Last Updated: 4/7/22 | March 7th, 2022
I’ve been staying in hostels in Europe for over twelve years. I’ve probably stayed at close to a thousand by now. Some were wonderful; others I couldn’t leave quick enough.
Some have stood the test of time while others have long because vanished. The hostel scene is very popular and recognized in Europe, and the growing “luxury” hostel trend that incorporates much more amenities (and higher prices) for travelers.
Hostels today aren’t the hostels you found ten years ago. They are way nicer and offer a lot much more amenities!
As I’ve been going to Europe for so long, I’ve stayed in dozens upon dozens of hostels around the continent. There are a lot of things to consider when selecting a hostel. The top four when picking the best hostel in Europe are:
Location – Cities in Europe are substantial and it can take some time to get around. pick a place that is central to the sites and nightlife you want to see. All the hostels noted here are in central locations.
Price – In Europe, you really get what you pay for, so if you choose a really low-cost one, you’re probably going to get a hostel that is small, cramped, and doesn’t offer terrific service.
Amenities – many hostels offer totally free Wi-Fi and numerous include totally free breakfast, but if you want much more than that, be sure to do your research to find the hostel that best meets your needs!
Staff – All the hostels noted here have incredible staff! They are very friendly and knowledgeable. even if you don’t end up staying at one of the places noted below, be sure to look up reviews to guarantee you end up somewhere where the staff is valuable and friendly! They can make or break a hostel!
To help you plan your trip, here is my list of the hostels in Europe that I like the most. If you don’t want to read the longer list below, the following hostels are the best in each category:
Best Hostel for budget Travelers: Sophie’s Hostel
Best Hostel for Families: Generator
Best Hostel for Solo female Travelers: Goodnight Hostel
Best Hostel for digital Nomads: Generator
Best Hostel for Partying: Greg and Tom’s
Best overall Hostel: Kabul or The flying Pig
Want the specifics of each hostel? Here’s my extensive list of the best hostels in Europe:
1. Generator Hostels
The Generator is a hostel chain with locations throughout Europe. I’ve stayed in a few of their locations but Dublin and Copenhagen are my favorites. The hostels have terrific bars and restaurants, clean showers, comfortable beds, laundry services, and highly competitive rates. My only complaints are that the Wi-Fi is typically slow and they charge for breakfast, but having stayed in a few of their locations, I’d certainly stay in others. (They also have karaoke at their Copenhagen location.)
Generator Hostels at a glance:
Great place to meet other travelers
Modern, clean design
Lots of common areas for unwinding and mingling
Beds from 22 EUR, privates from 95 EUR.
Book Generator Hostel Dublin here!
Book Generator Hostel Copenhagen here!
2. City Backpackers (Stockholm)
I stayed here years ago and recently returned when my trip group was in Stockholm. The place was just as incredible as I remember. They still have a very good café and an outdoor eating/sitting area. Their beds and pillows are still very comfortable and comfortable, plus they have a substantial kitchen, common room, sauna, and laundry facilities. and you can’t turn a corner without bumping into a public computer. City Backpackers was and still is one of the top hostels in Europe.
City Backpackers at a glance:
Organizes tons of events
Lots of totally free perks (free coffee/tea, totally free pasta, totally free sauna)
Social outdoor patio for unwinding and meeting people
Beds from 23 EUR, privates from 80 EUR.
Book City Backpackers here!
3. St. Christopher’s (Barcelona)
Located best near Barcelona’s many well-known thoroughfare, La Rambla, everything about this place was brand new when I last visited. I really love the curtains on the dorm beds and the enormous bar/outdoor area next to the hostel. In general, I really like the St. Christopher’s brand. They offer fun, clean, sociable, and modern hostels all over Europe.
St. Christopher’s at a glance:
Huge bar/outdoor common area makes it easy to meet people
Fun, social atmosphere
Privacy curtains so you can get a good sleep
Beds from 23 EUR, privates from 165 EUR.
Book St. Christopher’s here!
4. The flying Pig (Amsterdam)
This is still one of my all-time favorite hostels. The facilities here are conventional and the price a bit expensive, but I love the atmosphere. While this hostel is popular with travelers wanting to chill and smoke, the bar area gets very busy at night with people who don’t want to get high. The staff here is what really makes this place special. They hang out with guests, are experts on the city, and are always helpful.
Moreover, this hostel has someof the comfiest beds and fluffiest pillows of any hostel I’ve ever stayed at. The flying Pig has three locations in Amsterdam (uptown, downtown, and the new beach location). I choose the uptown location because it’s smaller and simpler to meet people.
