Spain

Hostels

Hostels in Spain are hugely variable both in character and quality. The concept of an out-and-out backpackers' hostel seems pretty new outside of Barcelona and Madrid. Places which describe themselves as such are often little more than a Bed and Breakfast which has latched onto the new market. That said, these places can often provide a pretty good cheap service, and as long as they've convinced a decent crowd of travellers to stay, they can be just as good a place for meeting like-minded people. The best hostels are undoubtedly in Madrid, where there are a range to cater to everybody from the out and out party crowd to the more discerning traveller who wants to get to sleep after a night out. Spanish hostels often (but far from always) provide free internet and breakfast. Look out for this as it can save you quite a lot on internet cafes and save on the cost of a meal if you fill up enough.

For traditional youth hostels, the Hostelling International member organization in Spain is Red Espanola de Auberges Juveniles (Spanish Youth Hostel Network). These have the usual curfews, and rooms are generally separated by gender, but the network is quite extensive, meaning that you will be able to explore far more areas of Spain than would be possible with purely backpackers hostels

Finally, it is worth noting that Hostale in Spain does not mean hostel. Hostale is actually something between a hotel and a pensione - see the Bed and Breakfast section for more information. These are quite often the only option in smaller towns.

Bed and breakfast

There is little in the way of actual Bed and Breakfast accomodation in Spain. Instead the budget accomodation market is dominated by Hostales. These are a cross between a basic pensione and a small hotel (often only half-a-dozen rooms) on one of the floors of an apartment block. Price-wise these can prove extremely competitive, with even single rooms at prices to compete with youth hostels. It is a legal requirement in Spain for places offering accomodation to prominently display their tariff, so that it is easy to spot when you are being cheated. If this is the case you can ask register a complaint - there should be an official book with numbered pages to do this in.

The main downside of accomodation such is this is that it is not a good place to meet other travellers. If you are travelling alone staying in Hostales can be a very lonely experience. Also, they are not easy to book in advance, and Spanish is quite likely to be the only language spoken, so you may find yourself hunting around for anywhere to stay. Finally, by Northern European standards, hostales in Spain are often quite dated, and many of them seem dirty.

Hotels

Spain has the usual range of mid-market and expensive chain hotels, such as Best Westerns and Hiltons. The prices are kept down a little in many places by the number of budget options, so they may be quite a reasonable option if you cannot find anywhere else to stay, or feel like splashing out. Certainly you are more likely to be able to book in advance, find english-speaking staff, and find a bar with other english-speakers to talk to than in cheaper accomodation.

There is a network of Paradores, which are extremely expensive hotels run by the government. By all accounts the quality of these is generally stunning, and the locations could provide for an interesting break. If you stay in one of these, please tell us about it - they are a little beyond the price range of our reviewers.