Presenting...the 2009 Hostie Awards

Hello to anyone who's still keeping up with this blog! So it's now been three weeks since I've been home, the culture shock has worn off, responsibility has set in, my British friends came to visit, and I've realized that there's no place like home. And I've realized that I really like American faucets that give me nice lukewarm water instead of either boiling hot or finger-numbing cold. I've also realized that American portion sizes in restaurants are way too massive. I knew this before I went abroad, but now my stomach can't handle it!

Also, I know I've fallen way behind on writing about my last few trips around the UK and Scandinavia, and I'll try to get to them when I can. But first--in case anyone cares--I present the 2009 "Hostie" Awards (copyright myself)!

Hostels were a major part of my backpacking adventures, and a major reason we had so much fun. I didn't think that way at first; our first introduction to hosteling was staying in two extremely dodgy and dirty (but dirt cheap) hostels on the outskirts of London. I was so glad when on our next trip to Paris we booked a budget hotel (I have fond memories of "Hotel Cheap Beds"). But as I got to experience better hostels, my opinion changed, and now I consider them the accommodation of choice for anyone under 30.

Why are hostels so much better than boring hotels? Aside from the price, some of the best ones offer tons of extra perks that you wouldn't get in a hotel. In Edinburgh, we stayed in a place that was more like a resort---it had a TV room, a computer room, a kitchen, a convenience store, a bar, a common area, a workout room, and spa. Lots of other hostels had games, books to read, travel advice, free breakfasts, and the chance to meet and hang out with other backpackers, which was awesome. At first I didn't like the social aspect of hostels, but we did meet some cool people on our trips from all over the world.

Of course, as awesome as hostels are, that doesn't mean there weren't drawbacks. Some people might find it difficult to sleep in bunk beds in a room with twelve strangers, or share bathrooms and showers with an entire hall, but to me it wasn't too different than dorm life in college. Tip for anyone considering hosteling: You need shower sandals, your own toiletries, and your own towel. The hostel doesn't provide anything (though you might be able to rent a towel for a fee). Also bring your own lock if you don't want to rent one. Those were my biggest mistakes the first time I stayed in a hostel!

I'd say 95% of the hostels we stayed in were at least decent, if not really nice. But the other 5% is much more memorable, so the Hostie Awards are my tribute not only to the best hostels in Europe, but the ones that were weird, bizarre, or just plain disgusting. As bad as the experience was at the time, I can laugh about it now.

Strange showers:

Honorable mention(s): Lots of showers on the Continent (especially in the Germanic countries) had showers that were more like beach showers here in the States. You'd have to press a button every half a minute or so, or else the water would shut off. Let's just say it was an unpleasant surprise every time it happened for the first time. And when we stayed in a campground (yes, a campground) in Amsterdam, we had to pay almost two Euros for 6 minutes of shower time! And, if you weren't finished before the shower turned off, you were outta luck.

Third place: The shower in "Hotel Cheap Beds" in Paris, simply because it didn't have a shower curtain. Those shameless French...

Second place: The pod showers in Freiburg, Germany. Not only were they incredibly futuristic (I mean, they were pods) but they also had a window in them directly at the level of...let's just say that I was glad the shower steamed up quickly.

And in first place: The toilet-in-the-shower and bidet in Florence, Italy. I still remember how we sent Brendan to investigate the shower situation, and when he came back he said, "I have some good news and bad news. The bad news: The toilet is inside the shower. The good news: There's a bidet!" At that point I didn't know what a bidet was, but even after I found out, I couldn't see how that could possibly be considered "good" news. And having the toilet and bidet inside the shower made things incredibly awkward (and wet and unsanitary).

Creepy hostels:

Third place: Our first two hostels in London. They weren't really creepy, just dirty and run-down. And the bathrooms lacked soap.

Second place: Inverness, Scotland. I think it was called "Tourist Hostel" (it was practically the only hostel in that town). When we got there, we found out that some guys had taken over our beds and refused to leave, so the secretary had to call the manager and threaten them to leave. They ended up camping out in the lounge. Of course, it was too much to expect that they would then wash the sheets before we slept in them. They were nice enough to Febreeze them for us, though.

