Beware youth hostels!
Because she was traveling through Europe alone -- and on a strict budget -- Delphine, 28, opted to take advantage of youth hostel association membership and while the experience was largely positive -- allowing her cheap accommodation and lots of company -- there was one hostel that really spoiled her holiday
"I can't tell you where it is because I don't want the manager sending out the Mafia to give me concrete shoes," laughs Delphine, "but anyone who has stayed there knows how bad it is - it's so bad that I can't see how the hostel association will allow it to continue under its auspices."
"For one thing," says Delphine, "you expect hostel accommodation to be cheap, don't you?"
"Well, this place wasn't cheap and just because it has a monopoly in the area shouldn't make any difference."
"Hostel accommodation should be affordable for budget travelers - but this placed charged a bed fee that wasn't much cheaper than a five-star hotel in the area."
"I know," laughs Delphine, "because after one night at the place I moved out into a 5-star hotel!"
"In other hostels I've had a room to myself or shared with one or two girls but in this place I was shoved into a small room stacked with six bunks accommodating twelve women."
"Only two of the girls spoke English - which wasn't a problem - but their coming and going throughout the night was a huge problem as was their snoring and tossing and turning."
"I could reach out and touch the face of the girl in the top bunk next to mine," laughs Delphine, "and she snored so badly that I wanted to do more than touch her - I wanted to slap her and tell her to shut up!"
"When you're woken up during the night it's natural to want to visit the bathroom," explains Delphine, "and throughout my one night at that hostel every one of us - all twelve of us - made the trip not once but twice or more times to the old bathroom down the corridor."
"When you're traveling every day you want a good sleep, and because I didn't get it at this place I was forced to find a hotel the next night in order to catch up on the sleep I had missed out on."
"It meant that I had to stay two days at this destination rather than the one day I had planned," explains Delphine, "but it was worth it to experience having a room to myself, a television set and a private bathroom - all for a couple of dollars more than I paid for a bunk bed sharing a room with eleven other women at the hostel."
"Don't be tricked into believing that hostel accommodation is cheaper than regular accommodation," says Delphine. "In most cases, taking into consideration how many people are sharing a room with you, it is exorbitantly expensive and can be very uncomfortable, too."
"I can't tell you where it is because I don't want the manager sending out the Mafia to give me concrete shoes," laughs Delphine, "but anyone who has stayed there knows how bad it is - it's so bad that I can't see how the hostel association will allow it to continue under its auspices."
"For one thing," says Delphine, "you expect hostel accommodation to be cheap, don't you?"
"Well, this place wasn't cheap and just because it has a monopoly in the area shouldn't make any difference."
"Hostel accommodation should be affordable for budget travelers - but this placed charged a bed fee that wasn't much cheaper than a five-star hotel in the area."
"I know," laughs Delphine, "because after one night at the place I moved out into a 5-star hotel!"
"In other hostels I've had a room to myself or shared with one or two girls but in this place I was shoved into a small room stacked with six bunks accommodating twelve women."
"Only two of the girls spoke English - which wasn't a problem - but their coming and going throughout the night was a huge problem as was their snoring and tossing and turning."
"I could reach out and touch the face of the girl in the top bunk next to mine," laughs Delphine, "and she snored so badly that I wanted to do more than touch her - I wanted to slap her and tell her to shut up!"
"When you're woken up during the night it's natural to want to visit the bathroom," explains Delphine, "and throughout my one night at that hostel every one of us - all twelve of us - made the trip not once but twice or more times to the old bathroom down the corridor."
"When you're traveling every day you want a good sleep, and because I didn't get it at this place I was forced to find a hotel the next night in order to catch up on the sleep I had missed out on."
"It meant that I had to stay two days at this destination rather than the one day I had planned," explains Delphine, "but it was worth it to experience having a room to myself, a television set and a private bathroom - all for a couple of dollars more than I paid for a bunk bed sharing a room with eleven other women at the hostel."
"Don't be tricked into believing that hostel accommodation is cheaper than regular accommodation," says Delphine. "In most cases, taking into consideration how many people are sharing a room with you, it is exorbitantly expensive and can be very uncomfortable, too."
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