Broaden your Horizons - Go Hostelling!
"Hostelling" is travelling and staying in hostels - also known as "backpacking" but it's so much more than that! It's a well-known fact by experienced travellers that staying in hostels is a quality way to travel the world on a budget.
An Óige - the Irish Youth Hostel Association - has 80 years of tradition
behind it as well as HI-Quality awards and conservation awards.
Hostelling is the greenest and most eco-friendly form of accommodation
and we're always working towards a more sustainable and greener future!
In An Óige Youth Hostels you'll discover the real Ireland, meet new people and have great experiences and adventures!
Here's just a few of the reasons why you should choose hostelling in Ireland:
Expand your Social Network
Hostelling is one of the best ways to meet lifelong friends, travel partners and even someone to visit or stay with on future trips. Most people in hostels are also travelling around Ireland or visiting a new area themselves! Because of this we may meet them again on your travels or join up with them to visit different areas of Ireland and join in with the hostelling community. You'll meet people from all walks of life and all ages but they all tend to have one thing in common - a lust for travel and enthusiasm about visiting Ireland!
Learn from the experiences of others...
In the "University of the Common Room" of the hostel, you get to meet and chat with fellow travellers who can give recommendations on places to go, things to see and what to do in the area. The hostel staff are also great at helping out and telling you about discounts and specials on offer for attractions around Ireland but it's very helpful to hear it from those who have visited it just the day before too! If English isn't your first language, this is a great opportunity to improve your language skills or if you're interested in learning or improving your Gaelige (Irish language) then we have hostels in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) regions too.
Quality budget travel - get the most for your money!
Staying in dorm rooms is budget accommodation so you can save money while travelling around Ireland. In addition, with self-catering facilities you can save further money on food costs or you can pool your food money with others and cook together. While hostelling it's not unusual to meet new people who invite you to stay with them in the future and you can get group discounts by going places with others in the An Óige hostel chain. Most hostels have free Internet access and our An Óige discounts for members and guest which save you in the long run. See our An Óige Special Offers too!
Discover the real Ireland
With An Óige hostels in so many diverse areas around Ireland, you get to experience everything from rural tranquility to cosmopolitan city life. You can choose from seaside beach strolls to mountainous hikes, cultural and historical attractions, nature trails and forest visits. Cities include Dublin, Cork and Galway with Wicklow mountains south of Dublin, the beach resort of Tramore to the south east, the famous & stunning Kerry way in the south west, Connemara and The Burren in the West and the beauty and serenity of Donegal and the Northwest.
Broaden your Horizons
Travelling and meeting people from other cultures and countries broadens your mind and your world view and educates you in a unique way. As a hosteller you learn from your fellow hostellers about their cultures. Staying in hostels in Ireland will also give you the opportunity to experience Irish cultures and traditions from Irish traditional music and dances, Gaelic games including Hurling, Irish storytelling and literature.
