Budget hostels I stayed at around the world 🌎

In this guide, I'll share with you all the budget hostels I stayed at around the world and my honest opinion about them. Most of my travels I did as a solo female traveller. And hostels were often the best option - cheap, safe, great places to meet another traveller. 📍Albania 📍Belgium 📍Bosnia and Herzegovina 📍Cape Verde 📍Croatia 📍Denmark 📍Finland 📍Germany 📍Iceland 📍Ireland 📍Latvia 📍Lithuania 📍Montenegro 📍North Macedonia 📍Poland 📍Portugal 📍Serbia 📍Slovakia 📍Spain 📍Thailand 📍Turkey 📍United States

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Updated ago

Disclaimer

Maybe you already know that guide creators receive a small comission if you use booking.com link they included. You'll find quite a few booking.com links below because I genuinely like the platform and use it often myself. They have good deals and good loyalty program I describe more below. However, what I'm most interested in are good deals. If I find better deal on other websites I'll definitely go for it. So you'll also find below links to their websites.

Booking.com

It often offers the best price (compared to other websites) and it has a great genius loyalty program (check the link below). The more bookings you make the more discounts you qualify for in the future. Especially on multi-location trips you can move up very quickly

Another hack is to book using the mobile app. Many locations offer a 10-19% discount just because you book it via the booking.com app. Not all but it's definitely worth having a quick look before confirming

Genius program

www.booking.com

Recommendations

In alphabetical order of the country

Albania 🇦🇱

Berat

Berat Backpackers

@BackpackAleks

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Tirana

Trip'n'Hostel

@BackpackAleks

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NEO guesthouse

@BackpackAleks

Double room 30 min from the bus station and 10 min from the city centre. Great location, close to shops, cafes and all attractions. One disadvantage was that the room had no kitchen (private or shared) and not even a kettle which we thought we'll have based on the description and photos. We ended up eating out which wasn't crazy expensive in Tirana but definitely more expensive than cooking

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Belgium 🇧🇪

Brussels

Safestay Brussels Grand Place

@BackpackAleks

Right in the city centre, perfect place for a few nights stay in Brussels. Overall the place was clean ans staff helpful. The only disadvantage was that there was no shared kitchen or even a place with kettle to make tea or coffee. The hostel does offer breakfast for a fee where you can get drinks but nothing that you can make yourself otherwise.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦

Mostar

Hostel Sema

@BackpackAleks

We stayed at Hostel Sema, a lovely place within a 10-minute walk to the old town (and 30 min to the bus station). Double room, shared kitchen and bathroom. Beautiful balcony with mountain view. The host had no problem with our late arrival and was very welcoming.

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Trebinje

Apartmani Bridge

@BackpackAleks

Small studio apartment 30 min walk from the city centre and bus stop. Very welcoming host, she offered us drinks as we arrived and kept bringing us fruits from her garden. Studio small bus has everything you might need, kitchen, bathroom, tv.

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Cape Verde 🇨🇻

Mindelo

Simabo's Backpackers' Hostel

@BackpackAleks

Hostel and animal shelter in one! You'll be surrounded with cats and dogs and all your money goes directly to the shelter. Dorm rooms from 10€ and singles 25€ Tip: if you plan on visiting Santo Antao as well you can leave your luggage in the hostel and only take essentials for easier travel. Luggage storage is free and safe, me and my friends left expensive camera equipment and electronics and nothing was touched

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Casa Comba

@BackpackAleks

Midrange guesthouse, you can get a nice and comfortable double room for 30€. Breakfast included. Perfect as a base for other activities but doesn't offer crazy luxuries. No kitchen available - keep in mind if you want to cook

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Santa Antao

Residential Vitoria

@BackpackAleks

A studio flat for 4 people, 2 rooms with 2 beds, bathroom and little kitchen. Not the most fancy place but you get everything you need. The beds were very hard and little natural light so if you are looking for something fancy you might want to look for something us. For us it was a perfect cheap base with kitchen, exactly what we needed. We paid 50€ a night for whole studio including booking genious discount. Usual price is around 60€

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Casa xoxo

@BackpackAleks

Incredible guesthouse in the middle of nowhere is a beautiful valley. It's located at the end of the road and is isolated from other houses and towns for a full nature experience. Although it's so remote it's easy to get to with local bus or taxi. For about 30€ a night you get a double room with breakfast included and unforgettable views. You can request a dinner for about 5€. Good idea since there is nothing around, no restaurants or grocery shops

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Croatia 🇭🇷

Zagreb

Neno Zagreb

@BackpackAleks

We stayed at Neno accommodation, cheap for the city, within 30-minute walk to the centre and bus stop. The host was nice and met us as we arrived. Own double room shared kitchen and bathroom. Perfect for a short stay.

