Please educate a novice!

[Gigi]

Hi,
I'm headed to the UK in early January and will stay for six months or until my money runs out! I am most interested in London and Scotland, but hope to travel thru much of Great Britain. I don't have a great deal of money, and as an American, I'm very concerned about the falling dollar.

Friends tell me that a hostel is the best way to stretch my money, but I've never stayed in one and don't know what to expect. I am a 30 year old woman, somewhat shy and quiet. Will someone please answer a few questions for me?

Do men and women sleep in the same rooms?

Are smaller, more private rooms available?

Is there sufficient privacy in the toilets and showers?

How can you tell before committing whether a place is good or bad?

What makes for a good hostel?

What advice would you give me?

Finally, if you know of good places in London or Scotland, please tell me about them!

Thanks,
Gigi

[LHR02]

Hi Gigi! There are so many folks here who will be able to answer your questions and perhaps put your mind at ease. I, sadly, am not among them, being a non'hostel person myself. I like a door to close behind myself at night and no one has been able to change my mind about that, private rooms or not. ;D But I do know there are usually private rooms available, although they need to be booked way in advance as they fill up quickly. There are many hostel review sites around and Kim has a quite good one here on this board. It will be a good starting place for research...add to that many of the members have stayed in quite a few of them and can offer personal advice. I do know enough to know that you need to check carefully on hostels...some are quite wild and rowdy party places and others are quiet reasonable places to stay. Check back as I am sure others will have more detailed advice to offer you.

ging

[WillTravel]

The answer to all of your questions is - it depends!

You can get coed or unisex dorms.
Bathroom privacy varies, so it's something to look for in the reviews.
The best way to tell if a hostel is good is to collect reviews and information from several sources.
Many hostels give you the option of sleeping in a quad, an 8-bed room, a 16-bed room, and so forth.

What sort of budget do you have in mind?

If you are unsure whether hostels are for you, you could try one close to where you live and see how you like it for one night. I'd probably suggest an HI hostel to start. You could also do both hostels and hotels and B&Bs.

Private rooms in hostels for one person are often not the best deal you can get, unless there are some facilities on site (like a kitchen) that you really want. A B&B or budget hotel might give you a better price.

I've used Priceline several times in London and stayed in nice chain hotels (like Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn) with lovely bathrooms and nice towels for a relatively low price. You have to be very careful and do research first, though. I'll expound on this more if interested.

My main problem with most hostels in Europe is that they don't provide towels, even for a fee. So now I check carefully in advance to ensure that they do.

One thing is that if you are visiting some hostels in winter months, you might end up with a dorm to yourself, because of low occupancy. No guarantees of course.

For accommodation in student facilities, try this link:
www.venuemasters.com/holiday_search.asp

For B&Bs and small hotels try this link:
www.smoothhound.co.uk

[LHR02]

Sorry Gig...this is a board joke that if you stick around you will soon understand!


>>>>>>>I've used Priceline several times in London and stayed in nice chain hotels (like Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn) with lovely bathrooms and nice towels for a relatively low price<<<<<<<


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

[Kim]

Oh WT, we do adore you and your towels! ;D ;D

Kim

[Eagle]

Some good answers in the previous posts, but to add some info from my experiences:

> Do men and women sleep in the same rooms?
Sometimes. Some Hostels have co-ed rooms, but normally men & women are kept in separate dorm rooms. There's often a wash basin in the rooms but the showers are usually "shared".

> Are smaller, more private rooms available?

Most Hostels have private rooms available, although there are usually only a few of these. As mentioned previously, these tend to book up fairly quickly (especially by married couples).

> Is there sufficient privacy in the toilets and showers?

I suppose that depends on what you mean by "sufficient"? In my experience, these are fairly private. In some shower rooms, individual "cubicles" are provided, and these are lockable and private.

> How can you tell before committing whether a place is good or bad?

I'm not sure there is a way of telling whether a place is good or bad? As mentioned already, reviews are a good source of information. Generally speaking, I think it's safe to say that the "chain" Hostels (YHA / HI) are a bit safer and not usually "party palaces", as opposed to some of the independent Hostels. The chains seem to be well run, and provide good facilities. The YHA Hostel in York was excellent, and I would highly recommend this -- they even had a security guard at night, so no rowdiness was possible. They also had a great BAR!

