This blog is purely for those interested in where I stayed in my two months backing Croatia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. I’ve tried to list what I thought were the pros and cons of each place but I’m sure I’ve missed some. Most of the placed I booked were above an 8.5 on Hostelworld/Booking.com, and had high ratings on TripAdvisor. Most importanly…at the time when I stayed, none of these places had bedbugs (thank goodness!)
Sorry for the lack of pics of all of the places I stayed! I was having a lot of fun sightseeing!

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Split, Croatia
Name: Hostel Split
Price Range: Cheap (for high season)
Location: 100 metres from port (VERY central)
Pros:
– Location
– Air con
– WiFiCons:
– Limited kitchen facilities
Sunset from Earthers Hostel -
Hvar, Croatia
Name: Earthers Hostel
Price Range: Expensive (although it was summer)
Location: 10 minutes walk from centre of town
Pros:
– Air con
– Quite friendly staff
– Good common area/kitchen
– Great terrace to watch sunset
– Lots of events
– Very social
– Good breakfastCons:
– Wifi doesn’t reach rooms not in main building and isn’t great in the main building
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Dubrovnik, Croatia
Name: Family Stanos
Price Range: Cheap for Dubrovnik
Location: Just outside the city walls (but there are lots of steps to it!)
Pros:
– Just outside city walls (location great)
– Quiet
– Only one pedestal fan per roomCons:
– Not very social
– Looks a little old
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Pula, Croatia
N/A – Stayed in AirBnB that I didn’t book
Rovinj, Croatia
Name: Roundabout Hostel
Price Range: No other hostels here to compare it to
Location: 15 minutes walk from the centre
Pros:
– GREAT wifi
– Great kitchen and common areaCons:
– They are the only hostel in Rovinj so you really don’t have any other options
– They put 9 beds in an “8 bed room”
1 bedroom, shared bathroom. Basic. -
Verona, Italy
Name: Airbnb
Price Range: $50 AUD per night (approx)
Location: VERY central
Pros:
– Good wifi
– Aircon
– Some kitchen facilities
– “Breakfast” Included
– LocationCons:
– Room was quite dark -
Riva del Garda, Italy
I stayed with a friend so this isn’t applicable, sorry!
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Bologna, Italy
Name: Il Nosadillo
Price Range: Average
Location: 5-10 minutes walk from centre
Pros:
– No bunk beds
– Lockers with locks included
– Each bed had own power socket
– Aircon
– Wifi good
– Common area
– Breakfast includedCons:
– Staff not very present except when guests are checking in
Just down the street from the hostel you can buy Trofia al Pesto, a traditional dish of Northern Italy -
La Spezia
Name: Grand Hostel Manin
Price Range: Average
Location: Centre of La Spezia (La Spezia is a 7 minute train ride to Cinque Terre)
Pros:
– Very modern
– Individual power sockets/USB ports in wall beside bed
– Lockers
– Great kitchen
– Amazing, helpful staffCons:
– Just little things like no chairs in rooms, no shower curtains, no bins in rooms (but the hostel was brand new when I stayed so I’m sure these things will get sorted out) -
Genova, Italy
Name: Abbey Hostel
Price Range: Cheap
Location: Central
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Good common area/kitchen
– Option to add dinner/breakfast
– LockersCons:
– Lots of dodgy people always hanging around outside.- Not a safe area at night
Lockers, own power sockets. Great rooms. -
Milan, Italy
Name: Ostello Bello
Price Range: Expensive (about 40 Euros/night – but Milan did seem expensive) but worth it
Location: Central
Pros:
– Air con
– Awesome stafff
– Good common area/kitchen (with free food!)
– Great terraces
– Very social
– Free breakfast
– Free dinner!
– Age limitCons:
– None
Very modern rooms at Mola Hostel -
Madrid, Spain
Name: Mola Hostel
Price Range: Reasonable (about 20 Euros/night)
Location: VERY central (Near Puerta del Sol)
Pros:
– Air con
– Quite friendly staff
– Good common area
– Good breakfast as optional extra
– Events on offer
– Very modernCons
– Wifi didn’t work when I was there (they responded on TripAdvisor to say that they have now fixed that issue though)
– Quite noisy on street ouside – windows don’t block it
Party hostel by name and nature. Rooms fine. -
Valencia, Spain
Name: Home Backpackers Hostel Valencia (This is a party hostel)
Price Range: Reasonable (was expensive when I was there due to La Tomatina)
Location: Far from the beach but in the old town
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Great bar/kitchen/common area
– Lots of activities and dinners (I did La Tomatina with a package from this hostel)
– Social
– LockersCons
– Fans didn’t work properly. I think it’d be freezing in winter.