The folks behind the flying Pig also run Winston’s, another hostel. That place has a terrific bar and is next to a rock club that showcases a lot of good local musicians. tell Allen I say “hi!”
The flying Pig at a glance:
Great place to meet people
Super fun and social atmosphere
Bar on-site
Beds from 37 EUR, privates from 130 EUR.
Book The flying Pig here!
5. Goodnight Hostel (Lisbon)
I stumbled across this hostel in Lisbon (mostly because it was super cheap), and I’m really happy I did. conveniently located downtown, they offer totally free dinner and sangria and organize nights out. There’s a small common area, and the showers had incredible water pressure. This small hostel becomes very intimate and makes it easy to meet fellow travelers.
Goodnight Hostel at a glance:
Organizes lots of activities (pub crawls, walking tours)
Desayuno gratis
Intimate atmosphere makes it easy to meet people
Beds from 15 EUR, privates from 49 EUR.
Book Goodnight Hostel here!
6. Skanstull (Stockholm)
My second favorite hostel in Stockholm after City Backpackers, this place was remodeled in 2013 and has a brand-new, larger kitchen and common area. They really did a good job, and the kitchen is one of the nicest I’ve seen in a hostel in a long, long time. The hostel is quite small overall, but that offers a close-knit setting for getting to know other travelers.
Skanstull at a glance:
Huge kitchen for cooking your own meals
Cozy atmosphere (it’s a smaller hostel so it’s easy to meet people)
Recently renovated so everything is clean and new
Beds from 27 EUR, privates from 44 EUR.
Book Skanstull here!
7. Gallery Hostel (Porto)
This “luxury” hostel in Porto, Portugal, is probably one of the best I’ve ever stayed in and is certainly a new addition to my “all-time favorite” list. It’s not the most affordable in Porto, but this hostel/art gallery features home-cooked Portuguese food, a backyard, totally free after-dinner drinks, a game room, and friendly staff committed to making sure everyone gets to know each other. The art on the walls is from local artists and is available for sale (for those not traveling on a budget). I loved the nightly dinners they organized the best.
Gallery Hostel at a glance:
Delicious communal meals
Great place to meet people
Bebidas gratis
Beds from 25 EUR.
Book Gallery Hostel here!
8. Hostel Mostel (Bulgaria)
This hostel has locations in three cities in Bulgaria (Sofia, Plovdiv, and Veliko Tarnovo), and they all follow the same principles: comfy beds, totally free breakfast, totally free dinner, totally free beer, totally free shots, a pool table, and free, fast Wi-Fi. I honestly haven’t ever seen a hostel offer so much totally free stuff to travelers.
Usually everyone stays whatsoever the Hostel Mostel locations, so you run into the same people frequently. I found them booked up a lot, so book in advancement if you want to stay here.
Hostel Mostel at a glance:
Social atmosphere so it’s easy to meet people
Lots of totally free perks (free drinks, totally free breakfast)
Organizes lots of activities
Beds from 7 EUR, privates from 26 EUR.
Book Hostel Mostel Sofia here!
Book Hostel Mostel Veliko Tarnovo here!
9. Kismet Dao (Brasov)
Probably the best hostel in Romania, Kismet Dao had a terrific backyard to unwind in, a fairly good breakfast (Frosted Flakes!), a large and clean kitchen, comfy rooms, and a substantial common area. I didn’t like the showers, as there wasn’t a lot of privacy (think gym style) but overall, this place is social, in a good location, and checks all the best boxes on meeting a traveler’s needs.
Kismet Dao at a glance:
Chill backyard for unwinding and mingling
Great place to meet other travelers
Desayuno gratis
Beds from 12 EUR, privates from 30 EUR.
Book Kismet Dao here!
10. The Yellow (Rome)
The Yellow is just a fun hostel. There’s no common area, so everyone hangs out in the bar downstairs. people come here to socialize and party. It’s a loud hostel in that respect, but because the party is separated from the main area, you don’t really hear much in the rooms. They have terrific security, high water pressure in the showers, comfy beds, and good enough Wi-Fi. They also run walking trips throughout Rome.
The Yellow at a glance:
Bar on-site makes it easy to meet people
Party vibe
Organizes lots of activities
Beds from 35 EUR, privates from 107 EUR.
Book The Yellow here!
11. Tallinn Backpackers (Tallinn)
This hostel in Estonia is for those who want to party, which I didn’t really do while I was there. but I still found the hostel to be fantastic because the beds were comfortable and the staff really put an emphasis on getting the guests get to know each other and interact. Hacen un gato nocturno de pub, antes de que todos se reúnan en el área común grande (que cerraron a las 11 p.m., por lo que las personas que no quieren salir pueden dormir un poco).
