That is the question.   And the answer is:  HOSTEL!

First let’s clarify – We chose hostels because of the three C’s: ‘clean, convenient and cheap.’ Savvy travelers have caught on and so has Airbnb. Www.hihostels.com (Hostels International) is one of the many other sites offering a full listing of amazing places that we often used.  We know, photos can sometimes stretch the size or lose focus on what is hidden beneath the sheets.  But we can attest, almost all of the hostels we stayed in were wonderful.

 Perhaps you just cannot envision putting your family in a hostel.  Can you say ‘shortsighted?’ You say cramped; we say cozy.  Because on a family vacation,  privacy is overrated,  overpriced and frankly,  a dream for another day down your road of life.  And when you hit that road,  you’ll find yourself looking back at these as “the good old days,” and wondering why the kids never call.

Some of our best memories come from our nights together in the hostel, reviewing the day behind us and planning the days in front of us.  If you don’t want giggling and ghost stories, pay up for privacy.  OrBut if you want clean, safe and comfortable, family friendly memory builders, hostels are a great bet.

And cheap!  Seven Heavens Guesthouse in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina offers an 8 bed room like the one we stayed in above,  for a whopping $10.77 per night.  And that’s why I often laugh at people who say they can’t afford world travel, only to head off to The Big Apple and Broadway.

So when it comes to the question:  To hostel, or not to hostel, there is only one answer from the Hirn Family:

Hostel, baby!  Hostel!

Have a great week!

Dawn