simply_angelic

Ok. So my trip is fast approaching-haha at least for me anyways (July second) and there's something that I've been wondering about. Ok, this could be kind of a stupid question, but w/e. So anyways, when I'll be overseas I'll still only be 17 because of my late b-day, but at a lot of the hostels they generally tend to have age-restrictions saying 18 to w/e (ex 35) on their sites. Now I know that generally these age restrictions are to keep the super old away b/c I dunno, it might cramp their style to have a 62 year old bunking with 20 somethings. But do you think that they will give me trouble for being 17, just under the age limit?

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~Laura
GO CANADA!!!!

If you walk backwards, you'll find out that you can go forward and people won't know if you're coming or going.

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
-James Dean

Countries I've Visited: Austria, Botswana, Canada, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy. Malawi, Mexico, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, UK, Vatican City, Zambia

GoKrazy

I had the same question, except the age restriction on the site said that the upper age limit was 30 and we have someone who just turned 31 traveling with us. I simply wrote them and e-mail and asked if it's ok. The answer basically read "it's not a problem". I think that a lot of places want to keep the SIGNIFIACANTLY older/yourger people from booking. I suggest you drop them a quick line to make sure it's all good - just to be on the safe side.

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"Growing old is manditory, growing up is optional"

tumblezweedz

Over the past couple of years we've stayed in several youth hostels and never had a problem even though both my husband and I are over thirty, and our children are well under 18! In one hostel we were in a shared room with some other people (we had booked a smaller room out of courtesy to the other guests, but they didn't have one). Obviously, the hostels don't want to have a lot of unaccompanied minors running around that they have to be responsible for. There were "significantly older" people at most hostels we stayed at, too, and that didn't seem to be a problem for anyone. Probably the "party hostels" discourage older guests, but most likely the older travellers or *horror* families wouldn't choose to stay at a party hostel anyway, so you don't have to worry about them spoiling the fun!

Good advice to email just to confirm, but I can't imagine you'd have any problems being within reach of 18...

And don't worry anyone, we're not spending the summer in Europe this year, so no one has to worry about being bunked up with our crew!

urOZm8

I stayed at a hostel in Malaysia where I shared a dorm with a 80 year old (at least, I can't remember how old she was exactly) woman traveller!

I really can't see it being a problem.

ev

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bellelass

Its a problem when some cranky, penny pinching old fart books into a 12-bed room and then does nothing but bitch at you because of the noise, the partying, etc. God what do you expect...

It really shouldnt be a problem, I dont know if I would even bother writing to them. When you check in, if they bother to ask you just agree with whatever they say.. "are you 18?"
"Yes, of course, what do you think?"
"Do you practice ritualised cannibalism?"
"uhh...."

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"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."
-T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom

simply_angelic

lol, but don't they look at your passport or drivers license at check-in for some hostels? So I mean wouldn't they kind of notice the age....as for the cannibalism

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~Laura
GO CANADA!!!!

If you walk backwards, you'll find out that you can go forward and people won't know if you're coming or going.

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
-James Dean

Countries I've Visited: Austria, Botswana, Canada, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy. Malawi, Mexico, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, UK, Vatican City, Zambia

mr-turisty

Ive ran into a few of those types, one who kept us awake on the first night with excessively loud snoring and then on the next night had the cheek to complain about us coming back late.

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"its too orangey for crows - its just for me and my dog"

bellelass

well, here's a secret for you to keep under your hat- unless you come off as dodgy, your passport probably wont get much more than a cursory look and taking down the number. Sometimes I even forgot to do that... Heh. One time we had some idiot kid come in with his friend's passport and tried to pass himself off as that guy. He and his friend had recently stayed with us, and were totaly assholes to the staff.. So we knew that wasnt him.. Needless to say he didnt get checked in, but honestly, what kind of idiot....

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"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."
-T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom