Top ten hostels in Europe

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Staying in a hostel in Europe is a rite of passage for budget-conscious travelers making their way around the continent. This is particularly the case for budget-conscious younger travelers. Here are ten hostels across Europe that either receive particularly high user-review grades or are notorious enough in one or another way to be noteworthy.

St. Christopher’s at the Winston, Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Winston presents itself as “an interactive museum of modern art.” However it refers to itself, it is without question one of the most dynamic budget hotels in Europe, with a few hostel-style dormitory rooms on offer. It’s got a restaurant on the premises and a nearby nightclub, and is aesthetically far more exciting that your average hostel.

Långholmen, Stockholm, Sweden. Ever wanted to spend the night in a prison? OK, a former prison? Långholmen is a rehabbed prison located just a stone’s throw from Stockholm’s supercool Södermalm nabe. Fantastic, and not as austere as you might expect.

Good Bye Lenin, Krakow, Poland. Tucked away in a corner of Krakow’s history-rich Kazimierz neighborhood, Good Bye Lenin replays the aesthetics of Polish socialism in a cheery, friendly space. Very atmospheric and fun.

Balmers, Interlaken, Switzerland. In operation for over a century now, family-run Balmers is Switzerland’s oldest hostel. Balmers offers dormitory rooms, private rooms, and tent accommodations. And lots of fresh air, obviously.

Meininger, London, United Kingdom. The Meininger chain of hostels can be found mostly in big cities across Germany and Austria. The London outpost, though not particularly British in spirit, is a welcome, well-scrubbed addition to London’s dreary hostel scene.Oops! Hostel, Paris, France. Far more stylish than your average hostel, Oops! injects a blast of fun energy in Paris’ Latin Quarter. Hotel interiors wizard Philippe Maidenberg is responsible for Oops!’s fresh interior design.

Hostel Archi Rossi, Florence, Italy. One of the best loved hostels in Florence, Hostel Archi Rossi offers free wi-fi, free breakfast, and complimentary walking tours of Florence. Archi Rossi is very close to the Santa Maria Novella train station, too.

Kadir’s Tree Houses, Olympos, Turkey. Near Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, Kadir’s Tree Houses is a sprawling complex of bungalows, cabins, dormitory rooms, and campground. Kadir’s provides a great range of services (laundry and a travel agency, to name but two) and also includes both breakfast and dinner in its nightly rate.

The Pink Palace, Corfu, Greece. One of Europe’s most notorious party hostels, the Pink Palace is a garish temple of hedonism, just possibly the best place in the world to play spin the bottle in five languages. Woohoo!

Hotel 4 Youth, Berlin, Germany. There are two Hotels 4 Youth in Berlin. The branch on Schönhauser Allee gets especially high marks. 133 beds, conical pillows, and a few nice extras (seminar rooms, a pool room) make this a top Berlin hostel. Location in hip, bohemian Prenzlauer Berg is also a big plus.

(Image: foilman / Flickr)

Budget Stockholm: How to afford a summertime trip to Sweden

by Grant Martin on

Stockholm has an expensive reputation — those who return from a visit to this swanky Swedish capital rave about its slick design, luxurious cuisine and modern amenities. As a result, would-be travelers automatically expect it will be more expensive than other European destinations. It isn’t.

Though subtle, the capital of Sweden has a thriving and widespread budget culture – you just have to look in the right places to find it.

First off, it goes without saying that general budget travel tips hold true to this city. For example, if you want to save money it’s probably not the best idea to stay in the luxurious Grand Hotel or eat at five star restaurants every night. It also helps to pack a lunch, take the extensive public transportation and avoid tourist traps. That said, a few local tips apply well to the city, and Gadling’s ebullient and knowledgeable staff have compiled some below.

Dining

Swedes take their food very seriously, and it’s quite easy to spend one’s entire daily food budget on a simple, fresh cooked meal. Eating on a shoestring here can thus be a bit of a challenge, but there are plenty of ways to stay frugal.

