Remember paying $5 for a hostel in Europe?

Back in 2008 I stayed at a hostel in Prague for $5 a night. It wasn't fancy but had a bed and a locker. Now I see the same bunk costing $30 plus a fee for towels. What happened to basic cheap travel and when did hostels get so expensive? Anyone else notice this change over the last 15 years?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_schmidt17d ago

Heard a travel podcast recently that said hostels basically had to evolve because real estate costs went through the roof in most European cities, so they either jack up prices or turn into mini hotels. I miss the old days where you could just show up with a backpack and a sleeping bag liner and be fine for a week on pocket change. Now it feels like you're paying for "experiences" and trendy common areas instead of just a cheap place to crash. The towel fee thing gets me too, like come on, thats just nickel and diming people who are already on a budget. Makes you wonder if the whole budget travel thing is slowly fading away.

emery1917d ago

Man, $5? That's less than my morning coffee now. I spent $12 on a hostel in Amsterdam back in 2015 and felt like I was getting a steal. Now I paid $35 for a bunk in Barcelona last summer and had to rent a towel for $5 extra. Guess I'm just old and cheap now. My back hurts just thinking about those dorm mattresses.

william_henderson16d ago

Does your back still hate you from those mattresses too? I feel your pain on the towel fee, that stuff adds up SO fast and makes you feel like a sucker.