When I told people I was staying in hostels during my solo trip to Switzerland, I got a few surprised reactions.
At 42, I'm probably not the typical hostel guest people imagine. I'm a mum of four, I usually travel with my family and my backpacking days are long behind me.
But for this four-day trip around Switzerland, I wanted to keep costs down and see whether hostels were still a realistic option for someone who wasn't looking for a party atmosphere or a room full of gap year students.
Over four days, I stayed in six-bed dormitories at Montreux Youth Hostel and Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof in Interlaken. Both were within easy walking distance of the train station, both provided everything I needed and both completely changed my perception of modern hostels.
If you're wondering whether you're "too old" for a hostel, here's what my experience was really like.
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Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive, and whilst there are certainly ways to reduce costs, accommodation can quickly become one of the biggest expenses.
As I was travelling solo, I didn't particularly want to spend £200 per night on a hotel room. I'd rather put that money towards train journeys, mountain excursions and experiences.
Hostels felt like a good compromise. I could stay in central locations, keep accommodation costs low and hopefully meet a few like-minded travellers along the way.
Montreux Youth Hostel enjoys a fantastic location right on the shores of Lake Geneva. In fact, it's situated amongst some of Montreux's most prestigious lakeside hotels, making it feel like a surprisingly prime location for a budget stay.
One of the biggest advantages was its proximity to Chillon Castle, which is around a 10-minute walk away along the lakeside promenade. It was also an easy walk from the train station, making it a convenient base for exploring Montreux and the surrounding area.
The hostel itself was much more modern than I expected. The communal areas, rooms and facilities all felt bright, contemporary and exceptionally well maintained.
I arrived in Montreux by train from Geneva Airport, which turned out to be one of the easiest airport transfers I've experienced in Europe.
The cost was £54.75 for one night in a six-bed dormitory, including breakfast, bedding, towels and local taxes.
I stayed in a six-bed dormitory. The room wasn't huge, but it was clean, comfortable and perfectly adequate for a short stay. Bedding and towels were provided, there were power sockets by the beds and lockers were available for storing belongings securely.
Breakfast was included with my stay, which was a welcome bonus before heading out for a day of sightseeing and train travel.
Of the two hostels, I actually preferred the bathroom facilities in Montreux. The bathrooms were separated into male and female facilities and felt more private than those in Interlaken. Rather than shower cubicles within a communal bathroom, there were individual shower rooms and separate toilet facilities.
There were plenty of showers and toilets available and I never had to wait. Everything was spotless throughout my stay and clearly very well maintained.
Before visiting, I wasn't entirely sure whether Montreux would justify a stop on my itinerary, but it ended up being one of my favourite places in Switzerland - read Is Montreux Worth Visiting?
Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof was quite different but equally memorable.
From the outside, the building looks fairly modern, but inside there are some beautiful original features, including an impressive staircase that immediately caught my attention. It gave the property much more character than I was expecting from a hostel.
The location is excellent, just a short walk from Interlaken Ost station, making it ideal for anyone planning day trips to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen or the wider Jungfrau Region.
The hostel had a really well-organised system. On arrival, I was allocated a letter which corresponded to my towel, locker and bed space. Once inside the room, beds were chosen on a first come, first served basis by hanging your letter above the bed you wanted.
I paid £60 per night for a bed in a six-bed dormitory. Bedding and towels were included, although breakfast wasn't included during my stay.
Only guests assigned to the room had access via the room key, which made the whole experience feel secure.
Like Montreux, I stayed in a six-bed dormitory. The room was compact but practical, with power sockets by the beds and lockers for storing luggage and valuables.
Breakfast wasn't included during my stay, but there was a communal kitchen available for guests. There were also several Co-op supermarkets within a few minutes' walk, making it easy to prepare your own meals and keep costs down.
The bathrooms here were unisex rather than separated by gender. Again, they were exceptionally clean and I never had to wait for a shower. The shower cubicles were private and had plenty of space for changing and hanging belongings.
