What I would like you to do is to follow the following simple steps or guides for you to finally breath-in that hostel life experience:
Look and decide a hostel you want to live in.
You can search online, consult a guide book to find out which hostel best meets your needs. As a traveler, it is highly recommended that you buy a guide book and always bring it with you wherever you go. A guide book will always provide you an idea about hostel life experience. Choosing a hostel is always up to you but sometimes, however, that is not the case. You have to take what is available or what you can get. To avoid that situation, you can make hostel reservations at many hostels online or call them by phone. But on the spur of the moment that you decide to go to a place or somewhere and find yourself with limited or no internet access, then rely on your guide book. Recommendations of other travelers would be an excellent help for you to choose a good hostel. This is the first step to hostel life experience.
For instance, at some hotels you can actually request to stay in a single sex room (all male or female) or co-ed room (both genders share a room). Some hostels offer both types, some offer only one type. Generally, I recommend the girls to get the single sex rooms because typically girl's don't snore as much hehehehe but it's more fun to mingle with opposite sex.
You can also request a 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 person room or a large dorm room (10+ person room). I generally paid a little extra for a 4 or 6 person room, specially the co-ed ones.
Another thing to request is a lower or upper bunk (since most hostels primarily use bunk beds), if you have a preference and if they assign individual beds. Some hostels just assign you a room and you take any available bed, some hostels assign you a particular bed. I always requested a lower bunk because I often need to make a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Getting down from a bunk in the dark is not something I particularly enjoy.
While you're at the front desk they might also ask you if you wish to rent sheets (not necessary if you bring a sleep-sheet with you) and in some cases a blanket (only had this happen in Amsterdam's Flying Pig Downtown hostel). Also if the hostel has pay showers, you might be asked if you would like to buy tokens for the shower. You can encounter pay showers at some hostels in Switzerland and Austria--pay showers aren't too bad if you are good at taking a 5 to 6 minute shower, which is not as impossible as it may sound.
Okay, so you've determined the availability of the room you want, now you can either pay before you see the actual room or you can request to see the room first. Generally, I paid before seeing the room. This only worked against me once, but I survived. If the hostel seem particularly seedy or unsavory, definitely ask to see the room first before parting with your money.
You can also request a 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 person room or a large dorm room (10+ person room). I generally paid a little extra for a 4 or 6 person room, specially the co-ed ones.
Another thing to request is a lower or upper bunk (since most hostels primarily use bunk beds), if you have a preference and if they assign individual beds. Some hostels just assign you a room and you take any available bed, some hostels assign you a particular bed. I always requested a lower bunk because I often need to make a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Getting down from a bunk in the dark is not something I particularly enjoy.
While you're at the front desk they might also ask you if you wish to rent sheets (not necessary if you bring a sleep-sheet with you) and in some cases a blanket (only had this happen in Amsterdam's Flying Pig Downtown hostel). Also if the hostel has pay showers, you might be asked if you would like to buy tokens for the shower. You can encounter pay showers at some hostels in Switzerland and Austria--pay showers aren't too bad if you are good at taking a 5 to 6 minute shower, which is not as impossible as it may sound.
Okay, so you've determined the availability of the room you want, now you can either pay before you see the actual room or you can request to see the room first. Generally, I paid before seeing the room. This only worked against me once, but I survived. If the hostel seem particularly seedy or unsavory, definitely ask to see the room first before parting with your money.
To be continued...............
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