Recommendations

[phoenixwind]

Hey guys, I am sorting out my Euro trip for February/March, and I'm pretty keen to at least go to the UK, Iceland, Hungary, Poland and Germany. At the moment I have two good recommendations for hostels in Krakow and Berlin, so I am looking for recommendations for cheap but good hostels in the UK (London and Oxford), Iceland (Reykjavik) and Hungary

Comments

[lady_carfax]

Well, the Indian Student YMCA was always very quiet and safe whenever we went (no, you don't have to be Indian or a student, but most of the long-term residents are). Not the cosiest, but the food is great and it was good value. It's in a very central location (2 minutes from Tottenham Court Rd/5 from Oxford Street), but the back streets in the area are quiet. Not sure I'd go wandering around on my own in the middle of the night, but then I wouldn't do that most places in London.

The Arran House Hotel was always very nice, with a mixture of hotel rooms and hostel style dorms. The atmosphere was friendly and quiet, generally a cosy family feel. It looks like they've changed their pricing structure considerably though, so I don't know what it's like now. It's in the same sort of area as the previous one, but a little further from the action. You're very clsoe to UCL so expect a lot of students milling around during the day.

I've stayed at a couple of the Astor Hostels, namely Victoria and Quest. They're louder than the previous two I mentioned, much more hostelly as it were. I've never had any problems, but they don't feel quite as secure. Very friendly, a lot of long term residents. They have locations across London, and I've heard good things about the Hyde Park one which I think is the newest.

Finally, as far as definitely not cosy, but very clean and safe goes, Travelodge and easyHotel are both a little bit sterile, and don't have a hostel atmosphere, but they do special deals on some dates and you can get a good private hotel room for less than a bed in a shared dorm if you're lucky. They have numerous locations across London. There's also a travelodge in Oxford, but I'm not sure how central it is. Also, if you are considering either of these companies check the small print! Their cancellation terms can be a nightmare.

Hope you enjoy your trip!