Travelers House, Lisbon Portugal

Of all the places you can find for accommodations in Portugal, if you have an open mind and want to get to know people quickly, I recommend a hostel. Yesterday, after a long bus ride, I arrived at the Travelers House Hostel, located on Calle Rua Augusta, one of the most famous streets in all of Lisbon.

Even before entering the building, I enjoyed that from the metro, Calle Rua Augusta was in eyesight. As I made my way to my destination, I was excited to pass a combination of locals and visitors, sitting with friends on outside terraces, enjoying conversation, glasses of wine, and appetizers. Immediately I noticed how easy going the atmosphere is in Portugal. If you consider that Lisbon is a capital, yet gives off a rather mellow vibe, one can only imagine what the rest of the country is like.

Earlier I had read that Calle Rua Augusta is a fun and famous street to explore because it is lined with shops, and is the center point of Lisbon for many activities. Exit on one end, and you are in an energetic part of the city, and take the other, and there you have a beach!

To make my decision of where to stay I, looked up hostelworld.com and typed in Lisbon, Portugal. Generally, I have two main concerns when I look to stay in a hostel. The first is the rating and price. I once made a mistake of booking a cheap pension in Barcelona and ended up spending my weekend in the adventurous town alone and regretting my accommodation.

Hostelworld.com gives Traveler’s House a rating of 98% and so do I. From the moment I entered the hostel, I could feel the very homey and relaxed atmosphere that is prevalent within the space. There are two gorgeous Mac computers with high speed internet connection in one room, a lounging area with cushions and bean bags conveniently positioned on the salon floor, a well equipped kitchen for cooking, and a large dining room for eating.

The hostel is brand new. So new that they are still working on finishing it on the second level. The hostel has only been opened for 6 months but is nearly booked on a general basis, so don’t just walk, you’ll probably get turned away. Hostelworld.com gives a few other options that look like fun choices, but take it from me. If it is quick friends, clean rooms, and the best location with easy access to other parts of the city you are seeking, then the Travelers Lounge is the place to go.

Within my first hour of staying here, I made friends with one boy from the UK, one from New York, and a lovely girl from Sweden. For only 5 euros, the four of us enjoyed an entrée of pasta with red sauce, Portuguese sausage, and for anti-pasta: sliced tomatoes in olive oil, sesame bread, and wine. The best part was that we made it ourselves!! “Que Rico!!!” as they say in Spain for something delicious.

When the clock struck 22:00, it became happy hour, and the salon floor became a Mecca of fellow hostellers.

For only 1 euro, we enjoyed lots of great conversation and cheap beer.