Hostelling is one of the best ways to travel, period. Why? When you go to a new city and stay in a hotel alone, the first thing you usually do is ask the concierge (if there is one) where to go and what to see. Then, you struggle to figure out if it’s really worth it and how to get there. If it's a bar or restaurant, you go in alone. When you are hostelling, you have several people with you who have gone there,that can tell you all about it and usually, will go there with you so you go in a group. Additionally, should you be travelling to points beyond, you can carpool, find out the best way to get there and get more detailed information on what’s to see, or where to stay. By far, it’s the fastest and best way to quickly learn about the city you are in.

Meet new people

Hostelling is one of the best ways to meet lifelong friends, travel partners and even someone to visit or stay with on future trips. Because everyone is in the same travel mode as you, it's surprising how often you run in to the same people in another hostel. Who frequents hostels? University grads, professors, doctors, students, foreign nationals and educated professionals from other countries who are all looking to meet new people with the same lust for travel.

 

Save money

Not only do you save money by paying less, you can pool your food money with others and cook together, you can also carpool with others travelling together. You can meet new people who invite you to stay with them in the future and you can get group discounts by going places with others in the hostel. Most hostels have free Internet and other freebies that save you in the long run.

 

Discover the real world

Because other hostellers are from cities /countries / cultures different from your own, just by talking with them you can learn a lot about where you want to go, what you want to see and the real stories behind the news headlines from other areas. Learning or practicing a language is usually pretty easy as you will probably hear several being spoken when you are there.

 

Open your eyes

There is nothing like travel to breed good feelings about other cultures and countries. Not only do you see other areas from the ground level, you meet people who can relate stories and show you pictures of their home city. Countries are not just colors on a map, they are people and lives. Hostelling lets you see behind the scenes and make new friends that open your eyes to what a country is really like. And yes, hostelling can change your life forever in a positive way. It happens everyday!

 

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."  -  Mark Twain ( Former Buffalo, NY Resident)