Backpacking Through Europe

The train ride from Berlin to Prague served as an accurate foreshadowing of what we were to expect. Looking out the window, staring off into the forest, I immediately thought of Sleeping Beauty. Cheesy, I know, but the scene was startlingly reminiscent of my imaginative childhood. The sun went down and a full moon rose above the Elbe River, creating a mirror image of itself.

Sir Toby’s Hostel in located in Holešovice, a quaint area outside of the city center. We walked in and were greeted by the middle-aged owner of the hostel. I’m not sure if he was extremely kind or if it was just his British accent that made us feel comfortable and welcome. Either way, we were thrilled to be in Prague and even more thrilled to find that this hostel was more like an upper-class girls’ boarding school than a $15 per night hostel. Where was the stench of stale cigarettes and the broken metal lockers? Where were the wobbly bunk beds threatening us with mysterious stains and the possibility of bed bugs? Not here. Instead, we were led to our room and he showed us where to put our clothes – under our beds, in an antique-like rolling chest. He left us and I plopped myself on a vacant bed realizing that it was even more comfortable than my Simmons Beautyrest. The sheets and down comforter smelt of fabric softener; there was certainly no need for my sleeping bag at Sir Toby’s.

The pub downstairs has brick walls with low, arched ceilings; it was cool and cozy with dim yellow lighting. We got a couple of beers and sat at a long wooden table near some Australian travelers who were playing cards and exchanging travel tales. After a few beers we made our way back to our room. I’m quite sure that night I caught up on all the sleep of which I had been deprived at the sordid, loud, and uncomfortable hostels that had preceded this one.

After taking a hot shower in a clean bathroom we went back to the basement where we were the night before to find a magnificent breakfast layout – muffins, croissants, cheeses, meats, jam, Nutella, and best of all a massive coffee machine with buttons labeled "American Coffee," "Viennese Coffee," "Hot Chocolate," "Tea"… and the list went on. I couldn’t have been happier. We were rested, fed, caffeinated, and ready to explore Prague.

While staying at a nice hotel has never been a priority for me when traveling, I can’t say that it wasn’t incredible to stay at a hostel that made me so comfortable and welcome. To stay where beds were clean, people were friendly, and food was plentiful, especially after bouncing from seedy hostel to even seedier hostel was amazing. It’s the kind of place that feels so good to visit that even if I could afford to stay at a five star hotel, I would probably still choose to stay at Sir Toby's.