> What makes for a good hostel?

That's a bit hard to say. Some of the important criteria in my view would be reasonable prices, located in a convenient area for walking to the various attractions (nothing worse than being a long way from town and dependant on Buses, as this restricts activities to a certain extent especially if there's a curfew!), clean (NO Bed Bugs!), well run with a competent staff. A Buffet dining facility is a bonus also. The Hostel in York would also make up "bag lunches" if you notified them the night before (at slight additional charge of course). The Buffet breakfast was included in the cost of the room. I sometimes find the "lockout" in the middle of the day a bit of a pain, as I'm sometimes a bit late getting started in the morning. However, that's only a minor detail.

> What advice would you give me?

It's difficult to know what to tell you on that point? Perhaps, be a bit flexible and willing to compromise. In a "communal" living situation, you have to be a bit tolerant of other people's "quirks". If you're unlucky enough to get a person in your room snoring at Force 4 on the Richter Scale, you'll either have to get up early or use a good set of ear plugs!

Many Hostels have Lockers. Most people are fairly honest, but it's a good idea to use these for valuables. You normally have to provide your own Padlock (DON'T use a cheap one!).

Sleep sheets are usually provided, so you shouldn't need to pack one of these. Don't use a sleeping bag as many Hostels won't allow these (due to transfer of the previously mentioned bed bugs).

Probably a good idea to pack a small towel. Not all Hostels provide these.

With regards to being a somewhat shy & quiet 30 year old woman, don't worry about this too much. I think you'll find that you become a little more relaxed in this regard when you're travelling. I've always considered myself a bit "shy" also (50+ male) but on my last trip to the U.K. in June I had a great time visiting with the people in the Hostels, B&B's, Hotels, etc. The people that you meet will be the best part of your trip, so try not to spend too much time on your own. This seems to get easier as one gets older.

> Finally, if you know of good places in London or Scotland, please tell me about them!

Are you just limiting your stay to London and Scotland, or other places in the U.K. I was going to suggest Bath (you might want to spend a day or two there - you could also take day trips to Stonehenge or Avebury from there); the Cotswolds (not well served by Rail, but National Express Coaches go to most towns; again worth a day or so); Winchester (lots of history - bus depot is within easy walking distance to a very interesting Hostel built in an old Flour Mill); York (one of my favourites!!! I'll be going back there ASAP -- also a good access point for day trips to the North York Moors, Whitby, Castle Howard, etc.); Edinburgh (not sure about other locations in Scotland).

A lot of this will depend on what you're interested in? History, Art, ancient Castles or whatever? I would highly recommend the England 2005 Guidebook from www.ricksteves.com as there are a lot of great sightseeing ideas, lodging & eating suggestions, transportation information, etc. and these seem to be primarily "aimed" at the 30+ traveller, who want to experience the local culture at reasonable cost.

One final point -- if you're worried about running out of money, why not consider travel to one of the Euro countries, as your U.S. dollar will go a bit further there (especiallly since you're going for six months!!!). The U.K. is VERY expensive!!! If you need further information on this, post another note as I'm sure there will be lots on this Board willing to provide great tips for you.

Hope this has been some help. Good luck with your trip planning!!!

[Libby]

Hi Gigi,
I'm heading to England and Scotland myself in May and I've fretted a good deal over choosing a hostel. Everyone here has been a godsend with sharing advice and recommending which places are good to stay in. Like yourself I'm in my 30's and not looking for a real party place.

So far I've booked my hostels in York (at the YHA Eagle highly recommended) and in London (YHA City of London). They are both a bit more expensive than some others, but booking through the net got me a great deal in London. I think they are worth the extra because they come with a hot breakfast and security. That's particularly important for me in London.

As far as Scotland goes, I've narrowed down my choices to the two SHA hostels in Edinburgh. They are both a bit out of the downtown area, but are cheap and the reviews have been quite good.

I'm also considering the YHA in Whitby.

[Libby]

BTW Eagle...what did you mean by cheap lock? I'm still trying to figure out what to get.

[Eagle]

Libby, the best example of a cheap lock is the small padlocks that are often supplied with Luggage -- a very tiny lock along with a couple of keys that looked like they were made by a five year old. These provide absolutely NO security whatsoever!

