How Not to Be THAT Person: 6 Dos and Don'ts of Staying in a Hostel

When I first stayed in a hostel in Canada, I was 24 years old. I knew nothing about hostels or the "proper" way of staying in one. Now, in my mid-to-late 30s, I have learned many lessons about them. Some of you have read about them or have thought this was common sense or being mindful, but sadly, people often lack those two things. It’s possible they wait and have to rush at the last minute or are new to traveling . . . or maybe they are just selfish.

This post idea came from my magical trip to Munich. As I befriended my hostel mate for a few days, we shared some magical moments but also had a terrible experience with a guy staying in our room. My new friend and I made a Do’s and Don'ts list for what to do in a hostel, and some other friends I made there joined.

This post will help you not be THAT person in a hostel: the one who ends up in a blog post or the person someone wishes would miss their flight. You could also see this as an etiquette class people must take to stay in a hostel (though that should happen!).

Below are the do’s and don'ts we devised—with my natural twist. 

Hostel Etiquette

Think of these do’s and don'ts of staying in a hostel as how to make—not lose—friends!

1.    DO NOT turn on the lights and open the curtains!

If it's past 11 p.m. or before 8 a.m., please, for the love of (fill in whoever you believe in), do not turn the lights on or open the bloody curtains. As I mentioned above, my new friend and I both had a flatmate who opened the curtains each morning before 7 a.m.

If you need light between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., use your phone flashlight or bring a small flashlight. Trust me, I know what it's like to be jet-lagged. You are awake before the rest of the world, but you need to allow others to sleep. Maybe they went out partying and just returned two hours ago, or perhaps they are also jet-lagged and need sleep.

Be a good human without lights or curtains between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.!

2.    DO have your PJs and your clothes laid out. 

As I mentioned, plan ahead if you are getting up before everyone! I always have my PJs and the clothes I want to wear the next day on my bed. So, if I go out until 4 am, I can easily slip into my PJs in bed instead of making noise to find them.

If I decide not to have a 4 a.m. night but am up at 4 a.m. due to jet lag (I am looking at you, Seattle), I also make sure that my toiletries and the clothes I want to wear the next day are easy to grab so I DON'T make a lot of noise!

Noisemaking in the morning is another way to lose friends in a hostel.

3.    DO PACK YOUR BAGS THE NIGHT BEFORE!

This one I can't stress enough! I experienced this when I was in Iceland. Two girls packed their bags for their flight at about 3 or 4 a.m. I heard:

• their loud whispers

• the movement of plastic bags

• those moments of "Oh, shit, will this all fit?"

• the zippers

• everything, everything

At one point, in a half-annoyed and asleep phase, I said people were trying to sleep. That's the PC version of what I said. If you don't want to hear the rated R version, well . . . now you know what NOT to do.

People are trying to sleep, so please pack your bag the night before if you have a flight before 8 a.m. You might not care since you won't see the people again in the hostel, but I promise you, karma will get you, and you probably will see those people again.

Whenever I stay in a hostel, I always pack my bag the night before. Granted, I may take up floor space for 20-25 minutes, but fewer people have been annoyed at me for doing that than packing at 4:00 in the morning.

Plus, it helps ensure you don’t leave anything behind!

4.    DO NOT watch videos or listen to music without earphones.

This happened to me in Munich. I was packing my bags (see number 3) and talking to these two new guys in the room. As we were chatting away, this guy came in, lay on a bed, and kept turning up the volume on the video he was watching. We asked the guy if he wanted us to stop talking if he was going to bed. And he didn't say much. So, we all left and grabbed a beer downstairs.

Needless to say, use earphones!

5.    DO research the type of hostel you want. 

Do you like to party? Or do you want a lot of activities? Or no activities?

When I book my hostels, I usually use Hostel World to read the reviews, but I also love visiting the hostel's website to find out more information.

I love meeting people and having a lot of activities to choose from, even if I don't always participate. I love having options. Knowing what type of hostel you like will make your hostel experience better, especially if your hostel has a bar, which is a great way to make friends. And speaking of making friends . . .

6.    DO make friends at your hostel. 

As you saw in my Munich and Prague posts, I love to make friends. I have met some amazing people while traveling. Meeting new people is scary and awkward, but it is worth it. You never know who you will meet. This is the perfect place to open yourself up to new people, conversations, stories, and wisdom from fellow travelers.  

My friend, say hi to your hostel mates or that random guy or gal. Keep saying hi, even if that's the only conversation you have. You never know what stories you will have after saying hello!

I hope these tips and tricks help. Let me know if there are any others I need to add!