– Noisy (it is a party hostel however the majority of noise came from bars on the street outside)
– Shared bathrooms a bit old/gross -
Javea, Spain
I stayed with family, sorry!
A 3.50 Euro lunch at the hostel of Fideua – a paella dish but using macaroni-like pasta. -
Alicante, Spain
Name: Hostel Olé
Price Range: Reasonable (Less than 30 Euros/night but can’t remember exactly)
Location: Central
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Good common area
– Rooms nice and dark
– Individual powerpoints and lights per bed
– Good internet
– Central
– Some optional activities (like lunch and pub crawls) offeredCons:
– Showers had glass doors which was a bit awkward…
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Granada, Spain
Name: White Nest Hostel
Price Range: Reasonable
Location: SO CENTRAL!
Pros:
– LOCATION….Literally right beside The Alhambra
– Staff got me a ticket to The Alhambra despite it being sold out
– Good common area
– Good kitchen
– Events on offer
– Very modernCons
– Rooms very dark
– No aircon/fans…I think it would be very cold in winter.
– Lack of power sockets in walls
– Wifi didn’t work
Terrace and bar at top of hostel -
Málaga, Spain
Name: Oasis Backpackers’ Hostel Malaga (This is a party hostel)
Price Range: Reasonable
Location: Central-ish. About 30 minutes walk to beach but is located right in the heart of the city.
Pros:
– Air con (but it came on at random times)
– Fridge/freezer in room
– Good common areas/terrace/bar
– Central
– Events on offer
– Very modernCons
– Noisy from bar upstairs -
Cordoba, Spain
Name: Hostal Osio
Price Range: Cheap (about 10 Euros per night)
Location: Very central (Cordoba is tiny)
Pros:
– Air con
– Quite friendly staff
– Good kitchen
– EnsuiteCons
– Rooms were dark -
Seville, Spain
Name: Black Swan Hostel Sevilla
Price Range: Reasonable
Location: Central
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Good common area/great kitchen
– Brand new in 2016
– Events on offer
– Very modernCons
– Some of it still unfinished (as of my stay)
View from the window of my room -
Lagos, Portugal
Name: Boutique Taghostel
Price Range: Reasonable
Location: SO central. Right on the estuary.
Pros:
– Location
– Great staff
– Good common area/kitchen
– Good breakfast
– Hostel dog (!)
– Rooms nice and brightCons
– Fans didn’t work well to cool the room. Think it would be freezing in winter.
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Lisbon, Portugal
Name:Good Morning Hostel (THE BEST HOSTEL I’VE EVER STAYED AT)
Price Range: Mid to high
Location: Very central
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Good common area/great kitchen
– THE BREAKFAST (which is included)….waffles with nutella, grilled cheese sandwiches, bacon and eggs!
– Very social! Lots of events on offer every day…multiple tours (some free, some paid) to see Lisbon, Sintra and other places. Dinners offered at night (3 courses and sangria for 10 Euros) and pub crawls every night.
– Each bunk had own power socket and light
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Porto, Portugal
Name: Bluesock Hostel
Price Range: Reasonable
Location: Very central (50 metres from the river)
Pros:
– Air con
– BEST STAFF AT ANY HOSTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED AT. They were all friendly and helpful (and also obsessed with great food, just like me!)
– Good common area
– The breakfast (optional extra) is great
– Lots of events on offer like pub crawls, Port Wine, walking and tapas tours.
– Each bunk had two power sockets, light and curtainCons:
– I don’t have anything to fault on this hostel other than the fact that it wasn’t compeletely finished when I stayed there. -
Barcelona, Spain
Name: Yeah Barcelona Hostel
Price Range: Mid to high
Location: Quite central (Barcelona is quite a big city)
Pros:
– Air con
– Friendly staff
– Great common area/great kitchen/bar
– Computers in lobby
– Each bed has little locker with light and power socket inside that you can lock to charge stuff overnight
– Pool and terrace
So they’re all of the places I stayed. Feel free to comment and ask questions. I haven’t written everything about all of them (like whether they had ensuites or not because it’s not always a super big deal for me) but if you feel like I’ve missed anything out definitely comment. Hope this is helpful! I took a lot of recommendations from old and new friends way and I’m so glad that I did