Food markets are a great way to find great, fresh food at reasonable prices. Perhaps the most popular (and certainly the most hyped), Östermalms Saluhall (Östermalmstorg, 114 42) is one part tourist attraction and one part high-end food market. Among the myriad vendors, there are several tables available for taking a seat and enjoying a freshly prepared lunch, great places to sit, munch on some fresh herring and watch the commerce pass you by.

As an alternative to Saluhall, the more modest and less expensive Hötorgshallen (Hötorgshallen, 11157) is also in the center of Östermalm right next to the Hötorget metro stop. During the daytime, one can also find fresh, farmer’s market fare and the occasional flea market in the cobblestone, airy Hötorget Square.

For inexpensive restaurants, it’s best to take a few steps away from the popular downtown areas and seek out some outstanding, neighborhood digs. Though it’s still close to the city, SoFo (short for South of Folkungagatan) is a great place to explore and find a new favorite haunt. Moving west on Skanegatan street you wont get more than three blocks before you find a fantastic new restaurant, but if you want our pick, try the Urban Deli (Nytorget 4).

Recommended by several guides including TimeOut, Cliff Barnes (Norrtullsgatan 45) serves decent Swedish fare to a younger, more raucous crowd. If you stay past 11 be prepared to dance, past 11:30, prepared to dance on the tables.

On the deepest budget end of the spectrum, street food is always a possibility in Stockholm, and those open to the idea of fried onions will be pleasantly surprised by the hot dog culture here. Just north of the Medborgarhuset Metrostop on Götgatan (incidentally a huge bar area) there are plenty of options available.

Finally, if you’re interested in a bit of vegetarian fare, our good friend and Stockholm resident Doug Lansky suggests Hermans (Fjällgatan 23B) for a wide spread of delicious, all-you-can-eat, contemporary Swedish cooking.

Accommodations

Like in any destination, when demand is high (during the summer, ie) hotel prices are similarly high. Where this doesn’t regularly apply is in the private market. None of VRBO’s three (only three?!) properties host seasonal rates, and some creative Google searching will surely locate another sheaf of possible rental properties.

If hotels are your thing, however, fret not. Eurocheapo lists a variety of inexpensive hotel options scattered around the city, and a cross-reference of lowest-priced Kayak hotels against the Tripadvisor database should yield a few options inside of the city limits. Additionally, Frommer’s hosts the entirety of their hotel database online where you can reverse sort by price.

Note that while summer rates will still be high, you may be able to find a few deals during the Midsommar festival near the end of June, when many locals are out of town and when hotel loads are similarly light. Be advised, however, that you may have to deal with creative holiday schedules.

As an alternative to traditional hotel lodging, Stockholm also has a wide range of unique hostels from The Red Boat Mälaren (it’s a boat!), on Lake Mälaren to the Jumbo Hostel (it’s an airplane!) outside of Arlanda Airport.

Tourist Attractions

It might be cliché, but one of the best inexpensive tourist attractions in Stockholm is people watching. From the moment you set foot in the Stockholm airport you’ll probably notice that everyone is gorgeous, and many an hour have Gadling staff spent sitting at Muggen Cafe (Götgatan 24) in Södermalm celebrating various passers-by.

Digressions aside, the best way to tackle most of the city’s sites on a budget is with a tourist pass. Providing free access to scores of museums and attractions, The Stockholm Card is one of your best bets for universal tourist access. Prices range from $50 to $90 and if you plan on going to more than a couple of museums the cost is totally worth it. You can acquire the card prior to departure online or downstairs at the airport once you arrive.

If approaching the museum scene piecewise, make sure to keep the Vasa Museum (Djurgårdsvägen 36) near the top of your list. Centered around a painstakingly restored 17th century ship (in its entirety), the Vasa is one of the most unique attractions in the world, is multilingual and offers free admission to anyone 18 or younger. Admission for adults is $15 or free with the above Stockholm Card, and a visit here can easily last half of a day.

