Traveling alone is nerve racking by itself , but is it a bad idea to stay at a hostel if you are traveling alone?
I am traveling to Italy for a few days by myself, are Hostels a bad idea when traveling alone? I have heard that they are nice for groups or couples to stay in, but what about a single person? It is a lot cheaper than a hotel, but is it still safe to room with other people none who you know?
Reply to this Staying in hostels is safe, despite the movie "The Hostel." Safety in numbers is the rule, with like minded travelers all around you. However, what's this about "traveling to Italy for a few days..." One cannot spend just a few days in Italy. Even a few days in Rome is impossible. However, if you must, at least it will whet your appetite, and give you self assurance, so that you will return.
Reply to this I traveled in Italy for four months, staying only in hostels. As a single, it's the only affordable possibility and you meet great people. Groups and couples can afford hotels--we singles can't. Plus, after many years of hostel living in my travels in Europe and North and South America, I've never really had any bad experiences. Plus, some of the hostels, ie Florence, Verona are in gorgeous converted villas.
Reply to this In response to: Msg #189839 I have traveled alone many times throughout the world. It offers an excellent and rewarding experience. International hostels provide a great inexpensive and amazing opportunity to stay in castles, fortresses, to various inner city locations throughout most of the world. Traveling alone in these, I have never had a bad experience and have met amazing helpful people who are also traveling. There are some locations at times one needs to be careful such as making sure you do not leave anything unlocked due to thieves. But as I say I have never had a problem. There has been more issues in Amsterdam and southern Italy and Spain years ago, but when I have traveled I have never had a problem. I have also met people who were traveling and staying at the hostel where we have traveled int he local area together which was interesting and have stayed in touch with many as well. Hostels are worth it and traveling alone especially in Europe using a rail pass and staying in hostels are great. Check out Hostelling International which provides more inforamtion. ,<snip>
[Edited: 2015 Apr 20 18:26 - traveltalesofawoollymammoth:258356 - No URL addresses please]
Reply to this I travel alone all the time and I highly recommend hostels for younger people, because they are economical and an easy place to meet others to do things with. I'm older, so prefer more comfort and the family feel of a home stay or couch surf. As far as danger goes, it's all about how you travel. Being cautious and aware of your surroundings is going to save you every time. Have fun, but just always have the 'what if?' in the back of your mind....and listen to your gut, it's trying to warn you. Italy is a great start.
Reply to this In response to: Msg #190515
Milan is a great place to find very good and affordable hostels, as it is very popular with Erasmus students. I agree with the previous posts, just be aware, but at the same time have fun and meet new people from all over the world.
Here http://www.venere.com/italy/milan/#p·1;f:o·price-t·P-z·all_areas-r·r6-c·all_rate you can find a good selection of hostels and quite affordable. I have stayed in the Ostello California in Città Studi and it has free Wi-Fi
Reply to this Italy is quite safe, if anything hostels over the last 10 years are such a common travel option in Europe for everyone now! I definitely think you should always take the hostel option, the best websites are www.hostelbookers.com and www.hostelworld.com.
However, www.airbnb.com is now very popular and you can often get cheaper than a hostel. This is almost like couchsurfing, except you pay. But then there is www.couchsurfing.org. I generally use couchsurfing now, as you will find travelling in hostels is often full of drunk Aussies (not every city and every where - but I'm Aussie and in Paris I ended up in one hostel room with 17 other Aussies...seriously); but I think you want to experience what its like to actually live in the city you're in, see local culture at work, how they live. However, if you're just starting out, hostels are great way to develop into couchsurfing! Hostels will allow you to meet new people who will most likely be wanting to do the same tourist stuff you want to do. So you have travel buddies!
My top suggestions for cities: Naples (stay at Giovanni's hostel), rome, lake como, milan, sorrento coast (aka go up mt vesuvius volcano and visit pompei)
Reply to this It all depends on the hostel. I've stayed in some great ones across the globe but also found myself in hell holes - literally naked men walking around everywhere! It would be an idea to definitely research before you travel (thats usually my mistake)!
Reply to this Hostels are generally *safer* than staying in a hotel. In a hostel you're typically surrounded by lots of other solo travelers and everyone is looking out for each other. Dangerous situations in hostels are almost unheard of, especially if you're in a popular hostel with a lot of people around. In a hotel everyone tends to keep to themselves and ignore everyone else so it's less likely someone would be aware or say anything if you found yourself in a threatening situation.
By the way, about deleted_318780's post (heh), I do think AirBnb and Couchsurfing.com are great options. As far as hostels, everyone just uses Hostelworld and Hostelbookers because they advertise a lot so you see them everywhere (and they're both owned by the same investment company by the way, along with hostels.com). But there are better hostel websites, including Hostelz.com which claims to have more listings than anyone else. I don't know how true that is, but they definitely have a lot of hostels that Hostelworld and the other don't have, and they show you the prices from Hostelworld and others so you can compare.
Reply to this It is safe enough, mostly there are just people like you there, travelers on a budget.
Reply to this Hostels in Italy are quite nice. And they are good for solo travellers as they have shared doms where you can meet other solo / group travellers. I have not found any safety issues in Italy, of course use common precautions like being careful with your valuables when staying in shared situations. Most hotels also have a locker that you can use for valuables.
Reply to this I'm going to Europe solo in a month only for a week, but these were helpful tips! Are there more tips when it comes to choosing public transportation?
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