When staying in close quarters with strangers, it makes sense to follow a few rules and show courtesy to others while staying in hostels.
After all, you don’t want to be the one getting on everyone’s nerves, or worse, violating a rule that will get you kicked out.
So, let’s run through a basic list of tips and guidelines that will ensure your hostel stay is a happy and fun one.
- Respect the Rules. Most hostels will have rules they expect guests to follow. They could be as simple as a curfew time for late arrivals to no using the kitchen after 9pm. Whatever the rules are, you agree to abide them when you check in.
- Respect Your Fellow Travelers. All of your hostel roommates are unique individuals, so it’s important to understand they may have habits different from your own. If you show them courtesy and respect, you’ll likely get the same in return.
- Establish Waking and Sleeping Schedules. When first meeting your roommates, try to find out what time do they like to go to bed or do they expect to rise in the mornings? If someone is getting up at 6am, they’re going to appreciate the night owl you coming in as quietly as possible.
- Clean Up Your Own Messes. There isn’t maid service at a hostel. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you use the kitchen, do the dishes afterwards. You wouldn't want other travelers to leave a mess for you, so don't leave one for them either.
- Food In the Fridge Isn’t Free. Repeat after me…”if I didn’t put the food in the fridge, it’s not mine to eat.” Other guests will have put that food there and they won’t appreciate you eating it without permission. Again, this falls under common courtesy, but it seems to be a problem that can happen at hostels.
- Hygiene Isn’t a Four-Letter Word. Hopefully we’re all adults who understand that we won’t melt if our skin comes in contact with a little soap and water every day or two. But you’d be surprised at how many people skip showering for 3-5 days while traveling or simply go without brushing their teeth. As mentioned in a previous article, if you can’t handle the communal bathrooms, consider spending a bit more for a private bathroom, if the hostel has it. Or, at the very least do a quick sponge bath in the sink. Nobody likes smelling another’s body funk or bad breath. As an added plus, people will actually be nicer to you if you smell good. Honest.
- Don’t Stare at the Nudity. In the communal bedroom/bathroom situation hostels have, there’s a good chance you’ll catch someone changing clothes or stepping out of the shower. Don’t act like you’re 13 and have just watched your first R-rated film on cable. Everyone has their own comfort level with nudity, and in some areas, like Europe, it’s not that big a deal to some. But nobody wants to be stared down and dissected with the eyes. Unless you’ve been invited, just observe a little personal visual space if you catch someone not fully dressed.
- Keep an Open Mind. As mentioned before, you’ll be surrounded by travelers from different backgrounds, with different habits and beliefs. If you keep an open mind, you’ll be able to enjoy their company a lot more than if you only seek out people just like you.
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The copyright of the article A Hostel Etiquette Primer in Budget Accommodations is owned by Michelle Snow. Permission to republish A Hostel Etiquette Primer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