First place: Darius's apartment in Rome (I can't actually remember what the real name was). Why? It was clean, had nice showers, and we had our own private room. But, despite being listed on Hostelworld as a hostel, this place was still some guy's apartment with an extra room for guests. And he had his friends working there as his "staff". Very creepy.

But on the bright side...

The best of the hostels (by objective criteria):

Honorable mention(s): The Astor hostels in London. It's a really good chain. I stayed in Astor Hyde Park and Astor Museum Inn. Of the two, Hyde Park was definitely more ritzy and better quality, and just a short walk away from Kensington Gardens. It was in a beautifully remodeled house, with a grand wooden staircase. Museum Inn had the better location, literally across the street from the British Museum. It was a little older and more cramped than Hyde Park, though.

Third place: Birmingham Central Backpackers. The rooms are cramped, but this hostel has it all: free food in the evenings, free breakfast and tea all day, a great bar, a really fun and trendy common room, a huge screen TV, and literally hundreds of DVDs you can borrow. Plus the staff was really nice and accommodating with all the luggage Lana and I had (this was the last place we stayed before flying home).

Second place: Hostel Ruthensteiner in Vienna. One of "Europe's Famous Hostels." A beautiful, beautiful place, and spotlessly clean. Also had a really pretty garden out back.

First place: The Globetrotter Inn Edinburgh. The "resort" hostel. My only issue with this place was that it's really far from the city center, and sometimes their minibus filled up, and we were stranded out by the Firth of Forth when we wanted to be in central Edinburgh. They could definitely do with hiring some more drivers. Other than that, though, pretty awesome. I loved how each bed had a curtain for privacy, individual reading lights, and a cubby hole. You almost never get perks like that. Also, the backyard of the hostel is a beautiful beach. What could be better?

My favorite hostels (based on subjective criteria):

Honorable mention: Black Forest Hostel in Freiburg, Germany. It was rustic, but I mainly liked it because they had a ping pong table and a vineyard out back! Also I remember the beds being really comfy. Downside: Ridiculously large dorms.

Third place: House L.A. City Hostel in Fussen, Germany. It was small, homey and the staff was so nice! We also got our own private room, which was a welcome change! They also had a really good breakfast.

Second place: Lake District Backpackers Lodge in Windermere, England. Basically the most comfy, cozy and homey place I stayed anywhere in Europe. It was more like a home than a hostel, and it was the perfect chance to relax and take a breather in the Lake District.

First place: Hostel of the Sun in Naples, Italy. Not only is this a first-rate hostel (very clean, bright, and spacious) but it was a great place for us to meet people. The common room made it so easy to make friends, and we had a blast eating Napoli pizza with the other backpackers staying there. The hostel staff even ordered the pizza for us and we got a special deal! Definitely the hostel where we had the most fun!

And honorable mention for the most interesting hostel I stayed in: The Red Boat Malaran in Stockholm, Sweden. Yes, we stayed "on a boat"! The only downside to this place was their lack of secure luggage storage. Other than that, it had a beautiful sea-themed reception area and a great Scandinavian buffet breakfast. I barely felt the boat move at all as I slept at night. And there's nothing better than staying on the water in Stockholm.

So...that's it! Some of the best and worst of the places I stayed in. In general, if you're trying to book a hostel and want to guarantee basic standards of cleanliness and decency, go for HI (Hosteling International) hostels. We stayed in HI Llanberis in Wales, and it was really nice and in a beautiful rural area. But though HI hostels will always be good, they probably can't be as great as independent hostels. Since they have no minimum standards, independent hostels can be either fantastic or utterly terrible. Usually, the good ones will have their own websites, so check Google or a guidebook like Lonely Planet or Let's Go before Hostelworld (which will classify anything, no matter how sketchy, as a hostel). Also book well in advance or the good ones will be gone!

So I hope this post helps spread the joy of hosteling, and doesn't scare anyone off! ;)