I'm assuming it's nothing like those movies

[effex]

Hey, folks! A question - does anyone here have any advice re: staying in hostels? I'm poking around the internet for tips and tricks (and will eventually remember to check my copy of Wanderlust and Lipstick), but firsthand experience is always a plus.

Relatedly - holy shit, hotels in DC are expensive.

Comments

[sinatra]

Uh...bring earplugs (and an eyemask?) if you aren't a heavy sleeper, bring an extra lock if you're paranoid, check and see if they have rooms that aren't co-ed, if that's going to make you uncomfortable...brush up on your "Hello! I don't understand the language you're speaking, but good morning to you too!" smile. That's really all I've got.

[effex]

Ooh, thank you! Especially re: the extra lock, I would have totally spaced on that.

Single-sex rooms are definitely a requirement, oh yes.

[mllesays]

Are you traveling alone? If so, I'd highly recommend a single-sex room if possible. Earplugs are a definite must. Expect to be jam-packed right on top of everybody else — there's often little to no room between bunks. See if you can leave your bags with the front desk while you go out, so you don't have to leave them in the room unattended. Also, I'd recommend looking for the hostel that has the most planned activities and sense of community (do they do movie night? community dinner night? etc.). Even if you can't participate, this means the people will be nicer and the whole feel will be a lot more pleasant. And bring shower shoes!

[effex]

It'll be me and my baby 19 year old sister so, yeah, I'm thinking a single-sex room is definitely the way to go.

And thank you! The place I'm looking at meets the planned activities/movie nights criteria + has smaller (4-person) rooms with lockers in (don't actually know if this is unusual), I'm starting to feel pretty confident about it.

[adds shower shoes to packing list]

[zanzando]

Ha, hostels, a specialty of mine.
I usually travel in a fairly large group of people so we have the room(s) to ourselves, but the single sex room is very good advice, as well as the earplugs and the extra lock.
This is fairly obvious, but be sure and check at which times the front door will be locked. Or else you might find yourself in front of the door at 4 in the morning, with no way to get in.
Uh, if they offer sheets, I wouldn't necessarily trust the cleanliness of those. When in doubt, bring a sleeping bag.
Depending on how long you plan to stay, check whether paying some sort of annual membership fee and getting a rebate turns out cheaper than straight-up paying for your stay.
If they offer tickets to museums etc. - those might not be the cheapest on offer either despite what one may think.