2011-08-22

Another way to stay over in Eastern Europe

When backpacking in Eastern Europe on a budget, in my experience there are two kinds of hostels. Firstly, there are the central, cheap and cheerful stopovers – often snazzily decorated with a lively communal area, sometimes even a bar, but less appealing when it comes to taking a tepid shower after two hours'sleep. There are a couple of these places in most Polish cities, and across the Baltic states too. The alternative, for those who prefer a quieter night, or a thicker mattress, lies in student accommodation. Often misleadingly advertised as hostels, they are in reality large, deserted halls of residence, opened in the summer months. Often quiet and comfortable, they are usually far removed from city centres, and in midweek, are practically empty. Neither option is ideal; I found myself striking a balance, alternating between the two extremes.

In Lithuania, I found a third way – commercial letting agents in the city of Kaunas had struck upon the idea of renting out furnished city centre apartments on a short-term basis. We stayed in a first floor studio, right in the middle of Kaunas'main shopping street. Throwing distance from a number of bars, yet quiet and comfortable after hours, it cost around £30 for two nights – more expensive than a budget hostel, but worth it. Schemes like this have sprung up in cities like Kaunas, where demand doesn’t fill several hostels, but there is still a steady stream of tourists coming in. As other Eastern European cities look to move away from the hedonistic, stag and hen clientele they’ve previously attracted, expect to see similar schemes crop up – and as with hostels, expect the price to come down in turn.

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