The Best Hostels in Bath For budget Travel
Traveling on a budget and trying to find ways of savin money on your accomodation in Bath? Hostels are much more affordable than hotels or holiday rentals.
Bath has a selection of highly rated hostels, that we recommend staying in. As locals to Bath, we can help you find affordable accomodation, without sacrificing on quality.
As Bath is a city best explored on foot, we usually recommend staying in a hostel that is in teh centre. This way you’ll be right by some of the best things to do in the city, such as The Roman Bath’s, and Parade Gardens. Typically a hotel near these locations would cost you $150+ (£100+) a night, but hostels are so much cheaper, starting at $30-45 (£20-£35) a night.
So if you’re visiting Bath on a budget, and want to find out which hostels we recommend – continue reading.
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Overview of The Best Hostels in Bath:
Bath Backpackers
YHA Bath
Bath YMCA hostel
St Christopher’s Inn Bath
Reasons to Visit Bath
So you might be wondering, why Bath? Especially when traveling on a budget as it isn’t the UK’s cheapest place to visit. But it’s well worth it and many of the best sights such as Royal Victoria Park can be enjoyed for free.
Bath is a beautiful city, known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural heritage. It is a perfect destination for those who want to experience Engilsh culture, with a mix of ancient Roman history and Georgian elegance.
When it comes to budget travel, you can keep your costs low by visiting some of the free attractions such as:
- The Royal Crescent – Admire the Royal Crescent’s Georgian architecture.
- Royal Victoria Park – Next to the Royal Crescent, this is the oldest park in the city, opened by Queen Victoria in the mid-1800s, when she was still a princess.
- Syndey Gardens – Another beautiful park, which has ties to Jane Austen. You can follow the free Jane Austen trail to learn more about her life in Bath. Download the trail here (PDF).
- Bath Skyline Walk: The Bath Skyline Walk gives you amazing views over the city, and is one of the best walks in Bath.
Plus there’s so much more to see and do in the city for free. Many of which are within walking distance of the hostels we recommend.
The Best Hostels in Bath
Bath Backpackers – The Best Backpacker Hostel
Travel solo or as a backpacker? Then I recommend staying at the Bath Backpackers. This cheap hostel is in a great location, only 4 minutes walk (0.2 miles) from Bath Spa train station. The hostel puts you pretty much in the centre of Bath, with easy access to shops, bars, restaurants.
You’ll be right by Bath Abbey, Parade Gardens, and only 5 mintues walk from the Roman Baths. Plus most of other Bath’s best things to do are within walking distance without having to pay for an expensive hotel.
The hostel has both mixed and female-only dorm rooms that have comfortable beds, shared bathrooms and showers. You’ll have access to a kitchen, laundry facilities and free WiFi. There’s also a communal area with board games.
It’s really the perfect hostel for those looking for budget accomodation in the heart of the city. Plus being by the train station, you’ll have easy access to Bristol which is only 15 minutes away and makes for a good day trip.
YHA Bath
The YHA Bath is one of the best rated hostels, located near the Bath Skyline Walk. You’ll also be just a 10-minute walk from the city centre, making it convenient for exploring all that Bath has to offer.
One of the best parts about YHA Bath is its large private gardens. This is a great place to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing. The hostel also has a bar, cafe and laundry facilities.
The dorm rooms at YHA Bath are clean and comfortable, with bunk beds available in mixed gender dorm rooms. They also offer private rooms if you’d prefer more privacy, and the option to upgrade to having a private room with an en-suite as well.
The YHA also allows teenagers, age 12-15 to stay in the hostel as long as they’re with an adult who is the same gender. Children under 12 can stay in a private room, so if you’re traveling with younger children you could consider booking a private room in the hostel over staying in a hotel.
Bath YMCA Hostel
The Bath YMCA is another affordable hostel, that is located close to many of the best places to go in Bath. If you stay here, you’ll be close to the Jane Austen Museum, The Bath Fashion Museum and The Circus. You’ll also be near Milsom Street which is one of the best shopping streets in Bath and the main area for the Bath Christmas Market.
The YMCA is usually the cheapest hostel in Bath, with rooms starting at $29 a night for a bed in a dorm, and single private rooms start from $49. You’re unlikely to find a hotel with prices as low as this.
The Bath YMCA Hostel has these types of room available:
- Mixed dorms, female-only dorms and male-only dorms
- Double rooms with a shared bathrom or a private bathroom
- Family rooms with a shared bathroom. Sleeps up to 5, with 1 double bed, 3 bunkbeds
- Twin rooms with a shared bathroom, and 2 single beds
- Triple rooms with a shared bathroom that has 1 single bedand 1 bunkbed.
- Single room with a shared bathroom
There’s also free WiFi, a fitness centre (although this costs extra), laundry facilities, and an outdoor terrace plus garden.
