From the category archives:

Hostels


When it’s cold somewhere, it’s hot somewhere else and if you’re into surfing, HostelsClub has the best surf destinations for you. Check out the full List of Surfing Destinations and Surf-Friendly Hostels so you can get your Surf On!

Some of the hot spots are Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Spain and the US, so be sure to check out the best places to surf and where you can stay at budget pricing since just getting to these places might take a toll on your wallet.

Cowabunga Surfer Dudes! Ride the waves and save money while you sleep!

{ 0 comments }

Traveling Green

by Dominic on May 6, 2010

By default, backpacking and staying in hostels is already a fairly green way of travelling. Being on a budget implies that you don’t waste resources and backpackers tend to travel by bus or train and not by plane and will share transport costs rather than take individual vehicles. There are a few simple ways that you can further cut down your carbon footprint and do your bit for the Planet while you are away.

Check out HostelClub’s Eco-Friendly and Green Hostels around the world!

Use hostel water refills rather than buying new bottles every time you need water. If there isn’t a refill option, suggest it and maybe next time you pass by there will be one. By refilling water bottles, not only do you use less plastic, but you set an excellent example to other travelers and people in places where the recycling message may not have arrived.

Take a battery recharger with you rather than leaving nickel-cadmium time bombs strewn behind you on your travels. Not only is this ecologically sound, but you will save a lot of money over a long trip. You can now even get solar chargers that do it for free!

If you have to fly, offset your carbon miles when you take a flight. If will only cost a few dollars and is well worth it for the warm fuzzy feeling alone. Another worthy option is to spend a bit of your travels helping out on a voluntary project that promotes sustainable practices in the country you are visiting. There will be information about these in most decent hostels and on the net. Just watch out for the odd scam. There is a rumor in Vietnam about an eco-project bridge that is built by paying volunteers every year and taken back down by the locals after they have finished, ready for the next year.

Support local initiatives that promote sustainable activities. Take a canoe trip rather than a Jet Ski tour or cycle about town rather than hiring a moped. Buy local crafts from sustainable forests and skip anything that you are not sure about. Avoid buying seashells and starfish as these are almost always overfished to supply the tourist trade. The same goes for those exotic sounding animals on the menu.

Instead of trying to see the whole of a country or continent in six weeks, choose one small area and see it well. The less long distance travel you do the more eco-friendly your trip becomes and the more money you leave in the local economy of the places you visit. This way, you can even save paper by not having to print off that must-see list!

{ 2 comments }

Affordable and Friendly Munich Hostels

by Bianca on February 25, 2010

Staying at any of the Munich hostels, you can enjoy this vibrant city with room in your budget for beer. Don’t wait for Oktoberfest to visit the beer gardens at Englischer Garten, which houses the nude garden and is a charming natural oasis right in the city, or choose one of many smaller local beer gardens.

Munich is a historic city with plenty of palaces and ancient castles, including Cinderella’s castle in Neuschwanstein. See the Devil’s footprint at Frauenkirche, or remember more recent evil at Dachau memorial. Don’t forget to visit the Glockenspiel at Munich’s famous New Town Hall. Many of these sites are close to Munich hostels, and many hostels in Munich offer day tours to further-out attractions.

Meininger Hotel Munich City Center

With free city walking tours, friendly, bilingual, well-informed staff and a downtown location this is one Munich hostel you don’t want to miss. Get directions to nearby Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt, Englischer Garten and the Oktoberfest meadows, or enjoy traditional Bavarian food and beer across the street at Munich’s oldest beer hall.

This one of the larger hostels Munich offers, and has a great social atmosphere. Meet fellow travellers in the guest kitchen, on the terrace, in the games room (billiards, foosball, video games and karaoke) or in the hostel bar. Dorms and private rooms are available, as are a varied, inexpensive all you can eat breakfast buffet, free linen and WIFI, laundry, 24-hour reception, bike rentals, lockers and luggage storage. Dorms are clean, comfortable and spacious with en-suite bathrooms, the value is great and your stay at this fun Munich hostel starts with a free drink.

Find out what all the talk is about and you can even bring your pet for an extra charge!

