travel

Unless you live under a literal rock, chances are you've heard of the Coronavirus. Many people all over the world are cancelling trips and postponing travel plans. We get it - it's scary! However, there are more deaths reported annually from the flu than there have been from Coronavirus. Would you cancel a trip because you were worried about getting the flu? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 20,000 worldwide deaths from the flu since October 1, 2019.

So it’s your first time at a hostel. You’re a little less nervous after reading our post on what to expect in hostels, but you still have no idea what to pack. This post will go over the basics!

Most of what you need to bring with you to a hostel are the same things you would bring on any trip - socks, underwear, pajamas, cow onesie - or wait, maybe that last one is just us.

Back in the day, the only way to find a free stay in a hostel was to show up, be helpful and hope for the best. Now, in the age of the Internet, there are a plethora of websites to help travelers find volunteer opportunities in hostels. If you do your research, you can find all sorts of niche communities that are well suited to your interests that may be willing to take you in and give you a bed.

If you’ve ever stayed in a hostel, chances are you’ve met people in the community who were staying for free. You may not have realized it but they were there. For many, being part of a community like this might seem like an amazing opportunity that’s unattainable to the average backpacker. BUT! If you’re friendly, helpful, and outgoing, you could have one of these opportunities in hostels, too. This post will tell you how.

Happy Cyber Monday! If you aren't familiar with the concept, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving where many companies have pre-Christmas sales. This usually means waiting in long lines at department stores to score the best deal on a microwave, but many airlines have flight deals as well! For the next few days, you can find some really cheap flights around the U.S. - without having to leave your hostel common room.

Here are some of our favorite deals you can get from San Francisco. These are only active until December 4th, so act fast!!!

A few weeks ago, we told you about a new travel trend that’s helping thousands of travelers see the whole world - while barely spending any money at all. This trend is called “Slow Travel,” a.k.a the practice of spending several weeks or months at a time in one city or country. One common way people are doing this is by helping out in hostels.

If we believed everything Hollywood movies told us, we would think hostels are dirty, run-down, and full of people waiting to steal your stuff and/or stab you the second you fall asleep. We’re here to tell you that this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Before we do that, let’s go over the basics. 

So! You have one day in San Francisco. Maybe you’re passing through on your way to somewhere else. Or, maybe you know that our pretty city by the Bay is the eighth-most expensive city to travel to in the U.S., so you figured that a day here is all you can afford.

If it’s the latter, never fear! This blog post will walk you through how to spend 24 hours in San Francisco - on just 24 dollars. You heard it here first.