They also have a 24 hour front desk so this is great for those who are arriving into the city of Bath late at night or super early in the morning.
St Christopher’s Inn Bath
St Christopher’s Inn Bath is the perfect hostel to stay at if you love partying. It has a more vibrant, party atmopshere than any of the other hostels in Bath. St Christopher’s Bath Hostel is located in the city centre, so it’s perfect for exploring the city’s historic sites, including the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.
You’ll also be within walking distance of many of Bath’s best bars, and only 5 minutes walk from the Labyrinth Nightclub making it a great place to stay if you want to enjoy the best of Bath’s nightlife without spending hundreds on a hotel. The hostel is really reasonably priced, with beds starting at under $25 (£20) a night.
The hostel has a communal area with comfy sofas, books, board games plus free WiFi. There’s also a bar that serves local beers, wines and spirits and offers happy hour.
For breakfast, you can eat the hostels cafe (costs extra) or head to one of the nearby cafes (I recommend Good Day Cafe, it has good waffles plus vegan and gluten free options).
St Christopher’s Inn Bath has mixed dorms, female-only dorm rooms and private rooms (single and doubles). The hostel is adults only, and has a good selection of evening entertainment such as live music and they also run free guided walks around Bath.
Tips For Staying In a Hostel
If you’re new to hostels or haven’t stayed in many hostels yet, you might be wondering what to expect, whether there’s any rules or equiettes you should follow.
To help you out we’ve put together some tips on staying in a hostel in Bath, you may also find this guide to staying in hostels helpful.
Luggage Storage
If you arrive in Bath before your check-in time or have to leave after check-out, you can store your luggage at most of the hostels in Bath. This is a convenient option if you want to explore the city without carrying your luggage around. Some hostels offer free luggage storage, while others charge a small fee.
Sleeping in a hostel
It is possible to get a good night sleep in a hostel dorm, but it can take some planning. Chances are someone is going to be snoring. To have a comfortable night sleep I recommend:
- Ear Plugs: Get some good quality ear plugs to block out people snoring, sleep talkers etc.
- Sleep Mask: A sleep mask helps block out light by covering your eyes. It’ll stop people waking you up when they turn the lights on, or use their phones during the night.
- Travel Silk Pillow Case: Depending on your hair type and texture, you might want to bring along a silk pillow case. If you use one at home, I recommend picking one up for traveling that goes over the hostel pillow case such as this. It might feel a bit over the top to bring your own case, but they can help protect your hair and minimise the damage caused when traveling.
Charging your devices in a hostel
All the hotels we’ve included in this guide do give you a wall socket to plug your charger into, usually near the bed. But if you’re traveling with multiple devices it can be a bit annoying trying to charge them all at once.
If you’re coming from abroad you’ll also need a travel adapter, and for those coming from the USA and Canada you should also bring a voltage converter to protect your devices (such as laptops, hair straighteners, curling tongs) from the higher current (the UK’s electricity current is twice that of the US).
This travel adapter and voltage converter is suitable for those coming to the UK from the US, and has 2 sockets so you’ll be able to use 2 devices at once. It also works includes adapters for the EU and Australia.
If you’re coming from an EU country, you could get this EU to UK travel adapter that has a USB C and USB A port so you can use up to 3 devices at once. Alternatively, you could get a standad EU to UK travel adapter like this and bring a power strip extension, so you can plugin multiple devices at once using your normal EU plug.
Check-in
Most hostels in Bath have a check-in time of 2pm or 3pm. If you arrive earlier, you can store your luggage at the hostel and explore the city until your room is ready. Some hostels also offer early check-in for an additional fee, so make sure to ask at reception.
Large Groups
If you’re travelling with a large group, make sure to book your hostel in advance to ensure that you can all stay together. Some hostels in Bath offer group discounts, so make sure to ask when booking.
Breakfasts In Hostels
Some hostels in Bath offer free breakfast or allow you to add this on when booking. Free breakfasts are great, as they let you save money on eating out at cafes. But the add-on breakfasts, can work out more expensive than breakfast at a local cafe. For your stay in Bath, if the hostel is charging $6 (£5) or less for a breakfast, it’s most likely cheaper than what you will pay in a local cafe.
Free Breakfast
Some hostels in Bath offer free breakfast to their guests. This is a great way to save money and start your day off right. Make sure to check if your hostel offers free breakfast when booking.
Free Acitivities
Bath is a beautiful city with plenty to see and do. Some hostels offer experiences such as walking tours to help you make the most of your stay. Make sure to ask at reception for recommendations and to book in advance if necessary.
It’s also worth checking whether they offer any other types of activities or freebies such as live music or free shots.
Hope you found this guide to the best hostels in Bath helpful. Remember that, no matter where you stay Bath is an amazing city full of history an culture.
Make sure to check out our other guides to find things to see and do in Bath.
