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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

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Original poster

youth hostelling

49 replies

misshardbroom · 20/02/2009 08:24

Apologies if this has all been done to death before, but does anybody have any experiences (good or bad) about using the private family rooms at youth hostels?

It's only just dawned on me that this could be an option for cheap short breaks in nice locations. Sick to death of never going anywhere because even the cheapest short break is £250+.

We have 3 children, 5, 4 & 3. All advice gratefully received!

OP posts:

PuddingChops · 22/02/2009 22:19

Derwentwater is fab - it was my first hostel visit - it has its own waterfall!

roisin · 22/02/2009 22:23

Ha! We've booked our Easter accommodation in Edinburgh and sent them the vouchers and they seem cool with that Phew!

I'm relieved about the spring bank holiday one: we are planning on staying in YHA, but have no Tesco vouchers left so were planning on parting with hard cash for that one anyway

Bum about the Fridays from June though! We will have to get our arses into gear and arrange some trips in April and May.

PuddingChops · 22/02/2009 22:26

Roisin - this is a VERY recent change - you probably booked Edinburgh before the change!

roisin · 22/02/2009 22:29

Yes, I just looked and there are no details yet on the Tesco Clubcard site, which isn't fair really.

I understand their POV, but I am disappointed. Last year we stayed in several hostels on Friday nights in summer and they were by no means full.

Nothing on the Scotland website yet. I'm just waiting for a stack of vouchers to arrive to book our summer stay at Aviemore - fingers crossed!

Puddingchops if you have a mo, could you have a look at my earlier post about dorms re private rooms of 18:41:12?

Ta,

Original poster

misshardbroom · 23/02/2009 07:19

well my decision now hangs on whether DH can be persuaded to go to one which doesn't have en suite facilities! If I can persuade him, then it will be Borrowdale for 2 nights I think, with a stop off at the GPs on the way there & back.

If not, then there's one in the Brecon Beacons which is much closer to us and (mysteriously, if you ask me) has en suites v v v cheap.... look

OP posts:

christywhisty · 23/02/2009 08:10

I haven't stayed at the lea valley but live within walking distance and my Dc's use the mariners base.

What I would say is they are just a few minute walk from the station that is just 20 minutes into central London and it is right on the Lea Valley with miles of walks and cycling. The mariners base next door has climbing, caving and most water sports available.

mrsgboring · 23/02/2009 08:29

You've already heard from the gurus and I am far from that, but just wanted to chip in that while YHAs may not work out cheaper than say a Travelodge (though for three children they probably will anyway) they are far better as an environment. The common areas are pleasant and relaxing, self-catering kitchens will save you a lot of money, the food is usually excellent (particularly the plentiful breakfasts) and lastly, as the mother of a 3 year old I am heartily grateful that you will not find bowls of pot pourri, delicate standard lamps, floral displays laid out neatly on a table cloth your child is itching to pull etc. etc.

You can often play ball games and run around in the grounds too.

Fennel · 23/02/2009 11:21

I'd agree with the others, youth hostels may not be cheaper than cheap hotels or b&bs but they are far more relaxing if you have several small children. We are the wrong sized family for a travelodge anyway but youth hostels are much more fun.

We have been to a few and it is great having lots of space for the children to rampage around, indoors and out, in exciting locations. We usually go for ensuite rooms, last time we had 2 rooms and a bathroom for about £50 a night for the 5 of us (Boscastle, newly renovated) right on the sea front.

roisin · 23/02/2009 20:24

Do you all always use family rooms, or does anyone use dorms?

We've always used family rooms thus far, but want to start using dorms soon (cheaper and the boys are getting older).

Any hints/tips, advantages or drawbacks?

Fennel · 23/02/2009 20:54

Roisin, last summer we went as a family of 5 with a friend who's a single father with his boy and girl. Friend and boy went into a dorm and the 5 of us took the girl with our 3 girls into a 6 person dorm.

The father and son were fine in the dorm, there were lockers for private stuff. They barely saw the others sharing the dorm.

roisin · 23/02/2009 21:18

That's great Fennel.

If you stay in a 'dorm' do you get a key to the door, or is it just left unlocked and you leave stuff in lockers if you want?

Lots of the hostels we go to mostly have small rooms anyway, so if we go (dh, ds1, ds2 plus a mate) there's a fair chance they'd get a room just for them anyway.

