HI Membership - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

RootBrewskies · 04-24-2006, 06:13 PM

who out there has a HI membership? do u find it worth the price? the membership fo 28 bucks a year seems pretty high considering most of the HI hostels only charge 2 or 3 bucks more a night for nonmembers. so you'd have to stay between 10 and 15 days a year to make it even worth the cost of the membership and its not like the hostels are that significantly cheaper so you would probably have to go out of your way to stay at the hostels.

i guess its good if you do a decent amount of US hostel traveling however in europe and other countries hostels are more common so you have options other than HI affiliated places.

i was just wondering if people have found it worth it.

also, what is HI's policy on memberships. does everyone in your group need to be a member? or do they allow one membership to cover 2 or 3 people?

also has anyone ever stayed at a hostel with their family? ive never done this and cant imagine my parents ever wanting to but i saw on the HI website that they welcome families and was wondering if anyone has done this and how it has worked out?

**TheJake** · 04-24-2006, 07:59 PM

im kinda in a rush out the door right now but i just let my HI membership expire. It's kinda useless when im just sitting around stateside but down in SA it was priceless most of the time.

thekid · 04-24-2006, 08:02 PM

HI membership is good for more than just staying at an HI. maybe theres a list somewhere but i know it gets you a pretty good discount on the greyhound.

xanthuos · 04-24-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thekid@Apr 24 2006, 11:02 PM
HI membership is good for more than just staying at an HI. maybe theres a list somewhere but i know it gets you a pretty good discount on the greyhound.

[snapback]114714[/snapback]

Actually, a Student Advantage card gets you a discount on Greyhound, not an HI card.
I have it...I don't know that I've gotten much use out of it. Most of the time, I forget I have it. I'm a nomad, with no fixed address...but of late, I've been staying with friends rather than in hostels. There's a fine chance I'll get my money's worth from it, but I don't know yet.

**Jen05** · 04-24-2006, 08:58 PM

I travelled Europe last summer and had no use for a HI card. I stayed at two HI hostels, and personally found them too "stale" and uniform, and full of young students (young = 12-14 year olds) that were really annoying! It could have just been the ones I stayed at, so I don't want to bash them. I actually found there were tons available without HI memberships, and got tons of discounts with my VIP Backpackers card that was free with my Eurail (not sure what they usually cost).

**tumblezweedz** · 04-24-2006, 11:36 PM

We bought ours in Lithuania, where we were living at the time. It's actually got the cheapest rates, about $15-20 I think. We got a family membership, and did stay in hostels - in Sweden and Poland - with our kids. For us it worked well, because we filled up the smaller dorms so ended up having effectively "private" rooms, for the dorm price.

We always prebooked at hostels because we needed so many beds, but even so, the staff always looked a bit surprised when we showed up trailing our little ones behind like so many ducklings. In Krakow they did put us in a larger dorm for one night, but it didn't seem to cause any problems - our kids go to bed early and sleep soundly, so the late night comings and goings didn't disturb them, and in the morning we just got up when they did (early!) and left the others to sleep. At the hostel in Stockholm, we were disturbed about 3 am by people coming home, banging down the corridors, but got back to sleep okay.

It's quite common for family groups to travel together in Europe, especially in Scandinavia and Austria/Germany, where there are tons of hostels that cater to that demographic. If I were traveling solo, I'd probably avoid those ones, but even the regular hostels that I stayed at when I was solo often hosted school groups, which are ten times worse - okay, maybe a thousand times worse - than a family with kids, because they are left totally uncontrolled. Horrible memories of an earlier trip round Poland are surfacing currently

must ... suppress...

Bottom line, yes, many hostels are family friendly and it can be a good way to go (although sometimes a basic hotel can work out cheaper if you have to pay for lots of beds), and hostelling worked for us in Japan, Poland and Scandinavia, but I wouldn't book a family into a recognized "party" hostel, for everyone's sake.

**bellelass** · 04-24-2006, 11:44 PM

Quote:

but even the regular hostels that I stayed at when I was solo often hosted school groups, which are ten times worse - okay, maybe a thousand times worse - than a family with kids, because they are left totally uncontrolled.

Jesus, I couldnt agree more. When I worked in a hostel in London, the families were usually so nice, with such sweet little kids and I would do whatever I could to get them into a room of their own and not charge them either. Point them to play parks and the laundry and the grocery, and usually the mom would like me and make me dinner or something.

School groups on the other hand. God in heaven. I had a momentary bout of insanity and decided to take it upon myself to haul a group of 10 american highschoolers out clubbing. That was a mistake. And besides that school groups generally trashed the place and someone (not their chaperones) would end up cleaning up their vomit and trying to keep them from dying of alcohol poisoning. grrr...

**omisan** · 04-25-2006, 01:44 AM

I have a YHA card that I bought in Australia last year. YHA is the Oz/NZ counterpart to HI, and thus accepted in the same places. I found it VERY worthwhile.

While HI hostels in Europe tend to be more institutional and blah, YHA has some great places in the southern hemisphere, and if you're traveling for more than a few weeks, the card pays for itself. The card also gets discounts at various attractions, some transit, and even restaurants here and there. I'm not sure about the HI card, but my YHA card also came with a $5 international calling card. Not much, but I still have it if I ever need to make an emergency call overseas. Finally, it included a big fat guidebook to all the hostels under their umbrella, along with a listing of companies that give discounts for it.

**Sabrosa** · 04-25-2006, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TheJake@Apr 24 2006, 09:59 PM
im kinda in a rush out the door right now but i just let my HI membership expire. It's kinda useless when im just sitting around stateside but down in SA it was priceless most of the time.

[snapback]114712[/snapback]

Given the length of time I will be in central/south america....I should definitely get this HI card??

