After a fabulous European holiday, I’m no longer hostile to hostels

Soon other guests started filtering in. At first, all we saw were male Adonises with serious pecs appeal and tanned, miniskirted gap-year girls, which made me feel as ancient as this UNESCO World Heritage Site’s many crumbling monuments. But over the next hour, eight or nine solo female travellers wandered into the sitting room, all aged over 50 and keen for a chat.

One of the more positive aspect to “grey hostelling” is that older travellers are so much more interesting than younger ones. After a day of sightseeing, a gaggle of us older dames ventured to a tapas bar to wash down schools of succulent prawns and fried cod with local rosé, listen to fado music and swap fascinating life stories. And that’s another upside to staying in hostels that I’d forgotten: communal living means it’s easy to make friends.

One of the more positive aspect to “grey hostelling” is that older travellers are so much more interesting than younger ones.

KATHY LETTE

For women who have lost their husbands, divorced their husbands or possibly even killed their husbands, hostels are a perfect choice: you can be on your own, but if lonely, there’s always company on tap.

After four fab days, I’m no longer hostile to hostels. For solo travellers, they’re a cheap, safe way to enjoy European escapades. And there’s always Tinder for horizontal adventures. “Or sometimes it’s just simpler to have a nibble of a wine waiter,” winked Cindy, a 67-year-old Texan. “And if it’s cold, some dorms are unisex, so you can have a human hot-water bottle,” Hannah, a 55-year-old Aussie, grinned.

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Clearly, youth hostels are no longer just for the young, but for the young at heart.

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