We stayed here for a night while in Bergen and there are some pros and cons with the location. Our…read morechoices were pretty limited being between Christmas and New Years but this choice did work. Pros: Great location close to the train station and everything else. Affordable. Clean. Mostly. After hours check in was easy. Free wifi that works. Cons: Even for a family room you'll pay to rent towels and sheets. Sheets were clean but we had to lay them in odd ways to cover the bed since the sizes didn't match up. Comforters that we put into the duvets weren't very clean. Lots of hair on them and yellow stains. The room was HOT. Sooooo hot. Opening the windows helped some. One elevator that is iffy, no stairs as an option. The room was tiny. It was for three but when we pulled the single bed open it was partially under the desk and you couldn't walk between the beds after that. The only place to put your bag was in the few steps of space between the bathroom door and the foot of the bed. For three people with 3 backpacks that's tough. Bag storage is free but was only available until 5:30. Yes, I had more pros than cons on this location but it was still a good choice for our stay. Just know what you're getting into. :-)

-Great prices! -Great location near train station/bus…read morestation/downtown! -Clean and organized! -Great kitchen and common areas! -Free wifi, free locker (with key) in room, free luggage storage (code changes daily)! -Good and clean shower and bathrooms! (My 10 bed room was a spacious suite with its own amazing bathroom and shower, however my 6 and 4 bed rooms did not have so much space or commodities.) -Amazing and quick communication from staff via email pre-arrival and in-person. -Offer to purchase breakfast buffet at a local hotel for ~130NOK (DO IT!-The buffet is amazing and soooo worth it considering the price of meals in Norway!) -Other guests seemed to be very courteous and mindful of shared space, lots of varied age groups, not just very young travelers. -No alcohol allowed on premises (with small exception in private room) so if this matters to you, be aware. I was so impressed with the facility, staff, and I felt like I got my money's worth and then some!

There are a grand total of three hostel options in Bergen so it's not like you have much of a…read morechoice but whatever, read on. I advise booking early because on the Saturday I arrived, the tourist information center had a sign saying ALL accommodation was booked in the city center. Overall, YMCA was a solid stay for just a couple of nights. I definitely appreciated the location, it's a quick walk to the tourist info center, the fish market, and the fløibanen. They accept online payment but note that towel rental is 10 NOK in cash. As far as accommodation, this is about as basic as it gets. Cheap bunk beds, itchy sheets, and only one set of plugs in the corner so everyone gets to fight to charge their electronics at night.

Not bad, but not the best. I stayed in a 12-person female dorm, and there was only one shower for…read moreall of us! That's not enough I feel. The pillows were pretty weak, and the covers were sufficiently warm. It's not bad for a place to sleep, but I probably wouldn't want to stay there for too long. The hostel is in a very convenient location though, right in the center of the city near the fish market and about ten minutes from the central train station. Breakfast costs 50 NOK, and they provide good city maps!

Yes, the kids running the place were friendly enough, but that's hardly the issue: the place is run…read moreentirely by "volunteers" from a christian college near Chicago. Evangelism aside, they didn't seem to know what's going on (this morning, two of them argued as they tried to figure out how to run a vacuum). So it's poorly maintained, and a little smelly and dirty. Worse, though, is that these students are working illegally in the country without a visa. They climb up and down ladders, perform building maintenance and prepare food without the high quality standards you expect from organizations overseen by the local and federal government. Someone is eventually going to get hurt, and there's no adult in charge. And of course, they're gleefully being exploited by their college, and whoever owns this building.

Intermission is an incredible hostel. I have traveled a lot and stayed in over 7 hostels and this…read moreone is my favorite. The bed was comfortable, clean and the staff were kind, accommodating, and helpful. It is also the best priced hostel in Bergen and perhaps all of Norway.