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I'm pushing half a century soon and i'd like to do some more international travel. i used to rent a car and sleep in the back when i traveled previously, but that can make for some uncomfortable evenings. so for the bucks and does on here who don't want to spend $300 a night on a fine star hotel, let alone even 100, how do hostels work for middle-aged people? is it even a thing?

I'm pushing half a century soon and i'd like to do some more international travel. i used to rent a car and sleep in the back when i traveled previously, but that can make for some uncomfortable evenings. so for the bucks and does on here who don't want to spend $300 a night on a fine star hotel, let alone even 100, how do hostels work for middle-aged people? is it even a thing?

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[–] • 0 pt

Shit, it's been 30+ years since I stayed in a hostel... haven't even considered them since getting married (most are dorm style, men together, women together ~ no "couples") Back then, in the US and Canada, they were fine. Never had anything stolen, never had anything Worth stealing either. Met lots of cool people, went on adventures I would have never otherwise known about ~ something I'd wish on every 18~24y/o for at least a few months.

Now? When we've gone out of the country we've used hotels only as a last resort (usually when arriving/departing airports for the long haul between there and home), otherwise it's guest houses, airbnb, etc... One of the coolest places was a room over a brewery in Germany, woke up to the smell of malt and the clinking of bottles... walked down the stairs to their "morning window" and ordered a Weissbier (hefewizen, they even do them in low alcohol variants). I think we paid like $25us for the night there. I don't think we've ever paid over $100us for a room, in any country outside of the US.

Mostly we stay in the country... or at least where we can drive, and our bed is in the back of a DIY van conversion. Suits our pace a whole lot better, just stop when you find something worth stopping for, stay till you've gotten your fill and then move on. This was our acceptance of "middle age", recognizing that the discomfort of exhaustion (long distance air travel takes weeks to recover from anymore) isn't worth the rewards anymore. Thankfully we didn't wait to travel... and maybe in the future we will be in a position where we can Spend a week or more recovering from the flight and still have time to enjoy the destination... till then, we drive a van with a bed.

[–] • 0 pt

I didn't really think about overseas stuff until about 10 years ago. And I did a few trips. But then I dumped the corp life I had for the back of my Subaru then a van. I do agree that being young affords you the luxury trying things that might hurt or are kind of not smart. The only way I would head over the pond again would be if I could piece together a long stay somewhere. It would be worth my time and money at that point. 10 days somewhere barely scratches the surface.