Western Europe Hostels vs. Eastern Europe Hostels
In my last post, I wrote about my love for hostels, why I think they’re an excellent choice for many types of travelers, and why there are some hostels I’d choose to stay in no matter how high my budget. I shared my 10 favorite hostels in Western Europe. Of those 10 hostels, I only stayed in private rooms in 2 of them. One was a private room I shared with my mom.
My hostel experience in Eastern Europe was drastically different than my hostel experience in Western Europe for one reason—the price. In Eastern Europe, it was common for me to pay the same price for a private room that I paid for a dorm bed in Western Europe.
By contrast, of the 10 hostels I’m sharing in this Eastern Europe list, I stayed in private rooms for all but 2 of them. In Western Europe, even shared rooms at the most luxurious hostels were out of my budget. But in Eastern Europe, I could always choose the highest-rated hostel in town. Because of staying in mostly private rooms, my experience in these hostels was often less social than in Western Europe, but I also felt like I connected with fellow travelers more immediately because I found them to be closer to my age and with travel styles and goals similar to mine. These are some of my favorite places I’ve ever stayed.
My 10 Favorite Hostels in Eastern Europe (So Far)
For the purposes of this blog, I picked the diving line between “East” and “West” as the Austrian/Slovakian border. (In alphabetical order by city.)
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City Circus Hostel in Athens, Greece
I saw my first glimpse of the Acropolis from City Circus’s roof, and if there weren’t several other reasons to love this hostel, that would be enough. But there ARE several other reasons to love this hostel, including its restaurant, Zampano, where guests get a discount and where I had one of the most incredible meals I had in all of Greece. The hostel is in a perfect location. It in the Psyrri neighborhood, just a 3-4 minute walk from one of the most lively and hip parts of town but just out of hearing-range of the late-night crowds. The rooftop is gorgeous, with greenery and several tables for you to have a drink or take-out meal. And there’s a lovely kitchen and lounge-room area where they achieve the impressive task of maintaining a clean, tasteful vibe AND a quirky, circus theme.
The only part of the hostel that I didn’t love was entirely my fault—I chose the cheapest private room which happens to be in the basement and very small. This fact was clearly indicated, and entirely my choice. But next time I’ll splurge for a larger non-basement room. (The basement was a good deal for the price though, and it had a lovely private bathroom!)
I stayed at this hostel twice—first, before heading to the Greek islands, and then again after spending a week in the islands—for a total of 6 nights. And while it’s one of the more expensive hostels in the city, it was entirely worth it. The non-basement private rooms are a similar price to hotels in the area, but I’d recommend City Circus over a hotel every time.
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CHORS Hostel in Bratislava, Slovakia
At CHORS, I stayed in a shared room that didn’t feel like a shared room. This was my only hostel experience in a capsule-style bed, and it felt surprisingly luxurious. My bed was on the top bunk, and real walls surrounded me on both sides and at the head of my bed. There was a full black-out curtain that I could pull down at the foot of the bed for complete privacy. This might sound claustrophobic, but it wasn’t at all. The bed was large and had several different storage compartments for the things you wanted to bring into the capsule with you. And the luggage lockers around the corner were like full-sized wardrobes where you could even hang clothes. It wasn’t the most social environment, but it’s perfect if you want privacy at a budget price.
CHORS also has private rooms, a breakfast restaurant, and conference/meeting rooms. It feels very upscale and sleek, and they market themselves as being more like a hotel than a hostel. They’re also in easy walking-distance to the Old Town and lots of the best restaurants in the city.
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T5 Social in Bucharest, Romania
True to its name, T5 is one of the most social hostels I’ve ever stayed in, and (to the surprise of my introverted self), I absolutely loved it. The mission of this hostel is what makes it so special. They strive to create a community space for locals as well as guests, so it’s an environment where you get a chance to meet an incredibly diverse group of like-minded and curious people. They hold events each night that are open to local community members and guests like open mic nights, game nights, art nights, and the most enthusiastic Friday night trivia night I’ve ever seen. Drawings and paintings created by guests decorate the walls, the lounge room is full of instruments and books, and they have a cute café/bar on site. It feels like a cozy collective of artists and intellectuals. I met more people in one night at this hostel than I did at nearly any other hostels I visited.
This is the only hostel on this list where I stayed in a shared dorm room (other than the capsule dorm which felt so private that it barely counted as a shared room). And while a hostel this social does mean you’ll likely sacrifice a bit of sleep, it was entirely worth it. When I think about the community aspect of solo travel, I think of T5 Social. I’m still in touch with people I met there today.
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Lavender Circus in Budapest, Hungary
Lavender Circus was one of the places I was most excited to stay on my trip. It’s unlike any other accommodations I’ve ever seen. I described the private room where I stayed as a fanciful loft that makes you feel like you’re in a high-class, vintage version of Alice in Wonderland, but in a treehouse. The sketches decorating all the walls make you feel like you’re sleeping in a fairytale, and no two rooms are the same.