Another excellent and inexpensive museum is the recently opened Fotografiska (Stadsgårdshamnen 22), which currently features an outstanding Annie Leibovitz exhibit and a slightly creepier fetal photography series. Admission runs around $14.

Outside of the tourist scene, one great way to explore the region and enjoy the natural beauty of Stockholm is via the ferry system. Since everyday Swedes rely on this network to commute between downtown and the hundreds of archipelago islands, prices are relatively low and the variety of destinations quite high. Vaxholm, for example, is a bucolic, beautiful island town only an hour away from downtown Sweden and can provide a full day of exploration and socializing.

Ferries can be picked up across the city. A major hub from which tourists can get further directions is right in front of the Grand Hotel in Östermalm.

Finally, keep your surroundings in mind when planning out your frugal trip into Stockholm. Though budget options are available, the city is built upon a foundation of high quality, well-done goods and services. It’s thus best to leave a bit of wiggle room in your overall budget, even if you’re the best penny pincher in the county. Rest assured, that on a budget or a binge Stockholm will always please.

Two blogs that inspire travel: l’antipodeuse & Sarah Goldschadt

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Information, to risk stating the baldly obvious, is essential to travel. Timetables, schedules, iPhone apps, hotel review sites and Foursquare check-in updates all deliver very specific information of immediate and inarguable value to travelers. Travel blogs that pursue listings- and information-based missions provide the nitty-gritty details that travelers need, the basic and essential information they require to get their holidays off the ground.

But very often, such blogs do not inspire. The actual work of inspiring people to travel is a different beast, and it materializes in unexpected places. It can be found through all sorts of stimuli: an image; a map; a novel; an overheard conversation; a random Wikipedia dérive. Such sources can help energize broad thinking about places and things and the enticing aesthetics of travel.

Here are two blogs that accomplish just this aim remarkably, by dint of their creators’ strong aesthetics more than anything else.

Exhibit A: l’antipodeuse. New Zealand photographer Mary Gaudin, resident in Montpellier, is the motor behind this blog. Gaudin’s l’antipodeuse showcases all sorts of objects and sites, with a broad eye toward design, interior spaces, and landscape. Many of the images depict Gaudin’s travels. She captures the seasons and food particularly evocatively. Among the places so beautifully captured by her lens are France, London, Finland, Japan, and New Zealand.

Exhibit B: Sarah Goldschadt. American Sarah Goldschadt, born and now resident in Denmark, follows a craftsier impulse in her blog. There are plenty of DIY projects detailed here. What really sets her blog apart from so many others is her well-honed eye for culturally and geographically specific sorts of objects: Danish cake, the shade of red seen on buildings in Sweden; a line of small flags overhead; the milky waters off Møn; London’s chimneys. I especially love her narration of a journey to Köpstadsö, Sweden.

(Image: Sarah Goldschadt)

Sweden in Midsommar: From traditional to contemporary

by Grant Martin on

Our hearts are still in Stockholm this week, neck deep in the celebration of one of Scandinavia’s biggest holidays: Midsommar. In case you missed it earlier, Midsommar is the celebration of the longest day of the year in these high latitudes, a time when the sun only sets for three hours a night and when Stockholm is most appreciable.

From a local’s perspective, Midsommar is often spent with the family and friends, most often in a small beach house in the outskirts of Stockholm or out in the geologically diverse archipelago.

Some of those that remain in the city pilgrimage to Skansen for Midsommar Eve, an open air museum not unlike Greenfield Village or Colonial Williamsburg. Hosting a full range of historical Swedish architecture, characters and foodstuffs, Skansen throws the biggest celebration in the city during the day of Midsommar Eve, all culminating in the traditional hoisting of the maypole around which thousands of visitors can dance. Admission is around 18USD.

