10 Best European Hostels for Families

Offering a practical and affordable place to stay, European hostels are becoming increasingly appealing to travelers with children. Hostels can offer families private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and to really keep costs down, the self-catering kitchens are ideal places to prepare packed lunches. Most hostels offer games rooms and children will be happy watching TV in the comfortable lounge areas after a busy day of sightseeing. Hostels often organize free activities such as city tours or movie nights.

HostelBookers.com, a site that helps families book hostels and cheap hotels around the world, reveals to Family Vacation Critic their 10 favorite family-friendly European hostels:

Equity Point
100-102 Westbourne Terrace
London, England

Parents traveling with kids to London can stay in family rooms at this Georgian style hostel equipped with all the mod cons and bright and colorful decor. Hyde Park is a short walk and top tourist attractions including Madame Tussauds, the Science Museum and Natural History Museum are within easy reach.

Edinburgh Central Hostel
9 Haddington Place
Edinburgh, Scotland

Just a 10-minute walk from Edinburgh’s main Waverly Station and Princes Street, this hostel is ideally located for little legs. Families can book quad, triple or twin en suite rooms. There is a bistro and guests can also use self-catering facilities. Free Wi-Fi access, coin-operated computers, laundry facilities and plasma televisions are in the lounge area.

Villa Saint Exupery Gardens
22 avenue Gravier
Nice, France

Located in a quiet and safe residential area, families can book private en suite rooms at this charming converted monastery. There are plenty of activities on offer to keep the children happy including canyoning, sailing and horseback riding. The hostel offers a free babysitting service, so parents can enjoy some much needed time to themselves on a free city tour.

A&O Munchen Hackerbrucke
Arnulfstrsse 102
Munich, Germany

The reception has a kiddie corner with playhouse, crayons, coloring books and bedtime story books, as well as bike rental. A game room has Wii video games and hosts karaoke. Children under age 6 can eat for free at the dinner buffet, which consists of barbecue grilled food in an open-air atmosphere.

Danhostel Copenhagen City
H.C. Andersens Boulevard 50
Copenhagen, Denmark

This family-friendly hostel is totally geared for children with a TV room, table tennis and bicycle hires available. Families can sleep in the private four- or six-bed en suite rooms. With views of the skyline and the harbor, it’s only a 10-minute walk to the popular vintage Tivoli amusement park.

Palace Hostel Schlossherberge
Savoyenstrsse 2
Vienna, Austria

This hostel offers family en suite rooms and great facilities for children including a nice garden, a kids’ corner, board games, volleyball, mini golf and table tennis. Set in green and leafy surroundings, families can hire bikes and spend the day exploring the area.

Lisb’on Hostel
1200-034 Chiado
Lisbon, Portugal

Located in the historical center of Lisbon, this hostel offers family rooms and provides a free breakfast, free cots and baby highchairs. While the children play in the game room, or run around in the 150-meter garden, parents can enjoy fantastic views of the river from the 100-meter terrace.

Begovic Boarding House
Primorska 17
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Kids will love being so close to the beach, and this hostel is situated in Dubrovnik’s Lapad neighborhood. The family rooms open onto a lush terrace with delightful panoramic views. The boarding house is located in quiet surroundings with cooling pine trees and aside from beach activities there are also tennis courts nearby.

Hosteria Grau
C/Ramelleres 27
Barcelona, Spain

This family run hostel has four-bed en suite rooms just 200 meters from colorful La Rambla and Plaza Catalunya. Children under 4 stay for free and little extras such as cots, pull-out beds and high chairs are also free of charge. Parents with young babies can rent a buggy for just six euros a day.

Lol Hostel Siracusa
Via Francesco Crispi 92
Sicily, Italy

This new and beautifully designed hostel is just 10 minutes from the old island of Ortigia in a traffic-controlled part of town. Even larger-than-life families can find rooms here with private en suites varying in size from three to eight beds. Breakfast is free and includes freshly baked croissants. Alternatively, parents can use the fully equipped kitchen to prepare food with a supermarket just 50 meters away. After a busy day of sightseeing, kids will like the TV lounge and games room.