I'm planning a 3 month backpacking trip (my first one!) to Europe for this fall. I'm a little worried about age restrictions at hostels. For a little less than a month, I'll be only seventeen when there. Some of the websites I've found say that most places HAVE an age restriction, some of them say that most DON'T.
What's the story here?
If it's any help, I'll mostly be in Western Europe.
You'll need to email or call the hostels you plan on staying at directly and ask. Some hostels will not allow anyone under 18 years old to stay without an adult accompanying them. For others, it could be under 16 years old in which case you'd be fine.
Do this in advance of your trip so you aren't caught off guard when you arrive.
Bavarian hostels are restricted to under 28 years of age
I don't think they are anymore. Not that that matters for Erica.
It's by hostel, it will depend on the individual hostel's policy. For example, the Astor Museum Backpacker's hostel in London is strictly 18 to 35 years. No exceptions. Most hostels that advertise as "backpacker's hostels" have an age restriction.
You should call ahead or email the hostel and make sure that you can stay there as a minor. YHA hostels require that you have a membership, but will allow 16 and 17 year olds to stay with them independently.
I don't know if Margaret's claim that you have to be under 28 is true anymore. I looked at several hostels from the page at http://www.hostels.com/de.ba.html and I did not find any with an upper age restriction.
Even YHA hostels vary on their age restriction policies for under 18's so you have to check with each hostel individually. Please note not all YHA hostels require you have membership ahead of time. If you check their website, you'll see what countries require it (i.e., France, Spain) and what countries do not (i.e., England, Belgium).
As a non-member, you would have to pay a little more for a bed. Don't chalk off staying at an independent hostel either. Many of the independents have really modernized the guest and common rooms in an effort to compete with other hostels, and they often give you some nice perks (like free breakfast).
I can't answer the original post question, about a minimum age. But I can testify that I've never been asked to go elsewhere at a hostel because of my age - I'm in my 40's. They've dropped the "youth" from "youth hostel", and they now accept old farts like me.
We had no problems....I was 64 at the time.
It is indeed by hostel, so check with each before you book. Regarding the previously mentioned age restriction of under 28 at the Bavarian hostels, I've seen that just a few months ago. That just means that the under 28s will get priority. If they have bunks available, they'll be happy to accomodate if you're over 28.
The reason for this is that in Germnany, where hostelling started by the way, hostels cater to school groups and in Germany, school groups take lots of field trips. I stayed at a hostel in Germany in the Hostelling International network, that had the age restriction, but I called them and they did have one available bunk room, which I got to myself. The hostel was filled though with high schoolers and surprisingly, it wasn't bad, they were all pretty well behaved.
I think some Hostels in Italy have minimum 18 year old age restriction.
Never heard of 28 year old restriction in Germany or other places. Now I remember I went to see a friend of mine in a hostel in Munich in '94. He was about 21-22 at that time. He didn't have any problems.
