I am 29. Can I stay in hostels in Europe this summer if backpack?

You can but some are more for kids than others. Zurich for example was virtually all adults - with the pros and the cons (e.g drunk/stoned people totally stinking coming and switching on lights at 2.30 am and immediately going into heavy snoring - waking up everyone else) . Others especially I found in Germany were aimed at kids - you may have a big party from a school. That comes with e.g. very strict curfews at 11pm or earlier, and some eg. Munich, not opening till 5pm and kicking you out at say 11am.

They did away with their age limits several years ago. Hostels can vary quite a bit by location--some are clean and comfortable--others rather grungy. Number of rooms, curfews, and amenities vary widely also. Some hostels have private rooms. <BR><BR>For more information, please see Hostelling International-USA at www.hiayh.org, or Hostelling International-English at www.iyhf.org.

I forgot to mention another good website for hostel information, www.hostel.com.

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There's an important distinction between hostels from the Hostelling International and private hostels. <BR><BR>The private hostels are basically cheap hotels with shared and some private rooms, shared showers etc. They don't impose any curfews and so on. Since finding a place for the night can be very expensive, I always found them to be a good place to stay when backpacking. If you want a little bit more privacy, sharing double rooms with a friend can be much more comfortable than staying in a common room with five others.<BR><BR>The hostels from Hostelling International vary between countries. I think the idea originated from Germany where the Youth Hostels were designed for children on vacations on their own. This meant that the Youth Hostels included a certain amount of surveillance of the children by the managers of the hostels (for example curfew) and an inclusion of the children in the work (for example preparing breakfast) to keep the costs down. I don't know whether these measures were ever introduced into hostels in other countries. Such restrictions have become less common in the last years but at least in Germany, you still find remains of them (and honestly, they are a real pain if you're an adult).<BR>As far as I know, there are no age restrictions for Youth Hostels (and certainly not in private hostels), but in the official hostels you pay more than a teenager. A single restriction might be Bavaria, where at least until a few years ago an age restriction of 26 or so existed. But I don't know whether it's still valid. <BR>

I'm 53. At 29 you seem like a kid me. Count your blessings and stay where YOU want.

You may be an Old Fart at 53, but I am still a kid at heart at 54!

Holly, I am in Europe, hosteling right now...a few things I will mention...<BR><BR>Yes, you can stay in hostels. You may pay a little more at HI hostels. Independent hostels will probably charge you the same. During the summer, they will be filled with lots of college kids, even high school kids. I can tell you, it is NOISY. If you stay at a hostel with no curfew, EXPECT people to come in late. HI hostels often have lockouts as well, which can be a bummer. Sometimes hostels charge for hot water. Showers also seem to have a button you need to push for water, and turns off when you don't. So if you need both hands, no agua.<BR><BR>As Hans said, 26 is the age limit in Bavaria for DJH hostels. Independent hostels in Bavaria have no limit.<BR><BR>I think if you are 29, I would alternate between hostels and budget hotels. That way you can get some peace and quiet in between. I have to say though, it is really nice to spend something like 13 euro a night for a bed...saves money for other pleasures. Check out eurotrip.com discussion boards on hostels...good advice there.

I am 42, but I still use youth hostels. Depends on the country and destination. Sometimes I use them because they are the only budget alternative, sometimes because I like to meet other people.

I stayed at a hostel once in Amsterdam (I know, it's Amsterdam) and it was a bad trip. Neo hippies that stunk to high heaven that slept all morning to arise to torment the living. If only they would have bathed once a year...