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Denmark 🇩🇰

Copenhagen

Copenhagen

@BackpackAleks

Nice place for few nights. Not too far from centre, you can still walk there, and easy location to get to the airport from. Best compromise I could find between location and price. You have access to shared kitchen and bathroom both were nice and clean

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Finland 🇫🇮

Helsinki

CheapSleep Hostel Helsinki

@BackpackAleks

Very lovely and lively hostel. It offers tons of things to do from daily events to game arcade and books. It also has a shared kitchen for anyone wanting to cook. It is out of the city and most likely you will need a bus ride to centre but for this price it is worth it

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Germany 🇩🇪

Dusseldorf

Backpackers Düsseldorf

@BackpackAleks

Good hostel. I stayed there a few days for a convention and really enjoyed it. Close to public transport so that you can get anywhere easily.

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Iceland 🇮🇸

Reykjavik

Bus Hostel Reykjavik - Reykjavik Terminal

@BackpackAleks

Probably cheapest option in Reykjavik. A bit more far from the city, maybe 30 min walk but very close to bus terminal (where buses to airport go). The rooms can be crowded especially the cheapest ones but I never had any problems there and stayed multiple times. Small shared kitchen and many bathrooms so that you never have to wait in line.

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Kex Hostel

@BackpackAleks

A bit pricier option in Reykjavik but it comes with some perks. At the waterfront from the common area you can see the ocean. Every level has its own shared kitchen which is usually filled with free foods people leave when checking out. And the vibe and decorations in the hostel are amazing, they even have one room decorated as an old classroom (see for yourself if you can find it ;) ). One of my favourite hostels of all time

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Ireland

Dublin

Generator Dublin

@BackpackAleks

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Latvia 🇱🇻

Riga

Hostel Riga KVANT

@BackpackAleks

Nice hostel - although the rooms are 6-8 people at least when I was there thy were fairly empty. And you get curtains! So you get a lot of privacy even in dorm. Shared kitchen is good to use and at the entrance there is a big lobby you can just use with tables and chairs for work. One downside is that it's far from city centre - about hour walk. So you'll most likely end up taking the trams (1.5€ one way). Also the reception is open but the receptionist is often up and about. So you might need to call them to get hold of them so keep that in mind to have a working SIM

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Lithuania 🇱🇹

Kaunas

Mr Jo’s hostel

@BackpackAleks

I really enjoyed this hostel. Just around the corner from the bus and train stop and on the edge of city centre. So nothing is ever far away. Kitchen is nice and has free tea and coffee. Next to the kitchen you also find sitting area for work. Also the reception is open but the receptionist is often up and about. So you might need to call them to get hold of them so keep that in mind to have a working SIM

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Montenegro 🇲🇪

Podgorica

Sleep & Go by MI

@BackpackAleks

Studio apartment 30 min from the bus station and 20min from the old town. Small but has everything you might need (even an oven). Self check-in which was nice for late arrival.

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North Macedonia 🇲🇰

Ohrid

City Center Apartments Ohrid

@BackpackAleks

The whole spacious studio can have up to 3 people. Short walk to the centre. Accommodations in Ohrid are generally quite cheap and you can 'splurge' a bit on a nice lake view. We ended up going with this apartment because of the cancellation policy but I would definitely recommend looking around for a place with lake view.

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Skopje

Universe Hostel Private Room Green

@BackpackAleks

20 min south of the city centre this Airbnb is more of a hostel. Very nice collection of few buildings with double rooms and shared kitchens and bathrooms. Also a small outdoor area to enjoy your coffee

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Poland 🇵🇱

Gdansk

Universus - Hostel Gdańsk Główne Miasto

@BackpackAleks

Lovely hostel in absolute heart of the old city, I was very impressed with the location especially for this price. Rooms are nice and not too big, they offer female only rooms which I really appreciate. Common kitchen with free tea and coffee but no stove so keep that in mind if you want to cook. It seems that a lot of people stay in this hostel long term, they get a very cheap accommodation. Mostly students and middle aged people working in the city.

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Portugal 🇵🇹

Lisbon

The Gateway - Lisbon Eco Hostel

@BackpackAleks

Well located in the heart of Lisbon. Very social hostel, with lots of events going on and common meals people can join. Welcome drink and free breakfast included!

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Divine House of Graça

@BackpackAleks

Good value for money. It's a transformed apartment building so instead of one big apartment it's divided into few dorms. My room had only 4 people there which was very nice. Two bathrooms to share between 3 rooms I believe of similar size. My floor had its own kitchen, however no stove. I know there is another kitchen on another floor so maybe they have more options. If cooking is your priority check with the hostel first. Otherwise you get a kettle and plates and cutlery. Not the most central locations as well, expect a longer walk or a public transport ride. Overall I enjoyed the stay, it was perfect for what I needed - one night break and place to have easy dinner and coffee in the morning

