The Best and Worst of Austrian and German Hostels

During my time in Australia, I stayed at a lot of hostels and it was easy for me to categorize my Best and Worst of Australian Hostels. In Austria and Germany, however, it was the little things that made up each of my experiences. There were things I didn’t like about great hostels and things I loved about what I would otherwise consider to be a “bad” hostel.

So instead of tagging them as such, I’m going to list the pros and cons and let you, the reader, decide which of these hostels you would stay in. I also stayed at friends houses in Salzburg, Munich, and Mannheim, so those are left out.

Some of my pet peeves while staying in Austrian and German hostels were the push button showers, the lack of kitchens in Munich due to city law and the lack of plugs. There were also big square pillows with covers that didn’t fit them.

I found that chains like Wombats and PLUS were very well run and I surprisingly enjoyed myself there more than at some of the family-run independent hostels. Prices are listed in US Dollars and are current as of the date of publication. See HostelWorld for more information on all of these hostels.

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Jaeger’s Hostel, Munich

Staying at this hostel the week before Oktoberfest may not have been my best choice. Just from the name, you realize that Jaeger’s is a party hostel and they don’t do anything to dispel it. I arrived late one night and everyone was asleep in my dorm room when I got there.

The bed wasn’t made, likely because someone switched from the top to bottom bunk and didn’t remake the bed. That wasn’t a huge deal as I got someone to go change it. The six-bed dorm I was in was very cramped and it would have been nice to also have hallway bathrooms in addition to the ensuite ones.

I was, however, surprised at how many things seemed to be under construction. There was plastic covering the elevator and much of the paint was chipped. There were also plenty of school groups, so if your MO is to get sleep you might want to rethink staying at Jaeger’s.

• $14-26 for 40 bed mixed dorm, $24 for 8 bed mixed dorm, $30 for 6 bed mixed and female dorms, $30 for 4 bed mixed dorm and $190 for private room
• Located right across from the Hauptbahnhof, or main train station
• Free welcome shot
• Onsite bar
• Cheap breakfast buffet with eggs, toast, meats and cheeses
• Ensuite bathrooms, lockers and linens included
• Free WiFi, which you must re-login to every 3o minutes
• Keycard entry
• Laundry facilities
• See post: Munich: Not for the Faint Livered

Doug’s Mountain Getaway, Innsbruck (Fulpmes)

Doug’s is an unusual place, definitely not your standard hostel. If you expect that type of experience, get this idea out of your head. What you get will be better. Located in the mountains 30 minutes from central Innsbruck, Doug’s Mountain Getaway is a chalet with private and shared rooms.

There is one dorm room and a few shared rooms. The dorm is the only room with an ensuite bathroom and the rest share 2 bathrooms on the first and second floors. On any given time of year, you can go hiking, skiing, paragliding, cycling and much more. This is a special place to be sure but your experience relies a lot on the other people that are staying there.

• $39 for standard 4 bed mixed dorm, $42 for standard double bed private, standard twin private and deluxe twin private rooms
• Located 30 minutes by tram or bus from Innsbruck
• Easily accessible to tram and bus
• Free breakfast
• Sauna, poker room, exercise room, table tennis, television room, kitchen
• Free WiFi
• Linens included
• Planned activities and excursions
• See post: Caroline in the Alps

Wombat’s Hostel The Naschmarkt, Vienna

As far as hostels with a party reputation go, Wombats at The Naschmarkt in Vienna was very well run and organized. It’s one of three Wombats locations in the city and is constantly winning awards. I stayed in a private room on the top floor, which was perfect.

It had a single bed, futon, seating area, wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. There is keycard entry between sections of the floor so you don’t have guests roaming areas where they’re not staying. Be warned that this hostel is a pickup location for BusAbout and Contiki, so you will probably see lots of people coming and going. It was also popular with school groups, which took over the kitchen for hours at night.

