When you’re talking about budget travel, hostels are the way to go. But some people still think that hostels are shabby, rundown hotels with no hot water.  While there are a few clunkers, the hostelling community has raised its expectations considerably over the last few years. To be a success, hostels now have to offer interesting experiences along with reasonable prices.
 
Many hostels have gone upscale. But hostels are still the choice for budget travelers who want to meet other people, cook their own meals and get local flavour in their lodgings.
 
If you have seen one hotel room, you’ve seen ‘em all, but hostels are one of a kind. There are tiny eco-friendly hostels in the wilderness and huge urban hostels like the one in Manhattan (www.hinewyork.org/ ). There are hostels for seniors, families and party animals.
 
Ottawa’s largest hostel is located in a former jail; Toronto’s best hostel is a converted hotel covered in funky art; Montreal and Vancouver both have hostels located in the entertainment district.
 
Hostels afford the budget traveler a chance to lodge in a lighthouse or bed down in a barn. I have stayed in castles and barge boats while hostelling and made friendships that have lasted for years.
 
Always research the hostel that you are considering. Hostelling International imposes strict standards on its member hostels and as a result you can always be sure of a clean bed and decent accommodation at an affiliated ‘HI’ hostel. ‘Backpackers’ hostels are usually more eclectic, and attract the more hardcore independent traveler with a cheaper rate than ‘HI’. There are also hundreds of independent hostels that come in all shapes and sizes. Web sites like www.hostels.com list them all, so a little research can make a big difference in both price and what you get.
 
The biggest objection to hostelling comes from people who have never experienced a hostel and think that hostels mean roughing it. Here are five hostels that provide unbelievable value along with luxury -- no roughing it here.
 
JollyBoys Backpackers hostel is located in Livingston, Zambia. When we made our first trip to Africa, this hostel was the key to us having a great time. Jolly Boys is located about 10 kilometres from Victoria Falls.  The hostel looked after all of our Visa hassles and sent a car to pick us up at the airport.  They also provided a daily shuttle service to the Falls. The front desk has contact information for every possible attraction in the area and booked a daytrip to Botswana for us along with a cruise down the Zambezi River.  Considering a double room with 3-piece bath is the equivalent of $20 CND per person, and the 4-star hotel down the road is $250, it’s not a bad deal. Oh, and did I mention that all the rooms face out onto a manicured lawn with fruit trees, swimming pool and BBQ pit! Visit their website, and be amazed at what the rich folks who are staying down the road are missing.  http://www.backpackzambia.com/
 
 For something a little more regal, why not stay in a 13th-century castle. Stayokay Heemskerk guests have run of the castle while getting a bed for under $40 per person. They even throw in a moat for free.   Three kilometers from North Holland Dune National Park, enjoy a day at the beach or hike inland to the windmills of Zaanse Schans or the Keukenhof flower garden.  Stayokay Heemskerk is surrounded by picturesque villages and becomes a riot of colour every spring when tulip farms burst into bloom. http://www.stayokay.com/
 
 
Next door, Luxembourg City hostel provides a million dollar view for only $40. Built next to a UNESCO heritage site, LCH overlooks the city’s fortress-like walls and much of the city. While Little Luxembourg is often overlooked by North American travelers, this city state has its own architecture and culture and you can walk to any part of the country when using this hostel as your headquarters.  Check out the casements -- defensives carved into the sandstone cliffs that resemble both castle fortifications and a mad scientist’s layer. http://www.youthhostels.lu
 
Festung Ehrenbreitstein is a fortress outside of the town of Koblenz that is so huge that the youth hostel inside takes up only a tiny percentage of its space. Our private room once contained cannons that protected the Rhine River. A spectacular view of the wine-growing area was the scene from our window. Getting to the hostel means taking a ski lift up the mountain and hiking though a maze of 13-foot-thick walls to get to the front desk.   The 195-bed facility has a restaurant that overlooks the Rhine Valley and serves a variety of wines and beers from the area. http://www.jugendherberge.de/en
 
Yet the most laid back hostel that I’ve ever seen is the HI-Banff Alpine Centre. This hostel attracts both the sporty active traveler and the bar-bound party hound. This is the only hostel in Banff with its own bar, and after a long day of hiking, rock-climbing and horizontal bungee jumping, retire to the pub for karaoke, pool, drinking games and dancing. There is live music most weekends and it all takes place surrounded by a piney wilderness with elk and bear.  Shared rooms start at $35 per person -- not a bad price for one of Canada’s most expensive towns. www.hihostels.ca