4 You Munich Hostel

Of the hostels in Munich, 4 You Munich is unique in offering excellent free breakfast, free walking tours and famous Munich beer, Hofbräu, at its in-house bar and canteen, the smallest beer garden in Munich. Located near Munich’s central train station, you can walk or ride anywhere in the city.

Stay in an en-suite or standard dorm with reading lights, individual lockers and super comfortable beds. Do laundry, check your e-mail, stay out all night, take the Beer Challenge tour or relax in the common room or courtyard. Linen is included, luggage storage is available and staff at this Munich hostel are multilingual and knowledgeable about the area. 4 You is also very inexpensive, especially if you have a VIP card.

Wombat’s City Hostel

This hostel in Munich’s centre is actually considered Bavarian, but they can ensure you have a rockin time. Between their cool lounge room with oversized pillows, computer room and game room which includes a pool table, you can enjoy your stay at Wombat’s in many ways. They were voted best hostel chain for three years in a row and also as the cleanest hostel for two years in a row.

That’s a pretty impressive record, but this hostel atmosphere is one that you can easily find the party despite it’s calm look. Parties are known to go on all night and you may be able to finish their standard “liter” size mugs of beer by the time you leave this place. They have comfy six bed dorm rooms and clean shared bathrooms.

Central Hotel-Apart Munich

If you budget can handle it, this apartment-hotel might be worth the extra Euros since you can use their free WIFI and gym. They have fully equipped kitchenettes in each apartment and are just twelve minutes away from the city center. Sometimes time is money and with being practically a few minutes away from the action, you can take advantage of their bike rentals to get around the city for cheap.

This family-friendly environment is good for those families or groups of friends that like to cook at home, although the neighborhood is filled with great restaurants and supermarkets. This Munich hotel also offers a complimentary breakfast to ensure a healthy start to a long day of exploring what Munich has to offer.

{ 0 comments }

Chicago – The Windy City

by Bianca on February 18, 2010

If you are used to travel implying laying on dirty mattresses and taking cold showers, worry no more! Just cause you are an economically-savy traveler, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on comfort. Chicago aka the Windy City or Chi-town, being one of the top US destinations and most rapped about cities, now has affordable accommodations for the budget traveler. HI (Hostelling International) Chicago has shared rooms with up to ten beds. Its central location in the Downtown area and highest rating for cleanliness is not the best of it. They even provide full length mirrors, reading lights next to every bed, WIFI, storage space inside the rooms and a free breakfast! They are also known for their spacious rooms and common areas including a helpful information desk which can help you prepare to take on the Chi Ill!

Now this is not to be mistaken with yet another low cost hostel known as Chicago International Hostel. Although similar in name, the biggest difference between these two is that Chicago International Hostel has a kitchen and it is located slightly north of the Downtown area, but the difference in price makes up for the longer commute. This hostel with funky décor and attitude near Loyola University has shared rooms with eight beds and private rooms for two or four people. The upside is that they are just two blocks from Lake Michigan, a ten minute walk to the beach, close to 24 hour public transportation and affordable shopping. Also, if you are in the mood for some midtown carbs, the famous Gino’s Pizza is just around the corner.

A few minutes closer to the action, though, is another well known top rated hostel known as Arlington House. It is located near the famous “El” (Chi’s elevated train) in a more upscale part of town where you can witness the life of the classy locals or pretend to be one. It’s just ten minutes from downtown Chicago! Their best features are free computer use and printing, it’s walking distance to Lincoln Park Zoo, and nearby local Blues clubs and college pub crawls where you can mingle with DePaul students. Arlington House also has free 24 hour coffee ready just to get you in shape after a long night out.

Last but not least on my list of cheap stays is the Chicago Parthenon Hostel. It’s also located downtown just minutes from the Amtrak train and Greyhound bus stations in the shadows of the Sears Tower. They have dorm rooms with eight beds and private rooms for just one to organized groups of ten. While you do have to pay extra for linens in the shared rooms, their beds and bathrooms are new and clean and this Spring, the Parthenon Hostel will have a kitchen for guest use including free breakfast. This remodeled establishment really is unique cause it’s in Chi’s Greektown where the owners also run a Greek restaurant with drink specials. Dugans Irish bar is just down the street which allows you to enjoy Chicago’s multicultural community.

