Hot Hostels

• Share

For college-age people, a backpacking holiday is one of the great pleasures of summer; for their parents, it's one of the great worries. It's hard enough to let your kids go off on their own, harder still when you're unsure where they're going to stay. You'll feel better if they make travel plans with advice from www.hostels.com, one of the largest databases of hostels around the world: over 7,000 are currently listed. The facilities are rated by visitors who have stayed there (categories include "security," "location," "cleanliness" and "fun"), which means no unpleasant surprises on arrival. The site offers lots of information on hosteling in general, including what to bring and safety tips. Many of the hostels listed will let you book a bed online.

Most students are already familiar with the low-budget agency STA Travel, which has hundreds of branches worldwide. In addition to booking flights and travel packages, the website (www.sta.com) lists top hostels and budget hotels, and offers discounts for STA members. Hosteling International (www.hihostels.com) has ratings, discounts and general information — it also sells "communication packages" with 24-hour travel assistance, low-cost long-distance calls and free e-mail accounts that students can access over the phone. There's no excuse for not calling Mom.