Lavender Circus divides its rooms between what they refer to as the hostel and what they refer to as their apartments. The “hostel” rooms are studio rooms, while their apartment-style rooms are much larger and feature a kitchenette. The two different room-types are housed in separate buildings in different neighborhoods of the city. I stayed in one of the “vintage luxury apartments” for about $60 USD per night. And while I wouldn’t personally classify the room I stayed in as a hostel at all, I do think that people might see the word “hostel” and not bother to consider it. This is a great example of why I think hostels are for everyone—there is such a broad definition of what being a hostel means that even private apartments can fall under this umbrella term. This is one of the most unique and joyful places I’ve ever stayed, and I’d pick it over the most luxurious resort.
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Cheers Vintage Hostel in Istanbul, Turkey
I spent 6 nights in Istanbul—2 of them were in a pretty Airbnb and 3 were in a fancy hotel. On my last night in the city, I stayed in a hostel, and I worried that it would feel like a massive downgrade after the Airbnb and hotel experiences. But Cheers Vintage Hostel was so lovely! For someone who’s staying in Istanbul for just a couple days, the location is unbeatable. It’s so close to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace that I had to go through security to get to it. There’s a neat rooftop area with a kitchen and a view of the Bosphorus. It’s in very easy walking distance to most of the city’s main attractions.
The private room was affordable, had its own bathroom, and was large enough to sleep 4 people. And the best part was that they had a beautiful hostel dog named Milo who greeted us outside when we arrived and who was very enthusiastic about guests and belly rubs. He was, unfortunately, not allowed in guest rooms, otherwise I would have invited him to stay with me.
But what stuck with me most about this hostel was the staff. When I lost my debit card in Sarajevo a month prior, my mom was able to get me a replacement from my bank and mail it to me. We calculated where I’d be based on the shipping-time estimate, added a few weeks of wiggle room, and ultimately decided to mail the debit card to the hostel in Istanbul where they’d hold it for me until I arrived. But of course, the debit card missed me by a day. The hostel manager was so kind that he mailed my debit card to my hostel in Athens for me. It was international shipping and therefore not cheap, but he brushed aside all my efforts to pay for it. When I think of truly great hostels, I think about far more than just the décor and physical space. I also think about where I want to be if I have any travel difficulties and the kind of people that I want to be near if I need help.
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Hostel Celica in Ljubljana, Slovenia
This was another hostel that I had on my must-stay list for years before making this trip, and it did not disappoint. The building was a military prison for over 100 years, dating back to when the Austro-Hungarian army built a military base in the area and up until Slovenia gained independence in 1991. I imagined this would give the place a creepy vibe, but it couldn’t have been less creepy. (Other than the two isolation cells they keep intact in the basement for guests to go gawk at if they want to—only that part was creepy.) Each of the 20 private rooms in the hostel is a former prison cell that has been designed by a different artist from around the world. The artists were given the same budget and dimensions and were free to do with their space whatever they wanted. The gallery of the cells on the hostel’s website is incredible, but they are even more remarkable in person. It feels like sleeping in an art installation.
The rest of the hostel has been turned into a hub for designers, musicians, and visual artists. While I was staying there, there was a black-tie event full of wine and jazz music and glamorous people, and I felt very fancy (and a little intimidated) being there. The price for a private room here is about the same as that of nearby hotels rooms, but I’d recommend Hostel Celica over a hotel to anyone. (There are also shared dorm rooms in the hostel for a more budget friendly option.) This is one of the most unique places I’ve ever stayed.
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Hostel Majdas in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
When I first saw Hostel Majdas’ 9.9 rating on Hostelworld, I assumed they must have very few reviews. Ratings tend to be high when there are only a few of them because a large number of people can’t unanimously agree on a favorable opinion of anything. But no, this place had over 2,000 reviews. Even weirder, most of the hostels in town had reviews nearly as high. I booked Hostel Majdas to find out what the fuss was about.
I arrived late at night, and Majdas, the owner, greeted me at the gate, offered me veggie soup and porridge for dinner, showed me a map of the town, and then brought me to my room. My room was $26 USD, had its own bathroom and mini-fridge, and felt like a guestroom in a friend’s house. And in fact, it IS her home. Majdas and her elderly mom live there in the main house, and the bedrooms are in an adjoining building. They share their common living spaces with strangers they treat like family. The yard has hanging flowers and pomegranate trees and tables where Majdas serves guests free breakfast every day.
On my second day at the hostel, I took a day tour with a few of the hostel guests. The tour is usually run by Majdas’s brother, but he couldn’t do it that day, so she called the owner of another hostel (Hostel Nina) in town and asked if he could bring us instead. I loved the way the hostels supported each other this way, that they treated each other like friends instead of competitors. The owner of Hostel Nina drove the 4 of us around on a full-day tour in his personal car, even though none of us was his hostel guest. I think the reason Mostar has a higher concentration of top-rated hostels than I’ve ever seen in any other place so small is not because the accommodations are luxurious or beautiful. It’s because there’s a warmth and kindness in this town that you can’t fake with fancy amenities.
