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Cape Cod Hostels


If you’re a back-to-basics type of person who would rather spend money on, say, a nice dinner or some pricey souvenirs than empty your wallet at a fancy hotel, a hostel may be for you. And you won’t be alone. What was once the primary lodging choice of the young and the broke has become a frugal favorite among all generations.

Beds are simple and often in dorm like settings, and lockouts (those times when you must vacate your room) and curfews are strictly enforced. The American Youth Hostels (AYHs) have lockouts timed between 9 AM and 5 PM; nightly curfew is 11 PM. Reservations are only accepted up to 48 hours before your arrival. Check-in is between 5 and 10 PM. All AYHs offer free on-site parking and bike storage.

The cost of a night’s lodging is around $15—a far cry from the usual motel room rate of $60 to $100 or more.

The area has four AYHs—in Eastham, North Truro, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket—and non-AYH members can stay at them by simply paying the modest additional fee for an introductory membership (also see our Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket chapters). AYH accepts Visa and MasterCard and offers discounts to area attractions. There’s also a privately owned hostel in Provincetown.

Cape Cod Hostels

Hostelling International

$
75 Goody Hallet Dr., Eastham
(508) 255-2785

The first things you’ll notice as you drive through the 3 acres of grounds are the handmade wooden signs welcoming visitors in different languages. A nice touch, for hostels do attract a number of international travelers. This hostel offers 50 beds in eight rustic red cabins ($12 members; $15 nonmembers). Two family cabins, which offer two double beds and two bunk beds and sleep six, are also available.
Guests can also use the screened-in porch common room, picnic tables, grills, communal kitchen, volleyball and basketball courts, and game room. The grounds, just off Bridge Road, are lovely and wild, with birds singing in the trees and a gentle breeze blowing across the patio. The hostel is open mid-May through mid-September.

Hostelling International

$
111 N. Pamet Rd., North Truro
(508) 349-3889

There’s a reason this hostel is perched high atop the sand dunes: It was once a Coast Guard Station known as “Little America”—a name for which this hostel is now known. It’s location within the Cape Cod National Seashore will give you unbeatable views of the coastline, the cranberry bogs, the beaches, and beautiful Cape Cod sunrises. The 42 beds are set up in a multilevel house. Rates are $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. It’s open from late June through Labor Day.

Outermost Hostel

$
28 Winslow St., Provincetown
(508) 487-4378

This privately owned hostel has 30 beds in five whitewashed cabins — nothing to write home about but a steal at $15 per night. The hostel has a common living room and kitchen in one cabin. The expansive yard offers grills and picnic tables. The Outermost has no lockouts and no curfew. It’s open mid-May to mid-October.

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