If you’re searching for a unique hostel in Sydney, there is really no other option than YHA Railway Square.
Here’s my full review!
What is YHA Railway Square Sydney?
YHA Railway Square Sydney is a city centre hostel, and some of the dorms are located in renovated railway carriages.
Staying here’s definitely one of the most unique things to do in Sydney!
From the outside, these dorms look like vintage railway cars, and as soon as you walk into the door, they are spacious dormitory rooms.
They’re all kitted out with large lockers, comfy beds, individual lights and lots of power sockets.
Staying in one of these dormitory rooms is a quirky Australia experience and is definitely one to check off the bucket list, and is also a great place to base yourself while spending a few days in Sydney!
You can also opt for a room in the historic main building of the hostel, which still has a fantastic ‘old railway’ atmosphere.
And aside from train carriages, the YHA Railway Square offers so much more. As its name suggests, it’s super close to the main railway station.
So close, in fact, that some of the dormitory rooms look straight out onto the platforms themselves! This is obviously ideal for anyone arriving or leaving Sydney via train or greyhound bus (the main station is on Eddy Avenue, right by the train station).
The airport is so easily accessible from the station, it takes a mere 15 minutes on a direct train to the terminal.
I actually arrived at the hostel just an hour after my plane landed at the airport – it taking me around 40 minutes to get through customs – which I think is a record for me and certainly not something that I was expecting to happen in Sydney!
When you’ve just come off a long-haul flight (which is most international flights to Australia!) the last thing that you want to do is faff around trying to find your hostel.
The YHA Railway Square is a perfect option for this without shelling out for an expensive and more time-consuming taxi.
Staying at YHA Railway Square: A Unique Hostel in Sydney
I was greeted in the hostel by big smiles from the staff and felt immediately welcomed to Australia. Even though I arrived very early, I was allowed into my dorm room and made the most of the fantastic facilities.
YHA Railway Square, like the majority in Australia, don’t tend to provide food but when I mentioned how hungry/ tired/ confused I was about not being in Asia any more they immediately gave me a can of beans and some bread to make toast.
This was the most English thing I’d eaten in months and I’ll be honest, I completely devoured it and loved every bite!
The hostel contains a huge kitchen, which is kitted out with all the facilities you’ll need to make a delicious dinner and is a great place to meet people.
Along from the kitchen, there’s a buzzing common area which contains two vending machines ad lots of areas to chill out. During my stay, there were always people in the common area but it never felt too crowded, which was perfect!
Other facilities that the YHA Railway Square boasts are laundry services and both free and paid for WiFi. The free WiFi was decent and the paid for WiFi stretches all the way to each dorm, which is fantastic for blogging needs.
The main lobby is adorned with world flags and the walls are plastered with posters giving you all the information you need to travel in Australia.
The hostel has inspired me to start researching the Adelaide – Darwin road trip that I’m very keen to embark on, staying at various YHA hostels along the way!
The atmosphere of the hostel is both chilled and buzzing; the staff encourage social activities and plan bar crawls and nights out, but they also respect those who want to go to bed earlier and have a no noise policy after 11pm. It’s easy to get a good night’s sleep at the YHA Railway Square in the converted train carriages, as they are located separate from the rest of the hostel.
I’m definitely not as rock n roll as I used to be and went to bed at 10pm on my first night in Australia (I was exhausted from the flight and told myself I had 364 more nights to go out if I wanted to!) and I had a lovely, uninterrupted sleep. J
ust what I needed after a long-haul flight! If you’re staying at the YHA for a few days, you can make the most of social activities which will both help you meet people and save money! They offer $1 pancakes a few times a week and BBQ and burrito nights for just $5! In such a pricey city, these things are fantastic value. On my first morning there, there were even free strawberries!
Whether you’re making a semi-permanent move to Australia on a working holiday visa, are travelling around or are just stopping by Sydney, YHA Railway Square is a perfect option.
You’ll meet lots of different people, enjoy a great social scene and even be able to enjoy the quirkiness of sleeping in a railway carriage. YHA Railway Square is the perfect combination of all the best features of hostels, and this is why I would recommend it as a perfect unique place to stay in Sydney.
Are you ready to stay at the most unique, laid back hostel in Sydney? Book here! Just to be transparent: My stay at YHA Railway Square was complimentary. As always, all opinions remain my own. Pin Me!
Where’s the coolest hostel you’ve ever stayed? Let me know in the comments below!
What a creative idea. I am going to tell my friend from Sydney about it. I might make her do a sleepover there with me, the next time I visit.