They are similar to regular hotels, but they cost less money because you can sleep in college dorm-style rooms with other people or get your own private room for a little bit more. For me, it was important to save money on my lodging, so that is why my two friends and I stayed in a hostel. We got lucky, though; no other visitor was allocated to our room, so we had our own private room. Our Galway hostel was called Woodquay and the Dublin one was Paddy's Palace! Many cities all over Europe have hostel options for travelers on a budget.
