Caboose, Former Jail Cells Enliven Canada Stays

With its dollar still weak against the U.S. dollar, Canada can be a good bargain. But bargains don’t have to be boring. Youth hostels these days are not necessarily limited to dull dormitory-style accommodations.

In Squilax, British Columbia, telephone (250) 675-2977, you can stay in a former caboose. Each rail car sleeps six and has a bathroom and kitchenette. There’s also a lighthouse hostel in Campbellton, New Brunswick; a hostel in a former courthouse (the Kamloops, B.C., hostel still features prisoner and witness boxes); and one in a jailhouse in Canada’s capital (the Ottawa International Hostel is in a centrally located former prison).

All have beds this year for less than $15 per night. Finding such hostels to suit your style doesn’t have to be a gamble with a new independent guide called “Hostels Canada.”

Paul Karr, who coauthored “Hostels U.S.A,” worked with a small army of assistants to visit each of the 130 hostels reviewed in “Hostels Canada.” He’s produced an independent, opinionated guide with a rating system and firsthand comments that give you insights about the atmosphere and amenities of each location. You’ll find out if the hostel is clean and the staff helpful, the size of dormitories, how quiet it is, if it’s family friendly or has good food.

Travelers can also read about extra facilities (from hot tubs to canoe rentals) and about activities in the area, from hiking and sightseeing to skiing and whale watching. Find out what to look for in a hostel and which ones to avoid. “Not all of them are great,” says the author. “That’s why we wrote this book. . . . You wouldn’t want your friends to stay in a fleabag, right? And you wouldn’t keep a great place secret from them either.”

The author has also targeted some hostels for special lists. One example is the Shoestring Lodge in Whistler, B.C., which made both the “Rockin’ Good Time Hostel” and the “Great Ski Hostels” lists. The lodge is described as being like a college dorm without the rules; every room has a TV, and overall there’s a party atmosphere. “Verrrry comfortable . . . the rooms are big, clean and well-suited to a youth-oriented facility.” Beds in dormitory rooms start at $15; private rooms are $45. Tel. (604) 932-3338.

The Banff International Hostel, tel. (403) 762-4122, made the “Great Family Hostel” and the “Ten Best Hostels in Canada” lists. The researchers found that “if we had to choose just one ‘luxury’ hostel to visit in Western Canada, it might well be this one.” The dorm rooms are limited to five people ($12 to $13 per person per night), and family rooms are available. The hostel is big on information, from details on local tourist opportunities to shared-ride notices and postings for tourism-related jobs in the Banff area.

Among seven hostels cited for good food is the Auberge de la Grande Fugue in Orford, Quebec; tel. (819) 843-8595. Guests there can enjoy a salmon dinner with salad and dessert for $7. This 3-year-old hostel, which is about 75 miles east of Montreal, is also a music school in the summer, when a professional chef is on staff. Accommodations range from rustic cabins to hotel rooms (with three beds or less), with rates starting at $12 per night. Enjoy the French flavor of Canada in an area popular for hiking and biking. The hostel closes for the winter on Oct. 31.

The “Ten Best Hostels in Canada” list also includes the Dancing Bear Inn Hostel in Nelson, B.C.; tel. (250) 352-7573. It’s “almost like a B&B; but half the price.” Karr describes this restored inn as “one of the best hostels in Western Canada--maybe all of Canada.” Travelers will find small bunk rooms, beds with duvets and a common space with a fireplace and library. And Karr found that Nelson, with its 350 restored buildings (this includes the hostel) and activities ranging from observing the annual fall salmon spawn in Kootenay Creek to investigating local caves or relaxing in hot springs, is “a nice town to get stuck in for a few days.” The hostel beds start at $13.

“Hostels Canada,” by Paul Karr, $14.95, is published by Globe Pequot Press.