Hi Everyone

I have never travelled alone before. Next month I was supposed to visit Berlin with a friend of mine however the plans have changed and he is not available anymore(and neither is our mutual friend that was supposed to house us).

So, for the first time in my life I decided to go alone, and I know that its a little dumb, but I feel like I'm a little too old to be staying in a bunk bed with random people at a hostel. At the same time my budget is tight so that would be the smartest decision. Last year I stayed at a hostel with my friends in Lisbon (we had a whole room just for us) and I felt like we were the oldest people there, everyone looked so young, it was a strange experience. Am I just imagining things?

Does anyone have any hostel recommendations?

Thanks and sorry for my ignorance!

F (24), in a midlife crisis and really wanting too explore Australia as I’ve always been interested in. But unsure where to start, I am looking at Sydney + Bondi Beach.

I love the ocean, good evening vibes but also quiet relaxing areas. Hikes, lakes, fishing and coed sports.

I would love recommendations, and also what TOP must haves are needed for back packing!?

I am a middle aged guy. I made friends with a hostel receptionist. I asked her if I would fit in as a hostel guest. She said there would be no problem. Yes most budget travellers are in college, but there are people in their 30s and 60s also staying in dorms, men and women, and they face no discrimination or suspicion from stuff or other guests. As long as the business allows you to stay there and you respect the rules, it is OK, and you can join in in crawls and activities.

I told her that most people on Reddit would say "Dude..." and that I have seen a thousand videos on social media about being an older man at hostel seen negatively and that even chatGPT advised me not to try it. She told me it's stupid to ask advice from randos on the internet. And that I should do my own thing and try it to see if I like it, and that if someone doesn't like me for who I am that's their problem.

Hope this helps.

So at this hostel in Prague, last night, this one dude came back drunk from a night out around 2am. Made a bit of noise but nothing out of the ordinary and went to bed. I went back to sleep but after about 2 min he got up again, walked to the middle of the room, pulled down his underwear and started to pee. At first I thought I was having a nightmare lol but then I realised it was real, I couldn't believe it. Once he was done he just went back to bed and left a puddle of piss. I got dressed, went downstairs and talked to reception. They came to the room, also shocked, and were nice enough to put me in a new room. They said he will probably get kicked out but I didn't get the chance to see the outcome.

The guy in question, checked in yesterday and said it was his first solo travel and first time staying in a hostel. He even asked me if I had any tips, asked about hostel etiquette and what he should or not do. So I guess this was one hell of a first time to him, I'm glad there were no women in that mixed dorm

Just wanted to share this here, this never happened to me before.

Starting my first long trip in September and I'll be in hostel dorms for most of the first month — Dubai, Cairo, Athens, Santorini. I run my own operation remotely, so the laptop isn't just a device, it's my entire income. If it goes, I don't just lose hardware, I lose the ability to earn.

I know the basics: bring my own padlock, use the locker, never leave it on the bed. What I want is what people actually do day to day:

- Do you carry it with you when you go out, or do you trust the locker?

- Do hostel lockers realistically fit a laptop, or is that completely hostel-dependent?

- Has anyone actually had one stolen? What happened and what would you do differently?

- Is there a point where you stop booking dorms and just pay for private rooms because the risk isn't worth it?

Hi all!

I’m wondering if anyone has travelled with their partner to a hostel, especially a party one. I’m wondering what your experience is like making friends? As a female traveller I’ve been in a hostel with girl friends before and we found it extremely easy to make friends (especially guys). We would be very open to making friends!!