So, you'd like to take short breaks in the countryside more often, but there is a problem, you only have a limited budget. You've decided that camping makes little appeal and that dormitory accommodation makes none at all, so is there an alternative? Yes, a family room at a hostel.

I can't say that my initial response to my partner's idea to join the YHA was one of unbridled enthusiasm, indeed I made every excuse possible to avoid what I saw as a sad decline of my lifestyle. Apparently she had happy memories from her youth as a hosteler and thought it was time to rejoin - I was far from convinced!

In the end I gave way and, after 5 years of gentle persuasion (nagging) by my partner ('er outdoors'), I finally agreed to join the YHA. The one concession was that under no circumstances was I prepared to sleep in dormitory accommodation.

My first ever visit to a youth hostel would be to Borrowdale (photo: room) - would it be my last? By the time I reached the hostel, in the early evening, I felt as though it might be my last visit anywhere!
First Venture - Borrowdale Youth Hostel

So, did I find the hostel life for me? Well, since Borrowdale I've visited several of the others. They have been of varying quality, some have been good and some have been, well, not so good. My original expectations (fears) of what to expect have happily proved to be largely unfounded. There are some aspects of hosteling I like and there are some I do not.

I really dislike having to make up the bed and the uncomfortable bunks that creak every time you move a muscle. I can't stand the pathetically dim lighting provided in most rooms. I'm certainly not too keen on having to leave the sanctity of my room to pay a visit during the night - how undignified, traipsing along a corridor to find the nearest loo! But it's not all moans, there are some good points, affordability being not the least. Having cut the cost of accommodation I'm now able to spend much more time exploring the countryside. The facilities in some hostels are excellent and I find the more relaxed atmosphere of a hostel to be most refreshing after a day out on the fells. The food, for me a vital part of any accommodation (I'm definitely not into self-catering), has been above my expectations. So, do I consider myself to be a hosteler convert? The truth is I'm still not 100% sure.

Although I have slowly adapted I certainly don't think that I could be classed as a natural hosteler, but perhaps I'd confess to being more of a reluctant conscript. There are still times, particularly during a restless night on an uncomfortable bunk, when I long for the comfort of a bed in some cosy little B&B or pub. All in all though, I'm pleased I was persuaded to join, it has certainly been an experience! I've met some extremely pleasant and interesting people during my stays at hostels - and I've also met some real characters, and as in the case of Whitby, one or two real weirdoes.

Is the hostel life for you? Well, you must judge for yourself. Why not give it a try? I've recently decided to start rating the hostels I visit and give a purely personal view of how I, and my partner, rated them. Click the links on the left to see those hostels already visited. I hope you will find this helpful and decide to give them a try - you might just enjoy it!

If you would like to join the Youth Hostel Association, then here are the contact details: