Are these the best European cities for budget hostels?
These are some of the best cities in Europe for backpackers on a tight budget.
Mark
We may all dream of business-class travel and a five-star hotel vacation, but let’s be honest: Many of us work to a tight budget when it comes to planning our much-needed foreign breaks.
A new list by Pens.com ranks European cities by the quality and quantity of the hostels they offer. It looked specifically at hostels with the cheapest dormitory-style accommodation.
The factors it took into consideration were the dorm-bed prices, hostel ratings, hostel availability and prices for 1 to 7 August 2027, relative to visitor numbers, and summer temperatures.
Although you’ll find hostels in Europe’s most-visited cities (London, Paris, Madrid), when it comes to affordability, cities more toward Eastern Europe were, unsurprisingly, more affordable.
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The city that came out on top was Kraków, Poland, where the median dormitory bed price was just $23.
Poland is a conservative country, and there’s little gay scene in Kraków (although it does have an annual Pride festival). For a queer scene, you’d be better off heading to the capital city, Warsaw. It came third on the hostel list, with dorm beds even cheaper, at around $20.25. It came beneath Kraków as it offers slightly fewer hostel beds and its hostels, on average, rate slightly lower in terms of quality.
However, this ranking did not look at any LGBTQ factors, and we can personally vouch for the fact that Warsaw has several queer bars and bathhouses, among other attractions.
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Sandwiched between Kraków and Warsaw, at number two on the list, was Porto in Portugal. The top five was rounded out by Prague in the Czech Republic (number 4), and Bruges, Belgium (number 5).
A spokesperson for Pens.com said in a press statement, “Kraków stands out because it does everything well rather than relying on one selling point. Its hostels are the best rated of any city ranked, its dorm beds are among the cheapest, and its summers are close to ideal, which is exactly the balance a backpacker on a budget is after.
“Price is where trips are won or lost. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive cities is huge, with a dorm bed in Nice costing more than four times one in Warsaw or Istanbul, so a little research before booking can stretch a travel budget a long way. What stands out in the data is how strongly Eastern European cities dominate the top of the ranking.
“It is also worth looking past the famous names. Some of the most visited capitals score poorly here once you weigh up cost and how many hostels are available for the number of visitors, so smaller cities can offer a smoother and cheaper trip.”
Below is the European top 30 – we’re including the name of each city, its allocated final score (out of 100), and the median dorm bed price.
- Kraków, Poland – 92.01 (score out of 100) – $23.01 (median dorm bed price)
- Porto, Portugal – 89.77 – $36.76
- Warsaw, Poland – 73.08 – $20.25
- Prague, Czech Republic – 71.38 – $34.34
- Bruges, Belgium – 67.14 – $44.91
- Berlin, Germany – 65.33 – $27.96
- Seville, Spain – 63.48 – $29.06
- Budapest, Hungary – 63.05 – $47.32
- Madrid, Spain – 62.77 – $27.08
- Brussels, Belgium – 61.86 – $40.28
- Tallinn, Estonia – 61.82 – $26.85
- Athens, Greece – 59.78 – $28.83
- Lisbon, Portugal – 59.59 – $36.98
- Stockholm, Sweden – 59.31 – $39.40
- Vienna, Austria – 59.26 – $30.60
- Lyon, France – 58.00 – $30.60
- Amsterdam, Netherlands – 56.37 – $53.49
- Istanbul, Turkey – 54.45 – $19.38
- London, United Kingdom – 52.52 – $38.08
- Copenhagen, Denmark – 52.43 – $45.13
- Dublin, Ireland – 50.11 – $43.69
- Hamburg, Germany – 48.01 – $38.08
- Edinburgh, Scotland – 43.74 – $79.58
- Florence, Italy – 43.67 – $38.30
- Reykjavik, Iceland – 36.80 – $48.60
- Rome, Italy – 35.67 – $63.95
- Milan, Italy – 33.93 – $46.45
- Nice, France – 32.36 – $84.53
- Paris, France – 31.84 – $48.76
- Barcelona, Spain – 31.71 – $75.72
A handful of well-known cities were not included in the list because they offered a very limited choice of hostels. This included Venice, Italy, and Munich and Frankfurt in Germany.
What about gay hostels?
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for gay hostels, your choices are extremely limited. The last few years have seen the closure of some high-profile gay hostels, such as My Gay Hostel in Berlin. This can partly be attributed to the rise in popularity of Airbnb and Misterbnb. The latter allows the option of a cheap room or sofa bed in a gay host’s home – which is potentially more appealing than a dormitory room in a hostel.
Surviving options include Gay Hostel Torremolinos, in Spain, Hostel La Zona in Madrid, and the gay-friendly Kipps Brighton in England.
However, most hostels in Europe, particularly Western Europe, will cater for a mixed and diverse crowd, including LGBTQ+ customers. If visiting a more conservative country, always check online reviews in advance or ask a hostel directly, before booking, if they welcome queer guests.
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