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Serbia🇷🇸

Belgrade

Hostel Inn Downtown

@BackpackAleks

Perfect location, 5 min walk from bus station and 10 min from city centre. There is a nice rooftop terrace and common area. The rooms however are quite small and the bunk beds in shared rooms are in the same corridor that shared kitchen and bathroom. So keep in mind that you won't get much private space

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Nis

VIV apartment 1

@BackpackAleks

Small studio on the 9th floor. The big plus is a balcony from which you have an overview of a city and can enjoy your meals there. Building has an elevator so don't threat the 9th floor. Nice host met us at the place and showed us in. 30 min walk from the city centre and bus stop

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Slovakia 🇸🇰

Bratislava

Patio Hostel

@BackpackAleks

Best value for money hostel I stayed at. Very clean and well organized, shared kitchen on each floor. Small outside arena and luggage storage. Located maybe 20 minutes from the city centre. Really enjoyed my stay there!

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Spain 🇪🇸

Barcelona

No Limit Hostel Graffiti

@BackpackAleks

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Madrid

Madriz Hostel

@BackpackAleks

After looking into various hostels in Madrid I decided to go for a mid price range in exchange for nicer hostel. And I was slightly disappointed. The location is very good, in the heart of most things, within walking distance. The dorm however was very big, about 12 or so rooms in it. They all had curtains which is incredible (more hostels should have curtains), but it was still crowded. One communal bathroom per room with medium privacy, only toilet locks, everything else including showers are just in common bathroom area. I got over 25% discount on my booking.com genious account so I wasn't too bumped but I wouldn't say there for whole price

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Thailand

SamSenSam Place

@BackpackAleks

Lovely place off the main road but within walking distance to Khaosan Road. Quiet and comfortable with AC. Lovely stuff and small sitting area available. When you leave the accommodation for the day you have to leave the key at the reception. Never had any problem with that but depends if you feel comfortable with that. 600 bath a night for twin (300 per person if traveling with someone) so the most expensive place I stayed at

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At Home Guest House

@BackpackAleks

Nice place right off the Khaosan road. But surprisingly quiet and peacefull for the area. It is a bit closer to the attractions than SamSenSam and cheaper (400 for twin) but no AC only fan (it was totally fine for me). If in the area again I'd probably stay here because of the closer distance and price

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Turkey

Istanbul

Cheers Hostel

@BackpackAleks

Located in the old city centre minutes away from main attractions like the blue mosque and Grand Bazaar. The dormitories are not too big, 8 people sleeping there. And if you are a female you can choose a female-only dorm room which I appreciated since I left another hostel in Istanbul early because of some weird guys in the room. Breakfast is also included!

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United States 🇺🇸

New York, New York

Q4 Hotel

@BackpackAleks

Price: 40$ A bit pricier option in New York but really good quality. Rooms and bathrooms are clean and well maintained and you have a bit shared kitchen and living room. Located in Queens close to Subway station.

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The Brooklyn Riviera

@BackpackAleks

Price: 33$ The most budget accomodation in New York. A bit falling apart and small but has a great vibe. People are amazing, you have a small garden and cozy living room. I think the atmosphere makes up the fact that the house needs a bit of love. Located in Brooklyn which is close and far at the same time, depending where you need to go, New York is massive

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apple Hostels of Philadelphia

@BackpackAleks

I was really impressed with this hostel. Located just on the main street, very well maintained, rooms although shared are very big. Beds with curtains give you a bit of privacy. Nice shared kitchen and living area where you can chill as long as you want

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Washington, D.C.

Capitol Hill #9 Intern & Student Housing B&B

@BackpackAleks

Small accomodation mostly popular with young people who stay there for a bit looking for apartment in Washington. Keep in mind that rooms are very small. Shared kitchen is more spacious and you get a free breakfast:)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Backpack Aleks

Available for hire

Hi! My name is Aleks and I have been full-time travelling for the last 7 years. During that time I visited 4 continents and 37 countries and am still discovering more. My travels started during my university years, which often meant a tight budget. Instead of giving up travel I just decided to become resourceful and find the perfect itineraries that still fit my tight budget and let me explore the world. On this account, I will be sharing many of the tips and tricks I learned along the way as well as full itineraries that I did and you can follow. My first years of travel were typical backpacking style, hostels, moving from place to place many people and experiences. But as time went by I was also able to do more comfort travel, renting a car with friends and going on road trips. Either way, before every trip, I spend weeks planning and researching and it's one of my favourite parts of the adventure. However, I know it can be overwhelming and tedious at times so I decided to share my research and my itinerary with you. At the moment I still mostly do backpacking-style trips - many destinations, constantly on the move and discovering as much as possible. So if you are looking for an active itinerary you found a perfect place! ✨Testimonials ✨ 'Wow. I am super impressed by the itinerary designed by you. You are meticulous and consider all requirement from us and also consider other aspect. The itinerary format is superb and very easy to read. A lot of effort is done in this itinerary. I have never seen any itinerary as good as your. Thank you! 😊😊'

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