Lofoten Stamsund Hostel

One of the few ways to sleep in a fisherman's cabin in central Lofoten without paying cabin prices, with a shared kitchen, free bikes and rowing boats, a sauna over the harbour, and a bus stop and coastal-ferry quay within walking distance — so a car is optional.

Solo travellers and people on a budget, who get a dorm bed or a 6 m² single; families and groups, who can take a cottage or the family room, with free cots and free extra beds up to six years old; and anyone arriving by Hurtigruten rather than by car.

Several room types share bathrooms, including the double, the economy quadruple and the family room. The hostel says the WiFi signal does not reach the one-bedroom cottage well, though the common room has a reliable connection. There is no electric-car charging. An airport shuttle is not normally offered, and the hostel says it can only sometimes help, depending on your arrival time. Check-in runs from 15:00 to 22:00, with late arrivals from the coastal ferry accepted by arrangement. Extra beds cost NOK 200 a night from six years old, pets are taken only on request, and guests of 18 and over are charged as adults.

Eight room types: an 8-Bed Mixed Dormitory of 25 m²; a Standard Double with Shared Bathroom, 15 m², two beds; a One-Bedroom Cottage, 30 m², three beds; an Economy Quadruple with Shared Bathroom, 25 m², four beds; a Family Room with Shared Bathroom, 25 m², three beds; a Two-Bedroom Cottage, 60 m², four beds; a Bungalow with Sea View, 20 m², one bed; and a Standard Single with Sea View, 6 m². Bedrooms are laid out with bunk beds, and one holds a double. Cots are free on request, and extra beds are free up to five years old and NOK 200 per person per night from six. The hostel's own site describes the buildings as authentic fishermen's cabins.

A shared kitchen, a shared lounge, free WiFi, free private parking and barbecue facilities. Free bicycles, rowing boats for fishing and water sports equipment; car hire can be arranged at the hostel. Showers, shared bathrooms and, in some rooms, a private bathroom. A wood-fired sauna looks over the harbour, according to the hostel's own site. There is no electric-car charging point.

Self-catering in the shared kitchen, which is where the hostel's social life happens; a barbecue is available outside. No restaurant or breakfast is listed at the property. The hostel says the nearest shop is about three minutes' walk.

Hartvågen in Stamsund, the tettsted Kartverket registers in Vestvågøy municipality about 170 metres from the hostel. The buildings stand on a pier in their own small cove by the sea, with large outdoor areas. The guide measures 10.2 km in a straight line to Leknes.

The hostel's own site gives 15 km to Leknes Airport, 150 metres to the Hartvågen bus stop on the 18-767 Leknes–Stamsund service, and 1.2 km to Stamsund's main harbour, where the Hurtigruten and Havila coastal ships call northbound and southbound. Booking.com puts Leknes Airport at the same 15 km and Vestvågøy Rådhus at 14 km. The hostel does not normally run an airport shuttle, and there is no electric-car charging.