Hostels have evolved big time over the past couple of decades. The no-frills, rough-'n'-ready domain of the old-school backpacker is a dying breed and today hostels often rival, indeed, surpass in many instances, 'hotel-standard' quality in terms of facilities and style. With this evolution from the traditional hostel, different types of hostels have emerged – be it Eco/sustainable hostels, party hostels, homely hostels, activity hostels, boutique/design hostels and so on. There are a few important things within a hostel owner's control that define the tone and character of their hostel.
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Budapest is a happening city, full of activity and home to a vibrant social scene. It's a city waiting to be explored & embraced and there's no better way to do that than with like-minded people. Hostels are, by their very nature, social spaces but some have better managed to nurture a social atmosphere than others. Here's our list of Budapest hostels where meeting fellow backpackers is easily done, and done in style!
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Prague has become a very attractive city for backpackers & budget travellers and an ideal destination for those seeking a unique city trip owing to it's charming fairy-tale-like medieval character, rich history & vibrant culture and, of course, an exceptional nightlife. Prague is relatively inexpensive to be in; beer, food and beds are pretty cheap compared to most other European cities while it's location, slap-bang in the centre of Europe, makes it an inviting stop enroute to or from other key cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Kraków and Berlin.
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Berlin. Two syllables which instantly paint a wonderful picture of bold, vibrant colours blending seamlessly with classic, harsh & gritty tones. It's a dramatic and mesmerising showpiece on a sprawling canvas, evoking intensity and calm in equal measure. This big picture of Berlin is indeed the sum of its parts; that is the numerous districts, each exuding their own individual character, style and appeal, which make the German capital a fascinating mix of trendy, classical, cultural, cool, alternative & atmospheric. Here's our intro to 5 of the most popular Berlin districts and, of course, our choice of the quality hostels you can call home in each.
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I recently received a phone call here in Dublin from a mother in the United States who was trying to get in contact with her son. She sounded worried. She hadn't heard from him in five days. This wasn't like him and such a stint without contacting home was out of character.
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Backpacking is awesome - meeting people all the time, seeing unexplored places every day through free walking tours, constant new experiences - but there are definitely a few pain-in-the-aspects we wish we could do without.
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The clocks have been wound back an hour and Winter has officially begun to take hold. Around this time of year the ancient Celts marked the arrival of darker days with the Samhain festival, which included a number of rituals to ward off evil spirits thought to roam our lands. One such ritual was to don costumes to confuse the wandering spirits on Oíche Shamhna, a night which has since become known as Halloween. Irish famine emigrants of the 1840s brought with them to America this ancient tradition and it soon became commercialised.
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Travel is a universal right. This belief is the foundation of Worldpackers, an online community that helps travelers stay in hostels all over the world through a unique approach.
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Having worked in a popular Dublin hostel for more than 7 years from the age of 17 I have had many, many great days & nights. And the odd shite day too, but mostly a lot of the best times of my life so far were directly hostel related. There's been plenty of blogs and articles about hostel life, rehashing the same observations & advice but very few if any (I've never actually found any but I must assume there's a few) relate life inside the hostel from a staff point of view.
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