• Rates vary by time of year, but are typically $30 for 8 bed mixed dorm, standard 6 bed mixed dorm and 6 bed female dorm; $36 for 4 bed mixed dorm; $40 for 3 bed mixed dorm and $52 for a double bed private room.
• Located across the street from U-Bahn and The Naschmarkt
• Clean, nice private rooms
• All rooms have ensuite bathrooms
• Keycard access
• Linens included
• Reading lights
• Lockers
• Kitchen
• Cheap breakfast buffet
• WomBar hostel bar
• Laundry facilities
• Free WiFi and computers in lobby
• 24 hour reception
• Maps and brochures as well as free walking tour
• See post: Visiting Vienna’s Naschmarkt

Steffi’s Hostel, Heidelberg

I had heard how beautiful Heidelberg was before I left for Germany so I knew I wanted to spend time there. I also used it as an excuse to catch up with a friend. There were few options for cheap accommodation in Heidelberg, so I went with what was available: Steffi’s Hostel.

Located in a former brick factory above a grocery store and university building, Steffi’s has two floors of rooms. There is not 24-hour reception and check-in isn’t until 2 pm, so plan accordingly. It is located near the train station, which is a short bus ride or a 30 plus minute walk into central Heidelberg.

• $25 for 10 bed mixed dorm, $28 for 8-bed female dorm, $30 for 6 bed mixed dorm and 5 bed mixed dorm, $35 for 4-bed family room with shared bathroom, $33 for 4 bed mixed dorm and $39 for twin private room with shared bathroom.
• Located near Hauptbahnhof
• Free WiFi available on both floors as well as computers in the common room
• Kitchen
• Linens included
• Located above a grocery store
• Cheap breakfast
• Bicycle hire
• Keycode door entry and 24-hour access

Station Hostel, Cologne

Named for its proximity to the Cologne train station, Station Hostel has a maze-like layout that makes it difficult to get from your room to the lobby and laundry room with your bags in tow. The rooms, however, were nice enough and had real beds rather than bunks.

The hostel is right next to the famous Cologne Cathedral and other tourist attractions. There isn’t much personality to speak of and I didn’t really meet anyone there, but I did like the concept of a la carte breakfast where you eat what you like and pay after.

When I decided to change plans and stay a night in Mannheim, I first called the hostel to ask if I could change it. I also had the hostel in Heidelberg call, but neither got an answer. Once I emailed them I got a quick response saying it would be fine. I found it odd and worried about it at the time, but it all turned out fine.

• $24 for 6 bed mixed dorm, $25 for 5-bed mixed dorm, $30 for 4 bed mixed ensuite dorm, $28 for 4 bed mixed dorm, $30 for 3-bed private room, $38 for double bed private ensuite room and $45 for a single private room.
• Located up the street from Hauptbahnhof
• Free WiFi available in the lobby only as well as computer access
• Upstairs smoking lounge
• 24-hour reception
• Laundry facilities
• A la carte breakfasts
• Safes at reception and lockers in the hallway
• Keycard entry
• Linens included
• Reading light

Backpackers Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf

It took me a long time of wandering with my backpack on before I found this hostel. It’s a bus ride from the main train station and then a few blocks from the bus stop. Hostels are few in Dusseldorf, which is how I ended up at Backpackers Dusseldorf.

After I finally found it, I discovered that reception was closed because I didn’t show up at the time I had indicated on my Hostelworld booking since my plans frequently change. When the receptionist arrived an hour later and asked if I had been waiting long, I tried to disguise my annoyance.

I ended up with a top bunk, but there is no ladder or reasonable way to climb up to the top bunk. And once you do climb up, you’re met with sunken in mattresses, squeaky springs and lumpy pillows. The kitchen closes at 10 pm, so make sure you’ve done everything you need to do in there before management locks that side of the hostel. A number of things bothered me about this hostel, but with lack of other options, I can’t recommend anything else.

