That’s the endearing slogan of the Famous Hostels group, which claims to have pinpointed all of the best hostels around Europe. Their service allows you to book a number of hostels strewn throughout the continent. The first time I came in contact with Famous Hostels was when I stayed at Kabul Backpackers Hostel in Barcelona, Spain. The walls were plastered with giant posts and logos and maps showing other great hostels in majority of the other countries of Europe. It made me curious as to who decided this hostel was worthy of being promoted as ‘famous,’ but after one night at Kabul Backpackers, I understood why it was chosen by the FH network. It was fun and chaotic, with so many people scrambling around, doing various activities, while all having one thing in common – the want to have a good time. After my stay, I decided to snag a brochure and every time I decided to book a hostel in a new country, I double checked Famous Hostels list to see if I could find another hostel with as much character and atmosphere.
Over the past few months, I’ve stayed in six of their properties: Balmer’s Herberge in Interlaken, Switzerland – Avalon House Hostel in Dublin, Ireland – Sunflower Beach Backpacker Hostel in Rimini, Italy – St. Christopher’s Bauhaus International in Brugge, Belgium – Kabul Backpackers Hostel in Barcelona, Spain – Cat’s Hostel in Madrid, Spain. I have to say that each one is definitely unique in their own way; some are party hostels, some are simply lively and THE place to stay in town for backpackers, and others just offer a unique, chill or historic atmosphere. Either way, the point is that Famous Hostels has this niche figured out – I’m also a bit jealous, as I think the name and marketing ploy is fantastic, eye-catching and works great – I kinda wish I came up with it. *Sigh.
As far as my experience from the six that I’ve stayed in, I really loved Balmer’s in Interlaken the most, for its endless supply of activities and wicked cool outdoor lodging of Tent Village – the hostel offered nice facilities, designed in the typical Swiss Alps style, while offering a bar, restaurant, underground club and plenty of common areas to congregate in. Another favorite was Cat’s in Madrid – it had its lively party side, but it is located in a beautiful, historic building too. The Sunflower Beach Backpacker Hostel is also a good time – seriously, talk about THE place to have a good time, you have the beach, great nightlife, and a hostel full of great looking (or so it was when I visited) people, ready to let loose and have an amazing time. On the other side of the spectrum, Balmer’s Herberge was a lot more relaxed, with an older crowd mixed in with the youthful backpackers, but it was still a great place to stay – it offered a full-service coffee shop, as well as had a kitchen and two levels of community rooms, full of things to do and mischief to get into.
As far as my experience from the six that I’ve stayed in, I really loved Balmer’s in Interlaken the most, for its endless supply of activities and wicked cool outdoor lodging of Tent Village – the hostel offered nice facilities, designed in the typical Swiss Alps style, while offering a bar, restaurant, underground club and plenty of common areas to congregate in. Another favorite was Cat’s in Madrid – it had its lively party side, but it is located in a beautiful, historic building too. The Sunflower Beach Backpacker Hostel is also a good time – seriously, talk about THE place to have a good time, you have the beach, great nightlife, and a hostel full of great looking (or so it was when I visited) people, ready to let loose and have an amazing time. On the other side of the spectrum, Balmer’s Herberge was a lot more relaxed, with an older crowd mixed in with the youthful backpackers, but it was still a great place to stay – it offered a full-service coffee shop, as well as had a kitchen and two levels of community rooms, full of things to do and mischief to get into.
(This post was written by Brandon Scott and was not financially sponsored by Famous Hostels, as this is a service he actually uses and recommends)
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