Hostels are weird. The whole idea of staying in a room with a bunch of strangers can not only be daunting, but can also seem unsafe. To those who have never stayed in a hostel, the concept remains an enigma. Why would anyone want to put themselves in that situation? Sure the price is always lower than a hotel room or an Airbnb, but is it really worth it?

The answer is yes. Staying in a hostel is absolutely worth it. The benefits hostels have for young travelers are far beyond anything that a hotel or even an Airbnb can provide. But before I get into any more of the positives, let me explain what a hostel actually is to those of you who don’t know.

A hostel is what you make of it. A hostel is anything from a bed to sleep in, to a community of interesting people all coming from different backgrounds for different reasons. But from a functionality point of view, all hostels operate in the same way: you can either reserve a bed in a room typically with anywhere from 3 to 11 other people, or you can reserve your own room for a little more privacy. A result of living in a room with a group of people you don’t know is an opportunity to meet new people. Because of this opportunity, most hostels are built around that idea of community; offering communal breakfasts, organizing events, and advertising free tours of the city that you are staying in. All of these things make hostels perfect for young travelers who are traveling alone or in groups.

For me, I recently went on a trip to a few new cities entirely on my own. It was something I hadn’t done before and a challenge I wanted to try to overcome. In doing so, I have found out just how much I enjoy the company of others and staying at a hostel provides just that. I was able to meet new people in every place I traveled to and to have new experiences with people I might stay in contact with, or I may never see again. Regardless of the outcome, traveling alone is a completely unique experience and one that would not be the same if I had not stayed in a hostel.

Now that you are (hopefully) planning a new trip and (hopefully) planning on staying in a hostel, I have to recommend using Hostelworld to search for and book your hostel. The site allows for reviews of hostels by anyone who has stayed in the hostel you are looking for. There is a host of additional information on security and services provided allowing for the least painful experience possible to finding a place to stay.