Mochileros de Tallin de un vistazo:
Albergue de fiesta social
Gran lugar para conocer a otros viajeros
Organiza muchas actividades (como un rastreo nocturno de pub)
Camas de 11 euros, privados de 72 euros.
¡Reserve a los mochileros Tallin aquí!
12. Estación central (Kiev)
No tanto un albergue como una serie de apartamentos en el mismo edificio, Central Station es un verdadero albergue. Tiene enormes dormitorios, algunas duchas, una pequeña cocina y un poco de área común. Es principalmente el espíritu del lugar que lo hace genial: actividades todas las noches, personal realmente amable y ese pequeño espacio que obliga a todos a socializarse y reunirse, no solo sentarse detrás de sus computadoras.
Estación central de un vistazo:
Organiza toneladas de actividades
Ambiente social animado
El personal súper amable hace que sea fácil socializar
Camas de 8 euros.
¡Libro de la estación central aquí!
13. Greg y Tom’s Party Hostel (Krakow)
Vine aquí con la fuerza de la brillante recomendación de un amigo. Lo que me gustó de este albergue fue que, por un lado, hay un fuerte enfoque en aprovechar al máximo la animada vida nocturna de Krakow.
Por otro lado, tienen dos edificios separados, por lo que si quieres tranquilidad por la noche, puedes quedarte en el edificio no parcial. Ofrecen un desayuno totalmente gratis, te cocinan una comida todas las noches (ensalada, papas, pasta o carne), tienen Nintendo Wii y PlayStation, y hay una gran colección de películas. Pero lo que más me encantó fueron las duchas de masaje. Fue la mejor ducha que tomé en meses.
Greg y Tom’s Party Hostel a un vistazo:
Gran lugar para conocer gente
Muchas ventajas totalmente gratis (desayuno gratis, videojuegos totalmente gratis)
Edificio separado para no parartadores para que pueda dormir bien
Camas de 13 euros.
¡Reserve a Greg y Tom aquí!
14. Kabul (Barcelona)
Kabul está empatado con el Pig Flying como mi albergue favorito en Europa. Atrae a los viajeros que buscan pasar un buen rato. Este no es un albergue tranquilo donde la gente se va a la cama. Si vienes al albergue, prepárate para festejar.
Tienen un área de habitación común animada y organizan salidas nocturnas. Los dormitorios están muy limpios, las camas cómodas y las duchas de alta presión. Pero lo que hace que Kabul sea tan fantástico es el área común de abajo. El área común ocupa un piso entero del edificio y comprende una cafetería, bar, mesas, quioscos de Internet y una mesa de billar. Aquí los viajeros comen, juegan a la piscina, beben y pasan el rato, y la gente aquí quiere pasar el rato. Es un buen albergue para un viajero en solitario porque todos aquí quieren hacer amigos. El albergue se reserva con semanas de anticipación, especialmente durante el verano, ¡así que no reserve el último minuto!
Kabul a un vistazo:
Ambiente de fiesta animada
Organiza muchas actividades
Muy fácil conocer gente
Camas de 23 euros, privados de 119 euros.
¡Reserve Kabul aquí!
15. Archi Rossi (Florencia)
Me tuvieron en el desayuno. Nunca he estado en un albergue que tuviera un menú para el desayuno. Puedes obtener huevos, tocino, tostadas, panqueques: las obras. No es el desayuno de pan y café europeo normal lo que me entristece por la mañana. ¡Es un desayuno abundante! Mucho más que la comida, el albergue tiene carácter. Puede firmar su nombre o dibujar en la pared, su cocina es un tamaño de una cafetería y tienen un excelente jardín al aire libre donde puede relajarse con una botella de vino. ¿Y mencioné que tienen un desayuno completo?
Archi Rossi de un vistazo:
Desayuno increíble
Jardín al aire libre relajado para relajarse y mezclarse
Gran lugar para conocer gente
Camas de 35 EUR, privados de 120 euros.
¡Book Hostel Archi Rossi aquí!
16. Francesco (iOS)
Con una vista como esta, ¿cómo no te gustaría este lugar? Hay una piscina, cocina, habitaciones muy limpias y camas cómodas. Los propietarios son muy amables y complacientes, el área del patio es un lugar excelente para hacer nuevos amigos, y todas las noches tienen un albergue para que todos puedan conocer gente (tiro gratuito incluido). También organizan rastreos de pubs (porque es iOS y todos vienen a la fiesta). Es