KANGAROO-STOP IN DRESDEN

While staying with friends in Berlin, I decided to escape the city for a couple of days, (as it was my hosts’ wedding anniversary that same week). After a little research online, I caught a bus to Dresden and explored the city as well as further south into Saxon Switzerland.

Dresden has a beautiful, historic downtown worth visiting and the Kangaroo-Stop Hostel, located north of the Elbe River in Neustadt, provided everything needed for a comfortable stay. It seemed to be quite a well trafficked hostel with many travelers moving between Berlin and Prague, or just exploring Dresden itself and the many outdoor opportunities outside the city.

Here’s how the Kangaroo-Stop ranked for me.

Dorm Room:

I was in a four-bed, mixed dorm that had plenty of extra space surrounding the two bunk beds, allowing occupants to spread out and sort bags if needed. Lockers were also available in the room and if you didn’t have a lock you could get one from the front desk with a deposit. The door to the room also locked providing a nice added layer of security to all belongings left behind.

The bed was plenty large enough for my tall frame and mattress and comforter, with clean sheets, made for a good night’s sleep. There was a sink and mirror in the room, so one could wash up, shave or brush their teeth without wandering out to the shared bathrooms. Temperatures were mild during my stay, but I didn’t see any sign of air-conditioning which might be uncomfortable in very hot weather.

Amenities:

The kitchen and dining area was huge and never crowded. All one needed to cook a meal was provided and clean. The lounge area was also spacious and very comfortable with big windows and bay doors opening out to a patio area. There were a good number of books and magazines available to read on a shelf and strong wifi throughout this space and other rooms.

A small coffee shop in the front of the hostel offered a number of different drinks for cheaper prices than out on the town and the staff was, (supposedly), available at reception 24/7. All staff were fluent in English and very happy to help with any questions and recommendations for activities in and around the city. Washers were available for laundry but I didn’t use them so am unsure on the price.

There was a small toilet with sink just across the hall from my room, but the main toilets and showers were upstairs on the second floor. The showers themselves were reasonably clean but lacked shelves for soap/shampoo etc, and if the hostel was really full I imagine their might be a wait for the four shower stalls and even fewer toilets on that floor.

Pricing:

I paid 18.70 Euros plus VAT per night during my stay, which seemed very fair for the comforts provided. I am, however, quite frustrated by the “no sleeping bags rule” when hostels require an additional fee to use the linen they provide. This was only a one-time fee of a couple of Euros paid on the first night, but it still seems like an unfair increase of their advertised price, (I guess they don’t want dirty sleeping bags used in their beds).

Location:

The Kangaroo-Stop is just a few minutes walk from the Dresden-Neustadt train station. My bus from Berlin dropped me at Dresden Hauptbahnhof, but I hopped on a S-Bahn train back north and three stops later arrived at Neustadt.

Another five minutes walk east from the hostel put me in the center of Äußere Neustadt that was full of great restaurants and more bars than I could count. Heading south, I made my way to Dresden’s historic downtown on foot which took around 15-20 minutes. It’s not a bad walk through nice streets and a shopping area before crossing the Elbe River, but there are trams that would shorten the journey considerably if wanted.

Next hostel on our route: YHA HELVELLYN IN THE LAKE DISTRICT, ENGLAND.