This was probably the biggest surprise of the entire trip.
When people think of hostels, they often imagine late-night drinking, noisy dormitories and very little sleep.
That wasn't my experience at all.
In both hostels, most guests seemed to be using them as a base for hiking, sightseeing and train travel. By around 10pm, many people were already in bed and preparing for an early start the next morning.
The atmosphere was relaxed and respectful. Everyone I encountered was friendly, and there was a wider range of ages than I expected. Whilst there were younger travellers staying at both hostels, there were also couples, solo travellers and older guests.
I certainly didn't feel out of place.
Not at all.
This was probably the part I was most apprehensive about before travelling.
In reality, both hostels maintained their facilities to an incredibly high standard. The bathrooms were clean throughout my stay and I never found myself waiting for a shower.
The shower cubicles offered privacy and had hooks and shelves for clothing and toiletries, making them much more practical than I'd anticipated.
After the first day, I barely thought about the shared bathrooms at all.
Whilst my overall experience was very positive, there were a few things that reminded me I'm no longer in my twenties.
The biggest issue wasn't sharing a room with strangers. It was the top bunk.
Because I arrived later in the day at both hostels, I ended up with a top bunk for two of my three nights. It wasn't a major problem, but climbing up and down a ladder in the middle of the night isn't quite as appealing at 42 as it was at 22.
On my final night in Interlaken, someone checked out from a lower bunk and I quickly moved my belongings before anyone else arrived.
The rooms also felt quite warm at times. I like sleeping with a window open, but when you're sharing with five other people, you don't always get to make that decision. More often than not, someone would close the window during the evening.
These aren't major complaints, but they are the sort of things you notice when you're sharing a room rather than staying in a hotel.
Both hostels provided local transport cards, which helped reduce transport costs during my stay.
Both were within easy walking distance of the train station, which made travelling with luggage straightforward.
I also appreciated how secure everything felt. Between the lockers, room access systems and organised check-in processes, I never once worried about my belongings.
Absolutely. As a solo female traveller in my 40s, safety was one of my biggest considerations before booking. In reality, I felt incredibly safe throughout my stay in both hostels.
I chose same-sex dormitories, which helped me feel more comfortable, and the rooms were locked, with access only given to guests assigned to that particular dorm. Combined with lockers for valuables, I never felt concerned about my belongings or personal safety.
What I hadn't expected was how quickly I'd get chatting to other guests. Despite some fairly obvious age gaps, I made friends at both hostels and found everyone welcoming and respectful.
One thing I particularly enjoyed as a solo traveller was having people around at the end of the day. After spending hours exploring Switzerland alone, it was actually quite nice returning to a hostel where there were other travellers to chat to in the kitchen or communal areas if I wanted company.
For me, the hostels offered a balance between independence and social interaction that you simply don't get from staying in a hotel on your own.
My experience in both hostels reflected my wider experience travelling alone in Switzerland, which I found to be one of the safest countries I've visited as a solo traveller.
Would I stay in a shared six-bed dormitory again? Probably not.
Whilst I had a genuinely positive experience, I've realised there are certain comforts I value more now than I did in my twenties. Having control over the room temperature, being able to leave a window open at night and not having to climb into a top bunk all become more important with age.
However, that doesn't mean I'd rule out hostels completely.
In fact, I'd happily stay in a private room within a youth hostel in the future. Both properties were clean, safe, well-located and offered excellent facilities. They completely changed my perception of what modern hostels are actually like.
I'd also seriously consider booking an entire six-bed room for our family if the price was competitive compared to a hotel. The rooms were perfectly functional, the locations were excellent and having access to kitchens, transport cards and communal facilities could make them a really good option for budget-conscious family travel in Switzerland.
Before this trip, I imagined hostels would be noisy, crowded and dominated by young backpackers. The reality was quite different. They were quiet, organised and filled with travellers who simply wanted an affordable base for exploring Switzerland.
For me, the biggest surprise wasn't the facilities. It was realising that hostels aren't just for backpackers anymore.
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