But they quickly find they're among friends, learning about other cultures, getting a feeling of sharing that almost always becomes the most exciting part about staying in a hostel. Even children can stay in the dorms, if a private room isn't available. That's because the schoolteacher in industrial Germany who helped found the hostel movement planned that visitors would spend the day outside. The hostel was only for meal preparation and sleeping. Hostels have fully equipped kitchens where visitors bring their own food to make their meals.
Cooking often turns out to be one of the great joys at hostels, a chance for camaraderie.
Accommodations are spartan in some hostels, but visitors rarely mind. There's always social interaction, games and books available. Forget TV, smoking and alcohol. Sleeping bags are OK as an alternative. Persistence, but not pestiness, pays when it comes to booking.