YHA York Youth Hostel

To get to the YHA York Youth Hostel from the train station, you have about a mile walk along a paved path beside the river Ouze (that happens to be brown). The TIC in the train station will give you a free map (which is helpful because the YHA is off most travel-guide maps). It's a gorgeous walk, but poorly lit after dark, so if you're traveling solo, take an alternate route -- come up through town, make a left at Bootham bar, walk about one kilometer, then turn left at the sign to the YHA.

The hostel is busy and exquisitely efficient. You enter through an attractive courtyard, where you can sit outside and eat. There is a well-staffed check-in counter where you get linens (included), buy meals (the hostel has both a cafe and a bar in-house), postcards, postage, and tickets for discounted admission to city sights.

The bedrooms have either four or eight bunks (one outlet per room) and have sinks en-suite and lockers (bring your own lock). Bike rentals and laundry machines are available, as is free luggage storage.

The self-catering kitchen is huge and clean. The included breakfast has stringent, enforced rules (two selections from the cold counter -- juice -- but unlimited hot, fatty foods). The dinner servers seem more relaxed and would let you substitute, say, fruit if you don't want a heavy dessert. They offer unlimited coffee and tea at meals. The in-house bar has three computer stations on which you can buy time.

The hostel is clean and quiet. The staff was very accommodating after a flight cancellation changed our travel plans unexpectedly. We had a very enjoyable stay.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review