The world’s biggest youth hostel is scheduled to open in Sydney in December.
The new hostel will be able to accommodate a total of 532 travelers in 151 rooms. Rates will run from $17 Australian ($13.25 U.S.) per person in a dormitory room, to $26 ($20.25 U.S.) for a double/twin room or $28 ($22 U.S.) with en suite facilities. Some family rooms will also be available.
The hostel will be located at the corner of Pitt and Rawson Streets, opposite Central Station (011-61-2-9281-9111; fax 011-61-2-281-9199).
It will feature a roof-top heated pool and sauna, a barbecue area and sundeck, a licensed cafe and a mini-mart, a travel desk with international and local tour information, self-catering kitchens, 24-hour security access, an employment desk with information on local and interstate jobs, TV lounges, parking, luggage storage, laundries, a library, fax and Internet facilities.
You can book beds for a $5 reservation fee through the Hostelling International Booking Network at 202-783-6161 or fax 202-783-6171.
BritRail and bus deals
BritRail Travel International has announced a 50 percent discount on BritRail Youth Flexipasses for travel completed before June 15, 1997.
BritRail Youth Flexipasses are available to travelers ages 16 through 25. They allow unlimited coach class rail travel in any direction for a specified number of days. Britain’s rail network is extensive, including more than 15,000 departures to 2,400 destinations daily in England, Scotland and Wales.
The special rates are available for passes purchased between Sept. 15 and Dec. 15. You must begin using the pass within six months of the date of purchase.
Here’s the deal: For $80 you can now purchase a BritRail Youth Flexipass valid for any four days within a one-month period; $113 buys eight days of travel within one month; $170 buys 15 days of travel within two months. The passes must be purchased before you go abroad, and are available through travel agents. You an also call BritRail direct at 800-555-2748.
Another British budget alternative that will continue to operate throughout the winter is the backpacker bus service–The Slow Coach. On it you travel along a fixed route with departures limited to several times per week, but you have the benefit of an economical door-to-door service. The Slow Coach buses circle Britain dropping off and picking up passengers at the hostels along their route.
The route links London to Windsor, Bath Straftord-upon Avon, Manchester, the Lake District, Edinburgh, York, Nottingham, Cambridge and back to London. During the winter months buses pass each point on the route three times a week.
If you purchase the $145 pass before you travel abroad you are given a discount booklet that is valid for reductions on services ranging from bike rentals and day tours to a 12.5 percent on accommodations at any of the YHA hostels in England and Wales. You can purchase in North America from Council Travel offices (in Chicago, they are located at 1153 N. Dearborn St. on the 2nd Floor; 312-951-0585). In Britain you can purchase passes (bring a passport-size photo) at 38 Bolton Gardens, Earl’s Court, London SW5 0AQ; 011-44-1249-891959).
Cheap sleeps
An option for budget accommodation while on tight funds in North America or abroad is the lodging centers operated by the YMCAs and YWCAs. Ys in New Orleans and New York City even offer do-it-yourself sightseeing packages.
For 1997 the three-day Discover New Orleans packages, which include two nights accommodation in rooms with air-conditioning and color TV at the Y’s centrally located International Center, will be $150 for solo travelers in single rooms or $140 per person for those sharing a double. The three-day packages also include two breakfasts, a plantation tour, a New Orleans city tour, a historic Mississippi River cruise and a tour of the Louisiana Superdome.
For a free copy of The Y’s Way accommodations and reservations guide, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Y’s Way International, 224 E. 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10017.
