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New Zealand Travel Tips & Questions

How much do you pay for a hostel a night??

Quite how much you will pay for a bed in a New Zealand hostel can vary considerably depending on a number of factors.

Dorm or private room – you will normally have a choice of either. Dorms cost less than privates but fewer-bed or female-only options may be priced higher than say a 16-bed dorm for example. Private room costs can vary according to whether or not you have shared bathroom facilities.

Location – the backpacker or tourist hubs such as Queenstown, Auckland and Rotorua have plenty of hostel choices – this competition tends to keep the prices lower.

Facilities at the hostel – lots of extras such as pool, bar, entertainment etc may boost the basic price of a hostel.

Season – December to February (summer) is high season in New Zealand and the time of year when prices are higher. Low season is June to August (winter) and typically when prices are lower. However, winter is also skiing season so in locations affected by this factor – Queenstown for example – the hostel prices will stay at their highest.

Membership schemes – New Zealand's major hostel chains offer membership schemes which can be true money savers if you use them a lot during your trip.

The following – using Auckland hostel examples – will give you a general idea of the kind of figures you will need to factor into your budgeting sums:

Dorms - approximately NZ$13 to NZ$36

Private room - an average range of NZ$50 - NZ$60. The lowest prices you will find are about NZ$35.

Remember to check out what the price includes. If you get free breakfasts, tours or some other major benefits you may actually save money by paying what on first glance appears to be a higher price.