Getting around town is easy at all of these hot spots since their staff can advise you on cheap eats and discounts on local attractions. Take a quick bus ride or the train to the Magnificent Mile shopping avenue, the Art Institute of Chicago, or their ethnic neighborhoods to feel like you traveled from Mexico for lunch to Germany for dinner in the same day!

{ 0 comments }

A Deeper Look into Auschwitz

by Bianca on February 18, 2010

The concentration and extermination camp in Auschwitz is the most famous symbol of the Holocaust and Nazi cruelty in the world. It’s located in the town of O?wi?cim near Krakow in Poland. Those territories were under the German control during World War II. This place shows us the amount of Nazi war crimes and made us find out the borders of humanity. Visiting Auschwitz is something that you’ll never forget.

The concentration camp in Auschwitz came into being in 1940. It was the first and the biggest Nazi camp in Poland. The camp was divided in a few parts, the main one was Auschwitz I – the camp of compulsory work and the administration centre, and Auschwitz II – Birkenau – the extermination camp, where people were kept in inhuman conditions and murdered in gas chambers. It’s very hard to estimate the real number of victims killed in Auschwitz. Different sources estimate that it was from 1,1 million to even 4 million people.

Two years after the end of the war, a part of camp was renovated and turned into a museum. Nowadays the Auschwitz extermination camp is almost completely reconstructed and changed into the most important exhibition regarding the Holocaust in the world. The camp is inscribed under the UNESCO list of global heritage.

The image leaving you with the greatest impression is by the Wall of Executions with exhibitions featuring clothes, shoes and even hair of prisoners, information about cruel, pseudo-medical experiments pursued on humans and the former cell of Maksymilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who sacrificed his life for another prisoner and finally starved to death. Also very touching, is the exhibition about the cultural life in the camp, which describes how prisoners were preserving their culture. They were composing music, writing poems and preparing performances to forget about sorrow and keep their humanity.

Visiting Auschwitz is very instructive, incredible and a touching experience. Sightseeing in the camp in respectful silence is a way to reflect on tolerance, human rights and the need to care about global peace. Visit the Memorial like thousands of people who visit this place every year along with Tour Operator Escape2Poland, to know the truth these days and the history of the Holocaust. Auschwitz is an obligatory part of every visit to Poland, so book your Auschwitz Tour today. There are also plenty of other tours in Poland which you can choose from to broaden your Polish experience! Luckily, Poland also has many beautiful sites to visit and learn about which are quite uplifting!

{ 0 comments }

Best Budget Cities for a Romantic Getaway

2 February 2010

The HostelsClub philosophy this Valentine’s Day is that a romantic weekend does not have to be expensive or about how much you spend, but who and where you spend it at. Check out the Top 10 list:
1. Venice – No other city has more beautiful alleyways, foot bridges and scenery for couples in love. Picture [...]

CLick here to read more→

What do Space Travel and Budget Travel Have in Common?

29 January 2010

While the world is becoming smaller and smaller and traveling has become as easy as a few clicks, outer space is getting larger and larger. NASA is always a step ahead with the latest technologies and in July 2009 one of the world’s most powerful telescopes was launched to explore faint light from distant parts [...]

CLick here to read more→

A Local’s Tips on Visiting Chicago

27 January 2010

Second City, deep dish pizza, and the Cubs can all call the Windy City their home… as well anyone who wants to visit. Of all the major cities in America, Chicago provides that home feeling, where everyone is welcome. Maybe it’s the range of diversity, the clarity in their newscaster accents, or the fact that [...]

CLick here to read more→

Green hostels

13 January 2010

Perhaps you do eco-friendly shopping  in the grocery store, take the train instead of the car now and then. But did you know you could also make a conscious choice and Go Green also when you book hostels or hotels?
Hostelsclub has a lot of cool eco-friendly accomodation for you to choose between. Let’s start with [...]

CLick here to read more→

10 tips to pick a suitable Hostel

26 August 2009

So you have decided to travel; and you have decided on a hostel rather than a hotel. The big question here is how you know which hostel to choose and which to avoid.
Most of the tips I have mentioned are about you and what you want.  The best place to look for a hostel is [...]

CLick here to read more→