Hip hostels
Today's hostels, with their stylish interiors, gourmet food and free wi-fi, are a far cry from the chilly dorms of the past. From North Yorkshire to South Africa, Jane Dunford picks the coolest hangouts
Luxury hostels target flashpackers and grey gappers
Hostels no longer mean sparsely furnished dormitories where backpackers lay their heads and queue to use communal bathrooms
Self-catering hols boom as credit crunch bites
Concerns about the credit crunch are driving holidaymakers to opt for self-catering and hostel accommodation
10 top affordable Delhi hotels
At last, Delhi has a decent choice of mid-range hotels between the hostels and five-star luxe. Here are 10 of the best
Escape’s picks of the week
The guidebook | The hotel | The bargain | The adventure | The short break | The festival | The cottage | The cruise | The hostel
Instant Weekend … Moscow
If you know where to look, decent budget options are easy to come by, with a crop of clean, new hostels and inexpensive eateries dotted across the city
Barn necessities
Youth Hostels are going upmarket, with prices to match, but don't freeze under canvas to save cash, a new generation of camping barns fill the gap
Youth hostels get a makeover
A huge new investment programme is set to change the face of hostelling for good
Top 10 hostels
The credit crunch may have scaled back your holiday ambitions. Fear not - as this year's 'Hoscar' awards have shown, cheap can be classy
You’re in for a big surprise
Family en suite rooms, a 24-hour drinking licence and imaginative, locally sourced food - a new hostel in the National Forest is the latest to break the YHA mould
Will alcohol ruin the hostel experience?
The YHA has just been given the go-ahead to serve alcohol 24 hours a day in its hostels. But most walkers head for the hills to escape this sort of thing, says Kevin Rushby
Top 10 hostels in South America
Fresh back from his tour of Latin America, our budgeteer Benji Lanyado reviews the one-star accommodation with five-star atmosphere
Beach hopping in Brazil
With its 42 beaches and laid-back party vibe, it's no wonder Florianópolis is one of Brazil's hottest resorts. Benji Lanyado checks into the island's newest hostel and learns how to do 'Floripa' like a local
Escape’s picks of the week
The vegetarian cottage | The flight | The green hostel | The Christmas shopping spree | The flydrive | The festive market | Visa U-turn | The hotel
Concern at youth hostels’ alcohol plan
Youth hostels are facing a new obstacle on their long hike from their walking-boots and knapsack stereotype to a more 24-hour party people appeal