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At Irish hostel, plug in anywhere and surf
Ireland leads the way when it comes to high-tech backpacking. The Dublin-based service http://www.hostelworld.com made it possible to book budget beds throughout the world. Now, Sleepzone in the city of Galway has become the first Irish hostel with WiFi, giving travelers with laptops free Internet access in the building.
Sleepzone, the newest member of the Irish youth hostel association An Óige, is a three-minute walk from Galway's rail and bus terminal and Eyre Square. It has an Internet/computer room, plus a TV lounge and a kitchen. Its 36 private and shared rooms can accommodate up to 200 travelers. Midsummer rates will start at about $24 for a dorm bed.
At the hostel, you can arrange trips or join tours to sites in the region, including the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and Connemara .
In Dublin, the 300-bed Dublin International hostel recently got a face-lift. But the building's allure is its former life as a convent, complete with confessional booths that now house public phones. It's also 10 minutes from the club-filled Temple Bar district. Shared rooms start at $26 per person in midsummer.
For more details on these and other An Óige hostels, which are affiliated with Hostelling International, see http://www.anoige.ie .
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Youths' guide to Britain
Overall, the United Kingdom is no bargain, but the government tourist agency Visit Britain is trying hard to find deals to lure young travelers.
The website http://www.visitbritainrocks.com is the launching point for information geared to independent travelers. On the site, you can order the free pocket-sized 98-page Experience Britain Youth Guide, published in association with Lonely Planet. It covers key cities, offering tips on where to eat, drink, dance, sleep and sightsee.
Those activities may shrink your wallet, but remember that many of the country's greatest attractions are free, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate galleries, the Victoria & Albert, and the National Maritime and the Natural History and Science museums, just in London. Many others have one free day or evening each week. The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, for instance, is free after 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Hostel accommodations in Britain can vary; you may get a dorm bed or a private double. The Youth Hostel Assn. of England & Wales (www.yha.org.uk) and the Scottish Youth Hostels Assn. (www.syha.org.uk) offer beds throughout England, Wales and Scotland starting at about $20 a night. There are many independent hostels as well, most of which are sized up by former visitors at http://www.hostels.com . College dorms also often rent economical single and twin rooms during school holidays.
Getting around can be cheaper with an NX2 card for the National Express bus lines, available for students and those ages 16 to 26. The $19 card gets you a 30% discount on all tickets.
But for incredibly cheap transportation, check out Mega Bus (www.megabus.com). A traveler can ride former London Transport double-decker buses from London to Glasgow for about $2, plus a $1 booking fee. Be sure to ask about any luggage limitations.
And being a backpacker no longer means you have to be a second-class traveler. BritRail, which has long had special rates on rail passes for 16- to 26-year-olds, now has a 25% youth discount for any first-class tickets or passes. Information: (866) 274-8724 or http://www.britrail.net .
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Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her website is http://www.izon.com .
Sleepzone, the newest member of the Irish youth hostel association An Óige, is a three-minute walk from Galway's rail and bus terminal and Eyre Square. It has an Internet/computer room, plus a TV lounge and a kitchen. Its 36 private and shared rooms can accommodate up to 200 travelers. Midsummer rates will start at about $24 for a dorm bed.
In Dublin, the 300-bed Dublin International hostel recently got a face-lift. But the building's allure is its former life as a convent, complete with confessional booths that now house public phones. It's also 10 minutes from the club-filled Temple Bar district. Shared rooms start at $26 per person in midsummer.
For more details on these and other An Óige hostels, which are affiliated with Hostelling International, see http://www.anoige.ie .
*
Youths' guide to Britain
Overall, the United Kingdom is no bargain, but the government tourist agency Visit Britain is trying hard to find deals to lure young travelers.
The website http://www.visitbritainrocks.com is the launching point for information geared to independent travelers. On the site, you can order the free pocket-sized 98-page Experience Britain Youth Guide, published in association with Lonely Planet. It covers key cities, offering tips on where to eat, drink, dance, sleep and sightsee.
Those activities may shrink your wallet, but remember that many of the country's greatest attractions are free, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate galleries, the Victoria & Albert, and the National Maritime and the Natural History and Science museums, just in London. Many others have one free day or evening each week. The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, for instance, is free after 3:30 p.m. on Sundays.
Hostel accommodations in Britain can vary; you may get a dorm bed or a private double. The Youth Hostel Assn. of England & Wales (www.yha.org.uk) and the Scottish Youth Hostels Assn. (www.syha.org.uk) offer beds throughout England, Wales and Scotland starting at about $20 a night. There are many independent hostels as well, most of which are sized up by former visitors at http://www.hostels.com . College dorms also often rent economical single and twin rooms during school holidays.
Getting around can be cheaper with an NX2 card for the National Express bus lines, available for students and those ages 16 to 26. The $19 card gets you a 30% discount on all tickets.
But for incredibly cheap transportation, check out Mega Bus (www.megabus.com). A traveler can ride former London Transport double-decker buses from London to Glasgow for about $2, plus a $1 booking fee. Be sure to ask about any luggage limitations.
And being a backpacker no longer means you have to be a second-class traveler. BritRail, which has long had special rates on rail passes for 16- to 26-year-olds, now has a 25% youth discount for any first-class tickets or passes. Information: (866) 274-8724 or http://www.britrail.net .
*
Lucy Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her website is http://www.izon.com .
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