The answer is simple, YES. If youre like me, I leave all my stuff out when I stay in a hostel. I rarely use the locker. I say the same thing to anyone who asks me, “everyone is in the same boat”. Why would you steal from someone who is staying in the same dorm as you? For whatever reason we were all put together in the same dorm. We should all be on the same wavelength. Whether its travelling alone or with friends, the aim is to meet new people and enjoy the city.

The only advice I can give you is look after your passport and use your common sense. Happy travelling.

Personally I think between 6-8 is about the right amount. Its not too expensive, there is usually enough space for all of you in the dorm, and it doesnt get too noisy or sweaty with all the bodies. Another plus is that because of the amount of people there is actually sometimes an en-suite.

The worst experience I have had is a 10 bed dorm in Hainan, China. The beds were about a foot apart, we were not far off top and tailing with the person next to us. The highlight had to be the fact we were having pictures taken of us while we slept because we were foreigners. Let me tell you, id take being woken by a mosquito bite over a camera flash any day.

To start with, you’ll want decent facilities in terms of food. Even if you eat out a fair amount when you’re away, it’s good to have access to breakfasts and snacks. Most hostels have vending machines in designated communal areas so that you can get a quick snack or drink when you want one.

Hostels often have buffet-style dining areas where you can get a decent breakfast. These aren’t open all the time, but if you are up a reasonable hour you’ll be able to fill your boots for the day ahead.

A lot of hostels also have a bar where you can get a few drinks – alcoholic or otherwise. These tend to be pretty reasonably priced. However, the working hours of the bars aren’t likely to be extensive, so you may have to head back to the vending machines for a drink if you get back late or you’re thirsty before the bar opens.

The communal areas of certain hostels often feature televisions so that you can catch any televised sport or shows. These are often located nearby vending machines and other facilities, but remember you’ll have to share your viewing time with whoever else wants to watch.

In Hong Kong I stayed in a hotel for 7 nights on Hong Kong Island. It was worth starting the trip with a bit of luxury as I knew there would be far worse places to follow.

I then moved on to Australia, where me and my mate spend 2 months in Sydney in an apartment with 2 girls we knew from the UK. The place was complete with swimming pool, sauna, gym and roof terrace. We then bought a car and drove 26km around the country staying in hostels in the cities and campsites win the desert.

We then did the hostel thing in New Zealand when a couple we were travelling with decided they wanted a bit of privacy and got a camper van and drove round both islands.

In Singapore, and Malaysia it was hostels all the way, and then to Thailand where we ended the trip in a beach hut on Ko Pha Ngan. Although we were pretty skint by this point even the cold water showers didn’t dampen the spirit. It’s well worth going backpacking – even on a shoe string budget.

The year after I went to Tignes in France, which is over the mountain from Val D’Isere where I stayed in a luxury chalet that was fully catered for with 14 friends.

The last 2 years I’ve been to Cervinia in Italy where we stayed at a very nice hotel called Hotel Compagnoni. It was family owned with breakfast included although we had to go out for evening meals. The rooms, food, and staff were amazingly friendly and it’s ideal for the ‘ski to your door’ life that makes the week long trip a lot easier. I’d recommend this hotel to anyone, and give it a 4 out of 5 overall. Cervinia is an ideal location if you want to save money on your accommodation and then ski across the border to Switzerland to take full advantage of the slopes over there.

My favourite hostel was in Melbourne, a hostel called the Exford Hotel which was a proper laugh, full of people up for a good time. Me and my mate were travelling with a couple so they got a room for the 2 of them, whereas we went for a 4 person room because it was cheaper. The 2 other room mates were real part animals and the benefit of the hostel was that there was a pub/bar downstairs complete with pool table and juke box and the bar seemed to be open 24 hours a day.

We had many a good night having a few too many beers and blasting out Oasis on the juke box to remind us of our roots. We even got kicked out of the pub one night for playing too much Oasis, but they took it on the chin and let us back in the same night! We were in Melbourne to coincide with the F1 Grand Prix and saw David Coulthard win the race that year.

If you’re going to Melbourne and are on a budget you can do far worse than the Exford Hotel.