Youth Hostels

[perthjames]

I am travelling throughout Europe for three months later this year - visiting mostly Scandinavian and former Soviet countries - and I am feeling a bit apprehensive about the communal shower thing.

I am large soft and a bit worried that people will look, though I suspect they won´t care to be honest.

How common is the group shower thing in most hostels these days compared with more private facilities?

 

[Novaboy]

In Brittain, I have never encountered a communal shower and I've been to many hostels there. Don't know about where you are going though.

Novaboy

 

[D_Larry Lickher]

I stayed in one while I was in Berlin.
The showers were communal.

 

[PornForPatric]

It has been a long while, but most of the hostels I stayed in had rows of enclosed showers or private showers. No big deal to being nude in that situation since pretty much everyone will also be nude.

 

[hung]

The Europeans have a different code as regards nudity. In Italy and even other countries there are nude statues in the public squares.

Try going to Rome and visit the Sistine (sp) Chapel and just know that the lack of clothing can and often is a part of life.

I suspect that your concerns will be overridden once you get to Europe.

 

[Darkk_Horse]

I have been to 20 countries in Europe and I have never once expirenced a comunal shower in a hostel, besides things are different there with nudity. And another besides, "be proud and show it off!" Who cares if someone catches a peek at a horse in the shower with them? They're the ones who will feel unconfortable with their smaller-selves, not you.

 

[therunningman]

I am travelling throughout Europe for three months later this year - visiting mostly Scandinavian and former Soviet countries - and I am feeling a bit apprehensive about the communal shower thing.

I am large soft and a bit worried that people will look, though I suspect they won´t care to be honest.

How common is the group shower thing in most hostels these days compared with more private facilities?

I wouldn't worry to much. Some are communal and some are not. From what I've seen/experienced at hostels the crowd is a fun and lively and frisky.

 

[Jason]

The former communist countries have lots of open showers. No-one bothers.

The Nordic countries have a mix of communal and curtained showers. Nudity is no big deal. Some hostels there will have (single-sex) saunas as well, where nudity is the norm - indeed they have them so hot that trunks would tend to burn. Forget all the xxx stories that start in saunas - the Nordic version of saunas are definitely not for anything of this nature, just a place to unwind.

 

[Jason]

Almost forgot - you can still come across cold showers in eastern Europe. Hot water is often heated centrally by a town hot-water plant and piped around town, and every so often the hot water plant needs to be turned off for a while for servicing. Had this problem in Pilsen not long ago - the hot water was off for a month. Basically you are so busy shivering nothing else matters.

 

[visceraltuning]

I spent last summer in hostels all over Europe and rarely encountered communal showers, but even when I did there was literally almost no apprehension about being nude in front of others. Heck, I actually carried on an entire full length conversion with a guy while completely naked and it was like having a conversation with clothes on.

Oh, and most young men in the countries you are going to tend to be quite thin so they all look hung; you'll blend right in except if you are circumcised.

 

[Mem]

Are Hostels always only for people under a certain age?

 

[midlifebear]

Are Hostels always only for people under a certain age?

Hostels (with an e) are usually for the young.

Hostals (with an a) are becoming more and more common and are for adults from 18 to 100+ years-old. If you can make it up the stairs, are breathing, and have Euros or a Visa card your most welcome.:smile:

NOTE: Hostiles are what many may encounter if they waltz in without knowing basic language skills of the particular country. It's not that hard to learn how to say please and thank you in any language. :biggrin1:

 

[visceraltuning]

Are Hostels always only for people under a certain age?

The only hostels that tend to have strict age limits are those in Germany.

 

[B_CBTallthetime]

When in Rome...

 

[perthjames]

Thanks everyone for the advice. It sounds like communal showers won´t be that common.

 

[vincecar47]

Hey, actually, can any one mention the hostels where there are communal showers? Sounds like fun.

 

[mister_y]

The Europeans have a different code as regards nudity. In Italy and even other countries there are nude statues in the public squares.

Try going to Rome and visit the Sistine (sp) Chapel and just know that the lack of clothing can and often is a part of life.

I suspect that your concerns will be overridden once you get to Europe.

The nude statues of the Ancient times do not represent the habits nowadays.
I suppose you mean the cultural ancient statues, they are about 2000 years old.

In the Roman empire it was very common to be nude in public, think about communal toilets, bathhouses and clothes that do not cover up everything.
But that has nothing to do with the habits nowadays.

The Romans just weren't in America, if they were, you would have nude statues and nude painting also.

 

[effedi7]

Hi, I found communal showers in Busapest (two opposite raws of open stalls); it was about a University Residence, open to tourists in the Summer.

In Stockholm (I went to 2 different hostels in two different trips) I found curtained stalls, but common changing area where I find a lot of naked guys going in and out of showers and searching for their towels.

In Paris I found a hostel with an open shower stall in each of the dorm.

As I'd like the communal showers, if you know eurpean hostels, we can exchange the coordinates.

 

[Tempo]

be careful though, you may get kidnapped and tortured to death by some psycho millionaire

 

[TragicWhiteKnight]

Even if you should run into communal showers, it shouldn't cause you any problems - I've been all around Europe and the few hostels that have had group showers have been no different than using a urinal. If you're especially big, you might get a few stares or comments but if you use a towel or shower in swimshorts no one will really care.