Hostels in Australia are by far the best places to stay when you are travelling Down Under. Most importantly hostels in Australia are much less expensive than hotels, which is important if you are on a tight budget. The infrastructure in Oz for backpackers is generally superb all-round and it is undoubtedly one of the easiest and most hassle-free countries to travel on a gap year or career break.

There are many hostels in Australia to choose from - about 140 of the hostels in Australia are run by the YHA (Youth Hostel Association of Australia) with the rest of the hostels in Australia being privately owned. The choice of hostels in Australia in larger cities such as Sydney is immense. Your first experience of hostels in Australia is likely to be in Sydney, (as most travellers arrive in to Australia there), so it is worthwhile considering before you arrive what type of hostel you would like to stay in. Which hostels in Australia you choose in a big city like Sydney should depend on the type of neighbourhood you prefer.

The majority of hostels in Sydney are located in the King's Cross area, which is central and excellent for nightlife - but can get a little noisy. A quieter but very pleasant alternative, with plenty of cafes and shops, a little further out from central Sydney is the Glebe area. Some travellers choose to head to a hostel much further out of the city in order to be by a beach - with Coogee and Bondi being particularly popular beach hostel locations.