Hostels generally offer dormitory no-frill style accommodation,
separated by gender, with shared bathrooms. Most hostels offer
real budget type of accommodation with only the very basics.
Some hostels do offer private rooms, however, and occasionally
these rooms may even have a private bathroom. Many hostels offer
shared kitchens and living areas and some also have Internet
access on site. Hostelling is a popular way for students and
young people to travel, but most hostels nowadays don't have
age restrictions any longer which means even middle aged individuals
and seniors are welcome to stay. It's a bare bones way of traveling,
but one of the benefits is that it does offer the opportunity
to connect with other like-minded travelers. Often the atmosphere
at hostels is very informal, casual and friendly, so even when
traveling as a single person it should be quite easy to make
new friends.
Some of the hostel websites also offer message boards, travel
stories and various travel-related services such as travel insurance,
rail passes, adventure tours, flights & car rentals. One
very nice feature of some of the hostel websites is that they
offer ratings of hostel properties that were completed by previous
travelers, providing some insight into the quality of the property
in question. Hostel websites generally allow you to search for
availability by date and to make a reservation online.
As of March 2005, dorm-style accommodation can go for as low
as US$ 25.00 per night, with most of the properties charging
between US$30.00 to $40.00 per night. Private rooms range from
about US$27.50 and up per person, with most of the properties
coming in between US$35.00 and to US$ 70.00 per night per person.
Here is a list of some of the main hostelling websites:
www.hostels.com
The Hostels.com website indicates that it features the most
comprehensive selection of hostels on the internet with almost
7,000 hostels listed.
www.hostelsclub.com
Hostelsclub refers to itself as a young and dynamic company
providing the budget traveler with an online booking engine
for destinations all over the world: Europe, North America,
South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Hostelsclub offers
a wide range of accommodation choices for all budget travelers.
www.hihostels.com
Hostelling International (HI) operates a network of more than
4,000 hostels in over 60 countries. Their website indicates
that the USA they offer the largest network of quality hostels.
www.hostelweb.com
Hostelweb specializes in the Western United States with over
67 hostels in 11 western states. Obviously not a choice for
NYC, but certainly a good reference for western US travel plans.
www.hostelworld.com
Hostelworld.com provides online bookings at thousands of hostels
worldwide. You can check out their hostel reviews, view photographs
and read detailed descriptions of all their hostels. You can
confirm reservations at a selection of youth hostels, independent
hostels and international hostels in Europe, Asia, Africa, North
America, South America and Oceania.
Happy hostelling....
Insurance in New York is expensive. Since there are so many New York insurance companies, your best bet is to get multiple New York insurance quotes, then compare and contrast them. Get the insurance coverage that's right for you.
Useful books for travel to New York City:
Related articles:
Here is my New York City budget accommodation guide
- small hotels.
Here is my New York City budget accommodation guide - hostels.
Here is my New York City budget accommodation guide - bed
and breakfasts.
Live New York Travel Stories:
"Hello from
New York City (1) - First Impressions of the Big Apple"
"Hello from
New York City (2) - Exploring Mid-Town Manhattan"
"Hello from
New York City (3) - Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero, Downtown"
"Hello from
New York City (4) - Staten Island and a Random Act of Violence"
"Hello from
New York City (5) - A Local Expert Takes Us Through Queens"
"Hello from
New York City (6) - Checking Out Coney Island and Harlem"
"Hello from New York City (7)
- Prospect Park & Washington Square Park"
