Youth Hostels

[Hoaz]

Tell me what I could expect if our family of four spent a few days in a youth hostel, please?

I don't mind basic, but I do mind dirty

Hoaz - we stay in Youth Hostel's quite a bit. Which ones are you looking at?
We usually book family rooms.

Some youth hostels have en-suite family rooms and some are shared.
Yes, basic but we've always found them clean and incredibly friendly & good value for money.

We regularly spend our summer hols touring from hostel to hostel. We love it!

We usually try to have a week in the Lakes at one of the half-terms in a self-catering cottage.

I thought this would make a change and be a bit of an adventure, but not convinced it would save money overall when the cost of eating out is added (we usually have a few meals out, but will cook as well and make our own packed lunches etc) . What do you do for food?

Always clean! But basic. More like a cheap and cheerful hotel than anything else. We use the kitchens to make our dinners, breakfasts, packed lunches. I always take along my favourite sharp knife and my own washing up kit just in case. Kitchens are theoretically fully equipped but if there's a utensil you know you're going to need, like a potato peeler, scales, a non-stick pan... bring it along. The kitchen equipment will be in the state you'd expect after lots of inexpert student fry-ups - clean, but blunt and battered.

Useful thread, OP. Anyone know what the YHs in Scotland are like?

And are they nice and sociable for an older teen boy travelling alone? Would he meet others like him in the hostel?

Hope this will be a bump for your thread rather than a hijack, OP.

Youth Hostels are a lot more expensive than they used to be - any that I've stayed in recently have been almost as much as paying for a basic B&B - certainly not just a cheap place to crash any more. Plus it's a hassle having shared kitchen and toilet facilities when you've got kids with you. I wouldn't do it - self-catering is much nicer.

Have stayed in loads, most really good. If going to the lakes would avoid the large ones such as Ambleside as it is too big and full of students, it's also a bit tired decor wise . Stayed at Buttermere two years ago and that was fab.

Look, you can get YHA and SYHA with Tesco Clubcard vouchers. Would make it cheaper.

Ooh, now that is exciting MrsT

We only have one DS and I find that the social aspect of youth hostels very appealling. He always finds someone to play with.

Last summer we ate at youth hostel a few nights. They had the 'Feed the Family for £10' - such good value. Then I cooked in the kitchen myself and we went out a couple of times.

I don't have an issue with shared kitchen or toilets - adds to the adventure!

I don't mind the 'adventure' of shared kitchen and bathroom if you're only paying a fiver a night or whatever they used to charge, but at £20 a pop per person it's a bit of a downer.

We occasionally have breakfasts aswell, especially if it's our journey home day. A couple of years ago we travelled far reaches of Cornwall back to Northumberland in a day - the breakfast sets us up well and although i couldn't afford to do it everyday, it's good value!

Many YHs now have family rooms with en suite if shared toilets are not your thing.

I agree they are not cheap as the dorm rooms used to be, but hostels are more 'hard-wearing' and much easier to stay in for a lively family than B&Bs where you have to tiptoe around telling the kids to be careful all the time.

the big advantage over cottages etc is that you can book just one or two nights, and they are mostly in amazing locations.

The shared facilities are probably make it more sociable for young singletons - chatting in the kitchen etc.

The amazing locations aspect is a plus. Hadn't thought of that really, but true.

Thanks all. I also have this dream of taking DSs on a long distance walk. Do YHs have washing machine and drying facilities, or even just drying, if we come in soaked through, or want to wash out a few clothes by hand?

The ones in the Lakes I assume will have drying rooms! Give them a call, they will help.

As the Lakes YH are used by walkers, they usually have good facilities.

The YH we stayed at in Cornwall last year had drying rooms with heaters too.

Let us know how you get on?
I only 'found' YHA a few years ago (I'm 40 now) and we love it.

the beds are generally bunks, and I would say that they feel a little cramped for me short lardy arse, but DH is 6ft2" and he says he sleeps fine in them