Backpacking is a rewarding budget-travel sector which grows year after year - and some hostels these days are surprisingly interesting and even fancy. So grab your pack and go!
Cover photo: Barnacles Hostel
Holy hostel! A unique hybrid headlines ´7 Great Amsterdam Lodgings in Various Price Ranges´
Bunk Hotel Located in vibrant Amsterdam Noord, a short ferry ride from Centraal Station and the various sites and attractions of the historic city centre, this 101-year-old former Roman Catholic church is now a hybrid hotel/hostel of 106 private rooms (from 54 euros) and 50 stacked private "pods" (from 24€). It's good for traveling with kids, on business, or alone, as well as for students and young people looking for inexpensive lodging. Amenities and services include: free high-speed WiFi;…
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LONDON
London Central Youth Hostel (104 Bolsover Street; 44-845-371-9154; www.yha.org.uk) is five minutes from Oxford Street and Regent’s Park. It has a 24-hour cafe/bar, Internet access, Wi-Fi, a self-service kitchen and a laundry. There is even a plasma-screen and Nintendo Wii. Prices for May range from £19.95 (about $30 at $1.50 to the pound) per adult for a single bed in a shared room with no bath to £136.95 for a six-bed family room with its own bath. Temporary membership fees of £3 per adult and £1.50 per child a night are payable upon arrival. Annual memberships are available.
BERLIN
The Circus (Weinbergsweg 1a; 49-30-2000-3939; www.circus-berlin.de) is in the Mitte district, the heart of the city. There are a cafe and bar, and Wi-Fi in every room. The hostel can arrange airport pickup. Prices are 19 euros (about $26 at $1.36 to the euro) for a bed in an eight-person room to 140 euros for a four-person, two-bedroom penthouse apartment with kitchen and bath.
PARIS
Oops! (50, avenue des Gobelins; 33-01-47-07-47-00; www.oops-paris.com) is near the Latin Quarter. All rooms have air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Dorm rooms are 23 euros a person in the low season (usually November through February) and 30 euros a person in the high season. Private rooms are 70 euros in the low season and 80 euros in the high season. All rates include breakfast, Internet, Wi-Fi and luggage storage.
BARCELONA
Urbany (Avinguda Meridiana, 97; 34-93-24-58-414; www.barcelonaurbany.com) has self- service kitchens, a laundry, a bar, a rooftop terrace and a common room with PlayStation consoles, DVDs and games. Guests may also use a fitness club nearby, which has a pool and sauna. All rooms have private baths, Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. Beds in an eight-room dorm are from 12 euros a night, and from 25 euros for a double. All rates include breakfast. Half- and full-board options are available, with meals at the Tolc bar/restaurant.
ROME
Yellow (Via Palestro, 44; 39-06-49-382-682; www.yellowhostel.com) is normally restricted to guests between 18 and 40, though 17-year-olds may stay under some circumstances. Dorm rooms are all mixed gender and some have private baths. Rates are 35 euros for a four-bed room with a private bath and 24 euros for a mixed-gender dorm with no bathroom. There are Internet access (laptops can be rented), a game room and a bar. The Yellow offers an inexpensive breakfast (French toast for 3 euros), with a menu that changes monthly.
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