~transgirl~ · 04-25-2006, 10:14 AM

I've been staying at Hi for 2 weeks. I like it. My only complaint is the TV room couches are so dirty the arms are permanently black. I've only met 2 cool people here though, it's so big it's hard to meet people. Well that's 2 complaints actually. I got the membership price even thuogh I didn't get the membership yet, because I promised the girl I'd buy a membership after I checked in so she just gave me the discounted rate. I know, I'm evil. But I'm still gonna try to check out without buying it. No shame.

Yeah there's too many little kids here. (3 complaints)

**TheJake** · 04-25-2006, 11:10 AM

Yeah from my understanding the only places HI cards are worthwhile are in the southern hemisphere like omi said. I will never again stay at a HI hostel in the states unless i have no other options and even then i might prefer to sleep on the street.

However in brasil and argentina I stayed almost exculsively at HI hostels and had a very good time at all of them with the exception of the massive one in BA. I would recommend choosing a hostel close to it, but not it. The HI card really only saved me a couple bucks a night but I guess those couple a bucks ended up buying me a couple a brews so it all goes the local economy in the end anyway....

RootBrewskies · 04-25-2006, 12:34 PM

the lifetime HI membership is $250. it seems like you would have to stay at HI hostel's alot over the course of your life to make up the cost of that $250 dollars. I understand you might get some additional discounts here and there with the card but essentially i find the main reason for getting the card to be staying at the hostels. maybe if the $28 dollar yearly fee was a lifetime membership i'd think about it, but it really doesnt seem worth it.

unless of course your extensively traveling the southern hemisphere.

**LostFarmboy** · 04-25-2006, 02:48 PM

meh, i had a HI card when i went around Western Europe, and Central and South America and it wasn't really worth it at all. One thing i found really annoying was that if you wanted to book in advance you had to book through the HI website, if you booked through hostelworld.com or another hostel site they wouldn't give you your discount....stupid HI.

Quote:

Originally posted by KindraDC@Apr 25 2006, 05:28 AM
Given the length of time I will be in central/south america....I should definitely get this HI card??

[snapback]114856[/snapback]

If i was you i wouldn't bother, there aren't that many HI hostels in central and south America and the hostels are soooo cheap anyway you wouldn't really be saving that much money.

Wibbs · 04-27-2006, 05:51 AM

Hi All,

Just been looking at the hostelling internation site and I cant make out if there is an age limit for getting a HI card??? Also wandering if it is worth it at all?

Thanks!

**Jen05** · 04-27-2006, 06:41 AM

I'm pretty sure there was a thread on HI cards not too long ago...but my opinion is that it's not worth it. Granted, I didn't use one in Europe, but I had no problem finding perfectly lovely hostels without an HI card. The two HI hostels I stayed in seemed really strict and uniform, and full of kids of school trips. Not my ideal hostel!

Wibbs · 04-27-2006, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jen05@Apr 27 2006, 02:41 PM
I'm pretty sure there was a thread on HI cards not too long ago...but my opinion is that it's not worth it.* Granted, I didn't use one in Europe, but I had no problem finding perfectly lovely hostels without an HI card.* The two HI hostels I stayed in seemed really strict and uniform, and full of kids of school trips.* Not my ideal hostel!

[snapback]115513[/snapback]

Thanks for that, will look it up on the other threads. It sounds like it wont be my kind of place as well, except if I am desperate!

**tumblezweedz** · 04-27-2006, 07:10 AM

My husband and I bought HI memberships a couple of years back, and we were both over 35 - I don't think there's an age limit. We bought ours in Lithuania, which had the cheapest membership rates, so it was worth it for us, especially since we saved on six beds every time we used it. You'd really have to work out the rates for the hostels you plan to stay in, to figure out if it works out for you or not...sounds like in general, most people don't find it a good deal, if they're just going to Europe.

Wibbs · 04-27-2006, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tumblezweedz@Apr 27 2006, 03:10 PM
My husband and I bought HI memberships a couple of years back, and we were both over 35 - I don't think there's an age limit.* We bought ours in Lithuania, which had the cheapest membership rates, so it was worth it for us, especially since we saved on six beds every time we used it.* You'd really have to work out the rates for the hostels you plan to stay in, to figure out if it works out for you or not...sounds like in general, most people don't find it a good deal, if they're just going to Europe.

[snapback]115521[/snapback]

Thanks TW! I will really only be doing Europe so I am thinking that it is not really worth the money especially since it is about £30 here in the UK!!

**simply_angelic** · 04-27-2006, 02:40 PM

well a HI membership was pretty much irresistable for me, considering I got it for free (hehe another one of the perks of being 17

) but I too wouldnt reccomend buying the card. I stayed in a HI hostel 3 x and they def. were not the most amazing hostels ever.... I found them more stand-offishy and less welcoming. Sure, when you have to, you have to but def not worth the price of the card...

aSiAnRiCk · 09-03-2006, 08:21 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(simply_angelic @ Apr 27 2006, 05:40 PM) [snapback]115638[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

well a HI membership was pretty much irresistable for me, considering I got it for free (hehe another one of the perks of being 17

) but I too wouldnt reccomend buying the card. I stayed in a HI hostel 3 x and they def. were not the most amazing hostels ever.... I found them more stand-offishy and less welcoming. Sure, when you have to, you have to but def not worth the price of the card...
[/b]

i bought mine few months ago

stayed for two days in HI Vancouver last month and going to stay for 6 days at HI Los Angeles and HI San Diego in a few weeks

i read that HI card will get me 15% off at the Hard Rock Cafes in San Diego & La Jolla (i'm a HRC freak lol)

i think i'll be even with my $28 HI card