Posted: 11/19/2018 | November 19th, 2018
Amsterdam will always have a special place in my heart. I spent a month there on my first trip around the world in 2006. I made local friends, wandered far and wide, and really got to know the city and its people.
I fell in love with Amsterdam that trip.
I’ve been back to visit Amsterdam every year since.
The city is one of the most visited and backpacked in Europe.
And it’s filled with hundreds of hostels, hotels, and guesthouses for travelers to stay in.
With so many places showing up in your search results, how do you know the best hostels in Amsterdam to choose? I mean dozens are top rated on Hostelworld, right?
To make choosing a hostel in Amsterdam easier, I distilled my years of experience in this list that features my favorite hostels in Amsterdam. These hostels have friendly staff, are social, clean, and fairly inexpensive. These are the places I always stay when I’m in town.
Without further ado, here are my…..
14 Best Hostels in Amsterdam
(In no particular order.)
1. Euphemia Old City Canal Zone
Located in a former monastery, this hostel sits on a beautiful canal and is close to most of the city’s attractions, particularly the museums. Their beds are comfy and the rooms are kept clean. They also have bike rentals too. If you’re looking for a chill hostel with a view, stay here. Note: Guests must be 40 years of age or younger.
Beds from 15 EUR/17 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Euphemia Old City Canal Zone!
2. Meininger Amsterdam Hostels
This European hostel chain has two Amsterdam locations. These hostels are fairly big and are not for the partying type. They are chill hostels mean for families, couples, groups, or anyone looking to escape the party scene in the city. The beds are soft and you’ll find lots of outlets to charge your things. Both hostels are clean, spacious, comfortable, and offer a fairly decent breakfast. When I’m looking for a quiet time, I stay here.
Beds from 15.50 EUR/17.62 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Meininger Amsterdam City West!
—-> Click here to book your stay at Meininger Hotel Amsterdam Amstel!
3. Clink Noord
Located in North Amsterdam, this former laboratory from the 1920s has been converted into a stylish, clean space for backpackers. It’s super awesome, fun, and social environment. They have a fantastic library, workspace, and atrium. There’s a café and in-hostel bar on site too. The beds are new and the pillows are quite soft. Each bunk bed has an individual light and USB socket to charge your phone. Stay here to get a sense of what Amsterdam outside the city center is like! It’s truly one of the best in Amsterdam! Fun fact: If you’re a musician, you can perform in the ZincBAR for a free one-night stay.
Beds from 17 EUR/19.30 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Clink Noord!
4. Hostel Van Gogh
Located near the Van Gogh Museum (hence the name), this easily accessible hostel is clean with comfy beds. There’s free Wi-Fi, shampoo and shower gel, and they offer an all-you-can-eat luxury continental breakfast buffet for only €5. They also have bike rentals. There’s an age restriction (18–40) for the mixed dorms. I like staying here because their dorms are single beds, there’s art on the walls, and it’s easy to visit all the major attractions from here! (Also, it’s away from the chaos of the Red Light District!)
Beds from 18 EUR/20.50 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Hostel Van Gogh!
5. StayOkay Amsterdam Vondelpark
This hostel is part of the YHA association and is pretty standard for them. It’s sort of sterile. Everything is fairly clean and modern and the beds are kinda comfy. Like M hotels, this hostel is best for couples, groups, families, and non-partying travelers. There’s a good continental breakfast, everything here is quiet, there’s no partying, and there are bike rentals. If you’re a YHA member, you get 10% off when you check in.
Beds from 18 EUR/20.50 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at StayOkay Amsterdam Vondelpark!
6. The Flying Pig Downtown
This is one of my favorite hostels in the world, and I almost always stay here when I’m in town. It’s popular with travelers looking to chill and smoke, and the bar area gets very busy at night. It may not be the cheapest hostel in the city, but the showers are good, the pillows and beds super comfy. There are charging points by each of the beds too. Because of its famous reputation, it’s almost always full, so it’s easy to make friends. Stay at the downtown location if you want more space and a bigger bar.
