London can be a daunting experience for a young first-time visitor. But there's always a warm welcome at the Pax Christi hostel, opened every summer by the Catholic peace movement. Run by volunteers from a dozen countries, it offers visitors much more than just a cheap bed for the night. Like all 'real' hostels, it offers dormitory accommodation, metal bunk beds, guitars standing in corners and coffee cups everywhere. The atmosphere is great.
Some backpackers just stay the night and carry on their journeys.
But others have a deeper experience with us and stay longer, because we are not just a hostel. We are also a peace and justice project. Our aim is to provide affordable accommodation in London for young travellers, to give volunteers the chance to work as a multinational team, and to raise awareness on peace and justice issues. Each year we focus on a different theme. Last year it was child soldiers.