# Hostel Travel: A Report



## Canadian (Jan 17, 2008)

Hi,

I cheaped out and stayed in a hostel for a night in Quebec City last month and 4 nights in Montreal.

I figured I'd share some observations:

1. Socializing. The hostel in Montreal put on events for the residents. One night, about eight of us went to a comedy club. The only downside was that the staff member who organzied the event went directly home after the event, forcing us to find our own way home. Luckily one lady had her wits about her and knew what metro stop we had to stop at and had a fairly good sense of direction once we got off the metro. It helped that she is a serving British army officer. I think they're good at that sort of thing. She was incredibly randy and seemed to hit on everything besides the potted plant. I politely told her I was in seminary and had no interest in hooking up. 

2. Behaviour. I tried to get back to the room as soon as my night's activities were through. I don't drink, so after a night of bar hopping, drinking nothing stronger than Coke or sparkling water, I generally retired to my dorm room around 2AM. I booked a bed in a 4 person room, so I got to meet my companions without it being awkward. Generally we left our stuff lying about although I locked up my camera, my phone, my medication and my wallet. The lockers were tiny and didn't hold much else. One of my roommates was a grad student in McGill, staying at the hostel until he could find a room to rent. He generally came in around 3AM. Another roommate showed up very late, snuck into bed and was gone by the time I woke up at 8AM. If it wasn't for his kit, we never would know he was there. Of note, everybody should wear pj's. Underwear doesn't cut it. 

3. Security. As mentioned, I locked up certain things. I was able to leave all sorts of articles of clothing out, and nobody stole my tee shirts, jeans, chinos or cotton jacket. To be honest, by the time my five nights were up, I wouldn't have taken them home unless I had to. I changed shirts every day (tees) and brought 2 pair pants and a pair shorts. It was summer, so my jacket wasn't really required all the time. I will admit, the fire alarm went off (a roommate of mine urinated all over the stairs and tried to leave by the fire estcape) and I thought it was just somebody's alarm clock, so I rolled over and went back to bed. Perhaps the hostel should think of a better alarm. Also, the hostel in Quebec City had a shelf above your head, while the hostel in Montreal was more basic. 

4. Meeting people. Generally if you hung out in the hostel bar long enough, you'd meet people who you wanted to hang out with. The bartender was quite happy to provide me with Cherry Pepsi all night, because I always tipped 50%. I met all sorts of people, from drunks to people on a gap-year to vacationers. I met an Aussie and a German on the first night and we went bar hopping on Saturday night on Crescent street. I knew a little about the area, and we kept costs down, by avoiding bottle service. The German was short on cash, so I split a bottle of sparkling water with him and the Aussie drank local beer. The next night, I went shopping with a local friend and ended up buying fruit and a pie, which certainly cut down on my requirement to eat at a restaurant. Most people love to meet other travelers. It helps if you dress the part (tee, cargo shorts and hiking boots). Most people actually take decent care of themselves, as showers are available in room, and most people shave and washed.

5. Amenities. Obviously there's no pool and no gym. There were computers available on a pay per use. The staff are pretty good at organizing stuff. There was a kitchen available, as well as a resto-bar and pool table. TVs are in the lounge along with a pool table. The bartenders weren't terribly efficient, as they didn't have anything near what we would call a full bar. (They had maybe 5 bottles of liquor, including Jack, Tanq and Lambs. The staff don't mind a bit if you bring in food and prepare it in the kitchen (that's what it's there for). 

Oh yes, I paid 31 dollars a night.

Anyhow, that's about all I can think of. Any questions?

Tom


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Sounds like you enjoyed a very positive experience, but...LOL...have you seen any of Quentin Tarantino's "Hostel" movies?


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## Canadian (Jan 17, 2008)

No I haven't. However I've been told by friends who backpacked across Europe that 99.9% of hostels are safe, and if you take various measures, you should have a decent time. 

I had a teacher in high school who did the same. He booked into a hostel because it had silk sheets. When the lights turned out, thousands of cockroaches came out. The silk sheets were there because they were easy to clean. After about 5 minutes, he packed his stuff and left.

Tom


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