Cheap Hostels in London.

Welcome to "Cheap London Hostels".....A hostel is where travelers can rent a place to stay the night. Some offer bunks, while others have private rooms. Here are 5 reasons you may want to stay in a central London hostel in the UK instead of a hotel.

COST - Hostels are usually cheaper than hotels. With mostly dormitory sleeping arrangements, this means maybe a dozen people share a bedroom, bathroom, lounge and kitchen. Less privacy equals less rent and a more social atmosphere. For the budget conscious, hostels are very easy on the wallet. Some even let long-term guests, like college students, stay for free in return for cleaning, cooking or working the front desk.

FRIENDLINESS - They are usually much friendlier than hotels. The communal atmosphere leads to casual banter among fellow guests. After a day sight seeing in the capital, you can get into interesting conversations back at the hostel.

Perhaps a chat with a student ecologist debating global warming, or a German history major debating the role of the Royal family at Buckingham Palace, or an older traveller sharing details of their recent Westminster Abbey tour. All are welcome.

Hotels, on the other hand, sometimes provide polite and sometimes forced conversation with bored desk clerks and indifferent maids. The formal hotel offers no friendly companionship when guests only stay a night or two.

LONG TERM - Since hostels are cheaper, guests can stay longer for the same amount of money. Those on summer vacation from school or on extended holiday find hostels an excellent alternative. Backpackers and travelers with open destinations can stay in one place as long as they like. Some cheap hostels in London book well in advance; others always have room for one more.

INFORMAL ATMOSPHERE - Hostels are often casual. There is no dressing up for meals or speaking in hushed tones. Those who like to relax and not worry about the rules and regulations of life are most comfortable in a hostel environment.

You'll quite often meet new people, like a Dutch florist chatting about her visit to some of London's premier tourist attractions such as the Houses of Parliament, and Kensington Palace, an American tourist on his way from London to Windsor reading his Lonely Planet travel guide, discussing the delights of a local vegetarian restaurant in London, or a German economics aficionado, looking to buy silver in London, or many travellers simply surfing the internet on their laptops in the lobby.

STAY TOGETHER WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS - Hostels are better than hotels for groups of friends traveling together. Rather than pairing up and sleeping in separate rooms across the hall, hostels let the group stay together.

Spending more time with each other makes the trip a fun adventure to share.

- Trafalgar Square

- The History of the City of London

- Camden Town Market

- Ten Interesting Things About London

- An Overview of the British Museum