Snoring While Traveling: How Do You Cope in a Hostel?

I had been planning my spring trip to Europe for several months. My accommodation plans were in place, or so I thought. I decided to use a mix of hostels and Airbnbs with one hotel stay on points. Never had it occurred to me that snoring in hostels when traveling might be an issue.

A week or so before leaving, my wife had commented one morning. She had said she was not able to sleep well that night because I was snoring rather loud. I know that I snore; hey, so does she. Chances are she will have to hear me when she enters the room if I am asleep first. Yet, I never thought about it or took a statement to heart as I did with this one. Why did I take it personally? Why do I care? Will snoring affect how I am traveling?

On past trips, I have stayed in hostel dorms of different sizes. People are always coming and going. There are certain noises and irritants that one still expects, like the crinkling of bags, zippers, and random cell phone alarms. Drunken late-night chatter, lights flickering, and doors slamming. Snoring was never on my list of traveling worries. Sure, I have heard others, and I am sure some have listened to me on occasion; no one has mentioned anything. Do we know, or are we taught how to deal with snorers in hostels? You carry on; it’s a normal part of hostel culture.

I like to stay in hostels to get a sense of community and to hang out with fellow travelers. We can share stories, insights, drinks, and laughs during our time together. I don’t have an issue with being immersed in a room with other adventurers. Being a budget traveler, I prefer to save where I can. That would almost always be a dorm room as opposed to a private room. Most of the time, a hostel will also have a better rate than an Airbnb. If I can get there cheap and stay at a somewhat reasonable price, I have more money to spend on new experiences and local food.

I was having a hard time finding a hostel in Brussels. For some reason, the top-rated ones don’t allow people over 35 to stay in a dorm. Does anybody have any idea what that is all about? Guests over 35 would have to book a private room. I had never come across something like this before in my travels. After a while, I did find a youth hostel and booked a bunk there.

For some unknown reason, I was still hanging on to that comment from my wife about snoring. So one morning, I woke up and changed my trip plans based on this. I had already booked hostels for Lisbon, Brussels, Vienna, and Bergen (Marken Guesthouse). For Manchester, Oslo, and Bratislava, I had Airbnb’s confirmed. There was also one night on a Nightjet train from Cologne to Vienna. (This was a hostel dorm-like situation in a four-person couchette.) I also had a night at the Radisson Park Royal in Vienna before I flew to Norway.

Was I becoming too conscience? Do I care what others think? If you know me, that is generally not the case. I changed Portugal and Belgium over to Airbnb. Then, I kept the hostel in Vienna because it’s a private room and not a typical hostel. I also kept the one in Bergen because Norway is pricey, and their location was perfect for me. So, all in all, I ended up spending a bit more money than planned. All because of these “snoring while traveling” worries. Not a tremendous amount, but changes were made because of it regardless.

When I stay in a hostel, I enjoy my private area when I am in my bunk. I like to turn it into a fort (yeah, I know, I’m two, deal). Time and again, I hang a towel, shirt, pants, whatever to make a cocoon/pod. Some newer hostels have sliding curtains for privacy, which I love. I always have my sleep mask to block out light and earplugs for sound. I use my fleece as extra support under the pillow. All that with a night light and USB charging area, and I am golden. Happy as a clam. One contented traveler is ready to get some rest and tackle new adventures the next day.

How do we cope with snoring while traveling on an airplane? Or on a train when we don’t have a choice? There we deal with screaming babies, flatulence, and people trying to launch you out of your chair. How can we leave out the full seatback recliners that take away our space? Why does snoring in a hostel dorm room seem more personal, more offensive? I am still trying to figure it all out. Hell, I am not even sure why I changed my plans.

The “hostel” I stayed at in Vienna is new and going through some growing pains. However, they are improving from some of their earlier reviews. I say “hostel” because it’s more of a place to sleep. There is a shared shower, toilet, and kitchen but no common areas or a lounge. Aside from that, you go down a hallway, and there are four different rooms (not dorms) for people to stay in. The walls were paper-thin, and that could lead to some sounds, I would imagine. I slept fine. There weren’t any issues with my stay.

In Bergen, the hostel there was quite lovely. I stayed in a four-person room. There was a spacious kitchen with plenty of seating and a common area with a tv, computers, and books. Plenty of showers and toilets for the guests and families staying. It was super clean and had a great vibe about it. When I checked in, my bunkmate, Adam, was already there. I did mention that I have been known to snore and told him that I had extra earplugs if he needed any. Somehow I felt better acknowledging and making this statement to a roommate. After that, it was not an issue.

We had another snorer in the room that night (not me) mentioned by a guy when he was leaving. No comments or complaints were received, and I had a lovely two-night stay. My trip was wonderful. My sleep was peaceful, and exploring new regions and countries is always phenomenal.

On the internet, you can discover many how to stop snoring remedies, suggestions, and tips. I don’t believe that there is a cure-all. I know that those who drink more tend to snore. Snoring also seems to become more prevalent with age. How do you view hostel snoring when you are traveling? Are you going to pay more for a private room, Airbnb, hotel, or stick to the hostels? Do you have any snorer horror stories to share?

Make Sure You Protect Yourself with Travel Insurance

While hostels are quite safe, I love the peace of mind travel insurance gives me in case of emergencies, accidents, illnesses, theft, trip cancellation, or disruption. For a few dollars a day and with coverage for many types of adventure activities, I’m all in.

Get Ready to Book Your Trip: Helpful Links and Resources

Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find and research your airfare needs and to find the best flight deals. It searches worldwide on multiple airlines to help you find the best options.

Book Your Stay
Booking.com is my go-to for finding a place to stay anywhere globally. An outstanding company that I trust and have used for many years. Find accommodation from budget to luxury in cities and countries around the world. If you happen to be backpacking and staying in hostels, I recommend Hostelworld to help you find a place to stay.

Get Travel Insurance
Travel is unpredictable. Anything could happen. A trip interruption, flight delay, lost or stolen items, or personal injury, having comprehensive trip insurance will protect you if anything goes wrong. SafetyWing is a solid choice for most travelers.

Tours, Activities, and Things to Do
Viator (a TripAdvisor company) offers many excellent options to keep you busy wherever you may be, from walking and food tours to sunset cruises and more. Make sure to give them a look and add some fun-filled activities to your itinerary.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend companies and products that I use myself and believe in.