I hope you enjoyed my podcast with Alex. His backpack that he recommended was the Osprey Rook. Now he had the 65L, but most people generally travel with about a 30L backpack. Less is more if you have a place to wash from time to time. Alex stayed exclusively in hostels, and the filters he used with his Hostel World App were 1) 8 out of 10 stars 2) free wifi 3) bed linens included 4) security locker. He always rented a towel at each location. He used the Eurail Pass for his first month and Flixbus for his second month of extended travel. Here is his review of the hostels he stayed.
1. Oslo- Anker Hostel- is the only hostel in the city and it is not very nice. It’s in a very poor location as it’s not near anything. Only positive thing is it is right next to a tram stop. About 15 min from central station. No luggage storage space
2. Stockholm- Stf AF Chapman/Skeppsholmen- very nice and very affordable. Excellent location. One of the best hostels I was in. Not a very social hostel. About a 20 min walk from the central station. They have lockers that were very large.
3 Copenhagen- Steel House Copenhagen- this was also a very nice hostel. Probably the best all around hostel I had this trip. It was very social and very clean and very nicely equipped. About a 10 min walk from the central station. Also had very large lockers.
4. Bremen- Meininger Bremen Hauptbahnhof- it’s a brand new hotel. Literally less than a year old with hostel rooms inside of it. So the actual hostel was very nice. I cannot blame it not being social on the hostel but probably more the city. About a 5 min walk from the central station. Did not have lockers for large items only a small one for valuables.
5. Amsterdam- Generator Amsterdam- the hostel was very nice. It was one of the most expensive on the trip but I have to chalk it up to being Amsterdam. Not the most social and it’s a little out of the way of city center. Tram to city center is about 20 min. However it is right in the middle of a beautiful park which is nice. There are two main tram lines right next to it that allow easy access to most of the city. Had a huge bin under the bed that will fit everything you have.
6. Cologne- Station hostel for Backpackers- this was the worst hostel I had my entire trip. There was a lingering smell and it was not the cleanest. Had a huge luggage storage room but it is not in your room.
7. Berlin- Pfefferbet Hostel- this was an average hostel there were not any glaring problems with it. There is a tram stop nearby which is helpful. It’s about a 20 min metro ride from the central station. It’s a little hard to find. Lockers were a decent size and in the room.
8. Prague- Hostel Mandarinka- this hostel was very nice and clean. It was awesome that the 12 person room I was in had two shower rooms. 5 min walk from the central station. It’s in a great location. Lockers were a little undersized but could still fit a decent amount.
9. Vienna- Wombats Coty Hostel Vienna Naschmarkt- this was a social hostel and was very clean. It is just outside of a huge market which has amazing food. Also subway is not far away but it’s a decent trip from central station. Lockers were nice and a good size.
10. Salzburg- Yoho International Youth Hostel- this hostel was about a 10 min walk from train station. It was in a decent location that wasn’t to far from the old town where everything is in the city. My locker was fine and a good size but others were broken.
11. Munich- Wombat City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof- the hostel is very close to the train station. Not even 5 min walk. It’s clean but the neighborhood was not the best. It’s also expensive with it being Munich most are expensive especially with the euros being this summer. Lockers were a good size and fit everything you needed.
12. Zürich- Green Marmot Capsule Hostel- not a social hostel at all and it’s exactly what you expect being a capsule. Did have very large lockers which was nice. Hostel was clean.
13. Bern- Bern backpackers hotel and hostel Glocke- hostel was in a very nice place being right on a tram stop and they give you a metro card included in your stay. It was clean and the lockers were large enough. The picture on hostelworld do not do this place justice.
14. Geneva- Ostellin Genova- This hostel was very nice and also gave you a metro card included. It’s a little out of the way but with the metro card it’s very easy. Get breakfast included in your price. Lockers were just outside the room but very very large.
15. Bologna- Bohoostel- This was not a good hostel it’s far from city center and still a good distance from the train station. It’s the cheapest in the city for a reason.
16. Genoa- Ostellin Genova- it’s a small hostel but it was very social due to the very friendly staff. It was a 20 min walk from the train station but it is in an excellent location. Lockers were a good size and they had fans for every bed.
17. Turin- Combo Torino- this was also a very nice hostel. I was in a 4 person and they had two full bathrooms in the room which made it very convenient. Also had huge lockers. In a great location.
18. Como- Ostello Bello Lake Como- this was a nice hostel that was very social with a courtyard that everyone hung out in. It was in a decent location that was only about 10 min from the bus station. Lockers were a good size
19. Milan- QUO Milano- very social hostel. The location definitely could have been better. It was very clean. Lockers were undersized. Had to take metro for 30 min to get there from central station.
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