12 Great Tips for Hostel Safety.

The idea of staying in Hostels can be scary for any first-time travellers. But let me tell you, they are great and definitely the opposite of scary! You won’t find a more welcoming place than hostels when you are away, assuming you choose the right one. But you have probably heard the horror stories about hostel safety, as did I before I went travelling for the first time. But they could not be further from the truth! Especially when using these hostel safety tips.

I have stayed in Hostels across Europe and Asia and have never had any major issues with safety. But I am still vigilant when I am staying in hostels, after all, you are sharing a room with strangers. You have to bear in mind though that even though these people are strangers, they are on the same journey as you. Looking for a cheap place to lay their head down whilst they are on their travels.

These strangers will probably become your new travel buddies after a few hours, and maybe even lifelong friends. Read my guide on making new friends in hostels here. So don’t stress too much if you’re concerned about hostel safety. Just read these tips from someone who has been there and done it and you’ll have a great time!

My Tips For Hostel Safety!

So here are some of my tips to stay safe whilst you are staying in hostels. To be honest, you will be safe anyway, hostels are not as scary as people make out, but being careful never hurt anybody! So let’s get into some of my tips for hostel safety!

1. Read The Reviews!

Reading the reviews is such an easy way to gauge if a hostel is firstly going to be any good and secondly going to be safe. Steer clear of hostels with low reviews, even if the price is low! You will most probably regret it! Choose hostels with high ratings and read a few of the good and bad reviews to get an idea of the place. I always do this before booking a bed, it just makes life so much easier.

2. Use The Lockers.

Now not all hostels have lockers, but where they do, you should definitely use them. Theft in hostels is not common, but it does happen. Ive never been the victim of theft (bar toiletries) but I take precautions such as using lockers which may be the reason. Most people are really friendly and genuine in hostels, but you never know who you could be staying with in the dorm.

3. And If There Are No Lockers, Carry A TSA Padlock.

Hostels don’t always have lockers, this is something that can also be checked before booking. However if the hostel does not offer lockers, just carry a small TSA approved padlock with you that you can put through the zippers of your backpack. To be honest you should always carry a padlock as some hostels lockers need a padlock to close anyway. Just keep one on your pack and deter any would-be thieves from trying anything.

4. Don’t Flash Your Valuables Around.

Although like I said before most of the people staying in hostels are really genuine, and defiantly not thieves, it’s always best to keep your valuables out of sight. Now don’t get me wrong, don’t be scared to use your laptop in the hostel, chances are nobody is going to inclined to take it. But be careful leaving your valuables lying around and if you don’t need to get your €1000 MacBook out then just leave it in your pack!

5. Don’t Get Too Drunk.

Now I can’t really talk here I’ve stumbled back to my room, fallen into bed and woke up feeling like id been hit by a bus many a time. But it’s really not wise to get ridiculously drunk while travelling. It happens to us all at some point. But if the night does get heavy stay in your group and go back to the hostel when it’s time (accompanied!) I know, boring, but try and drink responsibly when you’re away, it could save you a lot of trouble.

6. Keep Copies Of Your Passport, Both Printed And Digitally.

I always keep copies of my passport when travelling abroad. You should have a hard copy on paper that you keep in your backpack, and also have it copied digitally somewhere where you can access it if needs be. Losing your passport can be a massive headache, but copies can make life a lot easier.

7. Trust Your Gut.

If something doesn’t feel right, then maybe it isn’t! If you have a feeling that you’re unsafe or just have a bad vibe, speak to the hostel staff and they should happily find you another dorm room. Sometimes it’s the hostel that generally doesn’t feel right if that’s the case, then just leave, there are plenty of other places to stay. Always trust your gut in regards to your own safety, it’s usually right!

8. Keep A Back-Up Credit Card.

I have been fortunate enough to have never needed to use my spare card, but it’s defiantly pretty easy to lose your wallet/purse while your travelling. A backup card is a must for me whenever I am travelling. I couldn’t think of anything worse than being stuck in a foreign country with no access to my money!

9. Keep Some Spare Cash In Your Backpack.

I usually take €50 in cash with me whenever I travel, and always euros no matter where it is I am travelling. You could take dollars, but just make sure it’s a strong currency that all Bureau De Changes will accept just in case you need it. It can really save your skin to have some spare cash on you at all times.

10. Leave Your Valuables At Home.

Now let’s be honest, do you really need your DSLR, iPad and MacBook Pro? Probably not. It can be more hassle than it’s worth carrying around a load of expensive technology, don’t bring it unless you really need it. I’ve met people who carry a lot of valuables with them, and they are always worrying about them.

11. Keep Your Money Split Up In Your Pack.

You should split your money between different sections in your backpack. If a thief does manage to get their grubby fingers in your bag then at least they won’t manage to get their hands on all of your money. I always split my money up, usually keeping the main chunk of money hidden away with a small token amount somewhere obvious just in case a thief does get in.

12. Use Your Common Sense!

This is probably the best tip I can give you! If you just use your common sense and trust your gut as I said before, you’re going to have an amazing time. Seriously just using your common sense is going to help you keep safe much more than any of these tips, but you should definitely still use them! Just use your intuition and your gonna have a great trip!

Summary.

So there you have it. Twelve of my best tips for hostel safety, I talk in my complete hostel safety post about how hostels are generally pretty safe, but it’s still better to take precautions! Really though you have nothing to worry about. I hope you found this post helpful, and hope that you have a great (and safe) trip!