Linné Hostel, Gothenburg

Let’s be honest: homely Linné Hostel is not going to win any prizes for its interior design.

But providing you don’t mind your bedroom with the odd flowery pair of curtains or framed picture on the wall, it makes a clean, comfortable base in a pretty part of the city centre. From here it’s a few minutes’ walk to Gothenburg’s main park, and a few hundred metres or so to Linnégatan’s best bars.

Nearby Slottsskogens Hostel feels considerably more modern and is better geared up for longer stays, so try to get a space there if you can. If it’s fully booked and you still want to stay near Linnégatan, don’t worry; this is a decent standby.

Tea and coffee are provided free in the little lobby (when we swung by there were biscuits, too). You can also use the computer by the front desk to catch up on emails if you’ve forgotten your phone or laptop.

Rooms at Linné Hostel range from box-like economy options without windows to much larger and brighter dormitory-style rooms sleeping up to six. They’re tidy and well looked after, with access to shared bathrooms and a kitchen.

Unfortunately, if you want to stay in one of the larger rooms you’ll have to pay for the whole thing (you cannot share with strangers). The only exception is during the summertime, when single-sex dorms are opened up and individual beds are rented out by the night.