Beds from 20 EUR/23 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at The Flying Pig Downtown!
There’s also an uptown location near Vondelpark that is a bit quiter and more relaxed but it’s a lot smaller of location.
—-> Click here to book your stay at The Flying Pig Uptown!
7. Durty Nellys Inn
Located in the center of Amsterdam by the Red Light District, this is your classic, fun backpacker hostel. It’s cozy, tiny, and inexpensive. The beds are decent for a stay and each comes with its own reading light and outlight. But it creates a great community and it’s really easy to meet other travelers here. The staff is super knowledgeable and there’s a hearty breakfast too. Hostel guests also get a discount in the pub located downstairs. Given its location, it’s a party hostel.
Beds from 20 EUR/23 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Durty Nellys Inn!
8. Hans Brinker Hostel Amsterdam
Hans Brinker has been around nearly 50 years, and it hasn’t changed much since I’ve been visiting. It’s near all of Amsterdam’s best nightlife and only five minutes from the Museumplein. There’s a hip underground bar and a cheap restaurant on site. The rooms are pretty basic, but there’s free breakfast. It’s one of the most old school, popular hostels in the city. It’s a bit of an institution.
Beds from 20 EUR/23 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Hans Brinker Hostel Amsterdam!
9. The Bulldog Hotel
While I thought the lack of a common area detracted from the overall social atmosphere of the hostel, it does have a pub that offers cheap and filling food and drinks. The dorm rooms are clean and modern, and each room has their own showers. It’s located right in the heart of the Red Light District, so it’s a bit wild on the weekends! It’s one of the best hostels in the city, even if it’s a bit pricey.
Beds from 20 EUR/23 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at The Bulldog Hotel!
10. Shelter City Hostel
I don’t stay at this place often and I only include it on the list because not everyone wants to party. This is an alcohol-free, party-free, and drug-free hostel with separate rooms for men and women. The rooms are comfy, the showers well kept, and most of the guests here are pretty quiet.
Beds from 25 EUR/28.40 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Shelter City Hostel!
11. St. Christopher’s at The Winston
This is one of the all-around best hostels in Amsterdam. This old converted hotel is near the Red Light District. It has a beer garden, smoking area, and offers discounts on food and drink in the bar downstairs, which is also popular with locals because of its cheap happy hour. The hallways have cool art on them and comfy super beds. This is a great, great place to meet other travelers. Be sure to get a room on the inner courtyard to avoid the late-night street noise.
Beds from 25 EUR/28.40 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at St. Christopher’s at The Winston!
12. CityHub Amsterdam
This cool new offering has communal areas and shared bathrooms like a hostel, but private rooms like a hotel. The rooms look like space-age hubs (or capsules) from the outside. Inside you’ll find very little space but comfy beds and a quiet environment. It’s a modern, keyless experience. You’ll get a wristband that’ll let you do everything, including purchase beer. The bathrooms are excellent, with awesome showers, luxury toiletries, and even flat irons and curling irons for the girls. It’s one of the best new hostels in Amsterdam.
Rooms from 53 EUR/62.50 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at CityHub Amsterdam!
13. Botel Zebra
This kid-friendly hostel is actually on a houseboat. Each cabin has bunk beds with linens and a bathroom with towels, plus Wi-Fi and breakfast are included in the price. Staying here is a very Dutch way to experience Amsterdam! It’s a fun experience. Note: This place is only available during fall and winter.
Double rooms from 85 EUR/97 USD.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Botel Zebra!
14. Ecomama
Ecomama is a new, eco-friendly hostel located right in at the end of the Red Light District and around the corner from Waterlooplein. Everything here is environmentally sustainable, from the use of fair trade materials, natural stone heating, and waste recycling. The rooms are beautiful with art on the walls, lots of light, and uber comfy mattresses. The common room has a lot of spaces to hang out and the whole building is filled with a lot of natural light. It’s very much the poshiest hostel on the list!
Dorm beds from 32 EUR/36 USD per night, but with a minimum two-night booking. Private rooms start around 100 EUR/114 USD per night, but with double occupancy and minimum two nights.