In parallel, guests can roam the sprawling museum campus, picking flowers for Midsommar garlands, gobbling up meatballs and herring or gawking at the hundreds of traditionally dressed workers strolling about. Family time is important at Skansen, and the hours spent here learning about Swedish culture and tradition are an excellent way to spend the day, regardless of the holiday.

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As with any social experience, drinks and dancing also have a special role in Midsommar festivities. On the eve of the holiday when the children have gone to bed and the sun is still out, adults drink late into the night, fortifying themselves for a long weekend of family fun and socialization.

For those that have gone into the islands to party, Sandhamn is the place to be. A few hours by ferry outside of Stockholm, the island is a nexus for young Swedes in full-on celebration mode for the long weekend. As the population balloons, many choose to camp on the beach after all night festivities, and the air takes on a buzz of drunken, joyous happiness similar to the full moon parties well known in Thailand.

The party rages forth in Stockholm as well, with many social circles hosting private parties at decked out residences across the city. Many clubs and restaurants stay open for the holiday, and one of the biggest places to celebrate is in the Berns Hotel Salon, just next to and behind the Grand Hotel in the center of Stockholm. With a tall, vaulted ceiling, a huge dining area and several outdoor terraces, Berns is one of the places to be on Midsommar Eve (and they know it,) so get here early and be prepared to spend a few extra dollars for drinks. Though it’ll be expensive, the scenery and the setting are worth every crown.

Traditional as it might be, Midsommar thus has a streak of unbridled celebration that any common visitor can daftly take part in. For a first time visitor, Skansen is a good bet for a crash course in traditional culture, eating and drinking. If your budget and schedule don’t match up though, a good bottle of whiskey and a few new friends out on the sunny streets of Stockholm will do the trick.

Note, some logistical help in executing this trip came from the Sweden tourism board. Itineraries and adventures were our own creation.

A trip through Sweden’s Midsommar festival

by Grant Martin on

In ten short hours I have forgotten Chicago. Sitting outside of Hotel Skepshollmenn on the sprawling, gravel terrace, the pastel, Scandinavian sun reflects off of the yellow building walls and tall, leafy trees rustle in the polite sea breeze. It’s hard to believe that we’ve so fluidly escaped the Midwest heat, let alone that we’re in the center of the largest city in Sweden.

Here in Stockholm it’s Midsommar, the traditional celebration of the longest day of the year, a time when hard-working residents take to their summer cottages out on the archipelago, when the city adopts a quiet, astute functionality and grace. Though the date changes every year, the festival is always held on the weekend closest to the solstice; this year it’s June 24-27.

Volumes of debate swirl around when the best time of the year is to visit Scandinavia. It goes without saying that summer is the best season in which to make your way (as hotel and airline prices will surely reflect,) but around Midsommar, which is celebrated differently in each Scandinavian nation, demand tapers in. With so many residents and workers away for the holiday, much of Stockholm slows down, some of the unique, boutique stores and restaurants button up and the access to the residential, city culture is somewhat restricted.

As a result, visitors might see a dip in hotel prices and other associated costs during the weekend of Midsommar — at the expense of missing out on some of the more organic aspects of Stockholm.

As in any metropolis, however, city life does move on. Gamla stan, the old town and tourist center of the city, becomes the hub of activity, with visitors and the few remaining workers sifting through Irish bars, souvenir shops and cafes. Museums and attractions including the open air Skansen and the new Fotografiska still stay open, and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the traditional Midsommar aquavit and pickled herring across the city.

For residents, however, Midsommar is a time for celebration, relaxation and socialization. Observance ranges from traditional to hedonistic (which we’ll get to later) but the underlying theme is all the same: visit with family and friends and enjoy the long happy weekend.

Later this week we’ll get to the particularities of Midsommar celebration and the practicality of designing your own trip. We hope that you enjoy the trip.

Note, some logistical help in executing this trip came from the Sweden tourism board. Itineraries and adventures were our own creation.