When choosing a travel lock, it's a big of a "tossup" between size / weight and security effectiveness. One could travel with a large, hardened steel Padlock to provide good security, however it might get a bit tiring to pack this around all over Europe. The best choice IMO is somewhat of a "medium" size -- good security but still with a small enough Shackle that will fit Hostel Lockers, etc.

Another question which often arises is whether to use a keyed Padlock or a combination Padlock. I suppose this is a matter of personal preference. On my last trip I used both -- small Master combinaton "travel" locks for luggage (only a deterrent at best, to keep the "honest" people out), and some Abloy keyed locks for Hostel Lockers (much higher security, although most Padlocks can be defeated with a set of bolt cutters! These ones can NOT be "picked" however!).

I don't see a problem with a keyed lock, as I usually have at least one (and sometimes more) backup keys with me. The small three number combination locks can be easily compromised by simply dialling all numbers in sequence. Also, a Padlock is only as good as whatever it's attached to -- if a flimsy Hasp is used, that will be the weak link and even the best Padlock will be no protection (the same theory applies to securing Backpacks, as these can be easily "slashed").

Some of the features to look for in a Padlock: hardened steel Shackle, hardened steel or laminated case, pin tumbler locking (rather than the cheaper wafer tumblers), and ideally "heel & toe" locking (ie: the Shackle is locked on both sides) using ball bearings rather than bars as the locking mechanism. Another very important feature to me is a rekeyable Padlock -- that way if one loses the keys, or someone undesirable gets a key, it's a simple matter to rekey the Lock so that you don't have to buy another one (much cheaper in the long term). It's harder to find combination locks with all these features, but many keyed locks provide good security. Some of the brand names that I prefer are Master, American Lock and Abloy.

My best suggestion would be to go to a Locksmith to buy a Padlock, rather than Wal Mart or wherever. They will understand the terms I've listed, and would be able to advise you on an appropriate model for your needs. One lock that has all the features I mentioned (just as an example, it's too big for travel) is the American #5260.

Hope this has answered your questions. Cheers!!!

[Gigi]

Thank you all very much! What a great education you're giving me so quickly!! One question though: are bed bugs really an issue? I had thought a sleeping bag would be mandatory -- are clean blankets provided?

Bed bugs??? really??

[dumbdiety]

First, welcome to the boards. It's hard to leave here once you start posting. ;D
As for the sleepng bag thing, I've found in researching hostels that most places prefer you NOT bring a sleeping bag, but instead bring a sleepsack (check the site here for how to make one, I'd link right now but I'm lazy). Basically it's a queen sized blanket sewn up on one side. Most hostels will provide one for a small fee, but if you're picky and want a 'clean' one, you might bring your own.
As for Eagle, if you see a post from him, grab a snack and settle in for a long post (but all the information you ever wanted! ;D)
Of course, since I'm still stuck in SoFla, someone correct me if I'm wrong!

Edit: So I can't spell, it's been a rough day...

[Kim]

They can be a big problem - they breed in mattresses and then transfer to your sleeping bag. Then, while on the road, you can't wash your sleeping bag so they can get into all your things and transfer into other hostels. I worked at a hostel that got infested and it was a nightmare!!

Here's the link to making your own sleep sheet, it's very basic:
www.guideforeurope.com/sleepsheet.html

Also, I highly recommend bringing your own pillow case. It's nice to know you are laying your head down on something clean after a long day!

Kim

[LHR02]

Plus a pillow case makes a great 'duffle' to carry your laundry back and forth from the laundrymat if you need one.

[Libby]

The thought of bedbugs really freaked me out until someone told me that many hotels also have a problem with them but we just don't know about it. I guess perception is reality. I didn't believe that hotels would have such a problem and the same night, while watching Cold Case Files on A&E they talked about a Holiday Inn bedspread being tested for DNA samples and the police discovering over 30 (30!!!) different "stains" containing DNA!!

[LHR02]

Oh! I saw that too! Hotels change the sheets and usually (?) the blankets between guests, but the bedspreads only get changed/cleaned occasionally. And, uh, some folks visiting hotels are in a bit of a rush and sometimes don't bother pulling the spread off. Yuck! It was a rather disgusting report......and led me to never just lay on a spread in a hotel again! ;D