Hostels in Britain are buildings of great variety where people can stay the night, obtain meals or cook their own. Visitors sleep in communal dormitories which hold anything from 2 to 40 persons, but usually 4 to 8. They are located in cities, small towns, countryside and mountain areas. They range from cottages that hold 8 guests to tower blocks that hold several hundred.
In a nutshell, hostels are the best available accommodation for budget travellers and backpackers who do not need a private bedroom or bathroom.
Many hostels, but a decreasing proportion, are run by Hostelling International (HI), an international organisation that oversees hostels in most countries of the World. Every country has its own hostel organisation which is part of HI, going under the names (in Great Britain) of YHA and SYHA. HI hostels all conform to agreed standards of comfort, space, cleanliness and privacy. It is rare that you will find a poor one, but visitors often feel they lack character or sociability.You may find them occupied by groups of schoolchildren or teenagers, who may be impeccably behaved or wild, but this problem is becoming less because the hostels often have separate buildings so that large groups can be kept apart from individual travellers, couples and families. Most hostels provide meals. In Britain, self-catering kitchens are always available and clean, but vary from excellent to tiny. Dorms and washing areas are either communal single-sex, or individual rooms with locks. HI hostels in cities usually are accessible for 24 hours, but many country hostels have curfews and lockouts. In principle, you need to be a member to stay in them, but in practice, you can pay a contribution to a membership fee for each night you stay. YHA and SYHA staff are nearly always very helpful and friendly, but they stay behind their desks and do not mingle with the guests.
Independent Hostels can be found in most cities and increasingly in smaller resorts. In cities, their standards and facilities vary from abysmal to great, although many do not have adequate kitchens and most have TVs in the common room so they are not as sociable as they could be. Independent hostels in country areas are mostly very good. In scenic country areas, a common type is the bunkhouse, which is basically a hostel without frills, although there's no dividing line and many bunkhouses are very comfortable with facilities comparable with the best hostels. Most independent hostels allow 24-hour access. Some independent hostels, especially those that are owner-run, have staff who mingle with the guests, and these are very sociable.
In Britain, YHA and SYHA hostels, and most independent hostels, have no age limits, and many welcome families. A few independent hostels, which offer a party atmosphere, have an age limitation such as 18-30.
The majority of hostels in Britain have good kitchens, well-equipped with cutlery, crockery, pans and utensils. Sometimes the equipment is a bit inadequate, and quite often the kitchens are too small for more than 2 people at a time. In some mainly city independent hostels, the kitchens are not really adequate. A few hostels, mainly ones in cities run by larger companies, have decided to have no kitchens at all, or just a microwave and a kettle. This may involve you in substantially greater cost and it also reduces sociability; for a lone traveller it's much more interesting to cook and eat food in a sociable atmosphere than to sit in a restaurant alone.
On the whole, Britain is good for hostel kitchens; in some countries including Netherlands, Germany and Norway, kitchens are often non-existent or inadequate, sometimes with no equipment.
Many hostels, including nearly all YHAs and SYHAs, are gender-segregated for dorms and bathrooms. Many hostels have mixed-gender dorms. A few hostels in country areas which are not often crowded, will not put you in the same dorm as 'strangers', which is great as long as they charge you the same price. (If they do charge more per person for a single traveller, they are Guest Houses and are not listed in UK Trail.) Showers are usually in individual lockable rooms, or within the bathrooms.
Some independent hostels have mixed dorms and/or washrooms, but showers are nearly always separate and lockable.
Some city hostels are located in dubious parts of town, but if you know where you are going, walk purposefully and keep discreetly away from groups of people you should have no fear. In most hostels, including all those in small towns and country areas, you have no reason to worry about your safety. Hostels in cities usually have good security systems, with a combination lock, key or smart card entry to the front door, and usually the same to each dorm. Hostels in country locations often do not have these, but safety is rarely a problem there.
Hostels, where you sleep in dorms, obviously have some security limitations compared with hotels. You are advised to keep your money, passport and tickets close to you at ALL times, including in the shower and in bed. For valuables such as cameras and laptops, many hostels have a safe at Reception where you can leave them. As for general possessions such as clothes and backpacks, many hostels have lockers in the dorms, but you need to bring your own padlock. Don't worry, however, if they don't have lockers, because non-valuables are highly unlikely to be tampered with, and in general you can expect to be able to leave them in a hostel dorm safely when you are out for the day or evening.
If part of your aim in travelling is to meet other travellers, you will prefer a hostel where guests are encouraged to meet, which usually means a common room with large communal tables and no TV, and a well-equipped kitchen and eating area. On UK Trail we give particular attention to these aspects, including the size and quality of the kitchen, the sociability of the common room, and whether there is a common area without TV. Often, the staff make the atmosphere, and the most sociable hostels are those where the staff mingle with the guests. We have developed a Sociability Index to give you a good idea of how conducive a hostel is to meeting other travellers.
All hostels in the UK are now smoke-free indoors; if you want to smoke you must go outside, where sometimes there is an area under cover.
The typical price for a bed in a hostel dorm is £12-15 (2007). Many hostels offer breakfast, which in England and Wales YHA hostels is usually very good and substantial, in Scottish YHA more limited, and in independent hostels usually small or moderate, and if this is included the price is usually £14-17. Many hostels in London and other popular cities are £17-20, and in Edinburgh prices are highly variable depending on time of week and festivals.
If you are a couple or small group and you have a private room, the charge is around £19-23, but that is still cheaper than B&Bs which are typically £26-32 per person in a shared room, and much more for individuals. In a B&B you do get a large breakfast in with that price, but on the other hand you can't cook or prepare food there.
Hostels are normally the only price-worthy option for people travelling alone. They are much cheaper and, by contrast with hotels and Guest Houses, you are much more likely to meet people to chat to. For those travelling in couples or small groups, hostels are still usually the cheapest option, particularly because you can cook or prepare your own food in a hostel, whereas if you are staying otherwise you will have to add a large budget for a restaurant meal, or buy fish and chips and eat them on a park bench.
