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I'm a travel writer, so I'm on the road a lot, but not with a lot of money.
I often find budget beds and hours of friendly talk at youth hostels. When
I'm not traveling, I'm at home in the Rocky Mountains near Steamboat
Springs, Colorado, where I ski in winter and hike in summer.
Youth hostels used to be primarily for roving young people seeking cheap
sleeps, but today people of all ages are hosteling. Nightly rates in a
hostel range from $5 to $20, depending up on location. Breakfast fixings are
usually included.
You can expect dorms with bunks, a gathering place for socializing, and
shared kitchen. Other than that, hostels vary from bare-bones dorms to
lodges with jacuzzis and private rooms. The following web sites dish up
hosteling etiquette, tell where hostels are, and give information about how
to operate one.
If you wonder whether hosteling is for you, read this article by Richard Gray, hostel owner in Ludlow, Vermont. He paints a vivid picture of hosteling.
Gene Barnett offers many articles about hosteling. Travel with him through the Pacific Northwest and see the magnificent redwoods through his eyes and photos. This site includes a list of hostels that are members of AAIH -- American Association of Independent Hostels, also known as Rucksackers.
You can choose English, French, German or Spanish text for information about Hostelling International, an organization that licenses 5,000 hostels in 70 countries. Just click on the country of your choice and you'll get addresses and phone numbers. The site includes News and other Hot Links. If you don't find it here, don't despair, go to:
Be prepared to spend hours here scanning the worldwide list of hostels, reading the bulletin board, and linking to other web pages, such as Ski Area Hostels. (No, you don't have to pawn your diamond ring to stay in a ski resort). A Common Room for chat is under construction.
For the more finicky, a hostel hall of fame presents "Europe's Famous Five Hostels" (determined by word-of-mouth). Also, get details on hostels in four areas of the continent: Belgium, Holland, U.K., Ireland; Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Italy; France, Spain, Portugal; and Germany, Scandinavia.
All wannabe hostel owners should head here for nitty gritty insights about operation and management in addition to detailed descriptions of hostels in Canada.
At the HI-AYH (Hosteling International-American Youth Hostels) homepage, you'll learn how to get a free print directory of 250 HI-AYH licensed hostels in the United States and Canada.
Even Russia is jumping on the hosteling bandwagon. Since 1992, seven hostels have opened in Russia. Check them out.
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