A place to talk about traveling

[Hostels]

I created this section of the forum to be a place where people can talk about their travels and hostels they have been to.

I did a 3 month bicycle tour in the Greek Islands in 2004. I stayed at hostels and campgrounds. The following image is from Far Out Camping which was a little to wild for me, but I was impressed by the way they had their business down to a science. They ran everything in a self-contained environment where backpackers would tend to buy everything they needed from the property. There was a convenience store, an Internet cafe, a disco, a bar, a restaurant, and probably more. It also looked like they owned the properties on either side. Instead of buying from another business, backpackers would spend all of their daily budgets directly to Far Out Camping. Here is the image from my camp spot -- the farthest place I could find from the disco:



I wasn't able to find a hostel in Naxos so stayed at Maragas Camping. One highlight of Naxos is climbing Mt. Zeus:



This is Naxos Town, where the guidebooks say there is a hostel, but is has been closed for years and someone at the tourist office uses the guidebook listings as a "bait and switch" to get backpackers to a pension.



I really like the Youth Hostel Plakias. It's in a "national park"-like setting in southern Crete with great hiking and snorkeling nearby.

[cialouhayes]

The view is really cool. That's is very suitable for camp sites.

[talkeetnahostel]

Do any of you offer camping sites at your hostels? The previous owner of my hostel thought it would take away from her beds, but I offer tent sites (and have even set up my own tent to rent out to overflow guest), and have found it to be very profitable. When the weather turns bad and there are extra beds avaible, some tenters just pay the extra cost to take a bed.

I know some hostels allow camping but don:t allow tenters to use the facilities. I charge a basic facility fee as part of my camping fee, and so far it has worked out really well. Since I charge by the person and not by the tent, it can be a bit more expensive than campgrounds, but most people are happy to pay and have the benifit of a kitchen and good showers.

I am just interested in how this works at other hostels.

[Hostels]

I've been to a couple of hostels that occasionally let someone set up a tent, but none that offered regular tent space. Camping out at a hostel in Alaska sounds fun

At the Youth Hostel Plakias (pictured above) I saw one guy with a tent there one year. Some of the beds there are out on the patio, which is where I liked to sleep -- though you need a mosquito net to cover the bunk bed.

[uktrail]

This is Naxos Town, where the guidebooks say there is a hostel, but is has been closed for years and someone at the tourist office uses the guidebook listings as a "bait and switch" to get backpackers to a pension.

Yes indeed! I saw that there wasn't a hostel, so I booked in advance in a pension. It was very nice, with basic cooking facilities, good value for a pension (that is, double the cost of a hostel bed), but oh so very lonely. All the other guests were families and couples, and a few 'good mornings' were the only contacts. (2006).

The owner of the Pension actually works at the (private) travel agency, as well as holding up his sign as people get off the boats, so he gets customers either way!

I have heard that there is a new hostel now on Naxos.

[Hostels]

Interesting... I just looked it up, and found this Web site for a Naxos hostel:
http://www.soulahotel.com/

I will check it out next time I am in Greece...

I may be going to Spain for the winter, and then somewhere else in the Mediterranean for part of the summer...

[PatrickO`D]

The HI on Vashon Island offers camping, I like that hostel becausse of its diversity; Dorms, Private rooms, Teepees, camping sites even wagons have been converted into a "mini dorm".

[Hostels]

Is this the hostel?
Hostel for Sale, Vashon Island, Washington

[PatrickO`D]

Thats the one!

[iBackpacker]

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