For some, being away from home over the Christmas period can be a tough time. Yuletide merriment is all about getting together with your loved ones and sharing some festive cheer (along with a fair bit of booze and pudding, of course). So for backpackers on the road, Christmas and New Year can be, well, a bit of a lonely experience.

But all is not lost! Across the world, there are great hostels that allow their guests to enjoy the spirit of Christmas and the hedonism of New Year to the full. The beauty of these joints is that they create a family out of like-minded travelers. Oh, and they also create huge, all-encompassing Christmas knees ups too!

The Flying Pig Hostels, Amsterdam

The three Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam are wonderfully cozy and sociable all year round. Come Christmas, however, they take on a whole new level of appeal… The offer is simple: ‘Free Beds and Free Bubbles’. And it’s as attractive as it sounds. Simply book a two nights stay at one of the hostels over Christmas, and you get a third night free. You also get a free turkey dinner, a free champagne breakfast, and, as the Flying Pig puts it, “no annoying aunts and uncles”!

Nathans Villa, Krakow

Nathans Villa is well known on the backpacking trail as a place where just about anything goes. This is party central, and the traveler looking for a New Year’s mash-up could do much worse than head to this excellent hostel in the middle of Krakow. From the private bar (that’s right – no riff raff) to the beer garden and the outdoor terrace, Nathan’s Villa practically lives for nights like New Year’s. And the travelers who experience it practically live for next year’s installment once the night finally comes to an end…

Sir Toby’s Hostel, Prague

As its motto (“a stranger is just a friend we haven’t met yet”) testifies, Sir Toby’s is a home from home as soon as you walk through the door. Don’t expect the most raucous party of your life, but do expect some genuine warmth, a free Christmas dinner, and the opportunity to learn how to bake traditional Czech Christmas cookies.

Hostel of the Sun, Naples

As with Sir Toby’s, Hostel of the Sun has that little something special that makes you think you’re at home. Perhaps it’s the incredibly cozy TV room, or the helpful receptionists who banter day-long with the guests. Whatever the reason, Hostel of the Sun is a safe bet for a memorable Christmas – this year, they’re planning to do food-based hospitality like only the Italians can by offering a free Christmas and New Year’s dinner.

Be Hostels, Barcelona

Christmas and New Year in Barcelona are always jubilant occasions, with the locals doing their best to drink and dance as much as humanly possible. In preparation for the activities, the two Be Hostels in Barcelona are offering free dinner on both nights. Read between the lines and you realize happy immobility is guaranteed – either through food, or drink, or a combination of the two!

Loki Hostels, Peru

Christmas celebrations in Peru focus around the night of the 24th, or Noche Buena as it’s known. This makes a stay in one of the four Loki Hostels a must, as they plan to go all out on the 25th as well. In fact, these hostels aren’t going to let up all week long, with food and parties carrying guests in a whirlwind from the 24th to the dawn of the New Year.

Soi 1 Guesthouse – Backpackers Hostel, Bangkok

Xmas at Soi 1 promises to be X rated. Things start at 6pm on the 25th, with pub games and alcoholic lollypops, before the entire hostel hits the streets for a pub-crawl of monumental proportions. And, for those who make it through the evening, the hostel picks itself up again for New Year’s, with gallons of ‘Soi 1 Hunch Punch’ (it’s vodka, basically), fireworks on the river, and late night clubbing, all on the menu.

Home Made Hostel, Budapest

Known for its stylish, old-fashioned décor and friendly, welcoming atmosphere, Home Made Hostel is primed for an evening of eating, drinking and chatting come the 25th. This is definitely a hostel in which to kick back and enjoy the finer points of life.

Sevilla Urbany Hostel, Seville

Friendly Urbany Hostel in Seville hosts a truly Spanish Christmas and New Years (including cakes, anisette and 12 grapes…). You can read about it here.

Urban Central, Melbourne

Swish and swanky, Urban Central is simply the place to be if you’re looking to party it up over Christmas in Australia. If Christmas Day, with free dinner and punch, sounds like wholesome – if boozy – fun, then New Year’s Eve, with free champagne, a DJ, and a rooftop viewing of fireworks sounds positively raucous.

In case you were wondering, there’s a dress code for these nights. On the 25th it’s festive attire, and on the 31st it’s ‘dress to impress’. Nothing too controversial, then…

Athens Backpackers, Athens

Athens Backpackers are serving up a three day sucker-punch over Xmas. Things get going on the 24th with cocktails, mulled wine and a carol service, while the 25th is all about heaps of turkey, mince pies and red wine. If you’re able to get out of bed on Boxing Day, there’s a short outing to Lycabbetus followed by films all evening. Lovely!

Meininger, Berlin

If all the above sounds a little heady, then the Meininger chain of hostels in Berlin have come up with a solution. It’s a simple philosophy really: Do whatever you like on New Year’s Eve, and then recover with their free hang-over breakfast the next morning! Who needs Alka Seltzer when you can have a full German Frühstück?

JC