I originally booked one night in Mostar, then I added a second night right before arriving in Mostar. On my first day there, I asked Majdas if my room was available for a third night, and she didn’t seem surprised. I’d pick a hostel in Mostar no matter my budget because this is the kind of community that you can’t put a price point on. I’m still in touch with people I met at this magical place.
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Art Hostel Tirana in Tirana, Albania
Art Hostel Tirana was a lovely surprise. I only spent one night here as a brief stopover between Kotor and Ohrid, so my expectations weren’t high. But Art Hostel wasn’t what I expected. Unlike most hostels, it’s located in a residential neighborhood, right next door to local homes and small markets, so you get a real feel for what Tirana is like apart from the (admittedly few) tourist attractions downtown. The hostel manager, Endri, was the kindest and most gentle soul, and I adored him immediately. It was modern, spacious, and comfortable.
Albania was one of the most affordable countries I visited, and the private hostel room cost about $30 USD. It was in walking distance to a huge city square with some of the most popular restaurants in town, local music, and the largest market in the city. I don’t know if this would be the ideal hostel for making friends since it seemed very quiet even at the height of summer, but if you’re looking for a private room and a local, immersive feel, this place was exactly right.
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Rooster Hostel in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
I added Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, to my trip at the last minute, and I will be forever grateful that I did because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have discovered Rooster Hostel. Veliko Tarnovo is a tiny town in the Bulgarian hills, and Rooster Hostel sits on the main street. It’s an old house that’s been converted into a guesthouse that looks like it once belonged to an eclectic and worldly grandmother. My private room cost $26 USD and had a large bed, a day bed, and a private balcony overlooking the main street. The room was full of books, art, vibrant colors, and light.
The entire house felt like a cocoon of warmth and fascinating people. I met two older men, one Canadian and one American, who’d met each other solo traveling and decided to travel together for a while. They’d both spent their lives doing solo trips like this one, long before the internet made it popular. I met a guy who was on a bicycle tour from London to Istanbul by himself. I met a girl on her first solo trip. Everyone was friendly and eager to chat. The shared rooms all had single beds rather than bunkbeds—a neat concept that some hostels are starting to embrace because it puts everyone on the same level so there’s more space and no one is inconvenienced.
I visited Veliko Tarnovo at a point in my trip where I was feeling very anxious and lonely, and I give full credit to this hostel for entirely curing me of my melancholy. As much as I wish it weren’t true, your accommodations can have a big impact on your mood when you travel, and this is the kind of place that feels comforting and inspiring.
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Hostel Mali Mrak in Zagreb, Croatia
Choosing Mali Mrak was really going out on a limb for me. It wasn’t the type of place I usually picked for a few reasons. First, it was quite far from downtown, and location is usually one of my top priorities. Second, the hostel’s self-written description was frankly intimidating. There was a lot about the hostel being anti-commercial tourism and how you weren’t welcome if you were a complainer who whined about first world problems or wanted to binge drink on a pub crawl—all things I wholeheartedly agreed with, but the delivery felt perhaps a bit aggressive.
At the same time, a lot about the hostel intrigued me. It was outside the tourist zone but still on the local tram route. It was an eclectic converted house that guests were encouraged to contribute to in whatever artistic way they chose. It was worn and cozy, full of mismatched furniture, hand-written notes and drawings on the walls, bookshelves full of books in every language, and dozens of lamps. There was an outdoor kitchen and grape trees and 2 hostel dogs. It seemed like a place that might attract interesting people. So I took a risk and booked it. The hostel owner, Igor, seemed quite gruff and intimidating at first, but he upgraded me to a private room with a full-sized bed when I checked in at no extra cost since the hostel wasn’t full.
Little did I know that on my second night at the hostel, I would wake up in the middle of the night with Covid. It turns out that a great way to test the quality of a hostel is to have to quarantine in it while you’re sick with Covid. (To be clear, I do not recommend this.) When Igor the owner invited me to get BBQ that night, I confessed to him that I was sick, and he was so very kind. He made me a giant mug of mint tea and texted me throughout the rest of my stay making sure I had food for the rest of the week.
My original reservation was for 4 nights, but I was too sick to leave as planned. Igor arranged for me to move into a different private room since my original room was already booked for the night I planned to leave. He made sure the new room was cleaned and ready for me before I left the original room, made sure I had a space heater, and offered to carry my bags downstairs to the new room for me. When I was finally better and it was time to leave, Igor charged me for shared rooms instead of private ones and then added some discounts to make it even cheaper. Having a place to stay where you feel cared about instead of like a nameless number is priceless.
A Word About Hostelworld
You can book all of these hostels on their direct websites, but I love booking through Hostelworld—a booking platform where you can find almost every hostel everywhere. I have the app on my phone which makes booking so easy, and it’s convenient to have all my reservations in one place on trips where I’m staying in multiple different cities. Hostelworld always has the most hostel reviews which play a huge role in how I select which places to stay. It has neat features on the app, too, like group chats with other travelers who will be in the city at the same you will and lists of meet-ups, events, and activities that travelers organize. It’s one of my top recommended travel apps.
