Hostels in Berkshire 
Looking for the best hostels in Berkshire? You are in the right place!
On this page, we have listed every city in Berkshire with backpacker hostels and budget-friendly stays. Hostelz.com makes it easy to find your ideal Berkshire hostel by comparing prices across major booking platforms. Save money while backpacking Berkshire and sleep comfortably on a budget.
All Backpacker Hostels in Berkshire
We have got you covered with a complete list of every hostel in Berkshire, across 2 cities! Not all cities have hostels, but many offer alternative budget options like guesthouses and affordable hotels. Use our filters to quickly find cities with hostels or other budget accommodations to simplify your trip planning.
All Berkshire hostels on a map
Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.
Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Berkshire. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.
Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Berkshire
Berkshire is a country located in south east England and is approximately 52 miles west of London. It is bordered by the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, Wiltshire and Hampshire.
Some of the most notable towns in Berkshire include: Reading, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Wokingham, Windsor and Sandhurst. You can also visit the villages of Crowthorne and Twyford. In the more rural West Berkshire, popular towns include Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford and Lambourn. Many of these places have cheap accommodation or hostels to stay at.
For fans of the British royal family, Berkshire is an unmissable stop of any itinerary. For starters it is the birthplace of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and wife to Prince William. She grew up in Chapel Row which is near Newbury.
Berkshire also plays host to Windsor Castle. This castle is the oldest and biggest occupied castle in the world. It is located in Windsor, Berkshire and is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth. For the price of admission, you can tour the castle and see the magnificent state apartments, St George’s Chapel, Queen Mary’s Dolls House and the drawings gallery.
If you are a fan of live music and hoping to visit Berkshire around August, consider getting tickets to the Reading Festival. This is one of the UK’s biggest music festivals that is held over the August bank holiday and plays host to many internationally famous musicians over three days.
Other things to do in Berkshire include visiting museums; the West Berkshire Museum in Newburg or the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum in Windsor are two options for this.
The famous Stonehenge is also just an hour’s drive away from Berkshire and a trip to this mysterious site is definitely worth a day trip.
You can also check out The Living Rainforest in Newbury, Cora Reef Bracknell’s Water World in Bracknell, the Motion Simulation Room in Slough or The Swan at Streatley Spa in Reading. Alternatively, try the French Brothers Boat Trips in Old Windsor.
Many British celebrities have also once called Berkshire home. Among these stars are Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais, Nicholas Hoult, Elton John, Emilia Clarke and Kate Winslet.
Accommodation-wise, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a hostel in Berkshire as many of the larger towns in the area will have cheap accommodation and hostels available. You could even opt for booking a hostel in Oxford. Although Oxford is not in Berkshire itself, it is only a 45 minute drive away and is a popular spot for backpackers.
Handwritten by local expert for Berkshire hostels Erin
Travel Tips for Berkshire - from the Community
Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Berkshire. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Berkshire. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!
FAQ on Hostels in Berkshire
There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:
Finding Hostels and Prices
What hostel booking sites are best to use?
There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.
This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.
For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.
How much are hostels in Berkshire?
Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.
You can search for exacty hostel prices in Berkshire here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.
When to book hostels?
If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.
We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.
Safety and Packing
Are hostels in Berkshire safe?
Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.
What to pack when staying in hostels?
There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.
There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.