Hostels are daunting. You are sleeping among strangers in a strange place, with only a bunk to separate you. Who knows what oddities you might encounter. Lily Pouliot, however, met “amazing people” while staying at hostels.
While abroad in Dublin, students have the chance to explore places outside the program. Lily, who visited Ireland for the Fall 2024 semester, took advantage of the opportunity to see more of Ireland and Europe. There were no classes on Fridays, so she planned her trips for the long weekend. As required by the program, she informed Program Director Stephen Robinson of her plans by using this form.
As for any traveler, budgeting is crucial. European hostels are significantly cheaper than hotels. Instead of paying for a room, you buy a bed for a specific amount of nights. This means you typically need to book your hostel ahead of time. You will be given a passcode or a physical key to access the dorms, as well as a cubby or locker for your stuff. Lily recommends bringing a lock, but she reports that nothing was ever stolen.
Some hostels, such as the Black Sheep Hostel in Killarney, offer breakfast. Others have a communal kitchen, so meals are a group effort. Most people staying in hostels are college-aged, which makes it much easier for students to socialize. Everyone, from staff to guests, were very welcoming to Americans such as Lily.
In fact, there was only one strange encounter during her stay at ten different hostels. One man had clearly never been to a hostel before. Lily described him as an entitled CEO-type. He requested valet services for his car and assumed he would have his own room. Unfortunately, he was a loud snorer. But other than that, Lily had an overall positive experience with hostels.
Do your research. Book ahead. Talk to program staff. There’s no reason to fear hostel living!