I don't mind at all being in a dorm: it means I get to escape from my kids

Fennel · 23/02/2009 21:25

They had room keys or card things, it was a very modern hostel though (Central in London, newly built). I think it might be different at an older hostel somewhere more remote.

And then we moved to another hostel and they were supposed to be in a dorm but were given a twin room (With tv! We were jealous, our 6 bed didn't have tv).

I have thought about letting dp and the dds share a couchette if we go on an overnight train journey, and I would self-sacrificingly go in with strangers. It could be more restful.

roisin · 23/02/2009 21:34

Thanks. I think I will work on the self-sacrifice too

skramble · 24/02/2009 23:43

If you want to wow the kids try Carbisdale Castle I stayed here as a kid an loved it. Huge with secret passages marble statues and ghosts even have a spooks room, we got it as a family room even though it slept about 10 for the four of us.

Fennel · 25/02/2009 08:59

We tried to go to Carbisdale castle last time we were in the North of Scotland but it was full at the time we needed. It's on our list for next time we go that far North.

There's St Briavel's castle in Wales too.

We are going to the Lizard soon, that's been on my list for a while, an old Victorian hotel, huge grounds and sea views all round, by a working lighthouse on a peninsula (my 4yo loves lighthousees).

So much more fun than a travelodge or standard hotel. Even if we fitted into a travelodge room.

SirPuke · 25/02/2009 11:57

I've only just discovered this thread but wondered if I may but in and get a little advice from you gurus?

We're conplete YHA novices but would like to try a hostel in August (SouthWestish) for a few nights before going to stay with friends in Lyme Regis.

We are a family of 4 (inc a 5 year old and 1 year old)

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

roisin · 25/02/2009 17:23

Wow Caribsdale looks fab - it's a long way though! We are doing Aviemore this year and then going to Skye (cottage on Skye though), but I don't think we could get as far as Caribsdale as well... Another year!

SirPuke - I can't help on SW. Hopefully someone else will be along soon.

Steamroller · 14/03/2009 14:42

As someone said before YHA aren't accepting Tesco clubcard tokens for most of the school holidays now - is anyone else as angry about this as I am? They say you can still use them for the school holidays in July - whoopee, thats one out of 7 weeks. I'm furious about it. I have emailed YHA customer services and they HAVEN'T EVEN REPLIED!!Over the last few years we've had lots of lovely weekends at YHs but now we can't afford to go! And there's nothing else on the Clubcard deals that we'd use. We've got loads of clubcard points, because we've been saving them up,and now we've got nowhere to use them. All the hotels that accept them are in places like Bolton, Chester - no offence to those places but you're not likely to want to take the kids there for a weekend !

hotpotmama · 29/03/2009 16:04

Just read about the date restrictions and I've just booked for the 18th April which falls in the Easter dates so would give it a try anyway. Nobody mentioned restrictions when I was asking which weekends were available.

Its our first time youth hostelling as a family and we are going to Derwentwater in April. Hoping it will be great and then we can book other weekends. Usually camp but DS3 is only 11 months so not too sure about camping with him yet.

roisin · 29/03/2009 16:28

Steamroller it's only the Friday/Saturday nights in summer you can't use them for, plus the bank holiday weekends.

Tbh I would be cross about it, apart from the fact that we've no vouchers left, so will have to pay this summer anyway!

SYHA haven't got these restrictions on their hostels yet.

Hotpotmama - hope you enjoy it. I really want to go to Derwentwater, but the boys' school go there on a residential, so we don't want to steal their thunder!

Once my youngest has gone there this May we will be booking to go.

popsycal · 29/04/2009 20:11

am bumping this thread...

roisin · 29/04/2009 20:54

Popsy - this thread has details of the YHA limitations on use of Tesco Vouchers. See this post:
PuddingChops Sun 22-Feb-09 22:16:19

I don't know whether they are 'sticking to it' yet. But when I phoned up to book one recently (for May) when I asked to use Tesco vouchers they said, "OOh, hang on, I just need to check ... oh yes, that's OK that weekend."

popsycal · 29/04/2009 20:55

cheesr roisin - we are happy to avoid fri and sat

roisin · 29/04/2009 21:18

Oh that's great. You're going to get a bargain then!

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