A Place To Rest Your Head
As an ISIC, IYTC or ITIC cardholder, you could save lots of money on your accommodation just by showing your card or quoting your card number when you're making a booking.
Student and Youth Travel Offices, affiliated with the ISTC, offer a wide range of accommodation options to suit your needs and budget. Here are some of the accommodation options available and their benefits to help you to decide where to stay.
Living with the Locals
Staying with a host family in another country is often the best way to experience another country, its culture and way of life. Foreign exchanges can be arranged through your local student travel office, your secondary school or college. Exchanges usually involve hosting as well as staying with a foreign exchange student for a specified period of time. Foreign exchanges are also an exciting way to learn a new language or improve your fluency.
Budget Hotels
Staying in a hotel offers you more privacy than staying in a youth hostel or other kinds of shared accommodation. You can generally come and go as you please and there are usually staff available to give you any information you need and help you to enjoy your stay.
Youth Hostels
Staying in a youth hostel is a great way to meet other travellers who can offer you advice on things to see and places to go which you may not find out through books and brochures. Youth hostels also tend to have more of a party atmosphere and often have organised entertainment or nights out to help you to make friends and enjoy your stay. If you are travelling alone, you could also meet a travel companion to continue your travels with and experience the country you are visiting together.
Hostelling International
From modern built hostels to 15th century Italian villas and country cottages,
there are over 4,300 Hostelling International locations worldwide. Hostelling
International is the brand name of the not-for-profit organisation, International
Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) and its member associations. Hostelling International
represents international youth hostel associations in 60 countries offering
travellers quality budget accommodation.
For detailed information on IYHF hostels and how to book, check out their website at www.HIhostels.com.
What is Hostelling International?
Hostelling International is the brand name of the not-for-profit organisation, the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) and its member associations. Hostelling International represents international youth hostel associations in 60 countries worldwide offering travellers quality standard budget accommodation.
Can I reserve a bed in advance?
Hostelling International offers a booking service that can be used to reserve
accommodation up to six months in advance at over 500 hostels in more than 50
countries. Reservations can also be made directly with over 4,300 hostels by
telephone or in writing. During the summer months, many hostels fill up very
quickly so advance reservations are highly recommended for more popular destinations.
Although each hostel is unique, Hostelling International has introduced an
assured standards and grading scheme to guarantee consistent quality throughout
the network. Most hostels have communal kitchen facilities or offer inexpensive
meals. Bathroom facilities are often communal also, however many hostels now
offer private en-suite rooms.
A hostel safe or lockers are usually available for travellers to store their
valuables and important travel documents. Many city hostels are open 24 hours
a day, so you can come and go whenever you please.
Rented Accommodation
If you plan on staying in a country for over three months, it may be worth looking into a short-term let on an apartment or a room in a shared house. The advantages of renting your own place are numerous - you can invite friends round, you have no restriction on when you can come and go and you don't need to worry about keeping your belongings safely locked away. You can find listings for rented accommodation via the internet, in the local newspaper or in local magazines for foreigners.
University Accommodation
Most universities offer accommodation to students enrolled in its courses, however during the Summer and Easter holidays it often possible for travellers to rent out a shared self-catering apartment, or a room on the university campus or in a hall of residence. This is probably the cheapest kind of accommodation available and often includes other student facilities such as a gym, cafeteria, bar and laundry.
