more than an award
a movement
for authentic travel,
community impact and
sustainable connections that
make hostels the extra mile of discovery.
The Extra Mile Award
Tell us how your hostel goes the extra mile – from working with local businesses to creating community impact workshops.
More than places to sleep, hostels are catalysts for discovery; cultural exchange, local living, community building, and creating positive lasting social impact. They are inclusive spaces that welcome people from any and all walks of life, and promote sustainable practices that benefit both travelers and local communities.
Even more than that, hostels can become precious hubs for promoting a wider territory, beyond the city where they are based. With most tourists in Europe concentrating in only a few places, incentivizing hostel guests to see more of the surrounding area can help balance and increase the understanding of a region, support local economies and ease the pressure off well-trodden destinations.
To celebrate this role, Europe’s Famous Hostels has partnered with Flix’s extensive network to recognize hostels that take hospitality a step further – that go the ‘Extra Mile’. Those that inspire travelers to look beyond the obvious tourist paths and discover authentic experiences that connect them more deeply with their destination.
The award highlights hostels that encourage guests to explore both their cities and the surrounding areas in a meaningful and respectful way – by promoting alternative routes, positive local encounters, and genuine community connections.
The hostel will encourage authentic local experiences; providing information and interpretations of local culture and heritage that is appropriate to their destination and local communities. They will also educate on their natural surroundings and be mindful of areas at risk from high numbers of tourists.
At the core of the Award lies a shared belief: tourism operators have a responsibility to make travel more sustainable. By guiding guests off the beaten path and encouraging deeper cultural connections and local interactions, hostels and transport providers alike can decentralize tourism. We believe hostels should show stewardship for their destination; encouraging local interactions that minimize negative impacts and engage in sustainable tourism planning that benefits local communities. This can help the whole sector mitigate the effect of overtourism, while contributing to creating shared value.
The Extra Mile Award
FAQs & Terms and Conditions
The Extra Mile Award
Sponsored by Flix
Tell us how your hostel goes the extra mile – from inciting travel to lesser known destinations and alternative routes to working with local businesses as well as creating community impact workshops. Show us how you create cultural bridges and foster positive encounters between locals and travelers, whether through music, LGTBQI+ initiatives, local businesses or charities, community events or action. Additional material is welcome to help tell your story – the more you leave a positive impact and travel in a sustainable way, the better.
Prize:
The winning hostel will receive 20 free Flix return tickets to share with guests, staff, or community partners, promoting ‘going the extra mile’ to increase opportunities for winners to travel reducing their individual carbon footprint – on a per passenger/km basis, a FlixBus in Europe emits on average at least five times less CO2 than a private car and 10 times less than a plane (see here for more information) – while digging deeper to discover and understand a destination.
Do I need to be a member of Famous Hostels to apply?
No. The Extra Mile Award is open to all hostels, whether or not they are part of Europe’s Famous Hostels network.
Award Criteria:
The award recognizes hostels that go the “extra mile” by:
- Promoting experiences within or outside the city that consider the capacity and integrity of their natural and cultural surroundings.
- Inspiring guests to explore lesser-known destinations and hidden gems.
- Benefiting local communities through opportunities for positive social impact and meaningful cultural exchange between travelers and locals.
- Educating: Cultural heritage should be presented in an authentic way where traditional and contemporary modern culture are valued and respected.
- Local communities should be engaged in a way that offers opportunities for employment and entrepreneurial activities, without discrimination, and that supports community development and addresses the impact of climate change.
How do I submit my application?
- Write a text showcasing your impactful story and how your hostel goes the extra mile.
- Submit your entry before the deadline.
Deadline for Submissions
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM (CET) on October 17th, 2025.