—-> Click here to book your stay at Ecomama!
***This list of the tried-and-true best hostels in Amsterdam should make planning your
trip to Amsterdam a breeze. If you want a great place to stay during your visit, you won’t go wrong with any of these hostels.
So stay in one of them on your next trip!
Want the real, most honest, straight to the point guide on Amsterdam?
Want to plan the perfect trip to Amsterdam? Check out my comprehensive guide to Amsterdam written for budget travelers like yourself! This guide gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money in one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. You’ll find suggested itineraries tips budgets, ways to save money, on and off the beaten path things to see and do, and my favorite non-touristy restaurants, markets, and bars, and much more! Click here to learn more and download it instantly.
Book Your Trip to Amsterdam: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Get Your Guide
Check out my detailed guide to planning a visit to Amsterdam with suggested itineraries, places to stay, things to do, where to eat, and how to get around. Just click here to get the guide and continue planning today!
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!
Photo credits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
The post My Top 14 Hostels in Amsterdam appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
Posted: 11/29/18 | November 29th, 2018
Maybe it was the traffic. Maybe the smog. Maybe it was the apparent vanity of everyone I met. Or the hippie-dippie way of life (I’ve seen people pick meals by using a crystals). I know it was definitely in part the lack of public transportation.
While I could never really put my finger on it, there was just something about Los Angeles that just always rubbed me the wrong way.
I’d go to see friends or attend conferences and, while I enjoyed that fun, I hated the city itself.
Whenever I had to go visit, I’d just think to myself “Ugh, another trip to L.A.!”
I just never got the city.
After each visit, I always felt that if I never returned, I wouldn’t be missing anything.
Heck, I even wrote a blog post about my disdain for LA!
And then one day while I was ivisitng, I woke up and I really liked — nay, LOVED — Los Angeles.
I don’t know when it happened.
I can’t pinpoint one precise moment or event.
After all, my routine in LA has always been the same: see a few attractions, eat and drink lots, catch up with friends, maybe head to the beach, some work at WeWork, and host a meet-up.
But, one day, I just woke up, looked around, and said, “Ya know, I really like it here. I think I’ll extend my stay a bit longer.”
The more I visited, the more interesting places I discovered or was taken to, the more offbeat sights I saw, and the more I got to know the city. I learned its history. I learned how to get around, when to brave the traffic and when not to. I found markets and hole-in-the-wall taquerias and noodle shops. I had too many martinis at the historic Musso & Frank’s.
And then, when I was there last week, it hit me.
I realized I hated LA for the same reason I originally hated Bangkok.
And now love LA for the same reasons I fell in love with Bangkok.
Los Angeles isn’t built for tourists.
Yes, tourists go there. Yes, there are a lot of touristy things to do there.
But it’s not like Hong Kong, Paris, Buenos Aires, London, Sydney, or other places where you can go down a long list of attractions, drink in the culture, get around easily, and get a feel for the city in a short period of time.
No, the sprawling nature of Los Angeles, the traffic and cost of getting around, the lack of a city center, and the transient nature of its inhabitants makes it a bad “tourist” city.
To get to know Los Angeles, you have to live there. Just like Bangkok.
Like Bangkok, L.A. is requires you to stay awhile. It’s an onion with layers you need to peel back over time.
L.A. is found in the restaurants, markets, ethnic enclaves, offbeat bars, and coffee shops. It is found on hiking trails and beaches. In art and music shows.
It’s found in the vibe and the people, not in the sights.
I began to love Bangkok when I got know it beyond the temples and the tourist trail. When I found hidden markets and amazing street stalls frequented only by locals, became friends with residents, and understood how it operated, I knew why people loved Bangkok so much.
Bangkok is not a city for tourists.
It’s for residents.
Just like Los Angeles.
When I realized that, I stopped looking at Los Angeles through the lens of a tourist. When I began to look at through the eyes of the people who lived there, suddenly the city becomes alive with things to do, coffeeshops to sit in, and places to explore.
It turns out L.A. is an awesome city if you know where to look.
I just never knew where to look before.
