Introduce yourself briefly.
Ida: My name is Ida and I’m in year five. My favourite animal is the wolf, I like to travel and enjoy spending time with my family and friends.
What do you enjoy most about travelling? Being out and about, arriving or meeting new people?
All of it.
Who do you prefer to travel with?
I prefer to travel with my family, but I can also imagine travelling with friends when I’m old enough.
There’s always a lot to discover inside and outside the Swiss Youth Hostels. © Claudia Jucker
How often have you stayed at the Swiss Youth Hostels?
I’m not exactly sure, but a lot. I visited wellnessHostel3000 in Laax when it just opened. That was my first time at a youth hostel.
What is the difference to a “normal” hotel?
The youth hostel is usually more relaxed. Guests sometimes come to eat in their slippers. Everyone at the reception is nice and friendly. It’s also interesting that you have to strip your own bed before you leave.
Is there anything that’s always the same?
Yes, there’s a guest book and a buffet. I love buffets.
Ida loves breakfast – and buffets. © Claudia Jucker
What do you particularly like about the Swiss Youth Hostels?
That they’re so versatile! Once we spent the night at Burgdorf Castle, where we went straight from the youth hostel to the castle museum in the evening. On a bikepacking tour along the Rhine, we visited the Principality of Liechtenstein and stayed in Schaan-Vaduz for one night, which was also cool.
Is there anything you would change?
Yes, the breakfast times. I’d like to sleep in and be able to have breakfast until 11. In Schaan-Vaduz, breakfast is only served until 9.30 a.m. Other youth hostels sometimes offer breakfast until 10 a.m.
Which youth hostel stands out most in your memory?
wellnessHostel4000 in Saas-Fee. I was there last autumn with a friend and our mums. We saw marmots while hiking and fed them carrots. In the evening, we let off steam in the indoor swimming pool. Montreux in summer was also great! We set off straight from the youth hostel in our swimwear on a stand-up paddleboard onto Lake Geneva. And when we stayed in Martigny, we visited the Barry Museum, where I saw young St Bernard puppies. So sweet!
A stroll through wellnessHostel4000 Saas-Fee. © Claudia Jucker
Do you feel freer in a youth hostel?
Yes, totally. We children don’t have to be particularly quiet. Plus, there’s always a wide range of board games, and I get to try out new ones.
Where do you prefer to spend time at the youth hostel?
In the common room, but also in the room.
What do you have with you when you visit the youth hostel?
My cuddly toy.
You’ve also been to youth hostels outside Switzerland. Which one stuck with you the most?
STF Prinsvillan near Stockholm. By chance, we had the whole building to ourselves. And in the evening, suddenly there was a moose standing in the garden. That was really exciting. The breakfast was also super delicious, with homemade caraway bread.
In Sweden, the moose likes to say good morning. © Claudia Jucker
Which youth hostel is next on your wish list?
I’m quite open about that, but my mum mentioned that a new one would be opening soon in Geneva. I’d very much like to visit it with her.
Do you prefer to sleep on the top bunk or bottom?
Top.
Ida has already made so many youth hostel memories. © Claudia Jucker
Youth hostel in the city or in the countryside? Both.
Nice room or cool playroom? Cool playroom.
Multi-bed or family room? Family room.
For families especially, a membership with the Swiss Youth Hostels for just CHF 30 a year is particularly worthwhile. The family rooms at the Swiss Youth Hostels are often the more budget-friendly option for holidays in the mountains or cities, as breakfast is also included. Many youth hostels are well connected to public transport and offer special deals for families, such as free mountain railway tickets.
About the author
Claudia Jucker is a freelance travel journalist with a focus on family and lifestyle and works for various magazines and newspapers. Even as a child, she spent a lot of time travelling around the world, and capturing her experiences on postcards and in travel diaries. Today, driven by that same curiosity, she seeks out special places, accommodation and destinations that she weaves into her content. Because she is so often asked for personalised travel tips, she launched her travel research service “Jupi”.
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