostel is located near one of Belfast's few train stations, and is otherwise a 5-10 minute walk from the centre of town and the coach station (where you can get shuttle buses to either aiport). It is located in the best area for eating in Belfast, which is handy, and in particular the best breakfast in Belfast (which can apparently be difficult to find). This location is ideal, because the centre of town only really has shops (a very good selection), and not much in the way of entertainment or restaurants open outside of business hours... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent value. Sociable and friendly. Locations.
Disadvantages: Having to share a dorm. Isolated.

...two weeks. It is valuable if you know a bit of the language, as there is no guarantee of being understood! These offered excellent accommodation and a great slap-up breakfast in the morning. All of these are variable, however. I hadn't bothered booking anywhere - simply took my bike and tried to find something in any village I ended up in. This was a laid back and very enjoyable holiday - but as I took it some years ago, I don't remember all the details! The title of this review is taken from a poster in a hostel in Skye. It has a kilted gentleman lifting up his kilt to the amazement of a Highland cow. Probably not to everyone's taste - but then neither is hostelling! This holiday took place last August. We had planned our holiday using the Scottish Youth Hostel website - which is really user-friendly. It allows you to book... Read review

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Advantages: Great accommodation...really clean, with the required facilities
Disadvantages: Had quite a lot of difficulty with the lockers for luggage.

...Well, we finally arrived in London at St. Pancras station extremely tired. The great thing was that the youth hostel was only 5 minutes walk away. However, to get to the youth hostel, there is a main road to cross, with many traffic lights to wait for first! Well, what about the youth hostel itself? It really is a nice place...which surprised me a lot, from what I heard youth hostels were always groggy places to avoid if at all possible. The people at reception were very helpful and friendly. In the lounge area there were many comfy settees, a tv (we watched Holby City later that night), a giant Connect 4 game and internet access. The room itself, although some might call it basic, it was perfect for our needs. It was spacious with 2 bunk beds and a good-size wardrobe. As for the toilets and bathroom....they weren't ensuite... Read review

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Advantages: Quiet, leafy location
Disadvantages: Very large - easy to get lost!

...Edinburgh Bruntsfield Youth Hostel is part of the Scottish Youth Hostels Association chain of hostels, which means you are guaranteed a good general level of cleanliness and quality of accommodation. In order to stay at the hostel you must become a member of SYHA. It's quick and easy enough to do this at reception on arrival. Membership lasts for 1 year and, at the time of writing this review, costs £6 for adults. The building is huge and rambling with grand staircases and high ceilings. Accommodation is in small dorms, which are subdivided into smaller rooms (our dorm had 4 rooms with either 2 or 4 beds in each). The dividers are only just taller than head height so, whilst they do give some privacy, you are still able to hear the other guests in your dorm! Rooms have lockers for storing personal possessions; to use them you need... Read review

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Advantages: Easy, no nonsense place to lay your head
Disadvantages: Literally a bare-bones, no frills service

...I went to a Wedding in Oxford and, as an ex- student, who hasn't yet hit the big time job- wise, I still have the bug for cheap-as-chips accommodation. A friend of mine (being the less lazy of the two) found out about the Oxford Backpackers Youth Hostel. If you want five- star luxury, turn back now. If you're only looking for somewhere to rest your head for the night and nothing else, this is a bargain. Even the cheapest rooms at the greasyest roadside motel will cost you around three times the price I paid, but you do get what you pay for. To be specific, £13, plus around £4 credit card booking fee, got me a bed for the night, including bed linen. I was in an 18- bed mixed dormitory, so you could potentially find yourself sleeping in amongst 17 complete strangers. A £5 deposit is required, but this will be returned as long... Read review

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Advantages: easy to find
Disadvantages: sleep like a chicken in a coop

...the first though of having to stay at a youth hostel was great, because i had a great experience staying at a backpackers hostel which was cheap and a great place to meet great people from everywhere in the world. but then, when me and my boyfriend called up to book a week stay at the hostel, we have to pay up the entire amount through card and when we reached there, we found that they served the same breakfast everyday! oh ,....and the price was even much more expensive than a hotel!...what an anger i got. but they have facilities such as free coffee and tea during breakfast time..which is still ok. but then i decided to stay at a nearby hotel, just a few minutes walk from the earl's court underground station which offers us a double room cheaper than staying at youth hostel which we have to share a room with more than 16... Read review

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