Do you ever use YHA Youth Hostels?

[Ferne88]

How do you find them?

Not sure what exactly you mean by "find them"?

If, find them you mean how do you know where they are - internet searching from memory and backpacker routes.

If you mean what condition- some were amazing. Some weren't great. Have only stayed in ones in Australia snd NZ.

Really great with some downsides.

We used to book family rooms. These days you can often find ones with a double bed which is nice. My favourite was Ambleside - what a location. Another great one is Edale.

Stow on the Wold was a fantastic location but did have a smelly carpet in the room.

The big hostels have usually put a cafe on the old communal rooms so that the self catering kitchens can be very small. But still a great and inexpensive option for family breaks.

We booked into one in wales, had a family room which was very nice with a private bathroom. Fantastic communal space and kitchen. Been back twice to the same place since, very affordable accommodation for our hiking adventures.

We stayed a couple of times as a family in the Lake District, but the prices are high in the Lake District for what you get (4 bunks in an old roon with tired furniture and a shared bathroom) and so we switched to ensuite/furnished glamping pod with some cooking facilities, which are the same price but much nicer. As a solo traveller the YHA would probably offer better value though.

I have life membership of the YHA and have been going since I was little. My sister and BIL both worked for them. But the YHA has really lost its way. Many of the hostels are quite run down now. The one my sister worked it was a 70's time warp. I stayed in a very Spartan room in a city centre hostel once, and realised a hotel would have been better value and more comfortable.

The YHA was always my go too, if I went anywhere. But not anymore.

We used to use them loads but nowadays it's often cheaper for a family of 4 to book a self-catering cottage or similar. Have stayed in Hartington Hall, Edale, Blaxhall, Stratford, Lee Valley, National Forest, Briavels Castle, Truleigh Hill. They usually have a sale on during the first 2 weeks of January.

Yes. I find them by using their website. The map would give you a fair idea of where there are lots (or few) - can book at quite short notice. The London ones that I've used can be both interesting and a lot cheaper than alternatives. Most of the accommodation is almost identikit, so you know roughly what you will get, though some in newer states than others.

Have used the one York and Stratford on Avon one. Both were really good - clean and comfortable. We had a private family room with our own bathroom.
Food in their cafe was good and the kids liked the games room. We’ve been back to the York one a few times. Would really recommend.

If I just wanted a bed in a dormitory, then they are still good for that.

We've stayed in a few in the Peak District in the past couple of years. Edale was easily my favourite and I would recommend that one. They are good for family trips if you only want to stay a couple of nights (vs staying in a cottage which usually has 3 or 7 night minimum) and if you want to have hiking right on your door. They have cafes which do a decent breakfast and dinner and plenty of communal areas if you want somewhere to hang out.

The main downside is that they seem to be quite expensive during school holidays.

Many years since I stayed in a YHA hostel but have some very fond memories.🙂

Don't know if it is the same now but back then you were restricted to 1-2 nights max at popular hostels, the reason being that they had school groups in for a week at a time meaning that accommodation space was vastly reduced for people passing through. To me this was at odds with what the YHA was meant to be doing (when I was at school and went on trips, we stayed at hotels or study centres, not hostels where we block blocked accommodation thereby preventing normal members from staying☹️).
Afraid it put me off the YHA despite having some wonderful times.

Stayed in a few. There are upsides and downside. We all loved Hartington Hall

We've used them sometimes, in places where there isn't a Holiday Inn or similar. The last one we stayed at was Sheringham in Norfolk, which was very nice and I think the room (family room with a double-and-single bunk thing) was £49 per night for a Saturday and Sunday night. I booked it on Booking.com and I would definitely stay there again.

I mean it is a hostel, so no ensuite bathroom etc. But much fancier than the ones I stayed in in Ireland growing up.

The one at The Sill (Hadrian's wall) is very very good. Gets booked up quickly though as there's not much accommodation around there.

Some of the city centre ones are a bit shit tbh and hotels are better value. I find they are much better in more out of the way places.

I use them quite frequently

Size of rooms and facilities vary between different locations but they are generally a great way to keep accommodation costs down. Prices do vary though and at peak times they are aren't always cheaper than a room in a hotel or B&B if you are a couple but they tend to be good value for groups who are happy to share a room with bunks, they are also good value if you are travelling alone and happy to share in a single sex bunk dorm.

Thanks - yes wouldn’t be using the city ones, more the outdoorsy ones for stuff like biking / hiking with the family

Term times Mon/Friday they are amazing value. We've used them lots, go for an en-suite, take a kettle and stuff for tea/coffee.

There's a fantastic one on the island of Arran in Scotland. My DD and I had the best holiday there. Hostelling can be a great experience!

We loved Hartington too

We’ve done SYHA with a family room (ds still under 12). usually I know the hostel exists just from previous visits to the area.