• $22 for 10 bed mixed dorm, $25 for 6 bed mixed dorm, $30 for 4 bed mixed dorm, $32 for twin private room and $42 for single private room.
• Free breakfast
• Free WiFi
• Lockers available
• Code door entry
• Common area
• Book exchange
• Kitchen
• Bus access
• Linens for 2 euros

Meininger Altona, Hamburg

During the week I was visiting Hamburg, every other hostel seemed to be booked solid, even the sketchy ones. I found a bed at Meininger Altona, which is a European chain of combination hostels and hotels. It is located near a large shopping complex to purchase groceries and other necessities.

My 8-bed dorm was laid out in an odd way. There were 2 sets of bunk beds, 2 single beds pushed together on the other side of the room and another small room with another set of bunk beds. The kitchen area was slightly run down but was fine for a quick bite.

• $34 for 10 bed mixed dorm, $40 for 8-bed mixed dorm, $25 for 8-bed female dorm, $34 for standard 8 bed private, $42 for 6/5/4 bed private, $50 for 3 bed private, $60 for a twin private and $100 for single private.
• Short walk from Altona station
• Kitchen
• Free WiFi
• Restaurant and bar
• Linens included
• Privacy curtains and reading lamps
• Lockers
• Keycard entry
• Ensuite bathrooms
• 24-hour reception

PLUS Hostel, Berlin

I cannot say enough good things about PLUS Berlin. Their hostel is located near the S-Bahn and U-Bahn as well as a lot of stores and restaurants. The staff is very helpful and allowed me to check into my room early. I had a nice glass of wine and dinner at their Opera Restaurant.

It is a huge hostel, so tour groups from Topdeck and Contiki often stay here. These groups tend to keep to themselves and make it harder to meet people, but that doesn’t take away from the hostel’s experience. And did I mention it’s only steps away from the famous East Side Gallery?

• $26 for 6 bed mixed dorm, $29 for 4-bed mixed dorm, $30 for 4-bed female dorm, $37 for deluxe 3-bed private room, $43 for deluxe double bed private room and deluxe twin private rooms, and $39 for basic twin private room.
• Located near U-Bahn and S-Bahn
• Keycard entry
• 24-hour reception
• Cheap breakfasts
• Sauna and pool
• Bar and restaurant
• Free welcome shot or drink for Hostelworld guests
• Free WiFi, but patchy on top floors, as well as computers
• Courtyard and art gallery
• Vending machines
• Linens included
• Ensuite bathrooms
• Bike rentals
• Female-only rooms
• Conference room facilities
• See post: PLUS Hostel Berlin: Luxury for Backpackers

United Hostel, Frankfurt

The tacky Vegas-style neon lights and red convertible in the lobby should have been my first red flag. I was in Frankfurt for the Frankfurt Book Fair, so prices for accommodation all over town had nearly doubled. The United Hostel was the only place I could find under $100.

They claim to have a bar and restaurant, but I never found it. What I did find were a lot of annoying features. The first was that you need a keycard in the door to have the lights on. This means that when whoever’s card is in the door needs to leave, someone else needs to put theirs in.

You also have to pay extra for electricity. There are only plugs in the bathroom and by the sink for ten people, so you can put down a deposit and pay a daily rate for a contraption that gives you a reading light and access to the plug next to your bed. Many guests came into my room and didn’t know which bed was theirs because none had been made.

Be aware that this hostel is right next to Frankfurt‘s Red Light District, so it can be seedy at night. Prices more than double on weekends and for special events.

• $24 for standard 14 bed mixed and standard 10 bed female dorms, $26 for standard mixed 8 bed dorm, $32 for basic 8 bed mixed ensuite dorm, $26 for standard 8 bed female dorm, $32 for basic female ensuite dorm, $29 for standard 6 bed mixed dorm, $35 for basic 6 bed mixed ensuite dorm, $29 for standard 6 bed female dorm and $35 for standard 6/4 bed female dorms.
• Located down the street from the Hauptbahnhof and a short bus ride from the convention center
• Proximity to bars and restaurants
• Linens included
• Kitchen
• Common area with book exchange
• Free WiFi and internet terminals

I received complimentary stays at a few of these hostels through various partnerships, but all opinions are entirely my own.

Which hostel would be your best? What about your worst?